Part 11 (1/2)
”Even then we would have a bother to get rid of the water,” replied Terence. ”Still, we've done very well up to now.”
”There's all that railway line material underneath the iron sheeting; that will want some s.h.i.+fting.”
”We'll do it some time, but now we'll get off home.”
It seemed natural for the lads to talk of the camp as ”home,” for already they were becoming attached to the free, yet none the less comfortable, manner of living.
”Wait while I get the sewing machine from the fo'c'sle. But you may as well come, too, and we'll take both of them.”
With this, Ellerton, accompanied by Terence, made his way for'ard. In the gloom of the stuffy fo'c'sle, the sight of which forcibly reminded him of his quarters on the _Tophet_, Ellerton found the required articles.
”Hullo, here's a find!” he exclaimed, holding up a concertina.
”Sling the blessed thing overboard,” replied Terence laughing. ”If you take it ash.o.r.e it's bound to make trouble in the camp.”
”It may come in handy.”
Ellerton looked upon everything as being likely ”to come in handy.” He would have overstocked the island with useless things in the hope that they might be of use at some distant date. In this case, did he but know it, the concertina was fated to play a most useful part.
”All right, then,” a.s.sented Terence good-humouredly. ”To look at us now one would think we were going to run old women's sewing meetings and popular Sat.u.r.day night concerts.”
With the gig in tow, the lads returned to the sh.o.r.e, putting off the unloading of their boat till the evening, though they brought the sewing machines with them to the tent.
”Now I can get on,” exclaimed Mr. McKay. ”It's slow work lying here and unable to do a decent bit of hard work.”
Lunch, followed by the customary siesta, occupied the rest of the afternoon. By the aid of a telescope Andy and Quexo had been seen on the summit of the hill, and their descent followed till an intervening spur hid them from sight. Mr. McKay calculated that they would be home within a couple of hours.
”You might cut down a suitable palm tree--one about forty feet in height--Terence,” he added. ”I should like to have the flag flying on their return.”
The tree was easily felled, and a small block, with signal halliards rove, was fastened to its smaller end. This done, a hole was dug to receive the pole, and by the aid of a pair of guys the flagstaff was erected and set up in quite a professional style.
About five in the afternoon Andy and the mulatto returned. They reported that from the summit of the hill the island appeared to be nearly circular, without any noticeable bays that might serve as boat harbours.
The reef extended completely around the island, approaching it closely on the southern side, while there were three well-defined entrances besides the one they already knew about.
Andy reckoned that the extreme length of the island was about seven miles, its breadth barely a mile less. There were no other islands visible, but as the sea was hazy away on the north-west it was possible that land might lie in that direction.
”Then, a.s.suming the alt.i.tude to be one thousand feet, your horizon would be approximately forty-two miles off,” remarked Mr. McKay.
”Well, in that case we are not likely to be troubled by our neighbours, for the nearest island cannot be less than fifty miles away. Did you find any signs of the island having been inhabited?”
”Yes,” replied Andy, ”we found this,” and opening a leather sling case he produced a pistol. It was a quaint specimen of a flint-lock weapon, its large-bore barrel eaten with rust and its silver-mounted walnut stock pitted and rotted by exposure.
”I don't think the gentleman who dropped this article is in a fit state to call upon us,” observed Mr. McKay. ”Nevertheless, it shows that we are not the first civilised people to set foot on the island. What is the interior like?”
”There are distinct signs of a volcano about. The top of the hill is most certainly an extinct volcano, while the base is honeycombed with fissures like the volcano of Monotombo. Otherwise the island is well wooded.”
”You've done well,” commented Mr. McKay. ”Now it's nearly sunset, so there will be just time to hoist the Union Jack.”
”Finished it, then, pater?”