Part 79 (2/2)

They were successful though in finding a trickling stream of pure cold water, and a tree bearing a kind of fruit something like a poor, small apricot with a very large stone. It was bitter and sour, but it did, as Ned said, to clean your teeth.

Three more arrows were lost in shooting at birds, but without success, and Ned shook his head.

”I don't know how it is with you, sir,” he said, ”but my arm has had such a long rest that the muscles now seem to be too strong, and they must have jerked the bow just when I let go the string.”

”I can soon tell you how it is with me, Ned,” said Jack. ”I never could use a bow and arrow, so of course I can't now.”

They struggled on, growing less cautious in their eagerness to get down to the sh.o.r.e.

”Shall get some cocoanuts there, if we can't get anything else, sir,”

said Ned; ”but I do hope it will be somewhere near the yacht.”

”But how are we to signal them if we don't get there before dark?”

”Light a fire on the sands, sir. Oh, don't you be afraid of that. It's the getting there is the difficulty.”

It was growing well on in the afternoon when this was said, and, so weak and exhausted that they could hardly struggle on, they welcomed an open slope covered with some creeping kind of plant, as it seemed, for it offered the prospect of getting along better for a couple of hundred yards. Here, too, they could see down a ravine to the reef, which seemed to be wonderfully close at hand, though they knew that they had miles to struggle over before they could reach the sands--and such miles.

”Let's make for that valley, Ned, and try to go down there.”

”Very well, sir; just which way you like. Seems all the same; but let's get close up to the trees, though it's furthest, for we may find some kind of fruit. What a country! Not so much as an apple, let alone a pear, or--Mr Jack, sir! Oh!”

”What is it?” cried Jack, startled by his companion's excitement. ”What have you found?”

For Ned had thrown himself upon his knees, and with one end of the bow was tearing away at the straggling plants which covered the ground wherever it was not rocky or smothered by bush.

”Can't you see, sir? Here, come and help. _'Taters_!”

”What?” cried Jack.

”Yes, 'taters, sir; only little 'uns. Not so big as noo potaties at home, but 'taters they are. Look!”

”Fingers were made before forks,” says the old proverb, so under the circ.u.mstances it was not surprising that Ned began to use his hands as if they were gardener's potato forks, and with such success that in a short time quite a little heap of the yellow tubers were dug out of the loose sandy soil, the average size being that of walnuts.

Jack set to work at once to help, but he had hardly dragged away a couple of handfuls of haulm when he started up with a cry of alarm.

Ned leaped up too and seized his spear, expecting to have to face the blacks; but the enemy was a good-sized snake which had been nestling beneath the thick stalks of the plants, and now stood up fully three feet above the tops of the growth, with head drawn back, moving to and fro as if about to launch itself forward and strike at the first who approached it.

”Stand back, Mr Jack,” cried the man, and with one mower-like sweep of his spear-handle he caught the serpent a few inches below its threatening head, and it dropped writhing at once, with its vertebras broken.

”Can't stand any nonsense from things like that, sir,” cried Ned, as he took his spear now as if it had been a pitchfork, raised the twining reptile from among the haulms, and after carrying it a few yards, threw it cleverly right away among the bushes at the side.

”Take care, perhaps there are more,” said Jack. ”So much the worse for them if there are, sir. I want the 'taters, and I'd have 'em if the place was full of boa-constrictors as big as they grow. Come on.”

In a very short time they had their pockets and handkerchiefs full, the tubers coming out of the hot, dry, sandy soil perfectly clean; and thus furnished, they made for a spot where the lava rock was piled up, selected a niche, and sc.r.a.ped out a sandy hollow about a couple of feet across, laid the potatoes down singly and close together, covered them again with the sand, and then turned to the edge of the nearest patch of trees to gather dead boughs, leaves, everything they could which seemed likely to burn, and carried it to their improvised oven.

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