The Swiss Family Robinson Part 48

Now that there could be no doubt as to the success of Fritz's expedition, I no longer hesitated to give to my wife an account of his project, and to prepare her mind for the surprise which awaited her. She was greatly startled, as I expected, and seemed almost overcome with emotion at the idea of seeing a human being, and that being one of her own s.e.x.

"But why," she asked, "did you not tell me of this at first? Why wait until the last moment with such joyful news?"

"I was unwilling," I replied, "to raise hopes which might never be realized: but now, thank Heaven, he has succeeded, and there is no need for concealment."

The boys could not at all understand the evident air of mystery and suppressed excitement which neither their mother, Fritz, nor I could entirely conceal. They cast glances of the greatest curiosity toward the island, and as soon as the sails were furled and the anchor dropped, they sprang eagerly ash.o.r.e. In a body we followed Fritz, maintaining perfect silence. Presently we emerged from the thicket through which we were pa.s.sing, and saw before us a hut of sheltering boughs, at the entrance of which burned a cheerful fire.

Into this leafy bower Fritz dived, leaving his brothers without, mute with astonishment. In another moment he emerged, leading by the hand a slight, handsome youth, by his dress apparently a young English naval officer. The pair advanced to meet us; and Fritz, with a countenance radiant with joy, briefly introduced his companion as Edward Montrose.

"And," he continued, looking at his mother and me, "will you not welcome him as a friend and a brother to our family circle?"

"That will we, indeed!" I exclaimed, advancing and holding out my hands to the fair young stranger. "Our wild life may have roughened our looks and manners, but it has not hardened our hearts, I trust."

The mother, too, embraced the seeming youth most heartily. The lads, and even the dogs, were not behind hand in testifying their gratification at the appearance of their new friend--the former delighted at the idea of a fresh companion, and the latter won by her sweet voice and appearance.

From the expression made use of by Fritz I perceived that the girl wished her s.e.x to remain unrevealed to the rest of the party until the mother could obtain for her a costume more suited to her real character.

The young men then ran down to the yacht to bring up what was necessary for supper, as well as to make preparations for a camp in which we might spend the night. This done the mother hastened to set before us a substantial meal, while the boys, anxious to make their new acquaintance feel at home among them, were doing their best to amuse her. She herself, after the first feeling of strangeness had worn off, entered fully into all their fun; and by the time they sat down to supper was laughing and chattering as gaily as any one of the rest. She admired the various dishes, tasted our mead, and, without alluding once to her previous life, kept up a lively conversation.

The mere fact of meeting with any human being after so many years of isolation was in itself sufficient to raise the boys to the greatest state of excitement; but that this being should be one so handsome, so gay, so perfectly charming, seemed completely to have turned their heads; and when I gave the sign for breaking up of the feast, and their new friend was about to be led to the night quarters which had been prepared for her on board the yacht, the health of Edward Montrose was proposed, and drank in fragrant mead, amid the cheers and acclamations of all hands.

When she was gone, and silence had been restored, Jack exclaimed:

"Now, then, Fritz, if you please, just tell me where you came across this jolly fellow. Did you take your mysterious voyage in search of him, or did you meet him by chance? Out with your adventures, while we sit comfortably round the fire."

So saying, Jack cast more wood upon the blazing pile, and throwing himself down in his usual, careless fas.h.i.+on, prepared to listen attentively.

Fritz, after a few moments' hesitation, began:

"Perhaps you remember," said he, "how, when I returned from my expedition in the cajack the other day, I struck down an albatross. None but my father at the time knew, however, what became of the wounded bird, or even thought more about it. Yet it was that albatross who brought me notice of the s.h.i.+pwrecked stranger and he, too, I determined should carry back a message, to cheer and encourage the sender.

"I first, as you know, prepared my cajack to carry two persons; and then, with a heart full of hope and trust, left you and the yacht, and, with Pounce seated before me, made for the open sea. For several hours I paddled steadily on, till, the wind freshening, I thought it advisable to keep in nearer sh.o.r.e; that, should a regular storm arise, I might find some sheltered bay in which to weather it.

"It was well I did so; for, scarcely had I reached a quiet cove which promised to afford me the protection I desired than the sea appeared one ma.s.s of foam: great surging waves arose; and even in the comparative calm of the bay I felt that I was in some danger.

"I pa.s.sed the night in my cajack; and next morning, after a frugal meal of pemmican, and a draught of water from my flask, once more ventured forth. The wind had subsided, and the sea was tolerably smooth; and, keeping my eyes busily employed in seeking in every direction to detect, if possible, the slightest trace of smoke, or other sign of human life, I paddled on till noon.

"The aspect of the coast now began to change: the sh.o.r.es were sandy, while further inland lay dense forests, from whose gloomy depths I could ever and anon hear the fierce roar of beasts of prey, the yell of apes, the fiendish laugh of the hyena, or the despairing death cry of a hapless deer. Seldom have I experienced a greater feeling of solitude than while listening to these strange sounds, and knowing that I, in this frail canoe, was the only human being near. Giving myself up to contemplation, I rested my paddle, and allowed my cajack to drift slowly on.

"As I neared the sh.o.r.e, I noticed a large number of stranger looking birds, who would sometimes flutter round me, and then dart back again to the border of the forest, where they were feeding on what appeared to be the pepper plant; they seized the berries in their great, ponderous beaks, threw them up into the air, and then dexterously caught them in their fall. Their beaks were really something extraordinary: they looked as though they must give their owners a perpetual headache, from their immense weight. The only thing that relieved the extreme ugliness of these great appendages was their gorgeous color, which was only rivaled by the gay hue of the plumage. I wished now that I had brought home a specimen; but at the time I was so much amused by watching the grotesque antics of the birds that I did not think of obtaining one. When I left the spot, I settled in my own mind that they were toucans: was I right, Ernest?"

The Professor, unwilling to interrupt the narrative, merely gave an oracular nod, and Fritz continued:

"For some hours after this I paddled quickly on, sometimes pa.s.sing the mouth of a stream, sometimes that of a broad river. Had I been merely on an exploring expedition, I should have been tempted, doubtless, to cruise a little way up one of these pathways into the forest; but now such an idea did not enter my head. On, on, on, I felt I must go, until I should reach the goal of my voyage.

"The shades of night at length drew on, and, finding a sheltered cove, I moored my cajack, and stepped on sh.o.r.e. You may imagine how pleasant it was to stretch my legs, after sitting for so long in the cramped position which my cajack enforces. It would not do, however, to sleep on sh.o.r.e; so after preparing and enjoying my supper, I returned on board, and there spent the night.

"Next morning Pounce and I again landed for breakfast. I lit my fire, and hung before it a plump young parrot to roast. As I was so doing, I heard a slight rustle among the long gra.s.s behind me. I glanced round, and there, with glaring eyes and his great tail swaying to and fro, I saw an immense tiger.

"In another moment his spring would have been made. I should have been no more, and our young guest would have been doomed to, G.o.d only knows how many, years of frightful solitude!

"My gun was lying by my side. Before I could have stooped to pick it up, the monster would have seized me.

"Pounce saw and comprehended my danger: the heroic bird darted upon my enemy, and so blinded him with his flapping wings, and the fierce blows of his beak, that his spring was checked, and I had time to recover my self-possession. I seized my gun, and fired; and the brute, pierced to the heart, gave one spring, and then rolled over at my feet.

"My enemy was dead; but beside him, alas! lay poor Pounce, crushed and lifeless. One blow of the great beast's paw had struck him down, never to rise again!"

Fritz's voice shook as he came to this point; and, after remaining silent for a moment or two, he continued hurriedly:

"With a sad and desolate feeling at my heart, I buried the faithful bird where he had met his death; and then, unable longer to continue near the spot, I returned to my cajack, and leaving the great tiger lying where he fell, paddled hastily away.

"My thoughts were gloomy. I felt as though, now that my companion was gone, I could no longer continue the voyage. The albatross, I thought, may have flown for hundreds of miles before it reached me. This stranger may be on different sh.o.r.es from these entirely; every stroke of my paddle may be carrying me further from the blazing signal: who knows?

"This feeling of discouragement was not, however, to be of long duration; for in a moment more a sight presented itself, which banished all my doubts and fears, and raised me to the highest pitch of excitement.

"A high point of land lay before me. I rounded it, and beyond found a calm and pleasant bay, from whose curved and thickly wooded sh.o.r.es ran out a reef of rocks. From the point of this reef rose a column of smoke, steadily and clearly curling upward in the calm air. I could scarcely believe my senses, but stopped gazing at it, as though I were in a dream; then, with throbbing pulse and giddy brain, I seized my paddle, and strained every nerve to reach it.

"A few strokes seemed to carry me across the bay, and, securing my canoe, I leaped upon the rock, on which the beacon was blazing, but not a sign of a human being could I see. I was about to shout, for as the fire had evidently been recently piled up, I knew the stranger could not be far off; but, before I could do so, I saw a slight figure pa.s.sing along the chain of rocks toward the spot on which I stood. You may all imagine my sensations.

"I advanced a few paces; and then mastering my emotion as best I could, I said in English:

"'Welcome, fair stranger! G.o.d, in his mercy, has heard your call, and has sent me to your aid!'

"Miss Montrose came quickly forward----"

"Who? What?" shouted the boys, interrupting the narrative; "who came forward?" and amid a general hubbub, Ernest, rising and advancing to his brother, said in his quiet way:

"I did not like to make any remark till you actually let out the secret, Fritz, but we need no longer pretend not to see through the disguise of Edward Montrose."

Fritz, though much disconcerted by the discovery of the secret, recovered his self-possession; and, after bearing with perfect equanimity the jokes with which his brothers a.s.sailed him, joined in three cheers for their new sister, and when the confusion and laughter which ensued had subsided, continued his story:

"Miss Montrose grasped my hands warmly, and guessing from my p.r.o.nunciation, I am afraid, that I was not in the habit of speaking English every day of my life, said in French:

"'Long, long, have I waited since the bird returned with your message.

Thank G.o.d, you have come at last!'

"Then, with tears of joy and grat.i.tude, she led me to the sh.o.r.e, where she had built a hut and a safe sleeping-place, like Falconhurst on a small scale, among the branches of a tree. I was delighted with all she showed me, for indeed her hut and its fittings evinced no ordinary skill and ingenuity. Round the walls hung bows, arrows, lances, and bird-snares; while on her work-table, in boxes and cases, carved skillfully with a knife, were fish-hooks of mother-of-pearl, needles made from fish-bones, and bodkins from the beaks of birds, fis.h.i.+ng-lines of all sorts, and knives and other tools. These latter she told me were, with a chest of wearing apparel, almost the only things washed ash.o.r.e after the wreck, when three years ago she was cast alone upon this desolate coast. I marveled more and more at the wonderful way in which this girl had surmounted obstacles, the quarter of which would completely have appalled the generality of her s.e.x. The hut itself was a marvel of skill; stout posts had been driven into the ground, with cross pieces of bamboo, to form a framework; the walls had been woven with reeds, the roof thatched with palm-leaves, and the whole plastered smoothly with clay, an open s.p.a.ce being left in the center of the roof for a chimney to carry off the smoke of the fire.

"As we entered, a cormorant, with a cry of anger, flew from under the table toward me, and was about to attack me fiercely. Miss Montrose called it off, and she then told me she had captured and tamed the bird soon after first landing, and since that time had contrived to train it to a.s.sist her in every conceivable way; it now not only was a pleasant companion, but brought her food of every description, fish, flesh and fowl, for whether it dived into the waters, according to its natural habit, struck down birds upon the wing, or seized rabbits and other small animals upon the land, it laid all its booty at her feet.

"Before darkness closed in, all the curiosities and ingenious contrivances of the place had been displayed--the kitchen stove, cooking utensils, skin bottles, sh.e.l.l plates and spoons, the fis.h.i.+ng raft and numberless other things--and then, sitting down with my fair hostess to a most appetizing meal, she gave me a short account of her life:

"Jenny Montrose was the daughter of a British officer, who had served for many years in India, where she herself was born. At the early age of three years she lost her mother.

"After the death of his wife, all the colonel's love and care was centered upon his only child; under his eye she was instructed in all the accomplishments suited to her s.e.x; and from him she imbibed an ardent love of field sports. By the time she was seventeen, she was as much at home upon her horse in the field as in her father's drawing room. Colonel Montrose now received orders to return home with his regiment, and as for certain reasons he did not wish her to accompany him in the s.h.i.+p with the troops, he obtained a pa.s.sage for her on board a vessel which was about to sail at the same time.

"The separation was extremely painful to both the old soldier and his daughter, but there was no alternative. They parted, and Miss Montrose sailed in the _Dorcas_ for England. A week after she had left Calcutta, a storm arose and drove the vessel far out of her course; more bad weather ensued; and at length, leaks having been sprung in all directions, the crew were obliged to take to the boats. Jenny obtained a place in one of the largest of these. After enduring the perils of the sea for many days, land was sighted; and, the other boats having disappeared, an attempt was made to land. The boat was capsized, and Miss Montrose alone reached the sh.o.r.e. For a long time she lay upon the sand almost inanimate; but, reviving sufficiently to move, she at length obtained some sh.e.l.l-fish, and by degrees recovered her strength. From that time forth until I appeared she never set eyes upon a human being.

To attract any pa.s.sing vessel, and obtain a.s.sistance, however, she kept a beacon continually blazing at the end of the reef; and, with the same purpose in view, attached missives to the feet of any birds she could take alive in her snares. The albatross, she told me, she had kept for some time, and partially tamed; but, as it was in the habit of making long excursions on its own account, she conceived the idea of sending it also with a message, that should it by chance be seen and taken alive, it might return with an answer.