The Castaways of the Flag (28 page)

            "
Yes,
of God," Frank added, "Who will not forsake us after having brought
us all together again as by a miracle."

            "
Ah!
If only I could work a miracle!'' Jack exclaimed.

           
"What
would you do, Mr. Jack?" the boatswain enquired.

           
"To
begin with," the young man replied, "I would jolly well make these
rascals decamp before they tried to land on this island, many of them as there
are."

           
"And
then?" Harry Gould asked.

           
"Then,
captain, if they continued to infest our island with their presence, I would
make either the
Unicorn
or another ship show its colours at the entrance
to Deliverance Bay."

           
"But
that would not be a miracle, Jack dear," Jenny said; "that is an
event which will surely come to pass. One of these days we shall hear the guns
saluting the new English colony."

           
"Why, it
is surprising that no ship has come already!" Mr. Wolston agreed.

           
"Patience!"
John Block replied. "Everything comes in its own good time."

           
"God
grant it!" sighed Mme. Zermatt, whose confidence was shaken by her many
trials.

           
And so, after
having organised their life in New Switzerland, here were the two families
brought down to making another start on a tiny islet, a mere annex to their
island! How long would they be prisoners on it, and might they not fall into
hostile hands if help did not reach them from outside?

           
They
proceeded to settle down for a stay perhaps of weeks, possibly even of months.
As the store-house was large enough to accommodate fifteen people, Mme. Zermatt
and Mrs. Wolston, Jenny, Susan, and her child, Hannah and Holly were to sleep
in the beds in the inner room while the men occupied the outer one.

           
Now, at the
height of summer, the nights were warm, following the hot days. A few armfuls
of grass dried in the sun were all that the men required, especially as they
had to keep guard in turns, from evening until morning, upon the approaches to
the island.

           
There was no
occasion for anxiety with regard to the food supply. Of rice, tapioca, flour,
smoked meat, and dried fish, such as salmon and herrings, the stores would
suffice for the daily requirements of six months, without taking into account
the fresh fish that could be caught at the foot of the rocks. The mangroves and
palms on the island bore fruit in any quantity. There were two kegs of brandy
to make an addition to the fresh and limpid water of the spring.

           
The only thing which might run short—and that possibility was
serious—was ammunition, although they had brought some more over in the boat.
If, as a consequence of repeated attacks, powder, bullets and cannon balls ran
out, defence would cease to be possible.

           
While M. Zermatt and Ernest helped the women to make everything as
comfortable as possible, Mr. Wolston and Captain Gould, the boatswain and Fritz
and Jack and Frank surveyed Shark's Island on foot. Almost all round the coast
it was easily accessible on little beaches lying between the projecting points
of the coast-line. The best protected part was that commanded by the battery
knoll, which rose at the south-west extremity, overlooking Deliverance Bay. At
its foot there were enormous rocks, among which it would be very difficult to
effect a landing. Everywhere else, light boats, such as these pirogues were,
could find quite enough water to enable them to reach land. Consequently it was
indispensable that they should keep all the approaches to the island under
careful supervision.

           
In the course of their inspection Fritz and Frank had opportunity to
observe the fine condition of the plantations. The mangroves, palms, and pines
were in full fruit. Thick grass carpeted the pastures where the herd of
antelopes capered and played. Many birds, flitting from tree to tree, filled
the air with
their myriad cries. The magnificent firmament poured light and warmth upon the
surrounding sea.

           
The day after
that on which the two families had taken refuge on the island, a bird arrived,
to receive the warmest of welcomes. It was the albatross of Burning Rock, which
Jenny had found again at Turtle Bay, and which had flown away from the top of
Jean Zermatt peak in the direction of the Promised Land. When it arrived, the
piece of thread that was still fastened round one of its legs attracted Jack's
attention, and he caught the bird without any trouble. But, unfortunately, on
this occasion, the albatross brought no tidings.

           
The men went
up to the battery. From the top of the knoll an uninterrupted view could be
obtained north as far as False Hope Point, east as far as Cape East, and south
as far as the end of Deliverance Bay. To west, about two miles away, ran the
long line of trees which bordered the shore between Jackal River and the
Falconhurst woods. But they could not see whether the natives were roaming
about the Promised Land.

           
Just at this
moment, at the mouth of Deliverance Bay, a few canoes came paddling out to sea,
keeping well beyond range of the guns in the battery. By this time the savages
had learned the danger of coming too near Shark's
Island, and if they should attempt to land upon it they would most
certainly wait for a very dark night.

           
Looking out to the open main in the northward, one saw nothing but
deserted boundless space, and it was from that quarter that the
Unicorn,
or any other ship despatched from England, must appear.

           
After having satisfied themselves that the battery was in order, the men
were just preparing to come down, when Captain Gould asked:

           
"Is there not a powder magazine at Rock Castle?"

           
"Yes," Jack answered, "and I wish to goodness it were
here instead of there! The three barrels that the
Unicorn
left us are in it."

           
"Where are they?"

            "
In a little cavity at the end of the orchard.'' The boatswain
guessed the captain's thought.

           
"Probably," he said, "those rascals may have discovered
that magazine?"

           
"It is to be feared they may," Mr. Wolston answered.

           
"What is most to be feared," Captain Gould declared, "is
that in their ignorance they may blow up the house."

           
"And themselves with it!" Jack exclaimed. "Well, if Rock
Castle had to go to blazes in the explosion, it would be one solution, for I
imagine that those left of the filthy creatures would decamp, without any heart
to come back!"

           
Leaving the
boatswain on sentry-go at the battery, the others went back to the storehouse.
Breakfast was eaten together; how happy a meal it would have been if all the
party had been gathered in the big hall at Rock Castle!

           
The next four
days brought no change in the situation. Beyond keeping proper watch over the
island, they did not know how to fill the long hours. How different everything
would have been if the
Unicorn
had not been compelled to put in to Cape
Town for repairs. They would all have been settled down at Rock Castle more
than two months ago! And now that Fritz and Jenny were married, who could say
that another wedding would not be celebrated soon, the union of Ernest and
Hannah, which the corvette's chaplain might have blessed in the chapel of Rock
Castle? There might have been whispers of a third union— by and by—when Dolly
should be eighteen.

           
Everyone
fought bravely against despondency. As for John Block, he had lost none of his
native good humour. They took long walks among the plantations. They watched
Deliverance Bay, although no attack by the pirogues was to be apprehended while
the sun was in the sky. Then, with night, all their
anxiety returned, anticipating an attack in force.

           
So while the women retired within the second room of the store-house,
the men made the rounds of the shore, ready to concentrate at the foot of the
knoll if the enemy approached the island.

           
On the 29th of January, during the morning, there was still nothing
unusual to be noted. The sun rose in a horizon undimmed by the faintest haze.
The day would be very hot, and the light sea-breeze could hardly last until the
evening.

           
After the mid-day meal Captain Gould and Jack left the store and went to
relieve Ernest and Mr. Wolston, who were on sentry-go at the battery.

           
Those two were just coming away when Captain Gould stopped them.

           
"There are several canoes at the mouth of Jackal River," he
said.

           
"They are probably going fishing as usual," Jack replied.
"They will take care to go by out of range of our guns."

           
Jack was scanning the place through the telescope.

           
"Ah!" he exclaimed. "There are a lot of canoes this time.
Wait: five—six—nine; and two more coming out of the creek; eleven— twelve! Can
the whole fleet be going fishing f''

           
"Perhaps they are getting ready to attack us," Mr. Wolston
said.

           
"We will be on our guard," said Captain Gould; "let us go
and warn the others."

           
"Let us see first which way the canoes are going," Mr. Wolston
replied.

           
"Anyhow, all our guns are ready," Jack added.

           
During the few hours that Jack had spent in the hands of the savages he
had observed that their pirogues were in number fifteen, each able to carry
seven or eight men. Twelve of these canoes could now be counted, rounding the
point of the creek. With the help of the telescope they were able to calculate
that the whole band of savages had gone aboard, and that there could not be a
single aborigine remaining at Rock Castle.

           
"Can they be clearing out at last?" Jack exclaimed.

           
"It isn't very likely," Ernest answered. "More likely
that they mean to pay a visit to Shark's Island."

           
"When does the ebb begin?" Captain Gould enquired.

           
"At half-past one," Mr. Wolston told him.

           
"Then it will soon make itself felt, and as it will be in the
favour of the canoes we shall then know what to expect."

           
Ernest went to inform M. Zermatt, his brothers, and the boatswain, and all
came and
took up their posts under the hangar of the battery.

           
It was a
little after one o'clock and, with the ebb only just beginning to run, the
pirogues moved but slowly along the east coast. They kept as far away from the
island as possible, in order to escape the projectiles whose range and power
they now knew very well.

           
"Yet—suppose
it were a final departure!" said Frank again.

           
"Then
good luck to them and good-bye!" said Jack.