The Coral Island - Robert Michael Ballantyne (little readers txt) 📗

that it would be capital

fun, so I’m your man whenever you want me.”

 

This plan of Jack’s was quite in accordance with his romantic,

impulsive nature; and, having made up his mind to save this black

girl, he could not rest until the thing was commenced.

 

“But there may be great danger in this attempt,” he said, at the

end of a long consultation on the subject; “will you, lads, go with

me in spite of this?”

 

“Go with you?” we repeated in the same breath.

 

“Can you doubt it?” said I.

 

“For a moment,” added Peterkin.

 

I need scarcely say that, having made up our minds to go on this

enterprise, we lost no time in making preparations to quit the

island; and as the schooner was well laden with stores of every

kind for a long cruise, we had little to do except to add to our

abundant supply a quantity of cocoa-nuts, bread-fruit, taro, yams,

plums, and potatoes, chiefly with the view of carrying the

fragrance of our dear island along with us as long as we could.

 

When all was ready, we paid a farewell visit to the different

familiar spots where most of our time had been spent. We ascended

the mountain top, and gazed for the last time at the rich green

foliage in the valleys, the white sandy beach, the placid lagoon,

and the barrier coral-reef with its crested breakers. Then we

descended to Spouting Cliff, and looked down at the pale-green

monster which we had made such fruitless efforts to spear in days

gone by. From this we hurried to the Water Garden and took a last

dive into its clear waters, and a last gambol amongst its coral

groves. I hurried out before my companions, and dressed in haste,

in order to have a long examination of my tank, which Peterkin, in

the fulness of his heart, had tended with the utmost care, as being

a vivid remembrancer of me, rather than out of love for natural

history. It was in superb condition; - the water as clear and

pellucid as crystal; the red and green sea-weed of the most

brilliant hues; the red, purple, yellow, green, and striped

anemones fully expanded, and stretching out their arms as if to

welcome and embrace their former master; the starfish, zoophytes,

sea-pens, and other innumerable marine insects, looking fresh and

beautiful; and the crabs, as Peterkin said, looking as wide awake,

impertinent, rampant, and pugnacious as ever. It was indeed so

lovely and so interesting that I would scarcely allow myself to be

torn away from it.

 

Last of all, we returned to the bower and collected the few

articles we possessed, such as the axe, the pencil-case, the broken

telescope, the penknife, the hook made from the brass ring, and

the sail-needle, with which we had landed on the island; - also,

the long boots and the pistol, besides several curious articles of

costume which we had manufactured from time to time.

 

These we conveyed on board in our little boat, after having carved

our names on a chip of iron-wood, thus:-

 

JACK MARTIN,

RALPH ROVER,

PETERKIN GAY,

 

which we fixed up inside of the bower. The boat was then hoisted

on board and the anchor weighed; which latter operation cost us

great labour and much time, as the anchor was so heavy that we

could not move it without the aid of my complex machinery of blocks

and pulleys. A steady breeze was blowing off shore when we set

sail, at a little before sunset. It swept us quickly past the reef

and out to sea. The shore grew rapidly more indistinct as the

shades of evening fell, while our clipper bark bounded lightly over

the waves. Slowly the mountain top sank on the horizon, until it

became a mere speck. In another moment the sun and the Coral

Island sank together into the broad bosom of the Pacific.

 

CHAPTER XXX.

 

The voyage - The island, and a consultation in which danger is

scouted as a thing unworthy of consideration - Rats and cats - The

native teacher - Awful revelations - Wonderful effects of

Christianity.

 

OUR voyage during the next two weeks was most interesting and

prosperous. The breeze continued generally fair, and at all times

enabled us to lie our course; for being, as I have said before,

clipper-built, the pirate schooner could lie very close to the

wind, and made little lee-way. We had no difficulty now in

managing our sails, for Jack was heavy and powerful, while Peterkin

was active as a kitten. Still, however, we were a very

insufficient crew for such a vessel, and if any one had proposed to

us to make such a voyage in it before we had been forced to go

through so many hardships from necessity, we would have turned away

with pity from the individual making such proposal as from a

madman. I pondered this a good deal, and at last concluded that

men do not know how much they are capable of doing till they try,

and that we should never give way to despair in any undertaking,

however difficult it may seem:- always supposing, however, that our

cause is a good one, and that we can ask the divine blessing on it.

 

Although, therefore, we could now manage our sails easily, we

nevertheless found that my pulleys were of much service to us in

some things; though Jack did laugh heartily at the uncouth

arrangement of ropes and blocks, which had, to a sailor’s eye, a

very lumbering and clumsy appearance. But I will not drag my

reader through the details of this voyage. Suffice it to say,

that, after an agreeable sail of about three weeks, we arrived off

the island of Mango, which I recognised at once from the

description that the pirate, Bill, had given me of it during one of

our conversations.

 

As soon as we came within sight of it we hove the ship to, and held

a council of war.

 

“Now, boys,” said Jack, as we seated ourselves beside him on the

cabin sky-light, “before we go farther in this business, we must go

over the pros and cons of it; for, although you have so generously

consented to stick by me through thick and thin, it would be unfair

did I not see that you thoroughly understand the danger of what we

are about to attempt.”

 

“Oh! bother the danger,” cried Peterkin; “I wonder to hear YOU,

Jack, talk of danger. When a fellow begins to talk about it, he’ll

soon come to magnify it to such a degree that he’ll not be fit to

face it when it comes, no more than a suckin’ baby!”

 

“Nay, Peterkin,” replied Jack, gravely, “I won’t be jested out of

it. I grant you, that, when we’ve once resolved to act, and have

made up our minds what to do, we should think no more of danger.

But, before we have so resolved, it behoves us to look at it

straight in the face, and examine into it, and walk round it; for

if we flinch at a distant view, we’re sure to run away when the

danger is near. Now, I understand from you, Ralph, that the island

is inhabited by thorough-going, out-and-out cannibals, whose

principal law is - ‘Might is right, and the weakest goes to the

wall?’”

 

“Yes,” said I, “so Bill gave me to understand. He told me,

however, that, at the southern side of it, the missionaries had

obtained a footing amongst an insignificant tribe. A native

teacher had been sent there by the Wesleyans, who had succeeded in

persuading the chief at that part to embrace Christianity. But

instead of that being of any advantage to our enterprise, it seems

the very reverse; for the chief Tararo is a determined heathen, and

persecutes the Christians, - who are far too weak in numbers to

offer any resistance, - and looks with dislike upon all white men,

whom he regards as propagators of the new faith.”

 

“‘Tis a pity,” said Jack, “that the Christian tribe is so small,

for we shall scarcely be safe under their protection, I fear. If

Tararo takes it into his head to wish for our vessel, or to kill

ourselves, he could take us from them by force. You say that the

native missionary talks English?”

 

“So I believe.”

 

“Then, what I propose is this,” said Jack: “We will run round to

the south side of the island, and cut anchor off the Christian

village. We are too far away just now to have been descried by any

of the savages, so we shall get there unobserved, and have time to

arrange our plans before the heathen tribes know of our presence.

But, in doing this, we run the risk of being captured by the ill-disposed tribes, and being very ill used, if not - a - “

 

“Roasted alive and eaten,” cried Peterkin. “Come, out with it,

Jack; according to your own showing, it’s well to look the danger

straight in the face!”

 

“Well, that is the worst of it, certainly. Are you prepared, then,

to take your chance of that?”

 

“I’ve been prepared and had my mind made up long ago,” cried

Peterkin, swaggering about the deck with his hands thrust into his

breeches’ pockets. “The fact is, Jack, I don’t believe that Tararo

will be so ungrateful as to eat us; and I’m, quite sure that he’ll

be too happy to grant us whatever we ask: so the sooner we go in

and win the better.”

 

Peterkin was wrong, however, in his estimate of savage gratitude,

as the sequel will show.

 

The schooner was now put before the wind, and, after making a long

run to the south’ard, we put about and beat up for the south side

of Mango, where we arrived before sunset, and hove-to off the coral

reef. Here we awaited the arrival of a canoe, which immediately

put off on our rounding to. When it arrived, a mild-looking

native, of apparently forty years of age, came on board, and,

taking off his straw hat, made us a low bow. He was clad in a

respectable suit of European clothes; and the first words he

uttered, as he stepped up to Jack and shook hands with him, were, -

 

“Good day, gentlemen; we are happy to see you at Mango - you are

heartily welcome.”

 

After returning his salutation, Jack exclaimed, “You must be the

native missionary teacher of whom I have heard - are you not?”

 

“I am. I have the joy to be a servant of the Lord Jesus at this

station.”

 

“You’re the very man I want to see, then,” replied Jack; “that’s

lucky. Come down to the cabin, friend, and have a glass of wine.

I wish particularly to speak with you. My men there” (pointing to

Peterkin and me) “will look after your people.”

 

“Thank you,” said the teacher, as he followed Jack to the cabin, “I

do not drink wine or any strong drink.”

 

“Oh! then, there’s lots of water, and you can have biscuit.”

 

“Now, ‘pon my word, that’s cool!” said Peterkin; “his MEN,

forsooth! Well, since we are to be men, we may as well come it as

strong over these black chaps as we can. Hallo, there!” he cried

to the half dozen of natives who stood upon the deck, gazing in

wonder at all they saw, “here’s for you;” and he handed them a tray

of broken biscuit and a can of water. Then, thrusting his hands

into his pockets, he walked up and down the deck with an enormous

swagger, whistling vociferously.

 

In about half an hour Jack and