Part 23 (1/2)
”That's a thing I should not have thought of, unless you had told me,”
replied the lieutenant. ”Of course if we go to them from windward they will smell us. Very well; we'll go along sh.o.r.e, and what then?”
”We can stalk them then, and I think at eighty yards we ought to be able to kill them at a single shot. Perhaps, too, these creatures don't know what the report of a gun is, and we may reload and refire before they think of escaping.”
”We'll try that plan, and so perhaps only two or three of us had better go after them, or the others may be seen. Let us take two men, and leave the others to gather eggs.”
Hans and the officer, with two seamen, at once started after the sea-lions, and taking the coast-line found that on the rocks there were plenty of oysters, which were fixed to the solid rock, but could be opened on the spot. Hans was quite at home in this stalking expedition, but found much fault both with the lieutenant and the sailors. The latter, especially, would speak every now and then, and seemed not to understand in the least the signals which Hans made to them. In spite, however, of the clumsy manner in which the sailors and their officer practised stalking, yet the sea-lions were approached to within eighty yards without being alarmed. At this distance the hunters were concealed by some rocks, and Hans now signalled that the four should fire. One of the sailors, however, stopped Hans as he was raising his musket, and whispered--
”Them brutes, sir, can only hop, and not very fast either. Won't it be better to board them, and shoot them at close quarters? I and my mate can't make certain of hitting at this distance?”
Hans, who did not understand every word of this, but comprehended the drift of the speech, replied--
”You and your companion run forward, as soon as I have fired; then you can try your plan, I mine.”
This plan being agreed upon, Hans took steady aim at a monster that was lying apparently asleep on the beach, and fired, whilst the lieutenant selected another victim. Upon the report of the gun being heard all the animals raised their heads, and began with a most awkward motion struggling to reach the water. The sailor had been quite correct as regards the speed at which the lions could move, for without difficulty the sailors overtook them long before they reached the water, and each putting the muzzle of his gun close to the head of one of the lions, killed it at a single shot. The monster that Hans had wounded had almost reached the sea, when noting the success of the sailors' method of attack, he ran up to this creature, and discharged his rapidly-loaded gun into its head. Thus three lions were killed, the lieutenant having either missed his aim, or wounded his lion so slightly that the creature easily escaped to the water before he could again discharge his gun.
All the lions that had been shot were very large, and measured nearly fourteen feet in length. Hans, being aware of the skill of the Zulus as skinners of creatures, shouted to these men to come and aid him, and shortly after they, followed by the remainder of the sailors, came down to examine the sea-lions, and aid in carrying back the flesh to the boats. At this work the Kaffirs were quite at home, and bore on their shoulders huge pieces of sea-lion, enough to last any man but a Zulu at least a week. This was borne to the sh.o.r.e, where the boats had been left, and a fire having been lighted by the aid of a flint and steel, the flesh was cooked, and though not probably affording a dish that an epicure would select, yet by hungry men who for several days had eaten nothing but biscuit, the solid food was relished. Having partaken of dinner, as the lieutenant called this meal, he a.s.sembled the men round him and said, ”We can live here for a long time, as you can see, for we have food and water, and can get tolerable shelter; but none of you would be satisfied to live here long, so we must try all we can to escape. To do this, we must keep a watch from daybreak till dusk upon the top of the hill, and try to catch sight of a vessel coming from the west, because that is the direction from which we may expect them.
Then, if we have due notice, we may pull out in the boats, and attract her attention by firing a gun, and so get on board: so that two men must take duty on the hill. This will come round in turn for each of you, as I'll keep the roster. Two men must always remain with the boats, but the others who are not on duty may go about the island; only take care to be all ready in case a s.h.i.+p is signalled. You'd better take the boat-hook and tie a handkerchief to it; the waving of that will be the signal that a s.h.i.+p is in sight.”
”There are fish about here, sir. If you'd like, I'll try and catch some,” said one of the sailors.
”There are turtle too, sir. I saw one when you were away: he swam past that point.”
”Catch as many fish and turtle as you can. We will share every thing whilst we are on sh.o.r.e here, and each man must do his best to procure food for the whole of us,” said the lieutenant. ”We can get egg; and birds, fish and turtle, and sea-lions, and so shall have a variety of rations.”
During the remainder of the day Hans, with the lieutenant, and attended by the two Zulus, roamed about the island. The Zulus had found some pieces of wood on the beach, evidently the spars of some vessel, and having borrowed a knife from one of the sailors, they had cut these into k.n.o.bbed sticks similar to their k.n.o.b-kerries. With these they soon exhibited their skill against the birds which swarmed over many parts of the island, and which were so tame that they would allow a man to approach within a few yards of them. The k.n.o.b stick was thrown at these birds, and in an hour the Zulus had knocked down a dozen or more birds.
As the sun drew near the horizon, the various parties of two or three returned to the meeting-place near the boats, and exhibited their trophies. Two moderate-sized turtle, four rock cod of goodly size, a large sack nearly full of turtles' eggs, about two dozen sea-birds, some of them as large as wild geese, were brought together. There was plenty of dry sea-weed, and this served for fuel, so that the men were busily occupied in cooking their respective prizes, and reckless as sailors generally are, they were now as cheerful and happy as though surrounded by plenty, and able to obtain a supply for all their wants. Immediately after their evening meal, the men selected the most comfortable situations, and were soon fast asleep.
Hans and the lieutenant, however, sat talking for a long time, until they also felt disposed to rest, when they followed the example of the sailors.
The first streaks of dawn awoke the party, and after a meal the lieutenant and Hans walked round the island, and ascended the central peak. Scarcely had they been there many minutes, before the naval officer, who was using his telescope to scan the horizon, exclaimed, ”A sail in the west, and a large s.h.i.+p, or I am mistaken. Look, Jones!
What do you make her out to be?”
”A full-rigged s.h.i.+p, I think, sir. Shall I hoist the signal?”
”Yes, up with the oar. We must get the boats out at once, and pull hard, or she will pa.s.s too far off.”
The oar waved on high, with a crimson handkerchief fastened to it, was seen by all the wanderers, who very soon a.s.sembled near the boats, and were joined by the lieutenant and Hans. The boats were run down to the water, launched, and manned, and in a few minutes were pulled away from the island, impelled by the fresh and vigorous arms of the sailors, who were now aware that there was some object in pulling. The s.h.i.+p, which had been easily distinguished from the peak on sh.o.r.e, could not be seen from the boat, and this fact was somewhat puzzling to Hans.
”Why is it,” he asked, ”that the s.h.i.+p cannot be seen from out boat, though it could from the peak of the island? There is no hill to see over.”
”It is because the world is round, and we can only look straight forward. I expect that when we are able to see that vessel's sails, she will be nearly twelve miles off from us; so that now she is more than that, but that will enable us to cut her off in her course.”
”I never noticed this on sh.o.r.e,” said Hans, ”though we have large flats there.”
”None so level as the ocean,” replied the officer: ”that alone shows every thing in its beauty. You will not, I expect, ever like your inland life again, after having seen the real sea.”
Hans looked astonished at this remark, and hesitated a minute before he replied. He then said, ”Do you mean to compare this salt, dull-looking water, over which you creep in a boat, and fear getting drowned every minute, to our beautiful flowery plains or forests amongst which we can ride? Why, you cannot get on a horse here ever.”