The Swiss Family Robinson or Adventures on a Desert Island Part 17

We were to dine here, and after a time Fritz and Jack began to prepare a fireplace, their great ambition being to heat the stones red hot, and cook the crab in a hollow gourd. Their mother, therefore, left them to their own devices, and attended to the hungry animals, unharnessing the a.s.s to graze, and giving cocoanut milk to the poor little monkey, who had been obliged to travel in a covered basket for some time, lest he should be lost in the woods. The wounded bustard had been completely forgotten, and from heat and thirst was suffering greatly until her friendly care revived it, and it was tied to a tree and allowed to move about, its fierce spirit greatly tamed by adversity.

The cooking operations came to a stand soon after the fire was lighted, for it appeared that we had no more water in the jars we had brought, so the boys proposed to go in search of a spring. I agreed to accompany them; Ernest also wished to join us, and as our intention was to examine merely the surrounding wood, I saw no objection to leaving their mother and Franz for a short time.

Very soon after our exploration began, Ernest, who was in front, turned with a face of terror, shouting, "A wild boar! an immense wild boar, father! Do come quick!" And sure enough, I heard a loud snorting and puffing as some large animal pa.s.sed hastily through the thick underwood beyond us. "After him, lads, after him!" cried I, hurrying forward.

"Call the dogs! stand ready to fire!" And we pressed through the bushes to the spot where Ernest had seen the creature. The ground was grubbed up, and some potatoes lay about, showing that we had disturbed him at his mid-day meal. Ernest and Jack were more disposed to gather the roots than to follow up the chase. Fritz and I alone went after the dogs, who eagerly pushed on, and by the sounds we heard had evidently attacked the boar at no great distance. Terrific barking, snarling, and grunting guided us to the scene of action, and we beheld our mastiffs one on each side of a large respectable-looking pig, holding on by the great ears, while the animal, on seeing us, appeared rather to beseech our interference than to propose to offer a desperate resistance.

In a moment the truth became apparent! The captive grunter was no fierce native of the forest, but our own run-away sow! Our excitement had been wound to so high a pitch that the discovery was quite a shock, and we felt half angry with the creature who had disappointed us; then the absurdity of the whole thing made us laugh heartily, and calling off the dogs, the old lady was released from her ignominious position. Our laughter resounding through the wood brought Ernest and Jack from their potatoes, to see what was going on.

"Much use you two would have been suppose we had required help," cried Fritz, as they recognized their old friend.

"Ah, well, you see," returned Jack, "Ernest and I had a sort of a kind of presentiment that this was going to be the old sow. And just look at our fine potatoes!"

A good deal of joking on the subject ensued, but was interrupted by Ernest, who drew our attention to fruit resembling apples on the surrounding bushes, and on the gra.s.s beneath them.

The sow was making amends for the fright and pain she had endured by munching and crunching this fruit at a great rate. Fritz feared that it might be the poisonous manchineel, against which I once warned them, but on examining it, I was induced to p.r.o.nounce a more favorable opinion, and we collected a quant.i.ty in hopes that, if the monkey approved of it as well as the old sow, we might be able to enjoy a feast ourselves.

All this time not a drop of water had we seen, and our own thirst increasing, we felt eager to procure some before returning to our resting place.

Jack preceded us, and we made our way toward a high rock, which rose above the thickets, when he suddenly startled us by a loud cry of "A crocodile! father! father! A crocodile!"

"Nonsense, boy! A crocodile, of all things, in this dry, parched forest, where we can't get so much as a mouthful of water!"

On advancing to where Jack stood, I perceived that his mistake was not so very silly after all, for I beheld an iguana, one of the largest of the lizard species, and truly a formidable-looking fellow. I was glad to a.s.sure Jack that the strange creature he had found was perfectly harmless, and that its flesh being esteemed a delicacy, it would be a valuable prize to carry back with us.

In another moment Fritz would have fired, but arresting his hand, "Your shot," I said, "would probably only wound the animal, and being extremely tenacious of life, it would certainly escape; we must gain possession of the sleeping beauty by a gentler method."

"You are not going to kiss it, are you, father?" asked Jack, with a grin.

I tried to rebuke him for his impertinence, but, failing, I commenced operations. I first attached a cord and running-noose to a stout stick, and holding a light switch in my other hand, I began to approach the creature with soft, slow steps, while the boys looked on with the utmost curiosity.

Presently I began very softly to whistle a sweet, yet very lively air, which I continued more and more distinctly as I drew near the lizard; until, awaking, it seemed to listen with pleasure--raising its head as though better to catch the sounds, or to discover whence they came.

When near enough, I began gently to stroke and tickle him with the wand, continuing to whistle the prettiest tunes I could think of; and the lizard gave signs of pleasurable contentment, stretching his limbs and moving his tail in token of enjoyment.

Suddenly, availing myself of a movement of his head, I cast the noose over it, drew the cord tight, and placing my foot on the body, I was about to kill it by piercing the nostril--almost the only vulnerable part in this singular reptile--when Jack received such a slap from its tail, which was furiously driving in all directions, as sent him rolling over like a ninepin. At the same time he opened his jaws, when the boys took fright at the row of sharp teeth, and thinking that the sooner he was dead the better, were for battering him with sticks; but I a.s.suring them my method would kill him more quickly and without pain, thrust my rod into his nostril, on which the blood flowed and the lizard soon expired.

The boys seemed to think me as wonderful a person as a snake charmer, and the success of my stratagem, as well as of the means by which the lizard was slain, called forth great admiration, since they had never heard of the animal, nor of the method of capturing it so commonly practiced in the West Indies.

Now came the question of how we were to carry this unwieldy burden. I had a great dislike to killing any creature and leaving it useless behind me; so, without more ado, I fairly took it on my back and marched off with it.

As we came toward the Calabash Wood, we could hear the voices of the deserted mother and child calling us in anxious tones; for indeed our protracted absence alarmed them. We shouted joyously in reply, and our appearance, as we issued from the woods, afforded them welcome relief from their fears, although the dreadful creature on my back startled them not a little.

There was so much to tell, so much to be seen, that for a time hunger and thirst were forgotten; and no one thought even of the water we had vainly gone in search of, until Master Knips, having slyly possessed himself of some of our new-found apples, was discovered munching away and enjoying them amazingly--which instantly gave the boys a strong wish to eat some also; and as the bustard likewise pecked at them without hesitation, I felt sure there could be no danger; and on tasting them, I concluded it was the fruit of the guava, a West Indian plant, which we were delighted to have.

Although refres.h.i.+ng, this fruit rather sharpened than appeased our appet.i.tes, and we were glad to eat the provisions we had brought from home, without waiting to cook anything, as we had originally intended.

It was, in fact, high time to move homeward, and we thought it best not to enc.u.mber ourselves with the sledge and the greater part of its load, but to leave it until the next day. The a.s.s was laden with the iguana and the bustard; and little Franz, tired as he was, looked in vain for a spare seat on its back.

Our road home lay through a majestic forest of oak trees, beneath which lay numberless acorns, some of which we gathered as we went along; and at length, before night closed in, we all reached Falconhurst in safety.

When supper was ready, we were thankful to recruit our exhausted strength by eating heartily of a piece of broiled iguana, with potatoes and roast acorns, which tasted like excellent chestnuts.

CHAPTER VII

AT FALCONHURST AGAIN--BAGGING A BUFFALO

The first thing to be done on the following day was to return to the Calabash Wood, to fetch the sledge with the dishes, bowls, and baskets we had made.

Fritz alone accompanied me. I desired the other boys to remain with their mother, intending to explore beyond the chain of rocky hills, and thinking a large party undesirable on the occasion.

Pa.s.sing through the wood of evergreen oaks, we observed our sow feasting on the acorns, evidently not a whit the worse for the fright we had given her the previous day--in fact, she appeared more friendly disposed toward us than usual, possibly considering us as her deliverers from the jaws of the savage dogs.

Many birds tenanted this grove, and were undisturbed by our movements, until Fritz fired and shot a beautiful blue-jay and a couple of parroquets, one a brilliant scarlet, the other green and gold.

Fritz was in the act of reloading his gun, when an unaccountable noise struck our ears, and put us instantly on the alert, because it appeared like the dull thumping sound of a m.u.f.fled drum, and reminded us of the possible presence of savages.

With the greatest caution we drew nearer the sound, concealing ourselves among the low bushes and thick gra.s.s and creepers, until we reached an open glade; where, standing on an old prostrate log, was a beautiful bird, about the size of a c.o.c.k, of a rich chestnut brown color, finely mottled with dark brown and gray. On the shoulders were curious tufts of velvet black feathers, glossed with green. He was ruffling his wings, erecting his tail and neck feathers, strutting and wheeling about in a most strange and stately fas.h.i.+on. After maneuvering for some time in this manner, greatly to the edification of a party of birds resembling him, but without any ruff, who, a.s.sembled round the stump, were enjoying his performances, he spread out his tail like a fan, stiffened his wings, and began to strike with them in short, rapid beats, faster and faster, until a rumbling sound like very distant thunder was produced, and the whirring wings enveloped him as in a cloud. This was the drumming noise which had alarmed us, increased, as I imagine, by the wing strokes falling at times on the decayed and hollow stump on which the curious pantomime was acted.

I was watching it with the utmost interest, when a shot from behind me was fired, and in a moment the play was at an end; my over-hasty son had changed the pretty comedy into a sad and needless tragedy. The enthusiastic drummer fell dead from his perch, and the crowd of admiring companions fled in dismay.

The cruel interruption of a scene so rare and remarkable annoyed me extremely, and I blamed Fritz for firing without my leave. I felt sure the bird was the ruffed grouse, and a very fine specimen. We placed it on the a.s.s, which was patiently awaiting our return, and went on our way.

The sledge was quite safe where we had left it; it was early in the day, and I resolved to explore, as I had intended, the line of cliff and rocky hills, which, at more or less distance from the seash.o.r.e, extended the whole length of coast known or visible to us.

I desired to discover an opening, if any existed, by which to penetrate the interior of the country, or to ascertain positively that we were walled in and isolated on this portion of the coast.

Leaving Calabash Wood behind us, we advanced over ground covered with manioc, potatoes, and many plants unknown to us; pleasant streamlets watered the fruitful soil, and the view on all sides was open and agreeable.

Some bushes attracted my notice, loaded with small white berries, of peculiar appearance like wax, and very sticky when plucked. I recognized in this a plant called by botanists Myrica cerifera, and with much pleasure explained to Fritz that, by melting and straining these berries, we might easily succeed in making candles, and afford very great satisfaction to the mother, who did not at all approve of having to lay her work aside and retire to rest the moment the sun set. The greenish wax to be obtained would be more brittle than beeswax, but it would burn very fairly, and diffuse an agreeable perfume. Having the a.s.s with us, we lost no time in gathering berries enough to fill one of the large canvas bags he carried, and we then continued our route.

Very soon we met with another natural curiosity, the curious appearance of which surprised us much. This was the abode, under one roof, of a whole colony of birds, about the size of yellow hammers, but of plain brown plumage. The nests were built in a ma.s.s round the stem and among the branches of a tree standing alone, and a kind of roof formed of gra.s.s, straws, and fibers covered them all, and sheltered the community from rain and the heat of the sun. There were numbers of openings into the irregular sides of the group of dwellings, the nests resembling different apartments in a house common to all; twigs and small branches emerged here and there from the walls, and served as perches for the young birds, and resting-places and posts of observation for all. The general appearance of the establishment reminded us of a huge bath-sponge. The feathered inhabitants swarmed in and out by thousands, and we saw among them many beautiful little parrots, who seemed in many instances to contest possession of the nest of the lawful owners.

Fritz, being an expert climber and exceedingly anxious to examine the nests more closely, ascended the tree, hoping to obtain one or two young birds, if any were hatched. He put his hands into several holes, which were empty; but at last his intended theft and robbery met with repulse and chastis.e.m.e.nt he little expected; for, reaching far back into the nest, his finger was seized and sharply bitten by a very strong beak, so that with a cry he withdrew his hand, and shook it vigorously to lessen the pain. Recovering from the surprise, he again and more resolutely seized the unkind bird, and, despite its shrieks and screams, drew it from its retreat, crammed it into his pocket, b.u.t.toned up his coat, and slid quickly to the ground, pursued by numbers of the captive's relations, who darted from the other holes and flew round the robber, screeching and pecking at him in a rage.

Fritz's prize was not one of the real owners of the nests, which were those of the sociable grosbeak, but a very pretty small green parrot, with which he was greatly pleased, and which he at once determined to tame and teach to speak; for the present it was carefully remanded to prison in his pocket.

This curious colony of birds afforded us matter for conversation as we went on our way; their cheerful, sociable habits, and the instinct which prompted them to unite in labor for the common good, appearing most wonderful to us.

"Examples of the kind, however," said I, "are numerous, in various cla.s.ses of animals. Beavers, for instance, build and live together in a very remarkable way. Among insects, bees, wasps, and ants are well known as social architects; in like manner, the coral insect works wonders beneath the ocean waves, by force of perseverance and united effort."

"I have often watched ants at work," said Fritz; "it it most amusing to see how they carry on the various works and duties of their commonwealth."

"Have you ever noticed how much trouble they take with the eggs?"

inquired I, to see how far he understood the process; "carrying them about in the warmth of the sun until they are hatched?"