Fritz and Eric Part 27

"Hurrah, up with her now, altogether!" came the next cry; and then, the anchor was bowsed up to the cathead to the lively chorus that rang through the s.h.i.+p, the men walking away with the fall as if it had no weight attached to it. The yards were now braced round and the _Pilot's Bride_ began to beat out of the bay against the head wind, which was now blowing right on to the sh.o.r.e.

"Guess we aren't a bit too soon," said the skipper, when the vessel, after her second tack to starboard, just cleared Herald Point. "If we'd stopped much longer, we'd been forced to stop altogether, I reckon!"

"Was there any danger?" asked Fritz innocently.

"Yes, mister; there's allers danger to a shep with a gale comin' on an'

a nasty sh.o.r.e under her lee. There's nothin' like the open sea for safety! When you can't come to an anchor in a safe harbour, the best thing is to up cable an' cut and run, say I!"

Inaccessible Island was only about eighteen miles distant from Tristan; but, as it lay to the south-west of that island and the wind blew strongly from almost the same quarter, the _Pilot's Bride_ had to make a couple of long tacks before she could approach sufficiently near for Fritz to see the spot where he and his brother had elected to pa.s.s so many weary months of solitary exile.

As the s.h.i.+p beat to windward, pa.s.sing the island twice on either tack, he was able to notice what a bare, inhospitable-looking place it was.

Its structure seemed pretty much the same as that of Tristan, with the exception that the snow-white cone projecting into the clouds, which was the most noticeable feature in the latter island, was here wanting; but, a wall of volcanic rocks, about the same height as the cliff of Tristan d'Acunha, entirely surrounded the desolate spot, falling for the most part sheer into the sea and only sloping, as far as could be seen from the distance the s.h.i.+p was off, sufficiently on one side to allow of any access to the top. Against this impenetrable, adamantine barrier, on the west, the heavy rolling sea that had travelled all the way from Cape Horn was breaking with a loud din, sending columns of spray flying over almost the highest peaks and making the scene grand but awesome at the same time.

"Well might it be called Inaccessible Island!" exclaimed Fritz, gazing intently at the threatening cliffs and cruel surge.

"Yes, sirree, it kinder skearts one to look at it, don't it now, hey?"

"I should think it more dangerous to approach than Tristan?" said Fritz presently.

"I rayther guess so, mister," replied the skipper. "I rec'lect readin', when I was a b'y, of the wreck of a big East Indyman here bound fur Bombay. She wer called the _Blenden Hall_, an' I ken call to mind, though it must be nigh fifty year ago, the hull yarn as to how she wer lost."

"Do you?" said Fritz. "I should like to hear about it."

"Waall, here goes, I reckon. You see as how there wer several ladies aboard, an' it wer the plight they wer put in thet made me 'member it all. It wer in the month of July thet it happen'd, an' the vessel, as I said afore, wer bound to Bombay. The weather bein' thick an' the master funky about his lat.i.tudes, findin' himself by observation near these islands, he detarmined to look for 'em, in order to get a sight of 'em an' correct his reck'nin'. I guess he hed too much of a sight soon; fur, a thick fog shortly shut out everythin' from gaze, an' lookin' over the side he found the vessel in the midst of a lot o' floatin' weed.

The helm wer put down, but by reason of light winds and a heavy swell settin' in to the sh.o.r.e, the same as you just now saw at Tristan, the shep's head couldn't be got to come round. Breakers were now heard ahead, so the jolly-boat wer lowered with a tow-line to heave the bows round; but it wer of no use, as the wind hed failed entirely an' the swell was a-drivin' the shep on to the rocks. An anchor wer then let go, but the depth of water didn't allow it to take hold, so, they lowered the cutter to help tow the shep's head round, along with the jolly-boat, when all of a sudden she struck. The fog wer so thick by then, thet those on board couldn't see the boats alongside, much less the sh.o.r.e. Howsomedever, they cut away the masts, to ease the vessel an' stop her grindin' on the rocks. Soon arter this, the fog lifted when those on board were frit by seein' right over their heads apparently, those very terrific-lookin' cliffs you see in front, just thaar--only thet they wer close into 'em, not more nor half a cable's length off, an' the heavy seas, sich as you ken now see runnin' up the face of the rocky wall thaar, wer breaking boldly right over the shep--"

"And," interrupted Fritz, "what happened then?"

"What could you expect?" replied the skipper. "I guess she wer beaten into matchwood in five minutes; although, won'erful to say, the hull of the pa.s.sengers, ladies an' all, wer got ash.o.r.e safely, only one man bein' drowned--an' it sarved him right, as he was one of the crew who tried to escape when the shep first struck, an' leave all the rest to peris.h.!.+ They wer all got to land by a hawser rigged from a peak of projectin' rock to a bit of the wreck; an' the ladies, I read, mister, an' all o' them, lived from July to November on penguins an' seal flesh, which they cooked in part of an iron buoy that they sawed in half fur a kittle, shelterin' themselves from the cold in tents thet they made out of the vessel's sails. I reckon, mister, you'll be kinder better provided fur an' lodged, hey?"

"Yes, thanks to your kindness," said Fritz; "but the island seems completely encompa.s.sed by this rocky wall. I don't see where and how we're going to land and get our things on sh.o.r.e!"

"Don't you?" chuckled the skipper. "I guess you'll soon see how we'll fix it."

Presently, Fritz's doubts were solved.

When the _Pilot's Bride_ had worked her way well to windward of the island, the captain fetched down towards the eastern side, where, on rounding a point, a narrow bay lay right before the s.h.i.+p, quite sheltered from the rough swell and wind that reigned paramount on the other side of the coast, storming and beating against the wall-like cliffs in blind fury!

Here, it was as calm as a mill pond; so, the s.h.i.+p was brought to an anchor right in front of a pretty little waterfall that leaped its way by a series of cascades from the cliff above to a level plateau at the base, where a narrow belt of low ground extended for about a mile in front of the bay, its seaweed face being bordered by a broad sandy beach of black sand.

"Oh, that is pretty!" exclaimed Fritz and Eric, almost together in one breath. "It is like the falls of the Staubbach at home in dear Germany."

"I don't know nary anythin' 'bout thet," said the skipper laconically, for the brothers spoke for the moment in their native tongue, carried away by old a.s.sociations; "but I guess we'll hev to see 'bout gettin'

your fixins ash.o.r.e pretty sharp, fur the wind may change agin, an' then I'd hev to cut an' leave you."

"All right, captain, we're quite at your service," said Fritz; and, a boat being lowered, the various packages containing the brothers'

personal belongings, as well as the supply of provisions furnished by the skipper from the s.h.i.+p's stores for their use, were put on board, after which the two then jumped in accompanied by Captain Brown and the young Tristaner, the little party being rowed ash.o.r.e by four seamen whom the skipper had ordered to a.s.sist.

As soon as they landed, the things were carried up the beach; when, the seamen bearing a hand,--directed by Captain Brown, who seemed quite used to the sort of work,--all devoted their efforts towards building a rough sort of house, which would serve the adventurous brothers for a temporary habitation until they could make themselves more comfortable.

Young Gla.s.s selected the best site for the building; and the skipper having caused a lot of timber to be placed in the boat, a makes.h.i.+ft cottage was hastily run up, the walls being of blocks of stone without and of wood inside. The islander then thatched this neatly with tussock-gra.s.s, which grew all up the face of the cliff, where, as he showed the brothers, it could be utilised as a sort of ladder to gain the plateau on top--on which, he also told Fritz and Eric, they would find droves of wild hogs and a flock of goats that would come in handy for food when their provisions failed.

The Tristaner had promised to remain with them as long as Captain Brown would stay with the _Pilot's Bride_, that is, for a week or so, if the weather was favourable. However, quite unexpectedly, towards afternoon on the next day--when the cottage was completed, it is true, but they had not as yet had time to explore the island in company with young Gla.s.s, in order to be familiarised as to the best spots for sealing, planting their potatoes and vegetable seeds, and so on--the wind s.h.i.+fted again round to the south-east; and no sooner was this change apparent than the skipper had to weigh anchor without a moment's delay, when of course the Tristaner had to embark, or else submit to share the young crusoes' exile.

Captain Brown had remained on sh.o.r.e with them all the time from their landing, and he appeared now very loth to leave them at the last.

Really, as they went down with him to the whale-boat in which they had come ash.o.r.e, there were tears in the old man's eyes, which he tried vainly to hide.

"Pooh!" he exclaimed, stamping his foot vigorously. "It's all them dratted 'skeaters or flies, or sunthin's got inter my durned old optics as I can't see! Hail the s.h.i.+p, Eric my lad, an' tell 'em to send a boat to take us off, will you, sonny?"

"But the whale-boat that we landed in is here, captain," said Eric, thinking the skipper had forgotten all about it.

"Nary you mind thet, my lad," shouted the good-hearted old man; "I'm goin' to leave thet with you fur a present, b'ys, in case you sh'u'd get tired an' want ter s.h.i.+ft your quarters to Tristan some day. It's allers best to be purvided with the means of escape, you know, in case of the worst, for the _Pilot's Bride_ might get wracked down 'mongst the islands Kerguelen way, an' no shep might ever call to take you off."

"Oh, captain, how can we thank you!" exclaimed Fritz, overcome with emotion at the skipper's thoughtfulness. "Still, you will come and look us up next year should all be well with you, eh?"

"You bet on thet," replied the worthy old man. "I guess you'll see me next fall, if I'm in the land o' the livin'!"

"And you'll call to see if there are any letters for us at the Cape of Good Hope, won't you? I told our people at home to write there, on the chance of their communications being forwarded on."

"I'll bring 'em sure, if there's any," replied the skipper; and, by this time, a second boat having been sent off from the s.h.i.+p, in which the seamen who had pulled the first whale-boat ash.o.r.e now took their places, along with the Tristan islander, it only remained for the kind old captain to embark--and then, the brothers would be crusoes indeed!

"Good-bye, an' G.o.d bless you, my b'ys," he said, wringing first the hand of Fritz and then that of Eric, in a grip that almost crushed every feeling in those respective members. "Good-bye, my lads; but keep a stiff upper lip an' you'll do! Trust in providence, too, an' look arter the seals, so as to be ready with a good cargo when I come back next fall!"

"Good-bye, good old friend," repeated Fritz, wringing his honest hand again on the old man stepping into the boat, the crew of which raised a parting cheer as it glided away to the s.h.i.+p, leaving the young crusoes behind on the beach!

They watched with eager eyes the sails being dropped and the anchor weighed, the _Pilot's Bride_ soon after spreading her canvas and making way out of the little bay.

Then, when she got into the offing, the skipper, as a final adieu, backed the vessel's main-topsail and dipped her colours three times, firing the bow gun at the same time.

It was a nautical farewell from their whilom comrades: and then the brothers were left alone!

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

TAKING AN INVENTORY.

The westerly wind being, of course, fair for the _Pilot's Bride_ in her run back to Tristan d'Acunha, she soon disappeared in the distance--the snow-capped cone of the larger island being presently the only object to be seen on the horizon, looking in the distance like a faint white cloud against the sky. The evening haze shut out everything else from their gaze: the lower outlines of the land they had so recently left: the vessel that had conveyed them to their solitary home.

Nothing was to be seen but the rolling tumid sea that stretched around them everywhere, as far as the eye could reach, heaving and swelling and with the breeze flecking off the tops of the billows into foam as its resistless impetus impelled them onwards, away, away!

"Well," exclaimed Eric, after a long pause, during which neither of the brothers had spoken, both being anxiously watching the _Pilot's Bride_-- until, first, her hull and then her gleaming sails, lit up for awhile by the rays of the setting sun, had sunk out of sight--"well, here we are at last!"

"Yes, here we are," said Fritz, "and we've now got to make the best of our little kingdom with only our own companions.h.i.+p."

"We won't quarrel, at all events, brother," replied Eric, laughing in his old fas.h.i.+on at the possibility of such a thing. The lad was quite overwrought with emotion at parting with the old skipper as well as his late companions in the s.h.i.+p; and, tears and mirth being closely allied, he would have felt inclined to laugh at anything then--just because he couldn't cry!