The Lonely Island: The Refuge of the Mutineers Part 34

Feasting is a commonplace and rather gross subject, having many points of similitude in all lands. We shall therefore pa.s.s over this part of the day's enjoyment, merely remarking that, what with fish and lobster, and yams and cocoa-nuts, and bananas and plantains, and sundry compounds of the same made into cakes, and clear water from the mountain-side, there was ample provision for the wants of nature. There was no lack, either, of that feast which is said to flow from "reason" and "soul"

There was incident, also, to enliven the proceedings; for the child who had come by the overland route with Sally fell into something resembling a yam-pie, and the hero of the day managed to roll into the oven which had cooked the victuals. Fortunately, it had cooled somewhat by that time, and seemed to tickle his fancy rather than otherwise.

Dinner was concluded; and as it had been preceded by asking a blessing, it was now closed with thanksgiving. Then Dinah Adams began to show a tendency to clear up the debris, when Dan McCoy, who had wandered away with Sarah Quintal in search of sh.e.l.ls to a neighbouring promontory, suddenly uttered a tremendous and altogether new cry.

"What _is_ he up to now?" said John Adams, rising hastily and shading his eyes with his hand.

Dan was seen to be gesticulating frantically on the rocks, and pointing wildly out to sea.

The whole party ran towards him, and soon became as wildly excited as himself, for there, at long last, was a _s.h.i.+p_, far away on the horizon!

To launch the canoes and make for home was the work of a very few minutes. No one thought of swimming now. Those who did not go in the canoes went by the land road as fast as they could run and clamber. In a short time the gulls were left in undisturbed possession of Martin's Cove.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

THE FIRST s.h.i.+P, AND NEWS OF HOME.

No wonder that there was wild excitement on the lonely island at the sight of this sail, for, with the exception of the s.h.i.+p that had been seen years before, and only for a few minutes, by Sally and Matt Quintal, no vessel of any kind had visited them during the s.p.a.ce of nineteen years.

"I've longed for it, old 'ooman, as n.o.body but myself can understand,"

said Adams, in a low, earnest voice to his wife, who stood on the cliffs beside him. Although nearly blind, Mrs Adams was straining her eyes in the direction of the strange sail. "And now that it's come," continued her husband, "I confess to you, la.s.s, I'm somewhat afeared to face it.

It's not that I fear to die more than other men, but I'd feel it awful hard to be took away from you an' all them dear child'n. But G.o.d's will be done."

"They'd never take you from us, father," exclaimed Dinah Adams, who overheard this speech.

"There's no sayin', Di. I've forfeited my life to the laws of England.

I tell 'ee what it is, Thursday," said Adams, going up to the youth, who was gazing wistfully like the others at the rapidly approaching vessel, "it may be a man-o'-war, an' they may p'r'aps want to s.h.i.+p me off to England on rather short notice. If so, I must go; but I'd rather not.

So I'll retire into the bushes, Toc, while you go aboard in the canoe.

I'll have time to think over matters before you come back with word who they are, an' where they hail from."

While Thursday went down to the beach, accompanied by Charlie, to prepare a canoe for this mission, the s.h.i.+p drew rapidly near the island, and soon after hove to, just outside of Bounty Bay. As she showed no colours, and did not look like a man-of-war, Adams began to feel easier in his mind, and again going out on the cliffs, watched the canoe as it dashed through the surf.

Under the vigorous strokes of Thursday and Charlie Christian, it was soon alongside the strange s.h.i.+p. To judge from the extent to which the men opened their eyes, there is reason to believe that those on board of that strange s.h.i.+p were filled with unusual surprise; and well they might be, for the appearance of our two heroes was not that which voyagers in the South Pacific were accustomed to expect. The remarks of two of the surprised ones, as the canoe approached, will explain their state of mind better than any commentary.

"I say, Jack, it ain't a boat; I guess it's a canoe."

"Yes, Bill, it's a canoe."

"What d'ye make 'em out to be, Jack?"

"Men, I think; leastwise they're not much like monkeys; though, of coorse, a feller can't be sure till they stand up an' show their tails,--or the want of 'em."

"Well, now," remarked Bill, as the canoe drew nearer, "that's the most puzzlin' lot I've seen since I was raised. They ain't n.i.g.g.e.rs, that's plain; they're too light-coloured for that, an' has none o' the n.i.g.g.e.r brick-dust in their faces. One on 'em, moreover, seems to have fair curly hair, an' they wears jackets an' hats with something of a sailor-cut about 'em. Why, I do b'lieve they're s.h.i.+pwrecked sailors."

"No," returned Jack, with a critical frown, "they're not just the colour o' white men. Mayhap, they're a noo style o' savage, this bein' raither an out-o'-the-way quarter."

"Stand by with a rope there," cried the captain of the vessel, cutting short the discussion, while the canoe ranged longside.

"s.h.i.+p ahoy!" shouted Thursday, in the true nautical style which he had learned from Adams.

If the eyes of the men who looked over the side of the s.h.i.+p were wide open with surprise before, they seemed to blaze with amazement at the next remark by Thursday.

"Where d'ye hail from, an' what's your name?" he asked, as Charlie made fast to the rope which was thrown to them.

"The _Topaz_, from America, Captain Folger," answered the captain, with a smile.

With an agility worthy of monkeys, and that might have justified Jack and Bill looking for tails, the brothers immediately stood on the deck, and holding out their hands, offered with affable smiles to shake hands.

We need scarcely say the offer was heartily accepted by every one of the crew.

"And who may _you_ be, my good fellows?" asked Captain Folger, with an amused expression.

"I am Thursday October Christian," answered the youth, drawing himself up as if he were announcing himself the king of the Cannibal Islands.

"I'm the oldest son of Fletcher Christian, one of the mutineers of the _Bounty_, an' this is my brother Charlie."

The sailors glanced at each other and then at the stalwart youths, as if they doubted the truth of the a.s.sertion.

"I've heard of that mutiny," said Captain Folger. "It was celebrated enough to make a noise even on our side of the Atlantic. If I remember rightly, most of the mutineers were caught on Otaheite and taken to England, being wrecked and some drowned on the way; the rest were tried, and some acquitted, some pardoned, and some hanged."

"I know nothin' about all that," said Thursday, with an interested but perplexed look.

"But I do, sir," said the man whom we have styled Jack, touching his hat to the captain. "I'm an Englishman, as you knows, an' chanced to be in England at the very time when the mutineers was tried. There was nine o' the mutineers, sir, as went off wi' the _Bounty_ from Otaheite, an'

they've never bin heard on from that day to this."

"Yes, yes!" exclaimed Thursday, with sudden animation, "that's _us_.

The nine mutineers came to our island here, Pitcairn, an' remained here ever since, an' we've all bin born here; there's lots more of us,--boys and girls."

"You _don't_ say so!" exclaimed the captain, whose interest was now thoroughly aroused. "Are the nine mutineers all on Pitcairn still?"

Thursday's mobile countenance at once became profoundly sad, and he shook his head slowly.

"No," said he, "they're all dead but one. John Adams is his name."

"Don't remember that name among the nine said to be lost," remarked the Englishman.

"I've heard father say he was sometimes called John Smith," said Thursday.

"Ah, yes! I remember the name of Smith," said Jack. "_He_ was one of 'em."

"And is he the only man left on the island?" asked the captain.

"Yes, the only man," replied Thursday, who had never yet thought of himself in any other light than a boy; "an' if you'll come ash.o.r.e in our canoe, father'll take you to his house an' treat you to the best he's got. He'll be right glad to see you too, for he's not seen a soul except ourselves for nigh twenty years."

"Not seen a soul! D'ye mean to say no s.h.i.+p has touched here for that length of time?" asked the captain in surprise.

"No, except one that only touched an' went off without discovering that we were here, an' none of us found out she had bin here till we chanced to see her sailin' away far out to sea. That was five years ago."

"That's very strange and interestin'. I'd like well to visit old Adams, lad, an' I thank 'ee for the invitation; but I won't run my s.h.i.+p through such a surf as that, an' don't like to risk leavin' her to go ash.o.r.e in your canoe."