Chapter XXXIV: Fighting in Earnest

"And now Frank," said Fred, as the _Island Queen_ stretched away out into the more open sea, and the round moon was rising and casting its silvery rays athwart the waves, "everything depends upon the wind holding. If we get becalmed we'll be boarded by swarms of those savages, in spite of all we can do."

"I don't think," replied Frank, "that there is much fear of a calm taking place. Why, the wind seems to increase every minute since we have left the shore."

"How thankful I am though that we dared all! Ah, Frank, old man! there is nothing like a bit of dash."

"No; dash does it. I've always thought so. First feel yourself fit, and then do a dash."

"That's it, Frank."

The poor fellows who had been delivered from slavery on the island of savages had eaten a hearty supper, and were now one and all fast asleep. Even the Yankee skipper had gone to sleep, with a quid in his mouth.

The breeze in two hours' time had increased to quite half a gale, and Fred began to grow seriously uneasy. The little craft was very much deeper in the water now, for the addition of ten men made a vast difference in so small a ship.

She pitched and rolled to a tremendous extent--she took in water over the bows, she shivered and shook like an old clothes basket when on the top of a wave, and wallowed when in the trough of the seas. In fact she did not behave at all prettily now she was put fairly on her mettle.

By-and-by Fred found it necessary to batten down, although he had to leave a portion of one hatchway open, in order to let those below have a sufficiency of fresh air.

Frank relieved Fred about four o'clock, or eight bells in the middle watch, and feeling completely exhausted, Fred lashed himself to the mast, covered himself up as well he could with a piece of canvas, and was soon fast asleep.

He never stirred, nor, knowing his condition, did Fred permit him to be disturbed until two bells in the forenoon watch.

Though he pretended to be cross with Frank for having allowed him to oversleep himself, he knew that his friend Had done all for the best.

The wind was still roaring through the rigging; but had veered round several points, and the yacht was now close hauled. Far away astern were the green islands they had left on the previous night.

"Whither away, mate?" said Fred.

"'Pon my honour, captain, I haven't the ghost of a notion."

"But you've been steering for the east?"

"Yes, all the watch."

"And I guess that's about as near right as a toucher," said Silas the skipper. "'Cause don't you see we're bound to come among islands o' some kind, and shiver me if they can be a bit worse than those we've left."

"True enough," said Frank.

About five bells that forenoon a heavy sea struck the _Island Queen_ on the weather quarter, and almost laid her on her beam ends.

She slowly righted, however, but hardly was she once more on an even keel than there was a shout from the men below.

"We've sprung a leak!"

Fred handed the tiller to Silas, and rushed down. It was only too true. The water was coming pouring in, in three different places at the bows.

"All hands to bail her out," cried Fred.

And the men set merrily enough to work. Those below filled calabashes, and handed them to others on deck to be emptied overboard.

They kept the water under for a while. But it was soon evident enough she could not float for any length of time.

The question now arose, What was best to be done? and a consultation was held.

"I see nothing for it, young men, except put about and just run back for them same islands," said Silas.

"And beach her?"

"Aye, aye, but look you here, Frank," continued Silas. "I've no great inclination to be crucified alive, and eaten afterwards. I'd rather drown, and be done with it. So we better beach her at the little island to the nor'ard. There is only one landing, and we can hold that again' all the savages in creation."

The skipper's advice was certainly good. So the _Island Queen_ was put about.

It was sad, disheartening work, but there was no other chance of life, so Fred never uttered one single complaining word, and "Heigho!" was all that Frank said.

Towards sundown the savages in Ota's isle must have been considerably surprised to see the white man's little ship standing in again towards the land. But she disappeared all at once, and in all probability they imagined she had sunk with all hands.

The fact is the _Island Queen_ had got in behind the island, and was now in comparatively calm water. But the poor wee ship that our castaways had been so proud of was settling down fast.

It was an anxious half hour.

Every minute they expected she would take the fatal plunge, and the boat was all ready on deck to launch, if indeed they were not sucked down with the yacht. The land had almost taken the wind out of their sails.

But at long last the clear sandy bottom became visible all around them, and a big rolling wave carried them far up on the beach, receded, and left them almost high and dry.

They were safe for one night. That at least was certain, for no canoe could live in the sea that was running outside.

Safe for a night. Yes, perhaps safe for a week; but as soon as the wind should change, and the waves dash into the little land-locked bay, the _Island Queen_ would break up.

So no one thought of sleep to-night. They worked in the dark by pandanus torch and lantern light, and even before the moon rose they had landed all the arms and ammunition, and all the stores as well.

The boat was now hauled well up, and the shipwrecked crew at once set about fortifying their position. It was a curious little bay, and a curious little beach, not thirty yards in width, and flanked at each side by dark frowning rocks, fifty feet high at least. Away into the interior the island was densely wooded, and the land rose into quite a mountain peak, while all around, with the exception of the little bay, the cliffs rose sheer up out of the deep, dark sea.

A barrier of sand and gravel was speedily thrown up across the bay just beyond reach of the waves, and over this they commenced to build a rampart, with a front that was almost inaccessible towards the sea.

Well those poor fellows knew they were working for dear life, so on they toiled all night long, and far into the next forenoon, emulating each other in their feats of strife, and never thinking of either food or drink.

But the barricade was completed at last, and little Cassia-bud, with his friend Hurricane Bob, were set to watch, while the others retired under the shade of the trees to obtain rest and enjoy some refreshment.

Being entirely worn out by their terrible hardships and exertions, nearly all slept till far into the day, when, after another slight meal, a party was detailed to spy out the resources of the island.

It was far better provisioned than they could have believed possible. That it had been at one time inhabited was also evident, for yams were still found growing, and several wild pigs were seen in the woods. The wind continued to blow high all that day and next; but towards night it fell dead calm, and early on the following morning the enemy's fleet was reported in sight, and in full force. This was signalled by a man on the outlook to those below.

By the time breakfast was finished the canoes were in sight. Quite a cloud of them there were, with King Ota himself leading.

Now it suddenly occurred to Fred that the enemy could easily possess itself of the _Island Queen_, and thus have a coign of vantage from which to hurl their spears and other missiles at the fort. So he called for volunteers to help him to fire the craft.

There were hardly twenty minutes to spare. Indeed, they were not sure of even this time. Quambo sprang forward; but little Cassia-bud was before him.

"You no go," he cried to Fred, "you no go, sah. Nobody go. Cassia-bud fire de ship all by hisse'f."

"You can, boy?"

"Yes," he cried energetically, "I can, plenty quick." He quickly made up a parcel of combustibles, which he tied knapsack-fashion over his shoulders. Then, almost before they could have counted six, the brave little fellow had scaled the ramparts and disappeared towards the beach.

They next saw him boldly paddling through the surf, then climbing cat-like over the vessel's bows, and so along the deck and down the main-hatchway.

It was an anxious time now for those on the ramparts. Every eye was turned at one moment towards the enemy's quickly approaching fleet, that seemed to near the bay with startling rapidity, and next towards the deck of the _Island Queen_, in momentary expectation of seeing Cassia-bud re-appear.

It appeared a lifetime to Fred since he had gone below.

"Stand by now, lads, to give the foremost boats a volley!" he cried presently. "Don't throw away a single shot."

Onwards swept the boats. They were not seventy yards from the stern of the _Island Queen_ now; but look, smoke comes curling up from both the fore and main hatchways, and then Cassia-bud himself appears. But instead of coming straight over the bows again he rushes aft, and waves his jacket in proud defiance at the savage fleet.

Those on the ramparts shout to him to come on. A shower of spears flies over the decks, and Kashie is seen leaping forward. He falls! He is killed!

No; up again, and bounding along through smoke and flames and flying spears. Over he leaps, on through the surf, and next moment he is on the barricade. A dozen arms are stretched towards him, and next moment he is safe and sound.

"Thank God!" says Fred right fervently.

From stem to stern the _Island Queen_ is soon sheeted in flames, and through the smoke which rolls slowly seaward the canoes appear.

"Give it to them now," cries Fred, "to show them we're not dead!"

A single volley had a startling effect on those sable warriors. Instead of advancing with shouts of terror the foremost rowers threw themselves pell-mell into the sea, and the other canoes beat a hasty retreat.

With a rifle each, Fred, Frank, Quambo, and Mac now betake themselves to the cliff top. They want to prove to those savages that it will be best in future not to venture within a radius of half a mile at least. And this they do in the most satisfactory manner imaginable.

Baffled and defeated where he had expected an easy victory, the greatest king in all the world retires to his island home, and the coast is once more clear.

For five days the savages made no sign, and the beleaguered garrison occupied itself in strengthening the position.

The main anxiety would soon be want of water. Not a drop was to be found in the island except one little trickling rill, that hardly supplied them with a pint a day each. And even this might dry up.

There was now no moonlight, but every night sentries were placed all along the ramparts.

Early on the morning of the sixth day there was not a canoe to be seen anywhere on the sea, and so the men sat down to breakfast cheerfully enough, and even the sentries, completely off their guard, were chatting gaily together on the ramparts.

Suddenly, without a moment's warning, the whole front of the barricade was found to be alive with swarming spear-armed savages.

Luckily every man's revolver was by his side, but the fight that now ensued was terrific. Hand to hand they fought, savages and whites, till the former disappeared at last in the same mysterious way they had come, leaving their dead behind them, and spearing or clubbing all the wounded lest the whites should torture them.

But where had they come from? This was easily explained. They had approached the island under cover of the darkness, and arranged their canoes close under the rocks, and thus out of sight. As soon as this was discovered they were speedily dislodged by the simple expedient of hurling down stones, and as soon as they had put out to sea rifles were once more brought to bear on them.

But by placing sentinels at night here and there on the cliff top no such ruse was again possible.

In this battle the garrison lost two men killed, and had three wounded.

One day Cassia-bud returned from the rock with an empty calibash. The water had given out. Then the sufferings of those unhappy men began in earnest.

The cocoanut supply still held out, however, but the water at last failed to quench the thirst, and the men began to fall sick.

The three wounded men died, and so weak were the others that they could not bury them. All they could do was to drag them to the cliff top and let them roll over into the sea--unknelled, uncoffined, and unknown.