The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Swiss Family Robinson Told in Words of
One Syllable, by Mary Godolphin
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Title: The Swiss Family Robinson Told in Words of One Syllable
Author: Mary Godolphin
Release Date: October, 2004 [EBook #6692]
Posting Date: June 3, 2009
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON ***
Produced by Bruce Miller
THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON
TOLD IN WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE
By Mary Godolphin
CHAPTER I.
WHEN one has a good tale to tell, he should try to be brief, and not say
more than he can help ere he makes a fair start; so I shall not say a
word of what took place on board the ship till we had been six days in
a storm. The barque had gone far out of her true course, and no one on
board knew where we were. The masts lay in splints on the deck, a leak
in the side of the ship let more in than the crew could pump out, and
each one felt that ere long he would find a grave in the deep sea, which
sent its spray from side to side of what was now but a mere hulk.
"Come, boys," said I to my four sons, who were with me, "God can save us
if it please Him so to do; but, if this is to be our last hour, let us
bow to His will--we shall at least go down side by side."
My dear wife could not hide the tears that fell down her cheeks as I
thus spoke to my sons, but she was calm, and knelt down to pray, while
the boys clung round her as if they thought she could help them.
Just then we heard a cry of "Land! land!" felt a shock, and it was clear
that we had struck on a rock, for we heard a loud cry from one of the
men, "We are lost! Launch the boat; try for your lives!"
I went at once on deck, and found that all the boats had been let down,
and that the last of the crew had just left the ship. I cried out for
the men to come back and take us with them, but it was in vain.
I then thought that our last chance was gone. Still, as I felt the ship
did not sink, I went to the stern, and found, to my joy, that she was
held up by a piece of rock on each side, and made fast like a wedge. At
the same time I saw some trace of land, which lay to the south, and this
made me go back with some hope that we had still a faint chance.
As soon as I got down stairs I took my wife by the hand, and said, "Be
of good cheer, we are at least safe for some time, and if the wind
should veer round, we may yet reach the land that lies but a short way
off."
I said this to calm the fears of my wife and sons, and it did so far
more than I had a right to hope.
"Let us now take some food," said my wife. "We are sure to need it, for
this will no doubt be a night to try our strength."
My wife got some food for her boys, which we were glad to see them eat,
poor as it was; but we could not share their meal. Three out of the four
were put to bed in their berths, and soon went to sleep; but Fritz, who
was our first child, would not leave us. He said, like a good son, that
he would try to be of some use, and think what could be done.
"If we could but find some cork," said Fritz to me in a low tone, "we
might make floats. You and I will not need them, for we can swim, but
the rest will want some such means to keep them up."
"A good thought," said I. "Let us try to find what things there are in
the ship that we can thus make use of."
We soon found some casks and ropes, and with these we made a kind of
float for each of the three boys, and then my wife made one for her own
use. This done, we got some knives, string, and such things as we could
make fast to our belts. We did not fail to look for and find a flint and
steel, and the box in which the burnt rags were kept, for these were at
that time in use as the means to strike a light.
Fritz, who was now well-nigh worn out, lay down on his bed and slept
like the rest. As for me and my poor wife, we kept watch, each in fear
lest the next wave should lift the ship off the rock and break it up.
I need not tell you how glad we were when we saw the first gleam of
light. At dawn the wind did not blow so strong, the sky was clear of
clouds, and we saw the sun rise, and with it rose our hopes. I soon had
my wife and sons on deck.
"Where are the men?" said they. "How can we steer the ship?"
"My dear boys," said I, "He who has kept us safe till now will still aid
us. Let all hands set to work, and leave the rest to God."
At these words we all went to work with a will. My wife went to feed the
live stock; Fritz set off in search of arms, and the means to make use
of them; and Ernest made his way to the tool chest. Jack ran to pick up
what he could find, but as he got to one of the doors he gave it a push,
and two huge dogs sprang out and leaped at him. He thought at first that
they would bite him, but he soon found that they meant him no harm, and
one of them let him get on his back and ride up to me as I came from the
hold of the ship.
When the boys had done their search, and the spoil was brought on deck,
we thought we had found all that we should need. "As for me," said my
wife, "I have brought good news, for I find we have still on board a
cow, an ass, two goats, six sheep, a ram, a pig, and a sow, and I have
found food for them all."
"All that you bring will be of use," said I; "but I fear that Jack's
dogs will do us more harm than good."
"Not at all," said Jack, "for they can help us to hunt when we get to
land."
"Well said, Jack. And now let us see what we can do that will aid us to
get there."
We then took the casks that we had found, and Ernest and I soon cut them
in half. With these tubs we made a kind of raft, though it was no slight
task. The tubs, in fact, were a fleet of eight small round boats, made
so fast to some planks that no one of them could float from the rest.
The next thing to be done was to launch the raft. This we at length did,
and when the boys saw it slide down the side of the ship and float on
the sea, they gave a loud shout, and each one tried who should be the
first to get on it. I made it fast to the ship, and there left it.
I then told my wife to change her dress for that of one of the crew
which she had found, as her skirts would have got in her way when she
had to climb. She did not at first like this, but did so as soon as she
saw the truth of what I told her.
At last, when all was done, we went to bed, and slept as sound as if we
had been on land.
CHAPTER II.
WE were all up at the break of day, and knelt down to thank God that He
had kept us from harm through the night.
We then put all the things on the raft, and ten live hens and two cocks
were put in one of the tubs. Some ducks and geese we let go, in the hope
that they would swim to the shore; and a pair of doves were set free, as
they could fly to the land.
There was a place in the raft for each of us. In the first tub sat my
wife; in the next Frank, who was eight years old; in the third Fritz,
not quite twice the age of Frank; in the fourth were the fowls, and some
old sails that would make us a tent; the fifth was full of good things
in the way of food; in the sixth stood Jack, a bold lad, ten years old;
in the next Ernest, twelve years of age, well taught, but too fond of
self, and less fond of work than the rest; while I sat in the eighth, to
guide the raft that was to save all that was dear to me in the world.
As soon as the dogs (Bill and Turk by name) saw us push off from the
ship they leaped in the sea, swam near the raft, and kept well up with
us.
The sea was calm; so that we felt quite safe. We made good use of the
oars, and the raft bore its freight straight to the land; but as we drew
near to the shore the sight of the bare rocks led us to think that we
might still be in need of food and drink when that which we had was
gone.
As we got near, the coast lost its bare look, and we were glad to see
that there was no lack of trees. We soon found a bay, to which the ducks
and geese had found their way, and here we saw a place where we could
land.
As soon as we had made the raft fast with a strong rope, we took out all
our wealth, and made a tent with the old sail cloth we had brought with
us, and stuck a pole in the ground to keep it up. This done, I sent
the boys to get some moss and dry grass to make our beds with. With the
flint and steel we soon set fire to some dry twigs, and my wife made a
pot of soup with what she had brought from the ship.
Fritz, who had charge of the guns, chose one, and took a stroll by the
side of a stream, while Jack went in search of shell fish, which he
thought he might find on the rocks. My share of the work was to save two
large casks which were near the shore. While I was up to my knees in the
sea I heard a shrill cry, which I knew to come from Jack. I got out at
once, took up an axe, and ran to his help. I found him with his legs in
a rock pool, where a large crab held him by his toes. It soon made off
as I came near; but I struck at it with the axe, and brought it out of
the pool. Jack then took it up, though it gave him a pinch or two ere he
found out how to hold it, and ran off in high glee to show what he had
caught.
When I got back to the tent, I found that Ernest had brought us news
that he had seen salt in the chinks of the rocks, and that shell fish
were not scarce.
"Well, my boy, if you are sure you saw them, I will ask you to go back
for some. We must each do some work for the good of all."
He went, and soon found the salt, left by the sea on the rocks, which
the sun had made quite dry. There was some sand with it, but my wife did
not take long to find a way to cure that. She had been to a fresh stream
with a large jug; from this I saw her pour some on the salt, strain it
through a cloth, and let it drip in a cup, so that all the sand was left
on the cloth.
When the soup was made hot we had each a taste, and all said that it was
good.
"Be not in too great haste," said my wife, "we must wait for Fritz; but
if he were here, I do not see how we are to take our soup, for we have
no plates nor spoons."
"If we had but some large nuts," said Ernest, "we might cut them in
half, and they would make good bowls."
"Quite true," said I; "but as there are none, we may as well wish for
delf bowls and real spoons at once."
"Now I have it," quoth Ernest. "Let us use the shells I saw on the
shore."
Off ran Jack to the shore, with Ernest at his heels, and back they both
came with large and small shells for us all.
Just then Fritz came in, with a look of gloom on his face, which I could
see was a sham.
"You do not mean to tell me you have come back with nought?" said I, as
he put out his hands as if to prove that such was the case. But Jack,
who had been round him, cried out, "No, no! he's got a pig!--such a fine
one. Tell us where you found it."
Fritz now brought forth his prize. When I saw it, I knew, from what
I had read, that it was not a pig, but a swift beast, known in these
parts, that lives on fruit and nuts, and hides in the earth. (*The
Agouti.)
"I like the place much more than I do this spot," said he. "The shore
lies low, and there are planks, casks, chests, and all sorts of things,
that the sea has thrown up. Why not leave this place at once, and go
there?"
"There is a time for all things," said I. "We must at least rest here
for one night."
We all sat down to take our soup with the shell spoons. Ernest took from
his coat a large shell, which he had hid till now, put it in the soup,
and then set it down to cool.
"You do not show want of thought," said I to him. "But I am not glad to
see that you think so of your-self, and do so much for your own ease,
when all the rest do so much for yours. Now, that shell full of soup you
must give to our two dogs. We can all dip our small shells in the pot,
and you must do as we do."
I knew he felt hurt at this, but he gave it to the dogs at once, and
they soon made quick work of their share of the soup.
The sun was low when our meal came to an end. The fowls came round us to
pick up the stray crumbs we had let fall, and my wife took out her bag
of grain and fed the cocks and hens, and sent them to roost on the top
of our tent.
We took care to load our fire-arms, in case we might need them in the
night; sang a hymn of praise to God, and then left our fate in His
hands.
CHAPTER III.
As soon as I heard the cock crow, and saw by the light that it was break
of day, I got out of bed and spoke to my wife as to what we should do
next.
"First," said I, "Fritz and I will make a tour of the coast and try to
find some of the men who left the ship, for if they are here they may be
in want."
"But," said Fritz, who had heard me from his bed, "why should we search
for those who left us to die on the wreck?"
"Well, I will tell you," said I. "First, we should do to them as we
would wish them to do to us, not as they have done; next, we know that
they took no food with them, and we should not leave them to starve;
and last, it may be that they can help us, though now they stand more in
need of our aid."
The boys were soon up, and we all sat down to a good meal. That done,
Fritz and I got our guns. I put a pair of small arms in his belt, gave
him a game bag, and told him to take an axe. I took some food for us
both, and a full flask, out of which we could drink if we should stray
far from a stream.
When we took our leave, my wife and the three boys were in tears. The
dog Bill we left to guard the tent, but Turk went with us, and ran by
our side.
We soon got to the banks of a stream; but then had to make our way down
its course. It took us some time to reach the sea shore. There was not a
boat to be seen, or any sign that the ship's crew had found the land. We
left the shore, and went through a wood full of tall trees. Here Fritz
struck some hard thing on the ground with his foot, which we found to be
a CO-COA NUT. He gave it a blow with his axe, and broke the shell, and
we both sat down to rest, and eat the nut.
At the end of the wood we came to a plain which gave us a clear view
of the place. Fritz, who was on the look out, ran off with Turk to some
strange trees that he saw on the right.
When I got up to him, it gave me no small joy to find that it was a
gourd tree.
"Try," said I, "if you can get hold of one of those queer lumps that
grow on it."
With that he brought one down, and we had a look at it.
"Now, of this," said I, "we can make a plate, a dish, or a flask. Wild
men set great store by its shell, which they use to hold their food and
drink."
We then set to work to make plates of the gourds. When we had made some
eight or ten bowls, and some flat ones for plates, we laid them out in
the sun to dry, and then went on our way.
We could see, not far off, a grove of fine palm trees, but to reach them
we should have to pass through reeds and long grass. I knew this was
just the place to find snakes, so we each cut a cane, that we might beat
them off should we meet with any. As I took hold of my staff, I felt a
gum or juice ooze out of the end. I put my tongue to it, and found it of
a sweet taste. This led me to suck the reed, and I then knew that we had
met with the SUG-AR CANE. By this time Fritz had done the same, for I
could see that he held his cane to his mouth.
"Do not suck too much of it," said I, "or it will make you ill; but let
us cut some of the best and take them back with us, for those at home
will prize so great a treat."
It did not take us long to reach the place where the palms grew, and
then we sat down in the shade to eat the food we had brought with us.
"Do you see those nuts at the top of the trees, Fritz?" said I.
"To be sure I do; but they are far too high to reach. Look, look!" he
cried, "there are some MON-KEYS; let me have a shot at them." "Do not
do that," I said, and held his arm; "it will do us no good to kill them,
and I think I can make use of them." With that I threw some stones up at
the tree where they were, though they had got safe out of my reach. They
then made a loud noise, took hold of the nuts that were near, and flung
them straight at us. The trick made Fritz laugh, who soon had hard work
to pick up the nuts that were thrown at him.
We broke some of the nuts, and put the juice of the canes in the thick
white cream which forms close to the shell; and this made us a dish that
Fritz said was fit for a king.
Fritz and I then made fast some nuts to a string, which I tied round my
waist, while he took up his canes, and we both set off on our road home.
CHAPTER IV.
ON our way back we took up the gourd bowls and plates, which we found
quite dry and hard as bone, and put them in our bags. We had scarce got
through the wood, when Turk made a dart in front of us, and we saw a
troop of apes rush out of the way. But he gave a leap and brought down
one that could not climb so fast as the rest, for she had a young one
in her arms. Turk made short work of the poor thing, for ere Fritz could
call the dog off, the ape was dead. The young one, as soon as it saw
Fritz, sprang on his back, put its paws in his curls, and would not let
go. I at length got the ape from Fritz's back, and took it up in my arms
like a child. We found that it was too young to seek its own food, and,
as Fritz said he should like to take it home, we put it on Turk's back.
Turk did not at first like this, but we soon got him to bear the ape,
which held so tight by the hair on the dog's neck that it could not well
fall off. Fritz then led Turk with a string, that he might not stray out
of sight, or throw off his charge, which I think he would have done had
we not been on the watch.
It did not take us long to reach the bank of the stream near to our
home.
I need not tell you how glad my wife and sons were to see us safe back,
or with what joy the boys took the "real live ape" out of Fritz's arms.
At length, when they got more staid, I told them that we had brought
them all sorts of good things, but that we had not met with any of the
men of whom we went in search. "God's will be done," said my wife, "let
us thank Him that you have come back safe to us. This day to me has been
an age; but put down your loads, for we must now go in and hear what you
have to tell."
Fritz and I then told them, by turns, where we found the things we
brought with us, how we made and dried the plates and bowls, cut the
canes, and caught the ape in the wood. Our tales had not come to an end
when we were told that it was time to sup. Ernest had shot a wild goose,
and some fish had been caught in the stream. With these, and the Dutch
cheese that we brought from the ship, we made a good meal; but the boys
would not rest till we broke some of the nuts, from which they drank the
milk, made sweet with the juice of the canes. I must tell you that we
ate our food in great state from our gourd rind plates, which my wife
said she should prize more than if they were made of pure gold.
That night the ape went to bed with Jack and Fritz, and we all slept in
peace till the cocks on the roof of the tent woke us up.
Next day Fritz and I went back to the wreck to save the live stock, and
get what else we had left that might be of use to us. We found it no
light task, for we had to make floats for the cow, the ass, the sheep,
and the goats, throw them in the sea, and tie them with ropes to our
raft. We put on board the raft a vast deal of food that had not been
spoiled by the sea, though the waves had made a breach in the sides of
the wreck. We then put to sea with our train of live stock made fast to
the stern.
We had not gone far when I heard a loud cry of fear from Fritz, "We are
lost! We are lost! See what a great shark is on its way to us!"
Though pale with fright, he took aim with his gun, and shot the fish in
the head. It sank at once, but left a track of blood in the sea, which I
knew to be a sign that we were once more safe. We then got to land, and
made fast our freight to the shore. Ere we had done this our friends
came to give us what help they could to get the beasts out of the
stream, and take them up to the tent. The poor things were well nigh
worn out; but we took good care of them, and put them to rest on some
dry grass that my wife had laid out for them.
That night we did not sup on the ground. My wife had spread a cloth on
the top of a cask, and we each sat on a tub. With the knives and forks
that we had found in the ship we ate a dish of hot ham and eggs, nor did
we fail to test the wine that I had brought with me in a small cask from
the wreck.
Ere bed-time my wife had told me that while I was at the wreck she had
gone in search of some place in which we could build a house.
"And did you find one, my dear?" I said.
"Oh, yes," said she. "We can take you to a great tree that will serve us
well, if we can but get across the stream with our goods."
"But would you have us roost, like fowls, in a tree? How do you think we
could get up to our perch?"
"Was there not a large lime tree in our town in which they built a ball
room, with stairs up the trunk?"
"To be sure there was," said I; "and if we can not build in it, we can
at least make use of its shade, and dwell in a hut on the roots."
Ernest said that he took a string, and found that it was twelve yards
round. This led me to think that my wife's scheme was by no means a bad
one, and that I would have a look at the tree the next day.
When I had heard all they had to tell, we knelt down to pray, and then
sought a good night's rest, which the toils of the day made us much in
need of.
CHAPTER V.
WHEN I rose from my bed the next day, I said to my wife: "Does it not
seem, my dear, as if God had led us to this place, and that we should do
wrong to leave it?"
"What you say may be quite true, so far as it goes," she said; "but I
must tell you that the mid-day heat is more than we can bear, and that
if we stay here we may have to keep watch at night, for there are, no
doubt, wild beasts of some kind that will find us out; and we should
not trust too much to our dogs, who may lose their lives in a fight with
them."
"I dare say you are right," said I; "but I do not yet see how we can
cross the stream. We shall first have to build a bridge."
The boys were now all out of their beds; and while my wife went to milk
the cow and cook some food, I made my plans known to them. They were all
glad when they heard that we were to leave, and each said he, would help
to build the bridge.
The first thing to be done was to find some strong planks; and Fritz,
Ernest, and I went down to the shore, and got in the boat, which the
tide took down to the bay.
On a piece of land which lay to the left we could see some large dark
thing, round which flew a flock of sea gulls. We put up a sail and
caught a gust of wind which had sprung up, and this soon brought the
boat to the spot. We made no noise, but crept up the shore step by step,
and we got so near that Ernest brought down some of the birds with a
stick. Fritz was the first to find out that what the sea gulls had just
left was the huge fish he had shot in the sea. We cut off some rough
skin, which we thought might serve for files, and then went back to the
boat. I took a glance at the shore ere I got in, and to my great joy saw
some of the planks and spars from the wreck lay on the ground not far
off. Our next care was to bind these so as to make a raft, which we tied
to the stern of the boat, and then, by the use of our oars, soon made
our way up the stream to the place where the bridge was to be built. Our
young friends were glad to see us back so soon, and ran to meet us; Jack
had a cloth in his hand, in which was a store of cray fish and crabs
just caught in some of the nooks of a rock up the stream.
"Do not fail to give God thanks," said I, "that our lot has been cast
where we can pick up more food than we can eat."
It would take a long time to tell how we brought all the wood up to the
spot, built piers of stone in the stream, and put the planks one by one
in the place; it was late at night when we left off work, and once more
sought our tent.
The next day we saw the sun rise, and took our first meal in haste, for
we knew we should have a long day's toil. All the stores that we could
not take with us were laid by in the tent, the door of which was made
safe by a row of casks, that we put round it. My wife and Fritz soon led
the way; the cow went next; then the ass, with Frank on its back. Jack
led the goats, and on the back of one of them sat the ape. Ernest took
charge of the sheep, and I brought up the rear as chief guard. We took
care to cross the bridge one at a time, and found it bore our weight
well; but once or twice we thought the cow would step in the stream, or
fall off the boards, when she went to the sides to drink.
Just as we had left the bridge, Jack cried out, "Be quick! here is a
strange beast with quills as long as my arm." The dogs ran, and I with
them, and found a large POR-CU-PINE, in the grass. It made a loud noise,
and shot out its quills at the dogs, and made them bleed. At this Jack
shot at the beast, which fell dead on the spot. My wife's first thought
was to dress the wounds made by the quills, which had stuck in the
nose of one of the dogs, while the boys made haste to pluck some of the
quills from the skin of their strange prize.
At last our march came to an end, and I saw for the first time the great
trees that my wife had told me of. They were of vast size, and were, I
thought, fig trees. "If we can but fix our tent up there," I said, "we
shall have no cause to dread, for no wild beasts can reach us." We sent
Frank off to find sticks, with which to make a fire, and my wife made
some soup of the flesh of the beast we had slain, though we did not like
it so well as we did the ham and cheese we brought with us.
CHAPTER VI.
THE meal at an end, my first thought was to make some steps by means of
which we could reach the first strong branch of the tree. Ernest and I
went in search of some thick canes that grew in the sands hard by. These
we cut down, bound them to four long poles, and thus made a pair of
steps that would, we thought, reach far up the trunk.
On our way back from the sands, one of the dogs made a dart at a clump
of reeds, and a troop of large birds rose on the wing with a loud noise.
Fritz let fly at them, and brought down two at a shot. One of them fell
quite dead, but its mate, though hurt in the wing, made use of its long
legs so well that it would have got off if Bill had not held it. The joy
of Fritz, to have caught such a strange bird, was so great that he would
have us at once bind it by the neck and take it back with us. "Look,"
said Ernest, "what fine plumes he has, and you see he has web feet like
a goose, and has long legs like a stork: thus he can run on land as fast
as he can swim."
"Yes," said I, "and he can fly with more speed through the air, for
these birds have great strength in their wings. In fact, few birds have
such means of flight as the FLA-MIN-GO."
My wife thought the great bird might need more food than we could spare.
I told her that it would feed on small fish and worms, and not rob our
geese of their grain. I then tied him to a stake near the stream; and
in a few days we were glad to find that he knew us, and would come at a
call, like a tame bird.
While I sat on the grass with my sons, late in the day, I thought I
would try to make a bow and thus save our shot. This I did with a long
cane and a piece of string, and then made a dart with a sharp point,
which I shot off and found it would go straight. The branch of the tree
on which we were to fix our hut was so high that our steps would not
near reach it. I tied some strong thread to the dart, and shot it over
the branch; then tied a piece of rope to the end of the thread, and drew
that up, and at last made a long row of cane steps, with a rope at each
side, which we drew up to the first strong branch. The boys were now
all in haste to climb the tree, but I chose that Jack, who was light of
build and sure of foot, should go up first and try the strength of our
work. Fritz went up next with some nails, and made the ropes fast to the
tree, while I drove stakes in the ground to keep them firm at the foot.
It was now time for me to mount, and up I went with an axe to lop off
the twigs and smooth the bough that was to form the ground of our new
house. I sent the boys down out of my way, and kept hard at work till it
was late, for the sky was clear, and the moon lent me her beams of light
to see by.
When I came down my wife spread a good meal on the ground, which we ate
as best we could, and then made our beds of dry moss, round which we put
heaps of twigs. These we set light to, as watch fires to keep off wild
beasts and snakes. The toils of the day had made the boys tired, and
they were soon in a sound sleep, but my wife and I took it in turns to
watch through the whole night.
We were all out of bed as soon as light was in the sky, and set to work
to hoist up the planks that were to form the floor of our hut. These we
laid down on the branch, with their ends made fast to a cross piece of
wood that we had to fix to the trunk of the tree. Our nails were long,
and we drove each one of them home, so that we had no cause to fear
the strength of our work. By the time we had done this the day was far
spent, and we were all glad to lay by our tools and rest our limbs. That
night we lit our fires round the tree, tied the dogs to the roots, and
went up to sleep out of harm's way for the first time since we left the
ship. When the steps were drawn up we all felt that we were now safe at
last, and that we had brought the toils of the day to a good end.
CHAPTER VII.
WE did not wake next day till the sun shone in upon us. I told my wife
and sons that as it was the Lord's day we would do no work. Our beasts
and birds had first to be fed. This was done by my wife, who then
brought us some hot milk, and made us sit down on the grass and take it.
When our meal was done, I got on a log in front of my sons, and we all
sang a psalm we knew by heart. Then I sought to teach them and spoke to
them thus:
"There was once on a time a Great King, who had two vast realms, the
Land of Light and Truth, and the Land of Night and Sloth. Those who
dwelt in the first were full of life and joy. The King held his court at
the Place of Rest where all was bright.
"This King had a land, not far off, where those for whom he had so much
love should dwell ere they went one by one to the Place of Rest. This
land was the Home of Earth. He gave to his Son the right to rule the
host that dwelt in the Home of Earth, and set forth to think what they
were to do, and all the ills that would come to them if they did not do
as they were bid.
"At first they were all glad to hear the way in which they were to live,
and the terms on which they could reach the Land of Light and Truth. Sad
to tell, they soon broke the King's laws, and paid no heed to what they
knew to be his will. Still there were a few who did as they had been
taught, and dwelt in peace, in the hope that they would please the King
and at last reach the place where he held his court.
"From time to time ships came to the Home of Earth, and at last a great
ship was sent, the name of which was The Grave, which bore the flag of
Death. To the good it was a sign of hope, but the bad were thrown by the
sight of it into a state of gloom. These ships were not seen till they
came close to the shore, and then the crew were sent forth to find those
whom they were told to seize. Some went back with them full of joy,
but most were seen to weep and mourn their fate. So soon as they were
brought in sight of the Great King, the Prince took those who had done
well, and put a white robe on them; but those who went their own way
when on the Home of Earth, he sent down to toil in deep, dark mines till
time shall be no more."
When my sons had heard my tale to the end they all knew what it meant;
I then drew from them their views of what they ought to do to please and
serve the Great King. We then sang a hymn; and my wife drew from her bag
the BIBLE, which I gave to one of the boys, who read from it in a clear,
loud voice. When this was brought to a close, we all knelt down on the
grass to pray, and to ask God to bless the means we took to learn His
will.
We did no work that day, but took a long stroll up the banks of the
stream.
The next day Ernest and Jack tried their skill with the bow, and brought
down some small birds that came to the great tree in quest of figs. I
gave them leave to kill what they could; for I knew if put in casks made
air tight with grease, they would keep for a time, and might prove a
boon, if our stock of food should get low.
When we sat down to dine, the thought struck me that it would be well to
give some name to each part of the land that was known to us. This was
at first the source of some fun, for Fritz said we should call the bay
where we had found the shell spoons by the name of Spoon Bay; but Jack,
who still had a mark on his toe where the crab gave him a pinch, thought
we ought to term it Crab Bay.
"If you will let me give it a name," said my wife, "I should wish to
know it by some term that will make us bear in mind how good God was to
lead our raft there, and I don't think Safe Bay will be a bad name for
it."
"So let it be," said I; and from that time Safe Bay had a name. "What
shall be the name of the spot where we spent our first night on shore?
You shall give that its name," said I to Fritz.
"Let us call it Tent House."
"That will do," said I. "And now for the spot at the mouth of Safe Bay,
where we found our planks?"
"Sharp Point," said Ernest. The place from which Fritz and I sought for
a trace of out ship mates was to be known as No Man's Cape. Then we had
the Boys' Bridge, which name I gave it from a wish to please my sons,
who had done so much to build it.
"But what shall we call the place which is most dear to us all?"
"Now, my dear," said I to my wife, "it is your turn. What shall we say?"
"Let us call it The Nest," said she; and with that I gave each of my
young birds a glass of sweet wine.
"Here's to 'The Nest,'" said I; "and may we live long to bless the day
and the means that brought us here."
When the heat of the day was past, I told my sons that I should be glad
to take a walk with them. My wife said that she should like to go with
us; so we left The Nest in charge of Turk, and bent our course to the
banks of the stream. On our way we went past some shrubs and rare herbs,
which my wife knew well how to make use of should we fall sick; and
Ernest found a large spot of ground on which grew a fine kind of
PO-TA-TO. At these the boys set to work with such zeal, that we soon had
a full bag of the ripe fruit. We then went on to Tent House, which we
found in the same state as when we left it to cross the stream on our
way to the great tree.
We found that our ducks and geese had grown so wild that they would not
come near us; so, while my wife and I went to pick up such things as we
thought we might take back with us, Ernest and Fritz were sent to catch
them, and to tie their legs and wings, and in this way we got them at
last to The Nest.
CHAPTER VIII.
IT took the whole of the next day to make a sledge, to which we tied
the ass, and drove to Tent House. On our sledge we put such of the casks
which held food, and took them back to The Nest. Fritz and I went once
more to the wreck, and this time we brought off chests of clothes, pigs
of lead, cart wheels, sacks of maize, oats, peas, and wheat. With a
strong bar we broke down some of the doors, and took such parts of the
ship as we thought would aid us to build our house, which as yet was far
less safe than I could wish. These we bound with cords, and made them
float back at the stern of the raft.
When we got to the shore my wife and the three boys were there to greet
us. My first care was to send for the sledge, and with this we took most
of our new wealth up to The Nest.
The next day I told my sons that they must now learn to run, to leap, to
climb, and to throw stones straight at a mark, as all these things would
be of great use to them in their new mode of life.
I next taught them to use the LAS-SO, by means of which men catch the
wild horse on the vast plains of the New World. I tied two stones to the
ends of a cord some yards in length, and flung off one of them at the
trunk of a young tree; the cord went round and round it in a coil and
bound it so tight that I could have drawn it to me had it not been fast
in the ground. This trick the boys were not slow to learn; and Fritz,
in a short time, could take an aim as well with a stone as he could with
his gun.
As yet we had not seen much of the isle; for it took most of our time
to build the house. But one day we made up our minds that we would all
start on a tour. We rose at dawn, put the ass in the sledge, took what
food we thought we should need, and set out from The Nest just as the
sun rose.
When we came to the wood where Fritz found the ape, he told them by what
means we got the nuts, but now there were no apes there to throw them
down.
"Oh, if one would but fall from the trees," he said.
The words had but just left his lips when a large nut fell at his feet.
He made a start back, and two more came down near the same spot.
As the nuts were far from ripe, I was at a loss to know how they could
fall off the tree, for I could not see an ape nor a bird near.
I went close up to the tree, and saw a large land crab on its way down
the trunk. Jack struck a blow at him with a stick, but did not hit the
beast. He then took off his coat and threw it on the crab's head, while
I made an end of him with an axe. I told them that these crabs climb
the trees and break off the nuts, as we had seen, and then come down to
feast on them at their ease.
"But how do they crack the nuts?" said Jack.
"They make a hole through the shell at the thin end, and then suck them
dry."
The dead crab was put in the sledge, and we went on through the wood.
When we came to the Gourd Wood, we sat down to make some more bowls and
flasks to take back with us. Ernest had gone to try what new thing he
could find, but he had not been from us long, when we heard him call out,
"A wild boar! A great wild boar! Come here, pray!"
We took up our guns, and went at once with the dogs to the spot. We soon
heard Turk give a loud bark, and just then we heard Ernest laugh, and
saw the two dogs come through a clump of brush wood, with our old sow
fast by the ears. She did not seem to like the way in which they had
put an end to her feast of fruit, so she ran back as soon as we told the
dogs to let go their hold of her ears.
"But with all our sport," said Fritz, "we have a poor show of game.
Let us leave the young ones, and set off to see what we can meet with."
Ernest sat down with Frank, and we left them and my wife at the gourd
tree, while Fritz and Jack set off with me to a high rock which we saw
on the right.
"Fritz, look here," said Jack, as he made his way to the rock.
"What have you found now?" said Fritz.
"I don't know what it is, but it's a fine prize."
When I went up I saw at once that it was a large I-GUA-NA, the flesh and
eggs of which are both good for food. I had heard that these and such
like beasts will stand still if you play an air on a pipe. So I crept
near, and made a low sound with my lips, while I held in my right hand
a stout stick, to which I had tied a cord with a noose, and in my left
hand a slight wand. I saw it first move its tail, and then draw its head
from side to side, as if to look where the sound came from. I then threw
the noose round its neck, drew it tight, got on its back with a leap and
thrust the wand up its nose, which is the sole part of the beast where
there are no hard scales. It bled at once, and was soon dead, nor did it
seem to feel any pain. Our prize, which was near five feet long was no
slight weight to lift. I got it at last on my back, and thus we went
back to the gourd tree, where we found the rest quite safe.
It took us a long time to reach The Nest that night. My wife did her
best to dress some of the flesh of the land crab, but it was tough, and
did not taste so nice as the soup made from the beast that we had caught
by the nose.
CHAPTER IX.
FRITZ and I spent the whole of the next day in the woods. We took the
ass and one of the dogs with us, but left all else at home.
Our way first lay through a dense wood, where we saw no end of small
birds, but such game could not now tempt Fritz to waste his shot. We
then had to cross a vast plain, and to wade through the high grass,
which we did with care, lest we should tread on some strange thing that
might turn and bite us.
We came at last to a grove of small trees, and in their midst I saw a
bush, which I knew to be the wax tree, for the wax grew on it like white
beads. I need not say how glad I was to find so great a prize. We had
up to this time gone to bed as soon as the sun went down, for we had no
lamp to use; but as we could now make wax lights, I told Fritz that we
had found what would add two or three hours per day to our lives. We
took as much of the wax as would serve us for some time, and then made
our way out of the grove.
"How came you," said Fritz, "to know so much of the queer beasts, trees,
and plants that we have found here?"
"When young," said I, "I used to read all the books that fell in my way;
and those that told of strange lands and what was to be seen in them had
for me as great a charm as they have for Ernest, who has read a great
deal, and knows more of plants than you do."
"Well," said he, "I will do the same if I but get the chance. Can you
tell what is the name of that huge tree on the right? See, there are
balls on the bark."
We went close to it, and found that these balls were of thick gum, which
the sun had made quite hard. Fritz tried to pull one of them off, but
felt that it clung tight to the bark, though he could change its shape
with his warm hands. "Look," said he, "I feel sure that this is the
IN-DI-A RUB-BER which we used to clean our school books." I took a piece
of it in my hand, and said, "To be sure it is. What shall we not find
in this rich land?" I then told him how the men in the New World made
flasks of this gum, in which form it is sent to all parts of the world.
"And I do not see why we should not make boots of it in the same way. We
have but to fill a sock with sand, then put gum all round it, while in a
soft state, till it is as thick as we need, then pour the sand out,
and we shall have made a shoe or a boot that will at least keep out the
damp, and that is more than mine do just now."
Not far from this we came to a bush, the leaves of which were strewn
with a white dust; and close by were two or three more in the same
state. I cut a slit in the trunk of one of these, and found it full of
the white dust, which I knew by the taste to be SA-GO. We took all of
this that we could get out of the tree, for it would add to our stock of
food; and when our bags were full we laid them on the back of the ass,
and set off to find our way back to The Nest.
"Each day brings us fresh wealth," said my wife; "but I think we might
now try to add to our goods." I knew that she had some fear lest we
should one day get lost in the woods, or meet with wild beasts, so I at
once said that we would now stay at home, at least for some days.
My first work was to make some wax lights, for my wife could then mend
our clothes at night, while we sat down to talk. This done, the next
task they gave me was to make a churn. I took a large gourd, made a
small hole in the side, and cut out as much as I could, so as to leave
but the rind. In this I put the cream, laid a piece on the hole, and
bound it up so that none could come out. The boys then held a cloth, and
on it I put the gourd, which they rolled from side to side. They kept up
this game with great mirth for near an hour, when my wife took off the
string, and found that the churn had done its work well.
As our sledge was not fit to use on rough roads, my next work was to
make a cart. I had brought a pair of wheels from the wreck, so that my
task did not prove a hard one.
While I was thus at work, my wife and the boys took some of the fruit
trees we had brought with us, and put them in the ground where they
thought they would grow best. On each side of the path that led from The
Nest to the Boy's Bridge they put a row of young nut trees. To make the
path hard we laid down sand from the sea shore, and then beat it down
with our spades.
We were for six weeks at this and such like work. We were loth to spare
any pains to make The Nest, and all that could be seen near it, look
neat and trim, though there were no eyes but our own to view the scene.
One day I told my sons that I would try to make a flight of stairs in
place of the cane steps with rope sides, which were, to tell the truth,
the worst part of our house. As yet we had not used them much, but the
rain would some day force us to keep in The Nest, and then we should
like to go up and down stairs with more ease than we could now climb
the rude steps. I knew that a swarm of bees had built their nest in the
trunk of our tree, and this led me to think that there might be a void
space in it some way up. "Should this prove to be the case," I said,
"our work will be half done, for we shall then have but to fix the
stairs in the tree round the trunk." The boys got up and went to the top
of the root to tap the trunk, and to judge by the sound how far up the
hole went. But they had to pay for their want of thought; the whole
swarm of bees came out as soon as they heard the noise, stung their
cheeks, stuck to their hair and clothes, and soon put them to flight.
We found that Jack, who was at all times rash, had struck the bees' nest
with his axe, and was much more hurt by them than the rest. Ernest, who
went to his work in his slow way, got up to it last, and thus did not
get more than a sting or two, but the rest were some hours ere they
could see out of their eyes. I took a large gourd, which had long been
meant to serve for a hive, and put it on a stand, We then made a straw
roof to keep it from the sun and wind, and as by this time it grew dark,
we left the hive there for the night.
Next day, the boys, whose wounds were now quite well, went with me to
help to move the bees to the new home we had made for them. Our first
work was to stop with clay all the holes in the tree but one through
which the bees were wont to go in to their nest. To this I put the bowl
of a pipe, and blew in the smoke of the weed as fast as I could. At
first we heard a loud buzz like the noise of a storm afar off; but the
more I blew my pipe the less grew the sound, till at last the bees were
quite still.
We now cut out a piece of the trunk, three feet square, and this gave us
a full view of the nest. Our joy was great to find such a stock of wax,
for I could see the comb reached far up the tree. I took some of the
comb, in which the bees lay in swarms, and put it by on the plank.
We then put the gourd on the comb that held the swarm, and took care
that the queen bee was not left out. By these means we soon got a hive
of fine bees, and the trunk of the tree was left free for our use.
We had now to try the length of the hole. This we did with a long pole,
and found it reached as far up as the branch on which our house stood.
We now cut a square hole in that side of the trunk next the sea shore,
and made one of the doors that we had brought from the ship to fit in
the space. We then made the sides smooth all the way up, and with planks
and the staves of some old casks, built up the stairs round a pole which
we made fast in the ground. To do this we had to make a notch in the
pole and one in the side of the trunk for each stair, and thus go up
step by step till we came to the top. Each day we spent a part of our
time at what we could now call the farm, where the beasts and fowls were
kept, and did odd jobs as well, so that we should not make too great a
toil of the flight of stairs, which took us some six weeks to put up.
One day Fritz caught a fine EA-GLE, which he tied by the leg to a branch
of the tree, and fed with small birds. It took him a long while to tame,
but in time he taught it to perch on his wrist, and to feed from his
hand. He once let it go, and thought he would have lost it, but the bird
knew it had a good friend, for it came back to the tree at night. From
that time it was left free, though we thought that some day its love of
war and wild sports would tempt it to leave us for the rocks of the sea
shore, where Fritz had first found it.
Each of my boys had now some pet to take care of, and, I may say, to
tease, for they all thought they had a fair right to get some fun out of
the pets they could call their own; but they were kind to them, fed them
well, and kept them clean.
In what I may term my spare time, which was when I left off work out of
doors, I made a pair of gum shoes for each of my sons, in the way I had
told Fritz it could be done. I do not know what we should have done had
we not found the gum tree, for the stones soon wore out the boots we
had, and we could not have gone through the woods or trod the hard rocks
with bare feet.
By this time our sow had brought forth ten young pigs, and the hens had
each a brood of fine chicks. Some we kept near us, but most of them went
to the wood, where my wife said she could find them when she had need to
use them.
I knew the time must now be near when, in this clime, the rain comes
down day by day for weeks, and that it would wash us out of The Nest if
we did not make a good roof to our house. Then our live stock would need
some place where they could rest out of the rain. The thatch for The
Nest was of course our first care; then we made a long roof of canes for
our live stock, and on this we spread clay and moss, and then a thick
coat of tar, so that it was rain proof from end to end. This was held up
by thick canes stuck deep in the ground, with planks made fast to them
to form the walls, and round the whole we put a row of cask staves to
serve for rails. In this way we soon had a barn, store room, and hay
loft, with stalls for the cow, the ass, and what else we kept that had
need of a place to live in.
CHAPTER X.
FRANK one day found some long leaves, to which, from their shape, he
gave the name of sword leaves. These he brought home to play with, and
then, when he grew tired of them, threw them down. As they lay on the
floor, Fritz took some of them in his hand, and found them so limp,
that he said he could plait them, and make a whip for Frank to drive the
sheep and goats with. As he split them up to do this, I could not but
note their strength. This led me to try them, and I found that we had
now a kind of flax plant, which was a source of great joy to my wife.
"You have not yet found a thing," she said, "that will be of more use to
us than this. Go at once and search for some more of these leaves,
and bring me the most you can of them. With these I can make you hose,
shirts, clothes, thread, rope; in short, give me flax, and make me a
loom and some frames, and I shall be at no loss for work when the rain
comes."
I could not help a smile at my wife's joy when she heard the name of
flax; for there was still much to do ere the leaves could take the shape
of cloth. But two of the boys set off at once to try to find some more
of the flax.
While they were gone, my wife, full of new life, and with some show of
pride, told me how I should make the loom by means of which she was to
clothe us from head to foot. In a short time they came back, and brought
with them a good load of the plant, which they laid at her feet. She now
said she would lay by all else till she had tried what she could make of
it. The first thing to be done was to steep the flax. To do this we took
the plant down to the marsh, tied up in small bales, as they pack hemp
for sale. The leaves were then spread out in the pond, and kept down
with stones, and left there in that state till it was time to take them
out and set them in the sun to dry, when they would be so soft that we
could peel them with ease. It was two weeks ere the flax was fit for
us to take out of the marsh. We spread it out on the grass in the sun,
where it dried so quick that we took it home to The Nest the same day.
It was then put by till we could find time to make the wheels, reels,
and combs which my wife said that she would want to turn our new found
plant to its best use.
We now made haste to lay up a store of canes, nuts, wood, and such
things as we thought we might want; and took care, while it was still
fine, to sow wheat, and all the grain we had left in our bags was soon
put in the ground. The fear that the rain might come and put a stop to
our work led us to take our meals in haste, and to make the days as long
as we could see. We knew the rain was close at hand, for the nights were
cold; large clouds could be seen in the sky, and the wind blew as we had
not felt it since the night our ship had struck on the rock.
The great change came at last. One night we were woke up out of our
sleep with the noise made by the rush of the wind through the woods,
and we could hear the loud roar of the sea far off. Then the dense storm
clouds which we had seen in the sky burst on us, and the rain came down
in floods. The streams, pools, and ponds on all sides were soon full,
and the whole plain round us met our view as one vast lake. By good
luck, the site of our house stood up out of the flood, and our group of
trees had the look of a small isle in the midst of the lake.
We soon found that The Nest was not built so well as we thought, for the
rain came in at the sides, and we had good cause to fear that the wind
would blow the roof off. Once the storm made such a rush at it that we
heard the beams creak, and the planks gave signs that there was more
strain on them than they could bear. This drove us from our room to the
stairs in the trunk, on which we sat in a state of fear till the worst
of the storm was past. Then we went down to the shed we had built on the
ground at the root of the tree, and made the best shift we could. All
our stores were kept here, so that the space was too small to hold us,
and the smell from the beasts made it far from a fit place for six of us
to dwell in; but it was at least safe for a time, and this was of course
the first thing to be thought of. To dress our food we had to make a
fire in the barn, and as there was no place to let out the smoke, it got
down our throats and made us cough all the day long.
It was now for the first time that my wife gave a sigh for her old Swiss
home. But we all knew that it was of no use to grieve, and each set to
work to do all he could to make the place look neat and clean. Some of
our stores we took up the stairs out of our way, and this gave us more
room. As we had cut square holes in the trunk of the tree all the way
up, and put in frames of glass that we got from the ship, my wife could
sit on the stairs, with Frank at her feet, and mend our clothes. Each
day I drove from the barn such beasts as could bear to be out in the
rain. That we might not lose them, I tied bells round their necks; and
if we found that they did not come back when the sun went down, Fritz
and I went out to bring them in. We oft got wet through to the skin,
which gave us a chill, and might have laid us up if my wife had not made
cloth capes and hoods for us to wear. To make these rain proof, I spread
some of the gum on them while hot, and this, when dry, had the look of
oil cloth, and kept the head, arms, chest, and back free from damp. Our
gum boots came far up our legs, so that we could go out in the rain and
come back quite free from cold and damp.
We made but few fires, for the air was not cold, save for an hour or two
late at night, and we did not cook more than we could help, but ate the
dried meat, fowls, and fish we had by us.
The care of our beasts took us a great part of the day; then we made our
cakes and set them to bake in a tin plate on a slow fire. I had cut a
hole in the wall to give us light, and put a pane of glass in it to keep
out the wind, but the thick clouds hid the sun from the earth, and the
shade of the tree threw a gloom round our barn, so that our day light
was but short, and night came on far too soon. We then made use of our
wax lights, and all sat round a bench. My wife had as much as she could
well do to mend the rents we made in our clothes. I kept a log, In
which I put down, day by day, what we did and what we had seen; and
then Ernest wrote this out in a neat, clear hand, and made a book of it.
Fritz and Jack drew the plants, trees, and beasts which they had found,
and these were stuck in our book. Each night we took it in turns to read
the Word of God, and then all knelt down to pray ere we went to bed.
Ours was not a life of ease, it is true, but it was one of peace and
hope; and we felt that God had been so kind to us that it would be a
great sin to wish for what it did not please Him to grant us.
My wife did all she could to cheer us, and it was no strange thing for
us to find that while we were out in the rain with the live stock, she
had made some new dish, which we would scent as soon as we put our heads
in at the door. One night it was a thrush pie, the next a roast fowl,
or some wild duck soup; and once in a while she would give us a grand
feast, and bring out some of all the good things we had in store.
In the course of our stay in doors we made up our minds that we would
not spend the next time of storm and rain, when it should come round, in
the same place. The Nest would serve us well in that time of year when
it was fine and dry, but we should have to look out for some spot where
we could build a house that would keep us from the rain the next time
the storms came.
Fritz thought that we might find a cave, or cut one out of the rocks by
the sea shore. I told him that this would be a good plan, but would take
a long while to do. By this time the boys were all well used to hard
work, and they thought they would much like to try their skill at some
new kind of work.
"Well," said I, "we will go to the rocks round Tent House the first fine
day that comes, and try to find some place that will serve to keep us
from the next year's storms."
CHAPTER XI.
I CAN not tell how glad we all were when we at last saw a change in
the sky, and felt once more the warm rays of the sun. In a few days the
floods sank in the earth, and left the ground of a bright green hue; the
air grew warm and dry, and there were no more dark clouds to be seen in
the sky.
We found our young trees had put forth new leaves, and the seed we had
sown had come up through the moist ground. The air had a fresh sweet
smell, for it bore the scent of the bloom which hung like snow flakes on
the boughs of the fruit trees; the songs and cries of the birds were to
be heard on all sides, and we could see them fly from tree to tree in
search of twigs to build their nests. This in fact was the spring of the
year, when all things put forth new life; and we knew that the time was
now come when we could once more range the woods and till the soil, and
this made the boys leap for joy.
Some planks had been blown off the roof of The Nest, and the rain had
got in here and there; so our first job was to mend our house, and make
it fit to sleep in.
This done, Jack, Fritz, and I set out to Tent House. We found it in a
sad state. The storm had thrown down the tent, blown off some of the
sail cloth, and let in the rain on our casks, some of which held a store
of food. Our boat was still safe, but the raft of tubs had broken Lip,
and what there was left of it lay in splints on the shore.
Our loss in the storm had been so great that I felt we ought at once to
seek for some place on the rocks where we could put what was left.
We went all round the cliffs, in the hope that we might find a cave, but
in vain.
"There is no way but to hew one out of the rock", said Fritz, "we must
not be beat."
"Well said, Fritz," said Jack; "we have each an axe. Why not try this
cliff at once?"
I gave them leave to try, and we soon set to work at the rock. From this
spot we had a good view of the whole bay, and could see both banks of
the stream.
With a piece of chalk I made a mark on the side of the cliff, to show
the width and height that the cave should be cut. Then each took an axe
to try what kind of stuff our rock was made of. We found it a hard kind
of stone; and, as we were not used to this sort of work, we had not done
much when the time came for us to leave off.
We came back next day, and got on with more speed, though we thought
it would not take us less than six months to make the cave, if our work
were done at the same rate each day.
At the end of five or six days we had got through the face of the rock,
and we found the stone soft. In a day or two more we came to what was
but hard clay, which gave way at a slight blow from the axe.
"We need not fear now," said I, "for we shall soon have a hole as large
as we want."
With the earth we took out we made a ridge in front of the cliff. The
boys now got on so well, and dug so much out, that I had hard work to
throw up the earth on the bank.
One day, as Jack stuck his pick in at the back of the cave, which was
now more than eight feet from the front, a great mass of the rock fell
in, and he cried out, "Look here! I have got through."
"Through what?" said I. "Not through your hand, I hope."
"No, no, but through the rock."
At this, Fritz set up a loud laugh.
"Why not say through the world at once, and push your crow bar in till
you reach EU-ROPE, which, Ernest says, lies in a straight line from our
feet. I should like to have a peep down, such a hole, for I might thus
get a sight of our dear Swiss home."
Fritz and I went up to the wall and found that Jack was right, for he
had come to a clear space. His first thought was to jump in; but as I
knew that there might be foul air in the cave, I would not let him risk
his life.
The boys then set fire to some dry grass, and thrust it in the hole, but
it went out at once, which was a sure sign that the air was not fit to
breathe.
I knew that we had brought from the wreck a box full of fire works,
which were used on board to make signs to ships far out at sea. I sent
Fritz to Tent House for these, though I thought that they might be too
damp to make use of. When he came back, I set light to some of them,
and threw them in the hole. They flew round, and threw out a stream of
sparks that lit up the cave. When these were burnt out, we put in a heap
of straw and threw a light on it. This was now soon in a blaze, and gave
us a clear view of the cave; but it was too deep for us to see the end.
Our joy was so great that we sent Jack off home to The Nest to tell the
good news, and to bring back some wax lights. I did not deem it safe for
us to go in the cave in the dark, for there might be pools or deep dry
pits in the ground.
Fritz and I had just thrown up on the bank the last spade full of earth
that had been dug out, when we heard a loud shout. We got up on the top
of the cave, and saw that Jack had brought back a tribe at his heels.
The large cart, drawn by the cow and the ass, came on at a slow pace,
led by Jack on a black ox, and in it were my wife, Frank, and Ernest.
By the help of a flint and steel I soon lit some of the wax lights, and
gave one to each. I went in first and led the way, and the rest kept
close at my back. We had not gone on more than a few steps when we came
to a dead stop, struck with awe at the grand sight that met our view.
The walls and roof of the cave were lit up, as it were, with star-like
gems, while some hung down like glass drops from the roof, and some rose
up from the ground at its sides like blocks of spar. I broke off a piece
and put it on my tongue.
"What does it taste like?" said Jack.
"I find," said I, "that we are in a cave of rock salt."
"We shall not have to scrape the rocks to get our salt now," said
Ernest, "for there is more here than would serve a whole town for a
lifetime."
When we went back to The Nest that night we laid out a plan for our new
home, for there could be no doubt that the cave was the best place for
us to dwell in, though we should still sleep in The Nest when we went on
that side of the stream.
The next day we all set to work; the floor of the cave was quite smooth,
and the walls dry, so that we could build at once. We first cut holes in
the sides of the rock to let in the light, and then brought frames and
panes of glass from The Nest, and put them in. We then brought all the
planks and wood we could find, and built a strong wall in the midst of
the cave. On the right side of this wall we made three rooms, two of
which were to be used as bed rooms, and one to take our meals in. On the
left side was a room for my wife to cook in, one to work in, to which
we gave the name of the shop, and a place with stalls in it for our live
stock. At the back of these was a store house, where we could keep our
stock of food and the whole of our spare goods.
I need not say that it took us some months to do all this, nor that we
had to toil hard day by day, from morn till night, ere we got to the end
of our task; but the end did come at last, and then the joy we felt that
we had done all this with our own hands more than paid us for our toil.
CHAPTER XII.
OUR fields near Tent House had by this time brought forth good crops of
wheat, maize, beans, and peas; but as the work of the Cave had for some
weeks kept us on this side of the stream, we did not know in what state
we should find our crops at The Nest.
One day we all set out for our old home. We found our corn fields of a
rich brown hue, and saw that the wheat was, for the most part, fit to
reap. This, and a large patch of rye we cut down, and, as we did so,
whole flocks of birds took to wing when we got near them, while quails
were seen to run off at the sight of our dogs, who had no lack of sport
that day.
We laid by the seed that was quite ripe till the time should come for us
to sow it, and put the rest in sacks. Some of the wheat was laid up in
sheaves till we should have time to beat out the grain.
When we left The Nest for the Cave, we could not find the hand mill that
we had brought from the ship. This now came to light, and we took care
to pack it up to take with us, as we should want it to grind our corn.
That night we slept once more in the great tree; but I must say that we
did not now sleep so sound there as we used to do, nor did we feel so
safe as we did in our rooms at Rock House.
The next day we were to start a plan by means of which our live stock
would not want so much of our care. They had bred so fast that we could
well spare some of them, and these I thought might be left in some place
to seek their own food, and yet be in reach should we want them.
My wife took from her hen roost ten young fowls, and I took four young
pigs, four sheep, and two goats. These we put in our large cart, with
such tools as we thought we should need, tied the black ox, the cow, and
the ass to the shafts, and then set off from The Nest.
We had to cross a wide plain, and here we met with some dwarf plants on
which, as Jack would have it, grew snow balls.
Fritz ran to see what they were, and brought me a twig to which clung
balls of snow white down. I held it up to show my wife, for I knew the
sight would please her still more than her sons.
"See," said I, "this is the COT-TON plant, which you have oft tried to
find. It seems to grow here as thick as weeds, and, if I am a judge, it
is of the best kind."
We got as much of this as our bags would hold, and my wife took care to
pluck some of the ripe seed, that we might raise a crop in our grounds
at Tent House.
At the end of the plain we came to the brow of a high hill, from which
the eye fell on a view the like of which we had not yet seen. Trees of
all kinds grew on the sides of the hill, and a clear stream ran through
the plain at its base, and shone bright in the rays of the sun.
We said at once that this should be the site of our new farm. Close by
we found a group of trees, the trunks of which, as they stood, would do
for the main props of the house.
I had long had a mind to build a boat, and here I at last came on a tree
that would suit. Fritz and I went for a mile or two in search of what we
could find, and by the time we came back my wife had put up our tent for
the night. We then all sat down to sup, and went to rest on beds made of
the bags of the white down that we brought from the trees on the plain.
The next day we rose at dawn. The trees which were to form the frame of
our farm house stood on a piece of land eight yards long by five wide. I
made a deep cut in each of the trunks, ten feet from the ground, and put
up cross beams to form a roof, on which we laid some bark in such a way
that the rain would run off.
We were hard at work for some days at the Farm House. The walls we built
of thin laths and long reeds, wove close for six feet from the ground,
but the rest we made of thin cross bars to let in both light and air. We
made racks to store bay and such like food for the live stock, and put
by some grain for the fowls, for our plan was to come from time to time
to feed them, till they got used to the place.
Our work took us more time than we thought; and as our store of food got
low, we sent Fritz and Jack home to bring us a fresh stock, and to feed
the beasts we had left at Tent House.
While they were gone, Ernest and I made a tour of the woods for some
miles round the new Farm. We first took the course of the stream that
ran by the foot of the hill. Some way up we came to a marsh on the edge
of a small lake, and here in the swamp grew a kind of wild rice, now
ripe on the stalk, round which flew flocks of birds. We shot five or six
of these, and I was glad to note the skill with which Ernest now used
his gun. I took some of the rice, that my wife might judge how far it
was of use to us as food.
We went quite round the lake, and saw plants and trees that were not
known to me, and birds that Ernest said he had not seen in any of the
woods near The Nest. But we were most struck with the sight of a pair of
black swans, and a troop of young ones that came in their train. Ernest
would have shot at them, but I told him not to kill what we did not want
for use.
We did not get back till late in the day. Jack and Fritz, whom we met
just as we came round the foot of the bill, had done their task well,
for they had a good stock of food in a sack that lay on the back of the
ass, and they brought the good news that all was well at home.
We spent four more days at the Farm, and then left it in such a state as
to be fit for our use when we chose to go back to it.
The Farm House was but a part of our plan, for we had made up our minds
to build a sort of half way house, or cot, in which we could rest on our
way to the Farm. This took us six days to do. The spot we chose lay by
the side of a brook, and was just such a place as would tempt, one to
stop and rest in the shade of the trees, that grew on the bank. While at
the brook, I made a boat out of the tree we found at the Farm, and took
it back with us to Tent House in the cart.
We had still two months ere the rain would set in, and this left us time
to put the last touch to our cave. We laid the whole floor with clay,
and spread on it some fine sand, which we beat down till it was quite
smooth and firm. On this we put sail cloth, and threw down goat's hair
and wool made moist with gum. This was well beat, and, when dry, made a
kind of felt mat that was warm and soft to tread on, and would keep the
damp from our feet.
By the time these works were done, our cave was in a fit state for us
to dwell in. We did not now dread the rain, for we were safe out of its
reach, and there was no need that we should go out in it. We had a warm
light shop to work in by day, a snug place where we could take our meals
and dry bed rooms in which we could sleep in peace. Our live stock we
kept in a shed at the back of the cave, and our store room held all that
we could want.
When the rain at length set in, we all had some task that kept us close
at work in the cave. My wife took her wheel or her loom, both of which
I had made for her, for this kind of work fell to her share from choice.
By the help of the wheels of one of the ship's guns I had made a lathe,
and with this I could turn legs for stools and chairs. Ernest, too, was
fond of the lathe, and soon learned to do such work quite as well as I.
At dusk, when we had done our work for the day, we brought out our stock
of books, and sat down to read by the light of a lamp.
At times, Jack and Prank would play a tune on their flutes, which I had
made out of reeds; and my wife, who had a sweet voice, would sing some
of the old Swiss songs, that brought to our minds the joys of home.
Though we were by no means dull, nor in want of work to fill up our
time, we were glad when the time came for the rain to cease, and when
we could gaze once more on the green fields. We went out the first fine
day, and took a long walk by the base of the cliff. On the shore we
found a dead whale, which the sea had no doubt thrown up in the storm.
We had long felt the need of oil; for though we had a lamp, we had
naught but our wax lights to put in it, and these gave a poor light to
read by. The next day we cut up the whale, and put the flesh in tubs. It
was far from a clean job, for the oil ran down our clothes and made them
smell; but as we could change them for new ones, thanks to the hemp and
my wife's skill, we did not mind that, for the oil was now worth more to
us than our clothes, though at one time we should not have thought so.
One day we all set out on a tour to the Farm. Jack and Frank had gone
on first, while my wife and I were as yet close to the Cave. All at once
the boys came back, and Fritz said, "Look at that strange thing on its
way up the path. What can it be?"
I cast my eye on the spot and cried out, "Fly all of you to the Cave!
fly for your lives!" for I saw it was a huge snake, or boa, that would
make a meal of one of us, if we did not get out of its way.
We all ran in doors, and put bars up to the door of the Cave. A large
dove cote had been made on the roof, and to this we got up through a
hole in the rock.
Ernest took aim with his gun, and shot at the snake, so did Fritz and
Jack, but it gave no sign that they had hit it. I then tried my skill,
but it did not seem to feel my shot any more than theirs, though I was
sure I must have struck its head. Just as we took aim at it once more,
we saw it turn round and glide through the reeds in the marsh.
Our fears kept us for three long days in the Cave. The snake gave no
sign that could lead us to think it was still near, but the ducks and
geese had left the spot where their nests were, and this we knew to be
a bad sign. On the fourth day I went to the door, with a view to let out
some of the beasts to graze, for we were short of food for them. The ass
was just at my back, and as soon as it saw the light, made a rush to get
out. Off it went, straight to the sands, with its heels in the air, but
just as it got to the marsh we saw the boa glide out from the reeds,
part its wide jaws and make for its prey. The ass at once saw its foe,
but stood still as if struck with fear, and in less time than I take to
tell it, our old friend was tight in the folds of the boa.
This was a sad sight for all of us, yet we could not take our eyes off
the snake, but saw it crush the poor beast, and then gorge its prey.
When it had put the whole of the ass out of sight, it lay down on the
sand quite still, as if it had gone to sleep or died.
"Now is the time to seal the fate of our foe," said I to Fritz; and
with that we went out with our guns. When we got near, we both took a
straight aim, and each put a ball in its head. This made it move with a
start, and writhe as if in pain.
"See how its eyes glare on us with rage. Now load your gun, and let us
put a bit more lead in him."
Our next shot went in his eyes. It then shook as with a strong spasm,
and fell dead on the sand.
A shout of joy brought my wife and the three boys to the spot. The state
of fear they had been kept in for three whole days had made them quite
ill, but now the joy of Jack and Frank knew no bounds, for they leaped
on the snake and beat it as if they would go mad.
My wife said that the death of the boa took a great weight off her mind,
for she thought it would lie in wait for us near the Cave, starve us
out, and then kill us as it had done the poor ass.
We slit up the snake, and took out the flesh of the ass, which the boys
laid in a grave near Tent House. The boa's skin we hung up at the door
of the Cave, over which Ernest wrote the words, "No ass to be found
here," which we all thought to be a good joke.
One day late in the spring I went with my three sons a long way from the
Cave. My wife and Frank were left at our Half Way House, to wait till we
came back, but the dogs went with us. Our route lay far up the course of
a small stream, which had its source some miles north of the Farm House.
The ground was new to us, but we could not well lose our way, for on the
right stood a hill from which we could see the whole of the plain.
Ernest had gone with one of the dogs to a cave that he had spied at the
foot of the hill, but we saw him turn round and run back with Turk at
his heels. As soon as he thought his voice would reach us, he cried out,
"A bear! A bear! come to my help!"
We could now see that there were two great beasts at the mouth of the
cave. At a word from us both the dogs, flew to fight the bear that stood
in front.
Fritz took up his post at my side, while Jack and Ernest kept in the
rear. Our first shot was "a miss," as Jack said; but we took a sure aim
the next time, and both shots told. We would have let fly at them once
more from this spot, but as we thought we might hit our brave dogs, who
were now in the heat of a hard fight with their foes, we ran up close to
them.
"Now, Fritz," said I, "take a straight aim at the head of the first,
while I fire on the one at his back."
We both shot at once; the bears gave a loud growl, and then, with a
moan, fell dead at our feet.
As it was now time to go back, we put the bears in the cave, but took
care to cut off their paws, which form a dish fit to grace the feast of
a king.
We had a long walk back to the place where I had left my wife. The boys
told her what a hard fight the dogs had with the bears, and how Fritz
and I had shot them, and then gave her the paws. With the aid of Frank
she had fed our live stock and brought in wood to make up our watch fire
for the night, so we sat down to sup at once, and then went to rest.
Next day we put our beasts to the cart and drove as far as the bear's
den. As we came near to the spot a flock of birds flew out of the mouth
of the cave, two or three of which Fritz brought down with his gun. It
took us the whole day to cut up the bears. The hams were laid by to be
smoke dried; while my wife took charge of the fat and the skins.
CHAPTER XIII.
WE had now so much work to do, and the days and weeks came and went so
quick, that I do not think we should have known the time of year had it
not been for our log.
Some days were spent at the Cave, where we made our goods, ground our
flour, stored our food, and kept our tame live stock. Then we had to
take care of our crops in the fields near The Nest, and this took us two
or three days in each month. Once in ten days at least we went to the
Farm on the hill, and at the same time made a call at the Half Way
House; so that there was not a day that we had not our hands quite full.
Now and then we went out to hunt for sport or to add to our stock of
beasts, which had grown so large that there were few we could name that
had not been caught and brought home. We had birds of the air, fowls of
the land, and beasts of all kinds' from the great black ox of the plain
to the small wild RAB-BIT that came and made its hole close by our cave.
But there was one bird that we had not yet caught, though we had seen
it two or three times in the woods. This was the OS-TRICH. Fritz found a
nest with some eggs in it, and this led us to make a tour with a view to
catch one of the old birds. We rose that day ere it was light, and set
out at dawn, each on the back of a good steed.
As we should have to hunt through the woods, my wife was left at home;
and Ernest, who did not like rough work, chose to stay with her. We made
it a rule to take one of the dogs with us when we went out to hunt, but
on this day we thought it wise to let them both come.
Fritz took us straight to where he had seen the nest, which was not more
than a few miles up the stream. When we came in sight of the spot, we
saw four great birds, as if on their way to meet us. As they drew near
we kept the dogs well in, and made no noise, so that they did not stop
till they came near us.
Fritz had brought his Ea-gle with him, which he now let fly. At one
swoop the bird came down on the head of the Os-trich, held on with its
beak, and struck out its wings with great force, as if to stun it.
We now rode up close to the scene of war. Jack first flung a cord round
the legs of the bird, which made it fall to the ground. I then threw my
pouch on its head, and, strange to say, it lay down as still as a lamb.
I now tied both its legs with cords, but left it just room to walk. We
then made it fast to the two bulls that had brought Jack and Frank all
the way from home, and put one of them on each side. They next got up on
their steeds, and I took the pouch from the head of the bird. As soon as
it could see, it gave a wild stare, and then fought to get free.
The boys then put spurs to the flanks of their steeds, and when the bird
had made a few starts back, as if to try the strength of the cords which
held it, it set off with a run, and the bulls at each side made it keep
up a smart pace.
Fritz and I now went in search of the nest, which we soon found. I took
the eggs from it and put them in a bag I had brought to hold them, in
which I put some wool and moss, so that they should not break.
It did not take us long to get up to the two boys, who had gone on
first, and we were glad to find that the poor bird had made up its mind
to its fate, and kept up well with the pace of the bulls.
When we got in sight of home, my wife and Ernest, who had been on the
look out for us, came forth to meet us; and the strange way in which we
brought home our new prize made them laugh. I need not say that we took
great care of it.
The next day we built it a house, with a space in front for it to walk
up and down, round which were put rails, so that it could not get out.
At first it was shy, and would not take any food, so that we had to
force some balls of maize down its throat; but in a short time it took
grain from the hands of my wife, and soon grew quite tame.
The boys now set to work to break it in for use. They taught it first
to bear them on its back. Then they put a pair of string reins in its
mouth, and made it turn which way they chose to pull, and to walk, or
run, or stand still, as it was bid. Thus, in a month from the time we
caught it, the boys made it take them on its back to and from the Farm
or The Nest, in less than half the time an ox would go; so that it came
to be the best steed we had to ride on.
The eggs we found in the nest were put in a warm dry place, and though
we scarce thought our care would bring live birds out of the shells,
we had the joy to hatch three of them, and this led us to hope that we
should ere long have a steed for each of our sons.
My work at this time was by no means light. Our hats and caps were all
worn out, and with skins of the musk cat I had to make new ones. The
bears' skins were laid in the sun to dry, and of these we made fur
coats, which would keep us warm when the cold wet nights came round, and
there were some left to serve as quilts or rugs for our beds.
I now tried my hand at a new craft. I dug some clay out of the bed of
the stream, and taught the boys to knead it up with sand, and some talc
that had been ground as fine as road drift. I had made a lathe with a
wheel, and by its aid the clay left my bands in the shape of plates,
cups, pots, and pans. We then burnt them in a rude kiln, and though at
least one half broke with the heat and our want of skill, still those
that came out whole more than paid me for my toil, and kept up my wife's
stock of delf. Some of the jars were set round with red and blue beads,
and these were put on a shelf as works of art, and kept full of long
dried grass.
The time was now at hand when we must reap our grain and store the ripe
crops that were still on the ground; and, in fact, there was so much to
be done, that we scarce knew what to do first. The truth must be told
that our wants did not keep pace with the growth of our wealth, for the
land was rich, and we had but a few mouths to fill.
We knew that we might leave the roots in the ground for some time, as
the soil was dry, but that the grain would soon spoil; so we made the
corn our first care. When it was all cut and brought home, our next task
was to thresh it. The floor of our store room was now as hard as a rock,
for the sun had dried it, and there was not a crack to be seen. On this
we laid the ears of ripe corn, from which the long straw had been cut,
and sent the boys to bring in such of our live stock as were fit for the
work to be next done.
Jack and Fritz were soon on the backs of their steeds, and thought it
fine fun to make them course round the floor and tread out the grain.
Ernest and I had each a long fork, with which we threw the corn at their
feet, so that all of it might be trod on. The ox on which Jack sat put
down his head and took a bunch of the ears in his mouth.
"Come," said Jack, "it is not put there for you to eat, off you go!" and
with that he gave it a lash with his whip.
"Nay," said I, "do you not know what God has said in his Word? We must
not bind up the mouth of the ox that treads out the corn. This brings
to my mind the fact that the means we now take to thresh our wheat were
those used by the Jews in the days of old."
To sort the chaff from the grain we threw it up with our spades while
the land or sea breeze blew strong. The draught which came in at the
door took the light chaff with it to one side of the room, while the
grain fell straight to the ground by its own weight.
The maize we left to dry in the sun, and then beat out the grain with
long skin thongs. By this means we got a store of the soft leaves of
this plant, which my wife made use of to stuff our beds.
When all the grain had been put in our store room, some in sacks and the
rest in dry casks, we took a walk one day to our fields, and found that
flocks of birds, most of which were quails, had come there to feed. This
gave us a fine day's sport with our guns, and the next year we did not
fail to look for them, so that the fields were made to yield a stock of
game as well as a crop of grain.
With but slight change in our mode of life, we spent ten long years in
our strange home. Yet the time did not seem long to us. Each day brought
with it quite as much work as we could do, so that weeks and months and
years flew past, till at last we gave up all hope that we should leave
the isle or see our old Swiss home, the thought of which was still dear
to us.
But the lapse of ten years had wrought a great change in our sons.
Frank, who was but a mere child when we first came, had grown up to be
a strong youth; and Jack was as brave a lad as one could wish to see.
Fritz, of course, was now a young man, and took a large share of the
work off my hands. Ernest had just come of age, and his shrewd mode of
thought and great tact was as great a help to us as was the strength and
skill of the rest.
To crown all, it was a rare thing for them to be ill; and they were free
from those sins which too oft tempt young men to stray from the right
path. My wife and I did our best to train them, so that they might know
right from wrong; and it gave us great joy to find that what we told
them sunk deep in their hearts, and, like ripe seed sown in rich soil,
brought forth good fruit.
I need not say that in the course of ten years we had made great strides
in those arts which our wants had first led us to learn. When we first
came the land near Tent House was a bare waste; now it bore fine crops,
and was kept as neat as a Swiss farm. At the foot of the hill by the
side of Rock Cave was a large plot of ground, which we laid out in beds,
and here we grew herbs and shrubs, and such plants as we used for food.
Near this we dug a pond, and by means of a sluice which led from the
stream, we kept our plants fresh in times of drought. Nor was this the
sole use we made of the pond; for in it we kept small fish and crabs,
and took them out with a rod and line when we had need of food, and time
to spare for that kind of sport. In the ground round the mouth of the
Cave we drove a row of strong canes, bound at the top to a piece of
wood, so as to form a fence, up which grew a vine, and, at each side,
plants that threw a good show of gay bloom crept up to meet it. Shells
of great size and strange shapes were got from the shore, and these we
built up here and there with burnt clay, so as to form clumps of rock
work, on which grew ferns and rare plants. All this gave a charm to our
home, and made the grounds round it a source of joy when, we laid by our
work for the day. In fact, we thought there was now scarce a thing to
wish for that we had not got.
Our cares were few, and our life was as full of joy and peace as we
could well wish; yet I oft cast a look on the sea, in the hope that
some day I should spy a sail, and once more greet a friend from the wide
world from which we had been so long shut out. This hope, vague as it
was, led me to store up such things as would bring a price, if we had
the chance to sell them; they might prove a source of wealth to us if a
ship came that way, or would at least help to pay the charge of a cruise
back to the land we came from.
It is but just to say that the boys did not share my hopes, nor did they
seem to wish that we should leave the place where they had been brought
up. It was their world, and the cave, to which we gave the name Rock
House, was more dear to them than any spot on the earth.
"Go back!" Fritz would say; "to leave our cave, that we dug with our own
hands; to part with our dear kind beasts and birds; to bid good-by to
our farms, and so much that is our own, and which no one in the world
wants. No, no! You can not wish us to leave such a spot."
My dear wife and I both felt that age would soon creep on us, and we
could not help some doubts as to the fate of our sons. Should we stay
and end our days here, some one of us would out-live the rest, and this
thought came oft to my mind, and brought with it a sense of dread I
could not get rid of. It made me pray to God that He would save us all
from so dire a fate as to die far from the sound of the voice of man,
with no one to hear our last words, or lay us in the earth when He
should call us to our rest.
My wife did not share this dread. "Why should we go back?" she would
say. "We have here all that we can wish for. The boys lead a life of
health, free from sin, and live with us, which might not be the case if
we went out in the world. Let us leave our fate in the hands of God."
CHAPTER XIV.
As Fritz and Ernest were now men, they were of course free to go where
they chose, and to come back when their will led them home. Thus, from
time to time they took long trips, and went far from Rock House. They
had fine boats and strong steeds, and of these they made such good use
that there was scarce a spot for leagues round that was not well known
to them.
At one time, Fritz had been so long from home that we had a dread lest
he should have lost his way, or fallen a prey to wild beasts. When he
came back he told us a long tale of what he had seen and where he had
been, and how he had brought with him birds, beasts, moths, and such
strange things as he thought Ernest would like to see. When he had done,
he drew me out into our grounds and said he had a strange thing to tell
me. It seems that he found a piece of white cloth tied to the foot of a
bird which he had struck down with a stick, on which were these words:
"Save a poor soul, who is on the rock from which you may see the smoke
rise."
He thought that this rock could not be far off, and that he ought to set
off at once in search of it.
"I have a thought," said he; "I will tie a piece of cloth, like that I
found, to the leg of the bird, and on it I will write, 'Have faith in
God: help is near.' If the bird goes back to the place from whence it
came, our brief note may reach the eye of the lone one in the rock. At
any rate, it can do no harm, and may do some good."
He at once took the bird, which was an AL-BA-TROSS, tied the strip of
cloth to its foot, and let it go.
"And now," said he, "tell me what you think of this. If we should, find
a new friend, what a source of joy it will be. Will you join me in the
search?"
"To be sure I will," said I; "and so shall the rest; but we will not yet
tell them of this."
They were all glad to take a trip in the large boat, but they could not
make out why we went in such haste.
"The fact is," said Jack, "Fritz has found some queer thing on the coast
that he can't bring home, and wants us to see it. But I dare say we
shall know what it all means in good time."
Fritz was our guide, and went first in his bark boat, or CA-NOE. In this
he could go round the rocks and shoals that girt the coast, which would
not have been safe for the large boat. He went up all the small creeks
we met with on the way, and kept a sharp look-out for the smoke by which
he would know the rock we came out to find.
I must tell you that once when he came to these parts with Ernest he met
with a TI-GER, and would have lost his life had it not been for his pet
Ea-gle. The brave bird, to save Fritz from the beast, made a swoop down
on its head. Fritz thus got off with a scratch or two, but the poor bird
was struck dead by a blow from the paw of its foe. This was a sad loss
to Fritz, for his pet had been a kind friend, and would go with him at
all times when he went far from home.
There was scarce a spot we came to that did not bring to the mind of
one of us some such tale as this, so that we were full of talk while the
boat bore us on.
We had been out some days, but could find no trace of what we went in
search. I rose from my berth at dawn, and went on deck with Fritz. I
told him that as we had no clue to the place, we must now give up the
search. He did not seem to like this, but no more was said. That day we
spent on shore, and came back to our boat to sleep at night. Next day we
were to change our course, and trace our way back, for the wind now blew
from the sea.
When I went on deck next day I found a short note from Fritz, in which
he told me that he could not give up the search, but had gone some way
up the coast in his small boat. "Let me beg of you," he wrote, "to lie
in wait for me here till I come back."
When he had been gone two days, I felt that I ought to tell my wife the
cause of our trip, as it might ease her mind, and she now had some fear
lest her son should not be safe. She heard me to the end, and then said
that she was sure he would not fail, but soon bring back good news.
As we were all on the look-out for Fritz, we saw his boat a long way
off.
"There is no one with him in the boat," said I to my wife; "that does
not say much for our hopes."
"Oh, where have you been?" said the boys, all at once, as he came on
board. But they scarce got a word from him. He then drew me on one side,
and said, with a smile of joy, "What do you think is the news I bring?"
"Let me hear it," said I.
"Then I have found what I went forth to seek, and our search has not
been in vain."
"And who is it that you have found?"
"Not a man," he said, "but a girl. The dress she wears is that of a man,
and she does not wish at first that her sex should be known to more that
we can help, for she would not like to meet Ernest and the rest in that
state, if they knew that she was a girl. And, strange to tell," said
Fritz, "she has been on shore three years."
While I went to tell the news to my wife, Fritz had gone down to his
berth to change his clothes, and I must say that he took more care to
look neat in his dress than was his wont at home.
He was not long, and when he came on deck he bid me say no word to the
rest of whom he had found. He leaped like a frog in to his light craft,
and led the way. We were soon on our course through the rocks and
shoals, and an hour's sail, with the aid of a good breeze, brought us to
a small tract of land, the trees of which hid the soil from our view.
Here we got close in to the shore, and made our bark safe. We all got
out, and ran up the banks, led by the marks that Fritz had made in the
soil with his feet. We soon found a path that led to a clump of trees,
and there saw a hut, with a fire in front, from which rose a stream of
smoke.
As we drew near I could see that the boys did not know what to make of
it, for they gave me a stare, as if to ask what they were to see next.
They did not know how to give vent to their joy when they saw Fritz come
out of the hut with a strange youth, whose slight make, fair face, and
grace of form, did not seem to match well with the clothes that hung
upon his limbs.
It was so long since we had seen a strange face, that we were all loth
to speak first. When I could gain my speech I took our new friend by the
hand, and told her in words as kind as I could call to my aid, how, glad
we were to have thus found her.
Fritz, when he bade Ernest and Jack shake bands with her, spoke of our
new friend as James, but she could not hide her sex from my wife, for
her first act was to fall on her breast and weep. The boys were not slow
to see through the trick, and made Fritz tell them that "James" was not
the name they should call her by.
I could not but note that our strange mode of life had made my sons
rough, and that years of rude toil had worn off that grace and ease
which is one of the charms of well-bred youth.
I saw that this made the girl shy of them, and that the garb she wore
brought a blush to her cheek. I bade my wife take charge of her, and
lead her down to the boat, while the boys and I stood a while to speak
of our fair guest.
When we got on board we sat down to hear Fritz tell how he came to find
Miss Jane, for that was her real name; but he had not told half his tale
when he saw my wife and her new friend come up on deck. She still had a
shy look, but as soon as she saw Fritz she held out her hand to him with
a smile, and this made us feel more at our ease.
The next day we were to go back to our home, and on the way Fritz was to
tell us what he knew of Miss Jane, for his tale had been cut short when
she came on the deck with my wife. The boys did all they could to make
her feel at home with them, and by the end of the day they were the best
of friends.
The next day we set sail at sun rise; for we had far to go, and the boys
had a strange wish to hear Fritz tell his tale.
When the boat had made a fair start, we all sat down on the deck, with
Jane in our midst, while Fritz told his tale to the end.
Jane Rose was born in IN-DI-A. She was the child of one Cap-tain Rose,
whose wife died when Jane was but a babe in arms. When ten years of age
he sent her to a first class school, where she was taught all that was
fit for the child of a rich man to know. In course of time she could
ride a horse with some skill, and she then grew fond of most of the
field sports of the East. As the Captain had to go from place to place
with his troops, he thought that this kind of sport would train her for
the mode of life she would lead when she came to live with him. But this
was not to be, for one day he told Jane that he must leave the East,
and take home the troops. As it was a rule that no girl should sail in
a ship with troops on board, he left her to the care of a friend who was
to leave near the same time. He thought fit that she should dress in the
garb of a young man while at sea, as there would then be no need for
her to keep in her berth, and he knew that she was strong and brave, and
would like to go on deck, and see the crew at their work. It gave the
Captain pain to part with his child, but there was, no help for it.
The ship had been some weeks at sea, when one day a storm broke over
it, and the wind drove it for days out of its course. The crew did their
best to steer clear of the rocks, but she struck on a reef and sprung a
leak. The boats then put off from the wreck, but a wave broke over the
one in which Jane left, and she was borne, half dead with fright, to the
place where we found her. She had been thrown high up on the beach, and
though faint and sick, got out of the reach of the waves. She did not
know if those who were in the boat with her had lost their lives, but
she had seen no trace of them since.
When she had strength to walk, she found some birds' eggs and shell
fish, which she ate, and then went in search of some safe place where
she could rest for the night. By good chance she had a flint and a
knife; with these she set light to some dry twigs, and made a fire,
which she did not once let out till the day she left. Her life was at
first hard to bear, but she was full of hope that some day a ship would
come near the shore, to which she could make signs for help. The wild
sports of the East in which she took part had made her strong of limb,
and she had been taught to make light of such things as would vex most
of her sex.
She built a hut to sleep in, and made snares to catch birds. Some of
them she made use of for food, and some she let go with bits of cloth
tied to their legs, on which she wrote words, in the hope that they
might meet the eye of some one who could help her. This, as we knew, had
led Fritz to make his search, the end of which had brought as much joy
to us as to the young friend who now sat in our midst.
When Fritz had told us this, and much more, we came in sight of Safe
Bay. He then took Ernest with him in his small boat, and left us to go
up the stream as fast as he could to Rock House, so as to make the place
look neat by the time we brought home our guest. The two boys--for to us
they were still boys--met us on the beach. Fritz, with a look of pride,
gave his hand to Jane, and I could see a slight blush rise to her cheek
as she gave him hers. He then led her up the path, on each side of which
grew a row of young trees, and took her to a seat in our grounds. There
he and Ernest had spread out a feast of our best food--fish, fowls, and
fruit, and some of my wife's choice jam--whilst our burnt clay plate
made a great show on the board, for it was set out with some taste. We
had a wish to show Jane that, though the coast was a wild kind of place,
still there were means to make life a joy to those who dwelt on it, if
they chose to use them. As for Jane, the sight of our home, the style
of our feast, and the kind words of the boys, were things so new to her,
that she knew not what to say.
"I shall tell no more than the truth," she said, "when I say that what
you have shown me is of far more worth than all the wealth I have seen
in the East, and that I feel more joy this day than I have felt in all
the days of my life. I can use no terms less strong than these to show
how much I thank you."
This was just the kind of speech to please the boys, for there had been
no one to praise their work till now. When the meal was done, my wife
brought out some of her best wine, and we drank to the health of our
guest in great state, and with loud cheers. We then made a tour of our
house and grounds, that Jane might see the whole of the place that from
this time she was to make her home. It would take me a long time to tell
what she thought of all she saw, or the neat things she said in praise
of our skill, as we took her from place to place. My wife's room, in
which were kept the pots and pans to dress our food, and the plates,
bowls, and cups, out of which we ate, took her some time to view; for
she had long felt the want of such things as she now saw we had made for
our own use out of what we could find.
The next day we all went to The Nest, and when the rainy season came
round, Jane knew the place quite as well as we did. My wife found in
her a true friend, for she soon took a large share of the work off
her hands, and did it with so much skill, and with so strong a wish to
please us, that we grew to love her as if she had been our own child.
When the time came for us to keep in doors from the rain, the boys would
oft lay by their work, and sit to hear Jane talk of what she had seen in
the East, and Ernest and Fritz would read to her by turns such books as
she might choose. I was glad to see that this wrought a great change in
my sons, whose mode of life had made them rough in their ways and loud
in their speech--faults which we did not think of so long as there was
no one to see or hear them.
When the spring came, the boys went in our boat to the spot where they
had found Jane, which we now knew by the name of "Jane's Isle," and
brought back some beans, which were new to them. These we found to be
COF-FEE. Jane told us that they were by no means scarce, but that she
had not made use of them, as she knew no way to roast or grind the
beans, which she found in a green state.
"Do you think," said my wife, "that the plant would grow here?"
I then thought for the first time how fond she was of it. There had been
some bags on board the ship, but I had not brought them from the wreck;
and my wife had once said that she would like to see the plant in our
ground. Now that we knew where to get it, she told me that it was one of
the few things that she felt the loss of. When the boys heard this, they
set out on a trip to Jane's Isle, and while there they went to the spot
where she had dwelt for so long, and sought for what things she had left
when she came to live with us.
All these were brought to Rock, House, and I may tell you that Fritz set
great store by them. There were all sorts of odd clothes, which she had
made of the skin of the sea calf; fish lines wrought out of the hair of
her head; pins made from the bones of fish; a lamp made out of a shell,
with a wick of the threads which she had drawn from her hose. There were
the shells she used to cook her food in; a hat made from the breast of a
large bird, the tail of which she had spread out so as to shade her neck
from the sun; belts, shoes, and odd things of a like kind.
My wife, who had now a friend of her own sex to talk with, did not feel
dull when the boys left us for a time, so they had leave to roam where
their wish led them, and to stay as long as they chose. In the course
of time they knew the whole of the isle on which we dwelt. Ernest drew
a map of it to scale, so that we could trace their course from place
to place with ease. When they went for a long trip they took some doves
with them, and these birds brought us notes tied to their wings from
time to time, so that we knew where they were, and could point out the
spot on the map.
I will not dwell on what took place now for some time, for I find that
each year was very much like the last. We had our fields to sow, our
crops to reap, our beasts to feed and train; and these cares kept our
hands at work, and our minds free from the least thought of our lone
mode of life.
I turn to my log as I write this, and on each page my eye falls on some
thing that brings back to my mind the glad time we spent at Rock House.
CHAPTER XV.
IN the spring time of the year, when the rain was past, Fritz and Jack
set off on a trip in their boat to Shark Isle. The day was fine, the sky
clear, and there was no wind, yet the waves rose and fell as in a storm.
"See!" cried Jack, "here comes a shoal of whales. They will eat us up."
"There is no fear of that," said Fritz; "whales will do us no harm, if
we do not touch them." This proved to be the case. Though any one of
them might have broken up the boat with a stroke of its tail, they did
not touch it, but swam by in a line, two by two, like a file of troops.
On Shark Isle, near the shore, we had thrown up a mound, and built a
fort, on which were set two of the ship's guns. These the boys made a
rule to fire off, with a view to let us know that they were safe, and
to try if the guns were still fit for use. This time they found their
charge quite dry, and the guns went off with a loud bang.
They had just put a plug in the hole of one of the guns, to keep out the
wet, when they heard a sound roll through the air.
"Did you bear that?" said Jack. "I am sure that noise must have come
from some ship at sea. Let us fire once more."
But Fritz thought they ought to go home at once and tell me what they
had heard. They both ran to the boat with all speed, and put out their
strength to reach home ere the sun went down.
The day was fine, and as the rain had kept us in doors for two months,
we were glad to go down on the beach for a change. All at once I saw
the boys come up the stream in their boat, at a great speed, and the way
they used their sculls led me to think that all was not right.
"What have you seen, that should thus put two brave youths to flight?"
said I.
Then they told me what had brought them back so soon. I had heard the
sound of the two guns which they had fired off, but no more. I told
them I thought their ears must be at fault, and that the sounds they
had heard were no more than those of their own guns, which the hills had
sent back through the air. This view of the case did not at all please
them, as by this time they well knew what sounds their guns made.
"It will be a strange thing," said I, "if the hope to which I have so
long clung should at last come to be a fact; but we must have a care
that we do not hail a ship the crew of which may rob and kill us for the
sake of our wealth. I feel that we have as much cause to dread a foe as
we have grounds of hope that we may meet with friends."
Our first course was to make the cave quite safe, and then to mount
guard where we could see a ship if one should come near the coast. That
night the rain came down in a flood, and a storm broke over us, and we
were thus kept in doors for two days and two nights.
On the third day I set out with Jack to Shark Isle, with a view to seek
for the strange ship which he said he knew must be in some place not
far from the coast. I went to the top of a high rock, but though my eye
swept the sea for miles round, I could see no signs of a sail. I then
made Jack fire three more shots, to try if they would give the same
sound as the two boys had heard. You may judge how I felt, when I heard
one! two! three! boom through the air.
There was now no room for doubt that, though I could not see it, there
must be a ship near Shark's Isle. Jack heard me say this with great
glee, and cried out, "What can we now do to find it?"
We had brought a flag with us, and I told Jack to haul this up twice to
the top of the staff, by means of which sign those who saw it would know
that we had good news to tell them.
I then left Jack on the fort with the guns, and told him to fire as soon
as a ship hove in sight. I bent my way at once back to Rock House, to
talk with my wife, Jane, and the boys, as to what steps we should now
take. They all met me on the beach, and made me tell them the news while
I was still in the boat.
"We know no more," said I, "than the fact that there is still a ship
on the coast. You must all now keep in doors, while Fritz and I go in
search of it."
We set off at noon, and went straight to the west part of the coast,
where we thought the sound must have come from. We knew a cape there
from which we could get a good view of the sea, and by the side of which
lay a small bay.
When we got round the cape, great was our joy to find a fine ship in
the bay. It was not far off from us, for we could see the ENG-LISH flag
float in the breeze from one of its masts. I seek in vain to find words
by means of which I can set forth in print what I then felt. Both Fritz
and I fell on our knees and gave thanks to God that He had thus led the
ship to our coast. If I had not held him back, Fritz would have gone
into the sea with a leap and swum off to the ship.
"Stay," said I, "till we are quite sure what they are. There are bad men
on the seas who put up false flags to lure ships out of their course,
and then rob and kill the crew."
We could now see all that took place on board. Two tents had been set
up on the shore, in front of which was a fire; and we could see that
men went to and fro with planks. There were two men left on guard on
the deck of the ship, and to these we made signs. When they saw us they
spoke to some one who stood near, and whom we thought had charge of the
ship. He then put his glass up to his eye and took a good view of us
through it.
We did not at first like to go too near, but kept our boat some way off.
Fritz said he could see that the faces of the men were not so dark as
our own.
"If that be the case," said I, "we are safe, and we may trust their
flag."
We both sang a Swiss song, and then I cried out at the top of my voice
these words: "Ship ahoy! good men!" But they made no sign that they
heard us. Our song, our boat, and, more than all, our dress, made them
no doubt guess that we were wild men of the wood; for at last one of
the crew on board held up knives and glass beads, which I knew the wild
tribes of the New World were fond of. This made us laugh, but we would
not as yet draw nigh to the ship, as we thought we ought to meet our new
friends in our best trim.
We then gave a shout and a wave of the hand, and shot off round the cape
as fast as our boat would take us. We soon got back to Rock House, where
our dear ones were on the look-out for us. My wife said we had done
quite right to come back, but Jane thought we should have found out who
they were.
That night none of us slept well; our guest thought there might now be
a chance for her to reach her home, and she dreamed she heard the
well-known voice of her sire call her to come to him. The boys were half
crazed with vague hopes, and lay for hours ere they went to sleep. My
wife and I sat up late to think and talk of the use that might be made
of this chance. We felt that we were now full of years, and should not
like in our old age to leave the place where we had spent the best part
of our lives; still we might do some trade with the land from which the
ship came, if it were but known that we were here, and we might hear
news of our dear Swiss home.
At break of day we put on board our boat a stock of fruit and fresh
food of all kinds, such as we thought the crew of the ship would like to
have, and Fritz and I set sail for the bay. We took with us all the arms
we could find, so as not to be at a loss should the crew prove false to
their flag, and turn out to be a set of thieves.
As we drew near the ship I fired a gun, and told Fritz to hoist a flag
like theirs to the top of our mast, and as we did so the crew gave a
loud cheer. I then went on board, and the mate of the ship led me to his
chief, who soon put me at my ease by a frank shake of the hand. I then
told him who we were, and how we came to dwell on the isle. I learned
from him, in turn, that he was bound for New South Wales; that he knew
Captain Rose, who had lost his child, and that he had made a search for
her on the coast. He told me that a storm had thrown him off his course,
and that the wind drove him on this coast, where he took care to fill
his casks from a fresh stream that ran by the side of a hill, and to
take in a stock of wood.
"It was then," he said, "that we first heard your guns; and when on the
third day the same sound came to our ears, we knew that there must be
some one on the coast, and this led us to put up our tents and wait till
the crew should search the land round the bay."
I then made the crew a gift of what we had brought in our boat, and said
to Captain Stone, for that was his name: "I hope, sir, that you will now
go with me to Rock House, the place where we live, and where you will
see Miss Rose, who will be glad to hear some news of home."
"To be sure I will, and thank you much," said he; "and I have no doubt
that Mr. West would like to go with us." This Mr. West was on his way,
with his wife and two girls, to New South Wales, where he meant to build
a house and clear a piece of land.
We all three then left the ship in our boat, and as we came in sight of
Shark Isle, Jack, who was on the fort, fired his guns.
When we came to the beach, my wife and the rest were there to meet
us. Jane was half wild with joy when she heard that Captain Stone had
brought her good news from home.
We led them round our house and through the grounds and Mr. West took
note of all he saw. When we came to talk, I found that he had made up
his mind to stay with us. I need not say how glad I was to hear this,
for he had brought out with him a large stock of farm tools, of which we
had long been in want.
The boys were of course in high glee at all this, but I did not share
their joy so much as I could wish. The ship which now lay close to our
shore was the first we had seen since we came to the isle, and no one
could tell when the next might come. My wife and I did not wish to
leave. I had a love for the kind of life we led, and we were both at an
age when ease and rest should take the place of toil. But then our sons
were young--not yet in the prime of life--and I did not think it right
that we should keep them from the world. Jane, I could tell, would not
stay with us, nor did she hide from us the fact that her heart drew her
to the dear one at home, from whom she had been kept so long. So I told
my wife that I would ask my boys to choose what they would do--to stay
with us on the isle, or leave with Captain Stone in the ship.
Fritz and Jack said they would not leave us; Ernest spoke not a word,
but I saw that he had made up his mind to go. I did not grieve at this,
as I felt that our isle was too small for the scope of his mind, and did
not give him the means to learn all he could wish. I told him to speak
out, when he said he should like to leave the place for a few years, and
he knew Frank had a wish to go with him.
I thought this would give my wife pain, but she said that the boys had
made a good choice, and that she knew Ernest and Frank would make their
way in the world.
Captain Stone gave Jane, Ernest, and Frank leave to go with him, as
there was room in the ship now that the Wests were to stay with us.
The ship was brought round to Safe Bay, and Fritz and Jack went on board
to fetch Mrs. West and her two girls, who were glad to find that they
were not to go back to the ship, for the storm had made them dread the
sea.
I may here say, by the way, that my wife soon found that her two sons
grew fond of their fair friends, and gave me a hint that some day we
should see them wed, which would be a fresh source of joy to us.
I have not much more to tell. The stores I had laid up--furs, pearls,
spice, and fruits--were put on board the ship, and left to the care of
my sons, who were to sell them. And then the time came for us to part. I
need not say that it was a hard trial for my wife; but she bore up well,
for she had made up her mind that it was all for the best, and that her
sons would some day come back to see her. I felt, too, that with the
help of our new friends, we should not miss them so much as we at first
thought, and this we found to be the case.
As the next day my boys were to leave me, I had a long talk with them. I
told them to act well their part in the new sphere in which they were to
move, and to take as their guide the Word of God. They then knelt down
for me to bless them, and went to their beds in Rock House for the last
time.
I got no sleep all that night, nor did the two boys, who were to start
the next day.
As Ernest takes this Tale with him--which I gave him leave to print,
that all may know how good God has been to us--I have no time to add
more than a few words.
The ship that is to take from us our two sons and our fair guest will
sail from this coast in a few hours, and by the close of the day three
who are dear to us will have gone from our midst. I can not put down
what I feel, or tell the grief of my poor wife.
I add these lines while the boat waits for my sons. May God grant them
health and strength for the trials they may have to pass through; may
they gain the love of those with whom they are now to dwell; and may
they keep free from taint the good name of the Swiss Family Robinson.
THE END.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Swiss Family Robinson Told in
Words of One Syllable, by Mary Godolphin
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