Part 5 (1/2)
”Rather a noisy and bustling fairyland too,” said Otto, referring to the numerous sea-birds that inquisitively came to look at them, as well as to the other waterfowl that went about from isle to isle on whistling wings.
The boy spoke jestingly, but it was clear from his heaving chest, partially-open mouth, and glittering eyes, that his little heart was stirred to an unwonted depth of emotion.
”Alas! that we have lost our boat,” exclaimed Dominick.
To this Otto replied by expressing an earnest wish that he were able to swim as well as a South Sea islander, for in that case he would launch forth and spend the remainder of that day in visiting all the islands.
”Yes; and wouldn't it be charming,” responded his brother, ”to pay your aquatic visits in such pleasant company as that?”
He pointed to an object, which was visible at no great distance, moving about on the surface of the gla.s.sy sea with great activity.
”What creature is that?” asked Pauline.
”It is not a creature, Pina, only part of a creature.”
”You don't mean to say it's a shark!” cried Otto, with a frown.
”Indeed it is--the back-fin of one at least--and he must have heard you, for he seems impatient to join you in your little trip to the islands.”
”I'll put it off to some future day, Dom. But isn't it a pity that such pretty places should be spoiled by such greedy and cruel monsters?”
”And yet they _must_ have been made for some good purpose,” suggested Pauline.
”I rather suspect,” said Dominick, ”that if game and fish only knew who shoot and catch them, and afterwards eat them, they might be inclined to call man greedy and cruel.”
”But we can't help that Dom. We must live, you know.”
”So says or thinks the shark, no doubt, when he swallows a man.”
While the abstruse question, to which the shark had thus given rise, was being further discussed, the explorers returned to the thicket, where they buried the skeleton beside the other graves. A close search was then made for any object that might identify the unfortunates or afford some clue to their history, but nothing of the sort was found.
”Strange,” muttered Dominick, on leaving the spot after completing their task. ”One would have expected that, with a wrecked s.h.i.+p to fall back upon, they would have left behind them evidences of some sort-- implements, or books, or empty beef-casks,--but there is literally nothing.”
”Perhaps,” suggested Pauline, ”the men did not belong to this wreck.
They may have landed as we have done out of a small boat, and the vessel we now see may have been driven here after they were dead.”
”True, Pina, it may have been so. However, the matter must remain a mystery for the present. Meanwhile we will go and explore the low land behind our reef.”
”Isn't it strange, Dom, that we should become landed proprietors in this fas.h.i.+on?” remarked Otto, as they walked along.
”And that, too,” added Pauline, ”at a time when our hopes were lowest and our case most desperate.”
”'Tis a magnificent estate,” said Dominick, ”of which we will const.i.tute Pina the Queen, myself the Prime Minister, and Otto the army.”
To this Otto objected that, as it was the business of an army to defend the people and keep them in order, there was no use for an army, seeing that there were no people; but Dominick replied that a queen and prime minister formed part of a people, and that an army was required to defend _them_.
”To keep them in order, you should say,” retorted Otto, ”for that will clearly be my chief duty if I accept the situation. Well, I've no objection, on the whole, to be an army; but, please, remember that in time of peace an army is expected to do no laborious work, and that at all times it is clothed and fed by the State. Now, Queen Pina the First, what would your Majesty wish the army to do?”
”Go forth and subdue the land,” replied Pina the First, promptly, with quite a regal sweep of her hand towards the low ground and the lagoon beyond.
”Will your Majesty deign to instruct me how I am to begin?”