Part 96 (2/2)

”If it had been the Pinta,” said Mark, ”there would have been a hole knocked in the bottom.”

The thin planking of the boat would have been crushed like an egg-sh.e.l.l; the thick beams at the bottom of the Calypso could not be damaged. The only difficulty was to get her off. They tried standing at one edge, and then the other, depressing it where they stood and lightening it at the other part, and at last by moving everything heavy on deck to one corner, she floated and b.u.mped off. Looking over the bulwark they saw the snag, it was the top of a dead and submerged willow. Had they had a large sail, or had the wind been rough the mast would have snapped to a certainty; but the wind had been gradually sinking for some hours. They did not hoist sail again, being so near the long and willow-grown island, but let the raft drift to the sh.o.r.e.

The willows were so thick that it did not appear any use to carry the matchlock with them as the long barrel would constantly catch in the boughs. Bevis took his bow and arrows, Mark his axe, and they climbed ash.o.r.e through the blue gums, compelling Pan by threats to keep close behind. The island they soon found was nothing but a narrow bank, and beyond it the water recommenced, but even could they have dragged the raft over and launched it afresh the part beyond would not have been navigable. It was plated with pond-weed, the brown leaves overlapping each other like scale-armour on the surface.

There seemed indeed more weed than water, great water-docks at the margin with leaves almost a yard long, branched water plantains with palm-like leaves and pale pink flowers; flags already a little brown, then sedges and huge tussocks; these last--small islets of tall gra.s.s-- were close together in the shallow water like the ant-hills in the Waste. No course could be forced through or twisted in and out such a ma.s.s, and beyond it were beds of reed-gra.s.s, out of which rose the reddish and scaling poles of willow. At the distant margin they could see the tops of the trees of the jungle on the mainland. Where the water was visible it had a red tinge and did not look good to drink, very different from that at New Formosa. This was stagnant.

The current, slight as it was, from Sweet River Falls, pa.s.sed between New Formosa and Serendib, hence the deep channel, and rendered the water there always fresh and pure. Over the pond-weed blue dragon-flies were hovering, and among the willows t.i.ts called to each other.

”It's South America,” said Mark. ”It's a swamp by the Amazon.”

”I suppose it is,” said Bevis. ”We can't go any farther.”

Without wading-boots it was impossible to penetrate the swamp, and even then they could not have gone among the black-jointed horse-tails, the stems of which were turning yellowish, for they would have sunk in ooze to the waist. It would have been the very haunt of the bearded-t.i.t had not that curiously marked bird been extinct on the sh.o.r.es of the New Sea. They had never even heard of the bearded-t.i.t, so completely had it died out there.

They moved a few yards along the bank, but found it was a ceaseless climb from stole to stole, and so went back to the raft, and poled close to the sh.o.r.e looking for traces of the creature. They poled from one end to the other, up to the banks of weeds and flags, but without seeing any sign. So far as they could tell the creature had not started from this place, but it might have swum out from any other part of the sh.o.r.e.

”He's not here,” said Bevis. ”We shall never hunt him out of all these sedges; I think we had better set a trap for him.”

”In the reeds at home,”--New Formosa was home now.

”In his trail.”

”Dig a pit,” said Mark. ”They dig pits for lions.”

”Or set up a big beam to fall and crush him when he pushes a twig.”

”Or a spring gun; would the matchlock do?”

”Only then we want another gun when we go to find him. He might sham dead.”

”Wires are not strong enough.”

”No; the pit's best,” said Bevis. ”Yes; we'll dig a pit and stick up a sharp spike in it, and put a trap-door at the top--just a slight frame, you know, to give way with his weight--”

”And strew it over with gra.s.s.”

”And put the hare to tempt him.”

”And shoot him in the pit!”

”Won't he glare!”

”Roar!”

”Gnash his grinders!”

”Won't his teeth gleam!”

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