Fire Island Part 27

"Of course, that's what I do feel," said Oliver, laughing. "So do we all."

"I'll be hanged if I do!" cried Mr Rimmer. "The brig isn't floating, I know, but she stands up pretty solid, and I feel as if I shall not be very comfortable till I'm standing upon her deck."

"But we've come on a voyage of discovery," said Panton.

"Yes, sir, that's right enough, but we seem to have begun wrong way on.

We want to discover things, and, instead, they keep discovering us.

It's just as if we'd no business here and the whole island was rising up against us."

"But this is such an opportunity," pleaded Oliver. "We are, as I said, on the slope of the mountain, pretty well rested, and I think I may say that we are all eager to go up."

"No, sir, I don't think you may say that," replied the mate, grimly.

"I'm pretty tired, and I've had a very anxious time lately."

"Well, we three are anxious to try the ascent."

"Oh, yes, I'm ready," cried Panton, eagerly.

"And so am I," cried Drew; but there was a want of earnestness in his words. "Let's start at once."

"Yes, gentlemen, back to the brig, please, and have a good rest. We're none of us fit to-day."

"But we must ascend this mountain."

"Of course, sir, if it will let us," said the mate; "but let's come prepared. I'm with you at any time, and I should like to do it, but what I say is, let's go back to the brig and have a day or two's rest, and while we're waiting make our plans and get a stock of food ready.

Then we shall want plenty of light, strong line and a bit of rope ladder, and it would be wise to let the carpenter knock us up a light, strong set of steps of ten or a dozen foot long, the same as the Alpine gentlemen use. Then we could start some afternoon."

"At daybreak, some morning," cried Oliver.

"Let me finish, sir," said the mate. "Start some afternoon and carry a spare sail and a hitcher or two in the boat. Then we could get round the mist, land, walk as far as we like that evening, and then light up our fire, and set up a bit of a tent. Next morning, after a good night's rest, we could start fair, and do some work before the sun gets hot; for the mountain will be quite warm enough without the sun. There, gentlemen, what do you say to my plan?"

"Carried unanimously," cried Drew, and Panton and Oliver remained silent and ready to acquiesce, for the arrangement certainly promised well.

The next minute they were on their way back down to the lower ground, where before reaching the forest patch below they came upon the remains of a group of what must have been well-grown trees, which had been so calcined that though the trunks retained their shape, they were so fragile that a kick given by one of the men brought the first down in powder which partly rose in a cloud, the remainder forming a heap of ashes.

This was the more curious from the fact that within twenty yards there was a clump of vegetation evidently of greater age, growing in full luxuriance. But the reason was soon shown by Panton, who after a few minutes' examination pointed to a narrow, jagged rift in the earth, running for twenty or thirty yards, and whose sides upon their peering down showed that fire must have rushed up with such intensity that in places the rock was covered with a thick glaze, such as is seen upon earthenware.

"Strikes me, Tommy Smith--" said Wriggs, after he and the other men had had their turn at examining the earth crack.

"Well, what strikes yer, and whereabouts?" replied Smith, turning to give his companions a wink as much as to say, "Hark at him and don't laugh."

"Hidees, Tommy," said Wriggs, "and they hits me in the head--hard."

"Well, then, matey, let 'em out again and tell us what they mean."

"Tommy, my lad, you're trying to be werry wise and to show off, but don't do it, mate. This here aren't a place for cutting jokes and making fun o' your messmate. What I says is--this here place aren't safe, and the sooner we digs a canawl and takes the old _Planet_ out to sea the better it'll be for all consarned."

"I knowed it," said Smith, oracularly. "I felt sure as something werry wise was a coming. How many spades have we got aboard, mates?"

"Not none at all," said one of the men.

"No, not one," said Smith. "I once heard some one may as it would take a long time to cut through Primrose Hill with a mustard spoon, and I can't help thinking as it would take as long to make our ca.n.a.l."

"Now, my lads, what are you doing?" cried the mate.

"Only just taking a sniff at the hole here, sir," replied Smith, rising from his knees.

"Well, and what can you smell--sulphur?"

"No, sir, it's more of a brimstone smell, just as if somebody had been burning matches down below in the back kitchen, sir. Now, my lads, forrard," he whispered, for the mate had turned and gone on after the others.

In a very short time the mountain was forgotten in the many objects of interest encountered at the edge of the forest, each naturalist finding, as he afterwards owned, ample specimens connected with his own especial branch to last him for weeks of earnest study. But at the suggestion of the mate they pressed on, and, choosing the easiest line of route they could find, they at last reached the sh.o.r.e where the boat lay upon the coral and sh.e.l.l-sand high up out of reach of the tide.

She was soon launched, the party half lifting, half pus.h.i.+ng, as they ran on either side, and then as she floated, springing in and gliding off over a lovely forest of coral and weed only a foot or two beneath the boat's keel. Every spray was clearly seen, for the water was perfectly still and limpid in the lagoon, while a mile out the sea curled over in great billows and broke with a dull, thunderous roar upon the barrier reef which stretched north and south as far as eye could reach, but with a quiet s.p.a.ce here and there which told of openings in the coral rock, gateways so to speak leading out into the open sea.

The sun beat down with tropical force, but the gentle breeze from the ocean rendered the heat bearable, and a feeling of combined restfulness and pleasure came over Oliver Lane as he watched the wondrous transparent tints of the billows as their arches glistened in the suns.h.i.+ne before striking the coral reef, and breaking into foam which flashed and sparkled like freshly-cut gems.

Turning from this he could feast his eyes upon the brilliantly scaled fish which glided in and out amongst the branching coral and bushy weed which formed a miniature submarine forest of pink, blue, amber, scarlet, and golden brown. Gorgeous creatures were some of these fish when they turned over a little on one side, displaying their armour of silver, gold, and orange, often in vivid bands across steely blue or brilliant green. Twice over, long, lithe sharks were seen hurrying out of their course, each of a dingy grey, with what Wriggs called a "shovel nose,"

and curious tail with the top of the fork continued far out beyond the lower portion.

But there was the sh.o.r.e to take his attention, too, and to this he turned eagerly as the shrieking and whistling of a flock of birds met his ear, and he saw them flying along over the far-stretching grove of cocoa-nut palms which curved up in a curious way from the very sand where at certain times the sea must have nearly washed their roots.

"Hold hard a moment," cried Oliver, suddenly, and the men ceased rowing, sitting with their oars balanced, and the boat silently gliding over the smooth surface of the water, making a tiny shoal of fish flash out into the suns.h.i.+ne from where the bows cut, and look like sparks of silver.

"What is it, sir?" said the mate.

"I want to know what that noise is. Didn't you hear it, Drew?"

"Yes, I heard something which seemed to come from the trees there, but it has stopped now."

"Men's oars in the rowlocks," said Panton.

"Oh, no. It was not that," cried Oliver. "It was just as if someone was making a noise in a big bra.s.s tube. Ah, there it goes."

Just then from out of the grove of palms about a hundred yards to their right came softly and regularly just such a sound as he had described.

_Phoomp, phoomp, phoomp, phoom_, soft, clear, and musical, rising and falling in a peculiar way, as if close at hand and then distant.

"Native bra.s.s band practising," said Drew, merrily.

"Puffs of steam from some volcanic blow hole."

"Music: must be," said the mate. "There's an instrument called a serpent. Perhaps it's one of them playing itself."

"I don't know what it is," said Oliver. "Shall we pull ash.o.r.e and see?"

"No, no, not to-day," said the mate. "Let's get back."