Fire Island Part 15

"You are a clever one, Billy, and no mistake," growled Smith. "I never did see a chap more ready not to believe the truth. If you hadn't been born a Christian, mate, n.o.body wouldn't never have converted you, and you'd ha' been a regular heathen savage all your days."

"Go it, matey! Much more on it? Let's have it all while you're about it."

"You shall, Billy, because a good talking to'll do you good, and knock some o' the wanity out of you. You see, you don't know everything."

"And you do, eh, Tommy?"

"Nay, not quite," said Smith, giving his head a roll; "but I do know as that's one o' the same sort o' things as I used to see lying in the mud as I was once going up to Calcutta. That's a halligator, matey, on'y some folks calls the big uns crockydiles, and the n.i.g.g.e.rs out there muggers, 'cause they've got such ugly mugs."

"What! do you mean to tell me as that log o' wood with the rough bark on it's alive?"

"Yes, all alive O!"

"Get out," cried Wriggs, scrutinising the brute searchingly as it lay about fifty yards away. "That there's a trunk of a tree with all the branches rubbed off. Well, I never did!"

For at that moment the reptile crawled a little further from the water, raised its head, and looked to right and left, and then subsided again in the hot suns.h.i.+ne, sinking partially into the mud.

"Rummy sort o' tree that, eh, Billy?" said Smith.

"Sort o' tree!" cried Wriggs, in a tone of thorough disgust. "Why, I call it a himposition. What does a thing mean by going on like that? I could ha' sweered as it warn't alive."

"Hold your row, the gents is a-going to shoot."

They stood watching, for Drew had been busy changing one of the cartridges in his gun for another containing a ball.

"It's of no use to shoot it," said Oliver, "and I don't think you could hit it in a vital place."

"I'm going to try," said Drew quietly, as Panton followed his example.

"Yes," said the latter, "if we are to stay in this island or whatever it is, we can't afford to share the place with a creature like that. These things are very dangerous."

"Hist! Tommy," whispered Wriggs, excitedly, "he can hear what they says, and he don't believe they can hit him and hurt him. Did yer see him smile?"

"Well, I call it a laugh, matey. Yes, they've got a nice open sort o'

countenance, them crockydiles. What a time it must take'm to clean their teeth of a morning!"

"Ay, and to pick 'em after dinner. Would one o' them tackle a man?"

"Yes, or a cow either. They've got a way of--I say, just look at him."

Wriggs was all attention, and the three naturalists as well; for, after opening its mouth and displaying its tremendous gape, the reptile slowly turned round so as to face toward the water from which it had crawled, and then subsided, lying so close and still in the sand and mud that it more than ever resembled the trunk of some old tree.

The position now for a shot was not so satisfactory, as it in all probability meant the disappearance of the reptile at its first plunge; but all the same Drew raised his piece and gave his companions a sharp look, Panton raising his double gun as well for the next shot.

But Oliver held up his hand.

"Don't shoot," he whispered. "I want to watch the brute for a few minutes. Let's see."

He had a reason for speaking; naturalist-like, he never lost an opportunity for observing the habits of the different creatures he came across, and he had noticed a couple of crane-like birds coming stalking along from the far side of the bank on their long stilt-shaped legs.

Like everything the wrecked party had encountered, the birds seemed to know no fear of man, acting as if they had never seen such a being before. Hence they were coming straight over to the side opposite to the little party.

Oliver's little double gla.s.s was out in a moment, focussed and fixed upon the objects, while, with all a naturalist's love of the beautiful, he feasted upon the bright eyes, drooping crests, and lovely grey and white plumage of the two birds which showed in every way their wonderful adaptability for the life they led.

"Look here," said Panton, "we want to shoot that loathsome reptile."

"And I want to look at the cranes. If you fire you'll scare them."

"Shoot them, then," said Drew.

"No, no, don't, or you'll startle the crocodile. I don't want to shoot them," said Oliver; "I want to study their habits a bit, and they'll go into the water here close to us."

Just then the second crane, which was stalking gravely behind its companion, stopped short, and uttered a warning cry. It was too late.

Simultaneously, the crocodile, which had been cunningly watching the bird; made a scythe-like blow with its tail, and swept the foremost, broken and helpless, into the lagoon. Then, springing up as the second bird took flight, the reptile was making a rush for the water, when Drew's gun spoke out, and Panton's followed with such good effect, that the crocodile's progress was checked, and it swung itself round to lie with its tail in the water, thras.h.i.+ng about, and raising a muddy spray, which spread for far enough, spattering upon the water like so much dirty rain.

"Just sarves you right, my smiling beauty," cried Smith, excitedly.

"Strikes me you won't break no more birds' legs for some time to come.

Hit him again, sir."

Drew's second barrel was fired as he spoke, for the reptile was gradually working round, as if to plunge into the water, but the bullet it now received in the side of the head checked it, and a fourth from Panton made it sink down almost motionless, save that it made a few feeble snaps with its jaws.

"And I'm precious glad on it," said Billy Wriggs, who had taken the most intense interest in the affair. "Like me to walk in and fetch out that there bird, sir?" he continued, pointing to where the crane floated upon the surface of the lagoon.

"I should like the bird," said Oliver, "but I don't think it would be safe for you to wade in, Wriggs. Perhaps it will float ash.o.r.e."

"I'm so wet, sir, a drop more water won't hurt me."

"I was not thinking about your getting wet," replied Oliver, who was intently watching the bird, which was apparently quite dead, "but of the risk of your encountering another crocodile."

"What, in there, sir--in the water?"

"Yes, I daresay there are several about."

"Oh," said Wriggs, softly, "I didn't think of that," and he stood scratching his head, and wrinkled up his face, as he looked at the prostrate reptile.

"Didn't yer know as they was amphibilious animals, Bill," said Smith, in a low voice.

"What's amphibilious animals?" growled Wriggs.

"Things as gets their living in the waters, and sleeps outside."

"Oh, that's it, is it?" said the sailor, thoughtfully. "And what would one o' they chaps do, if he was to meet my legs? He couldn't hit out with his tail in the water."

"No lad, he'd hoperate with his head."

"Then I don't think, Tommy, as we'll come here when we wants a swim, eh?"

"No lad. Strikes me that--I say; look ye there!"

The appeal was needless, for every one was looking toward where the light breeze and the spreading rings caused by the las.h.i.+ng of the crocodile's tail had carried the dead crane, which Oliver was longing to get as a specimen of bird life unknown, he believed, to science, for all at once, there was a faint, rippling movement visible close to it, then a violent agitation. A long, lithe creature suddenly made a dart partly out of the water, and quick as lightning, they saw its yellowish folds wrapped round the bird, which was directly after borne down out of sight.