Part 12 (1/2)

”I believe you are justified in what may seem extreme acts for the recovery of your liberty, after you have been made prisoners It has always been so considered”

”Well, sir, to go on: aited till dusk, and then we continued our march towards False Bay as fast as we could We knew that there were farmers down in the valley, or rather on the sides of the hills, and we hoped to obtain, by some means or other, two ht ht of the water in False Bay, and soon afterwards we heard the baying of a large dog, and not far frouished two or three farmhouses, with their cattle-folds and orchards We then looked for a hiding-place, where we e pieces of rock We agreed that one should watch while the other two slept; this Hastings undertook to do, as he was not inclined to sleep At daylight he woke Romer and me, and we made our breakfast From the place ere concealed in, we had a bird's-eye view of the far on

”The fars just beloere much smaller than the other thich were more distant We watched the people as they went about In about an hour the Hottentots ca the oxen to the waggon; they yoked twelve pair, and then the Hottentot driver got in and drove off towards Cape Town Soon after that, another Hottentot drove the cows up the valley to feed; and then a Dutch woman came out of the house with two children, and fed the poultry

”We watched for another hour, and then the farmer himself made his appearance, with a pipe in his mouth, and sat down on a bench When his pipe was out, he called to the house, and a Hottentot wo the whole of the day we did not see any other people about the house, so we concluded that there were no more than the farmer, his wife, the Hottentot woman, and two children About two hours after noon the farmer went to the stable and led out his horse, mounted, mid rode a him speak to the Hottentot woman when he rode off, and she soon after went down the valley with a basket on her head, and a long knife in her hand Then Hastings said it was time that we moved, for there was but one woet anted; still there was a great risk, as she ive the alarht be seen and taken prisoners again However, as it was our only chance, we resolved to go down to the farmhouse very cautiously, and be all ready to seize any opportunity We crept down the hill, and gained the fence, which was at the back of the far discovered: we rereat joy, we observed the far a child in each hand; apparently she was going to visit one of her neighbours, for she went in the direction of one of the other fars crept softly through the fence, and entered the farn for us to come in We found him already in possession of a rifle and aover the fire-place, and we soon handed down the powder-horns and a up at a different part of the rooained these, Hastings set me to watch at the front door, lest anybody should return, while Ro else in the way of provisions We got possession of three ha-tub With these articles we made our way safe back to our retreat We then looked round, and could see nobody in any direction, so we presumed that ere not discovered As there was a sort of ravine full of rocks dividing the hill, which ere obliged to pass before we could get into the valley, unless ent down close to the farreed that it would be better at once to cross it during the day-tiet that difficulty over, and, at the same time, be further fro-place, where we lay doaiting for the sun to set before we started on our journey into the interior I think I had better leave off now, Willia late”

Chapter xxxVII

The fishpond was corave, and Williaether to the beach, and, after much examination, chose a spot about one hundred yards froible for the purpose; the water being shallow, so that at the part farthest from the shore there would not be more than three feet

”Now, sir,” said Ready, ”this is a very simple job; all we have to do is to collect small rocks and stones, pile them up wall-fashi+on inside, and with a slope outside, so as to break the force of the waves when the water is a little rough; of course, the water will find its way through the stones, and will be constantly changed It's very true, that we can at most times catch fish ant them, but it is not always that we can spare the time, so it's just as well to have always a certain quantity at hand, to take out at a ; and we can, of course, catch the else to do Juno will be able to come down and take the for dinner”

”But there are few stones about here, Ready; we shall have to fetch the way,” said Williaet the wheels down here, and then we can carry a quantity at a time”

”But how shall we carry theo up and get that ready and bring it down; in the rave can collect all the stones which are near at hand”

Ready soon returned with the wheels, and the tub slung with rope on the axle, and by that means they found that they could collect the stones very fast; Mr Seagrave and Willia up the wall

”We have quite forgot another job which we must put in hand, sir,” observed Ready; ”but the fish-pond re-place for the children, and indeed for us all; we shall want it when the hot weather comes on, but ill put it off till then I can tell you, sir, that although I don'tthis wall in the shalloater, I shall be very careful when the water is up to my knees, for you don't kno bold the sharks are in these latitudes When I was at St Helena, not very long ago, we had a melancholy proof of it”

”Tell us the story, Ready”

”Well, two soldiers were standing on the rocks at St Helena; the rocks were out of the water, but the swell just broke over them Two sharks swam up to the round the same way, tripped one of them into the water, which was very deep His cohtened, and ran to the barracks to tell the story About a week afterwards, a schooner was in Sandy Bay, on the other side of the island, and the people seeing a very large shark under the stern, put out a hook with a piece of pork, and caught him; they opened him, and found inside of him, to their horror, the whole of the body of the soldier, except the legs below the knees: the s, which it had nipped off when it closed its jaws”

”I really had no idea that they were so bold, Ready”

”It is a fact, I assure you; and therefore we cannot be too careful hoe go into the water: you sa soon the poor pig was despatched”

”I wonder how the pigs get on, Ready,” said William

”I dare say they have littered by this time, sir; they have no want of food”

”But can they eat the cocoa-nuts?”

”Not the old ones, but they can the young ones, which are constantly dropping from the trees, and then there's plenty of roots for the theh they were taht thee in a very short tirave

”Why, sir, with the dogs, and then shoot thelad that Vixen will have pups soon; we shall want s”

”Shall we not have more mouths than we can find food for?”

”Never fear that, sir, as long as we have the sea to fish in Dogs live very well upon fish, even if it is raw”

”We shall have some lambs soon, Ready, shall we not?”

”Yes, sir, I expect very soon I e had more food for the animals: they are put rather hard to it just now; but next year, if we find rass near home, to make hay and stack it for the winter time - or the rainy season rather, for there is no winter in these latitudes I'm pretty sure we shall find sorove does not extend so close to the water on that side as it does on the north”

”I do so long to go on our exploring party,” said William

”We must wait a little,” replied Ready; ”but I don't knohether you will go; we rave alone”

”No,” replied Mr Seagrave, ”that would not be fair; either you or I must remain, William”

William made no reply, but it was evident that he was annoyed at the idea of not being of the party They worked very hard that day, and the walls rose fast out of the water

After supper, Ready continued his narrative ”We res and Romer, each with athe sreat loaf of bread, set off on our journey Our intention was to travel north, as we knew that was the road leading froo to the eastward, so as to make e sailors call a circueneral track We passed through the deep sands of False Bay, and after that gradually ascended, getting ans of cultivation, nor did we pass one house after we had left False Bay astern of us About twelve o'clock ere very ed for a drink of water, but we did not find any, although the ht as day We distinctly heard, however, e did notand cries of the wild beasts which increased as ent on; still we did not see any, and that was our comfort At last ere so tired that we all sat down on the ledge of a rock We dared not go to sleep, so we re of the anis' and Rohts were the sareat deal to find ain within the prison walls However, daylight came at last; the wild beasts did not prowl any more; alked on till we found a stream of water, where we sat down and took our breakfast, after which our courage revived, and we talked and laughed as alked on, just as we had done before We now began to ascend the s said must be the Black Mountains that the soldiers had talked to us about They were very desolate; and when night came on we collected brushwood, and cut down branches with our knives, that we ht make a fire, not only to war had already cohted our fire and ate our supper; the loaf was half gone, and the hams had been well cut into - we knew, therefore, that very soon we should have to trust to our guns for procuring food As soon as we had finished our meal, we lay down by the fire, with our muskets loaded close to us, and our aer We were so tired that ere soon fast asleep It had been agreed that Ros the ; but Romer fell asleep, and the consequence was, that the fire was not kept up It was abouthard in my face, and just as I could recall my senses and open my eyes, I found myself lifted up bymy flesh I tried to catch athand, and laid hold of a still lighted brand out of the fire, which I darted into the animal's face; it let me drop directly, and ran away”

”What a providential escape!” said Mrs Seagrave

”Yes, it was, ma'am; the animal was a hyena Fortunately they are a very cowardly sort of beast; still, had it not been for the lighted stick, it would have carried me off, for I was very small then, and it lifted ave woke Hastings, who seized his htened, as you may suppose As for Romer, he never woke till we pushed him hard, he was so completely knocked up This affair, of course, hted two fires, and slept between the on the watch For a e travelled on, and as soon as ere over the mountains, we turned our heads to the northward Our provisions were all gone, and ere one day without any; but we killed an antelope called a spring-bock, which gave us provisions for three or four days: there was no want of gaot to mention, however, a narrow escape we had, just before we had left an extensive forest on the side of the mountain We had walked till past noon, and were very e tree, and we threw ourselves down in the shade Hastings was lying on his back, with his eyes looking upwards, when he perceived on the lower branch of the tree a panther, which lay along it, his green eyes fixed upon us, and ready to spring; he seized hisaim, for there was no time; but the ball entered the stomach of the animal, and, as it appeared, divided its back-bone Down came the beast, within three or four feet of where we lay, with a loud roar, and i upon Ro broken, it had not any power in its hinder quarters, so it raised up its fore quarters, and then dropped down again I never saw such rage and fury in an anihtened to fire; but, perceiving that the beast could not spring, Hastings snatched the h the head

”We were now obliged to hunt for our livelihood, and we becas; but we had plenty of powder and anus in the plain - indeed, sometimes it was iaer, for now, for the first tie fires to keep them off, but they often made us tremble when they came near to us”

”Did you ever meet with one in the day-time?” said William

”Yes, sir; we often saw them, but they never attacked us, and ere too much afraid to fire at them Once we met one face to face We had killed an antelope called a hartebeest, and, with ourto secure it Just as we came up to the spot, we beard a roar, and found ourselves not ten yards fro on the top of the beast we had killed, his eyes flashi+ng fire at us, and half raising hi We all took to our heels as fast as we could I never looked back till I was out of breath: but the lion was content with our running away, and did not take the trouble to follow us Well, sir, we had been travelling, we really hardly knehere, but certainly in a northerly direction, for three weeks, and were quite worn out:all agreed that we had done a very foolish thing, and would gladly have gone back again Forto lie down and die, if I could have so done, and I beca of the lions, and felt as if I should be glad if one would have , we fell in with a party of natives They were of the Karroo tribe, as they told us by pointing to the, `Karroos', and then they pointed to us, and said `Dutch' We shot gaave it to them, which pleased them very much, and they rens to inquire of them, if there were any Dutch settlement about there; and they understood us, and said that there was, in a direction which they pointed out to us, to the north-east We offered thereed to go with us; the rest of the tribe, with the women and children, went southward The next day we arrived at a Dutch settlement of three or four farmhouses, called Graaff Reinet; but I must leave off now, for it is past bed-time”

Chapter xxxVIII

The construction of the fish-pond proceeded rapidly, and on the third day it was nearly complete As soon as all the walls were finished, Ready threw out sand and shi+ngle, so as to make the part next to the beach nearly as deep as the other; so that there ulls andthe fish While Ready was thus erave and William collected more rocks, so as to divide the pond into four parts, at the sa a communication between each part These inside walls, as well as the outside, were made of sufficient width to walk upon; by which means they would have all the fish within reach of the spear, in case they wished to take theed The rain poured doith great force, but it was not acco, nor were the stor continuance, as at the commencement of the rainy season In the intervals of fine weather they caught a great many fish, which they put into the pond, so that it ell stocked But a circureat alar Willia, and complained very much of a pain in his head Ready had pro, but William was too ill to sit up He was put into bed, and the next rave was much alarmed, as the symptoms orse every hour; and Ready, who had sat up with hirave out of the house, and said, ”This is a bad case, sir: Willia yesterday with his hat off, and I fear that he has been struck by the sun”

The poor boy was for er; and the cheerful house was now one of gloo prayers; how often during the day did his parents offer up a petition to heaven for their dear boy's recovery The weather became finer every day, and it was almost impossible to keep To, and kept them with her while she cooked; and, fortunately, Vixen had soer aht them two of the puppies to play with As for the quiet,the whole day holding herwith her needle by the side of his bed

Ready, who could not be idle, had taken the hammer and cold chisel tothose portions of the day in which his services were not required indoors; and as he sat chipping away the rock, his thoughts were ever upon William, for he dearly loved the boy for his a the day would he stop his work, and the tears would run down his cheeks as he offered up his petition to the Alht be spared to his afflicted parents And those prayers were heard, for on the ninth day Williarave to have ether; but he was so weak that he could not raise himself in his bed for two or three days; and it was not till ht after the fever had left hio out of the house The joy that was expressed by theined: nor were the thanksgivings less fervent than had been the prayers

During his convalescence, as there was nothing else to do, Mr Seagrave and Ready, who noent gladly to their work, determined, as the salt-pan was finished, that they would -place Juno ca to drag the wheels which brought the rocks and stones; and Toht be out of the hile Mrs Seagrave and Caroline watched the invalid By the ti-place was finished, and there was no longer any fear of the sharks William came down to the beach with his mother, and looked at the hich had been done; he was much pleased with it, and said, ”Now, Ready, we have finished everything at home for the present; all we have to do is to explore the island, and to go to the cove and examine our collection from the wreck”

”Very true, William; and the weather has been so fine, that I think we may venture upon one or the other in a few days er”