no counsel in coming to his fixed resolve.
Dingo had been trotting up and down the deck. All at once he bounded to
the fore, and broke out into a piteous howl. It roused Dick from his
anxious cogitations. Was it possible that the animal recognized the
coast? It almost seemed as if it brought back some painful associations.
The howling of the dog had manifestly attracted Negoro's attention; the
man emerged from his cabin, and, regardless of the dog, stood close to
the netting; but although he gazed at the surf, it did not seem to
occasion him any alarm. Mrs. Weldon, who was watching him, fancied she
saw a flush rise to his face, which involuntarily suggested the thought
to her mind that Negoro had seen the place before.
Either she had no time or no wish to express what had struck her, for
she did not mention it to Dick, who, at that moment, left the helm, and
came and stood beside her.
Dick looked as if he were taking a lingering farewell of the cove past
which they were being carried beyond his power to help.
In a few moments he turned round to Mrs. Weldon, and said quietly,--
"Mrs. Weldon, I am disappointed. I hoped to get the schooner into
yonder cove; but there is no chance now; if nothing is done, in half an
hour she will be upon that reef. I have but one alternative left. I
must run her aground. It will be utter destruction to the ship, but
there is no choice. Your safety is the first and paramount
consideration."
"Do you mean that there is no other course to be taken, Dick?"
"None whatever," said Dick decidedly.
"It must be as you will," she said.
Forthwith ensued the agitating preparations for stranding. Mrs. Weldon,
Jack, Cousin Benedict, and Nan were provided with life belts, while
Dick and the negroes made themselves ready for being dashed into the
waves. Every precaution that the emergency admitted was duly taken.
Mrs. Weldon was entrusted to the special charge of Hercules; Dick made
himself responsible for doing all he could for little Jack; Cousin
Benedict, who was tolerably calm, was handed over to Bat and Austin;
while Actæon promised to look after Nan. Negoro's nonchalance implied
that he was quite capable of shifting for himself.
Dick had the forethought also to order about a dozen barrels of their
cargo to be brought in front, so that when the "Pilgrim" struck, the
oil escaping and floating on the waves would temporarily lull their
fury, and make smoother water for the passage of the ship.
After satisfying himself that there was no other measure to be taken to
ameliorate the peril, Dick Sands returned to the helm. The schooner was
all but upon the reef, and only a few cables' length from the shore;
her starboard quarter indeed was already bathed in the seething foam,
and any instant the keel might be expected to grate upon the
under-lying rock. Presently a change of colour in the water was
observed; it revealed a passage between the rocks. Dick gave the wheel
a turn; he saw the chance of getting aground nearer to the shore than
he had dared to hope, and he made the most of it. He steered the
schooner right into the narrow channel; the sea was furious, and dashed
vehemently upon the crags on either hand.
[Illustration: The sea was furious, and dashed vehemently upon the
crags on either hand]
"Now, my lads!" he cried to his crew, "now's your time; out with your
oil! let it run!"
Ready for the order, the negroes poured out the oil, and the raging
waters were stilled as if by magic. A few moments more and perchance
they would rage more vehemently than ever. But for the instant they
were lulled.
The "Pilgrim," meanwhile, had glided onwards, and made dead for the
adjacent shore. There was a sudden shock. Caught by an enormous wave
the schooner had been hurled aground; her masts had fallen, fortunately
without injury to any one on board. But the vessel had parted
amidships, and was foundering; the water was rushing irresistibly into
the hold.
The shore, however, was not half a cable's length away; there was a
low, dark ridge of rocks that was united to the beach; it afforded
ample means of rescue, and in less than ten minutes the "Pilgrim's"
captain, crew, and passengers were all landed, with their lives, at the
foot of the overhanging cliff.
CHAPTER XIV.
ASHORE.
Thus, after a voyage of seventy-four days, the "Pilgrim" had stranded.
Mrs. Weldon and her fellow-voyagers joined in thanksgiving to the kind
Providence that had brought them ashore, not upon one of the solitary
islands of Polynesia, but upon a solid continent, from almost any part
of which there would be no difficulty in getting home.
The ship was totally lost. She was lying in the surf a hopeless wreck,
and few must be the hours that would elapse before she would be broken
up in scattered fragments; it was impossible to save her.
Notwithstanding that Dick Sands bewailed the loss of a valuable ship
and her cargo to the owner, he had the satisfaction of knowing that he
had been instrumental in saving what was far more precious, the lives
of the owner's wife and son.
It was impossible to do more than hazard a conjecture as to the part of
the South American coast on which the "Pilgrim" had been cast. Dick
imagined that it must be somewhere on the coast of Peru; after sighting
Easter Island, he knew that the united action of the equatorial current
and the brisk wind must have had the effect of driving the schooner far
northward, and he formed his conclusion accordingly. Be the true
position, however, what it might, it was all important that it should
be accurately ascertained as soon as possible. If it were really in
Peru, he would not be long in finding his way to one of the numerous
ports and villages that lie along the coast.
But the shore here was quite a desert. A narrow strip of beach, strewn
with boulders, was enclosed by a cliff of no great height, in which, at
irregular intervals, deep funnels appeared as chasms in the rock. Here
and there a gentle slope led to the top.
About a quarter of a mile to the north was the mouth of a little river
which had not been visible from the sea. Its banks were overhung by a
number of "rhizophora," a species of mangrove entirely distinct from
that indigenous to India. It was soon ascertained that the summit of
the cliff was clothed by a dense forest, extending far away in
undulations of verdure to the mountains in the background. Had Cousin
Benedict been a botanist, he could not have failed to find a new and
interesting field for his researches; there were lofty baobabs (to
which an extraordinary longevity has often been erroneously ascribed),
with bark resembling Egyptian syenite; there were white pines,
tamarinds, pepper-plants of peculiar species, and numerous other plants
unfamiliar to the eye of a native of the North; but, strange to say,
there was not a single specimen of the extensive family of palms, of
which more than a thousand varieties are scattered in profusion in so
many quarters of the globe.
Above the shore hovered a large number of screeching birds, mostly of
the swallow tribe, their black plumage shot with steelly blue, and
shading off to a light brown at the top of the head. Now and then a few
partridges of a greyish colour rose on wing, their necks entirely bare
of feathers: the fearless manner in which the various birds all allowed
themselves to be approached made Mrs. Weldon and Dick both wonder if
the shores upon which they had been thrown were not so deserted that
the sound of fire-arms was not known.
On the edge of the reefs some pelicans (of the species known as
-pelicanus minor-) were busily filling their pouches with tiny fish,
and some gulls coming in from the open sea began to circle round the
wreck: with these exceptions not a living creature appeared in sight.
Benedict, no doubt, could have discovered many entomological novelties
amongst the foliage, but these could give no more information than the
birds as to the name of their habitat. Neither north, nor south, nor
towards the forest, was there trace of rising smoke, or any footprint
or other sign to indicate the presence of a human being.
Dick's surprise was very great. He knew that the proximity of a native
would have made Dingo bark aloud; but the dog gave no warning; he was
running backwards and forwards, his tail lowered and his nose close to
the ground; now and again he uttered a deep growl.
"Look at Dingo!" said Mrs. Weldon; "how strange he is! he seems to be
trying to discover a lost scent."
After watching the dog for a time, she spoke again:--
"Look, too, at Negoro! he and the dog seem to be on the same purpose!"
"As to Negoro," said Dick, "I cannot concern myself with him now; he
must do as he pleases; I have no further control over him; his service
expires with the loss of the ship."
Negoro was in fact walking to and fro, surveying the shore with the air
of a man who was trying to recall some past experience to his
recollection. His dogged taciturnity was too well known for any one to
think of questioning him; every one was accustomed to let him go his
own way, and when Dick noticed that he had gone towards the little
river, and had disappeared behind the cliff, he thought no more about
him. Dingo likewise had quite forgotten his enemy, and desisted from
his growling.
The first necessity for the shipwrecked party was to find a temporary
shelter where they might take some refreshment. There was no lack of
provisions; independently of the resources of the land, the ebbing tide
had left upon the rocks the great bulk of the "Pilgrim's" stores, and
the negroes had already collected several kegs of biscuit, and a number
of cases of preserved meat, besides a variety of other supplies. All
that they rescued they carefully piled up above high-water mark. As
nothing appeared to be injured by the sea-water, the victualling of the
party all seemed to be satisfactorily secure for the interval which
must elapse (and they all believed it would not be long,) before they
reached one of the villages which they presumed were close at hand.
Dick, moreover, took the precaution of sending Hercules to get a small
supply of fresh water from the river hard by, and the good-natured
fellow returned carrying a whole barrel-full on his shoulder.
[Illustration: Surveying the shore with the air of a man who was trying
to recall some past experience]
Plenty of fuel was lying about, and whenever they wanted to light a
fire they were sure of having an abundance of dead wood and the roots
of the old mangroves. Old Tom, an inveterate smoker, always carried a
tinder box in his pocket; this had been too tightly fastened to be
affected by the moisture, and could always produce a spark upon
occasion.
Still they must have a shelter. Without some rest it was impossible to
start upon a tour of exploration; accordingly, all interests were
directed towards ascertaining where the necessary repose could be
obtained.
The honour of discovering where the desired retreat could be found fell
to the lot of little Jack. Trotting about at the foot of the cliff, he
came upon one of those grottoes which are constantly being found
hollowed out in the rock by the vehement action of the waves in times
of tempest.
"Here, look here!" cried the child; "here's a place!"
"Well done, Jack!" answered his mother; "your lucky discovery is just
what we wanted. If we were going to stay here any time we should have
to do the same as the Swiss Family Robinson, and name the spot after
you!"
It was hardly more than twelve or fourteen feet square, and yet the
grotto seemed to Jack to be a gigantic cavern. But narrow as its limits
were, it was capacious enough to receive the entire party. It was a
great satisfaction to Mrs. Weldon to observe that it was perfectly dry,
and as the moon was just about her first quarter there was no
likelihood of a tide rising to the foot of the cliff. At any rate, it
was resolved that they might take up their quarters there for a few
hours.
Shortly after one o'clock the whole party were seated upon a carpet of
seaweed round a repast consisting of preserved meat, biscuit, and water
flavoured with a few drops of rum, of which Bat had saved a quart
bottle from the wreck. Even Negoro had returned and joined the group;
probably he had not cared to venture alone along the bank of the stream
into the forest. He sat listening, as it seemed indifferently, to the
various plans for the future that were being discussed, and did not
open his mouth either by way of remonstrance or suggestion.
Dingo was not forgotten, and had his share of food duly given him
outside the grotto, where he was keeping guard.
When the meal was ended, Mrs. Weldon, passing her arms round Jack, who
was lounging half asleep with excitement and fatigue at her side, was
the first to speak.
"My dear Dick," she said, "in the name of us all, let me thank you for
the services you have rendered us in our tedious time of difficulty. As
you have been our captain at sea, let me beg you to be our guide upon
land. We shall have perfect confidence in your judgment, and await your
instructions as to what our next proceedings shall be."
All eyes were turned upon Dick. Even Negoro appeared to be roused to
curiosity, as if eager to know what he had to say.
Dick did not speak for some moments. He was manifestly pondering what
step he should advise. After a while he said,--
"My own impression, Mrs. Weldon, is that we have been cast ashore upon
one of the least-frequented parts of the coast of Peru, and that we are
near the borders of the Pampas. In that case I should conclude that we
are at a considerable distance from any village. Now, I should
recommend that we stay here altogether for the coming night. To-morrow
morning, two of us can start off on an exploring expedition. I
entertain but little doubt that natives will be met with within ten or
a dozen miles."
Mrs. Weldon looked doubtful. Plainly she thought unfavourably of the
project of separating the party. She reflected for a considerable time,
and then asked,--
"And who is to undertake the task of exploring?"
Prompt was Dick's answer:--
"Tom and I."
"And leave us here?" suggested the lady.
"Yes; to take care of you, there will be Hercules, Bat, Actæon and
Austin. Negoro, too, I presume, means to remain here," said Dick,
glancing towards the cook.
"Perhaps," replied Negoro, sparing as ever of his words.
"We shall take Dingo," added Dick; "likely enough he may be useful."
At the sound of his name the dog had entered the grotto. A short bark
seemed to testify his approval of Dick's proposal.
Mrs. Weldon was silent. She looked sad and thoughtful. It was hard to
reconcile herself to the division of the party. She was aware that the
separation would not be for long, but she could not suppress a certain
feeling of nervousness. Was it not possible that some natives,
attracted by the wreck, would assault them in hopes of plunder?
Every argument he could think of, Dick brought forward to reassure the
lady. He told her that the Indians were perfectly harmless, and
entirely different to the savage tribes of Africa and Polynesia; there
was no reason to apprehend any mischief, even if they should chance to
encounter them, which was itself extremely unlikely. No doubt the
separation would have its inconveniences, but they would be
insignificant compared with the difficulty of traversing the country
-en masse-. Tom and he would have far greater freedom if they went
alone, and could make their investigations much more thoroughly.
Finally he promised that if within two days they failed to discover
human habitation, they would return to the grotto forthwith.
"I confess, however," he added, "that I have little expectation of
being able to ascertain our true position, until I have penetrated some
distance into the country."
There was nothing in Dick's representations but what commanded Mrs.
Weldon's assent as reasonable. It was simply her own nervousness, she
acknowledged, that made her hesitate; but it was only with extreme
reluctance that she finally yielded to the proposition.
"And what, Mr. Benedict, is your opinion of my proposal?" said Dick,
turning to the entomologist.
"I?" answered Cousin Benedict, looking somewhat bewildered, "Oh, I am
agreeable to anything. I dare say I shall find some specimens. I think
I will go and look at once."
"Take my advice, and don't go far away," replied Dick.
"All right; I shall take care of myself."
"And don't be bringing back a lot of mosquitoes," said old Tom
mischievously.
With his box under his arm, the naturalist left the grotto.
Negoro followed almost immediately. He did not take the same direction
as Benedict up the cliff, but for the second time bent his steps
towards the river, and proceeded along its bank till he was out of
sight.
It was not long before Jack's exertions told upon him, and he fell into
a sound sleep. Mrs. Weldon having gently laid him on Nan's lap,
wandered out and made her way to the water's edge. She was soon joined
by Dick and the negroes, who wanted to see whether it was possible to
get to the "Pilgrim," and secure any articles that might be serviceable
for future use. The reef on which the schooner had stranded was now
quite dry, and the carcase of the vessel which had been partially
covered at high water was lying in the midst of -debris- of the most
promiscuous character. The wide difference between high and low-water
mark caused Dick Sands no little surprise. He knew that the tides on
the shores of the Pacific were very inconsiderable; in his own mind,
however, he came to the conclusion that the phenomenon was to be
explained by the unusually high wind that had been blowing on the coast.
Not without emotion could Mrs. Weldon, or indeed any of them, behold
the unfortunate ship upon which they had spent so many eventful days,
lying dismasted on her side. But there was little time for sentiment.
If they wished to visit the hull before it finally went to pieces there
must be no delay.
Hoisting themselves by some loose rigging that was hanging from the
deck, Dick and several of the negroes contrived to make their way into
the interior of the hull. Dick left his men to gather together all they
could in the way of food and drink from the store-room, and himself
went straight to the stern cabin, into which the water had not
penetrated. Here he found four excellent Purday's Remington rifles and
a hundred cartridges; with these he determined to arm his party, in
case they should be attacked by Indians. He also chose six of the
strongest of the cutlasses that are used for slicing up dead whales;
and did not forget the little toy gun which was Jack's special
property. Unexpectedly he found a pocket-compass, which he was only too
glad to appropriate. What a boon it would have been had he discovered
it earlier! The ship's charts in the fore-cabin were too much injured
by water to be of any further service. Nearly everything was either
lost or spoiled, but the misfortune was not felt very acutely because
there was ample provision for a few days, and it seemed useless to
burden themselves with more than was necessary. Dick hardly needed Mrs.
Weldon's advice to secure all the money that might be on board, but
after the most diligent search he failed to discover more than five
hundred dollars. This was a subject of perplexity. Mrs. Weldon herself
had had a considerably larger sum than this, and Captain Hull was known
always to keep a good reserve in hand. There was but one way to solve
the mystery. Some one had been beforehand to the wreck. It could not be
any of the negroes, as not one of them had for a moment left the
grotto. Suspicion naturally fell upon Negoro, who had been out alone
upon the shore. Morose and cold-blooded as the man was, Dick hardly
knew why he should suspect him of the crime of theft; nevertheless, he
determined to cross-examine him, and, if need be, to have him searched,
as soon as he came back.
[Illustration: Not without emotion could Mrs. Weldon, or indeed any of
them, behold the unfortunate ship.]
The day wore onwards to its close. The sun was approaching the vernal
equinox, and sank almost perpendicularly on to the horizon. Twilight
was very short, and the rapidity with which darkness came on confirmed
Dick in his belief that they had got ashore at some spot lying between
the tropic of Capricorn and the equator.
They all assembled in the grotto again for the purpose of getting some
sleep.
"Another rough night coming on!" said Tom, pointing to the heavy clouds
that hung over the horizon.
"No doubt, Tom!" answered Dick, "and I think we may congratulate
ourselves on being safe out of our poor ship."
As the night could not be otherwise than very dark, it was arranged
that the negroes should take their turns in keeping guard at the
entrance of the grotto. Dingo also would be upon the alert.
Benedict had not yet returned. Hercules shouted his name with the full
strength of his capacious lungs, and shortly afterwards the
entomologist was seen making his way down the face of the cliff at the
imminent risk of breaking his neck. He was in a great rage. He had not
found a single insect worth having, scorpions, scolopendra, and other
myriapoda were in the forest in abundance; but not one of these of
course could be allowed a place in his collection.
"Have I come six thousand miles for this?" he cried: "have I endured
storm and shipwreck only to be cast where not a hexapod is to be seen?
The country is detestable! I shall not stay in it another hour!"
Ever gentle to his eccentricities, Mrs. Weldon soothed him as she would
a child, she told him that he had better take some rest now, and most
likely he would have better luck to-morrow.
Cousin Benedict had hardly been pacified when Tom remarked that Negoro
too had not returned.
"Never mind!" said Bat, "his room is as good as his company."
"I cannot say that I altogether think so. The man is no favourite of
mine, but I like him better under my own eye," said Mrs. Weldon.
"Perhaps he has his own reasons for keeping away," said Dick, and
taking Mrs. Weldon aside, he communicated to her his suspicions of the
fellow's dishonesty.
He found that she coincided with him in her view of Negoro's conduct;
but she did not agree with him in his proposal to have him searched at
once. If he returned, she should be convinced that he had deposited the
money in some secret spot; and as there would be no proof of his guilt,
it would be better to leave him, at least for a time, uninterrogated.
[Illustration: The entomologist was seen making his way down the face
of the cliff at the imminent risk of breaking his neck.]
Dick was convinced by her representations, and promised to act upon her
advice.
Before they resigned themselves to sleep, they had repeatedly summoned
Negoro back, but he either could not or would not hear. Mrs. Weldon and
Dick scarcely knew what to think; unless he had lost his way; it was
unaccountable why he should be wandering about alone on a dark night in
a strange country.
Presently Dingo was heard barking furiously. He had left the opening of
the grotto, and was evidently down at the water's edge. Imagining that
Negoro must be coming, Dick sent three of the negroes in the direction
of the river to meet him; but when they reached the bank not a soul
could be seen, and as Dingo was quiet again, they made their way back
to the grotto.
Excepting the man left on watch, they now all lay down, hoping to get
some repose. Mrs. Weldon, however, could not sleep. The land for which
she had sighed so ardently had been reached, but it had failed to give
either the security or the comfort which she had anticipated!
CHAPTER XV.
A STRANGER.
At daybreak, next morning, Austin, who happened to be on guard, heard
Dingo bark, and noticed that he started up and ran towards the river.
Arousing the inmates of the grotto, he announced to them that some one
was coming.
"It isn't Negoro," said Tom; "Dingo would bark louder than that if
Negoro were to be seen."
"Who, then, can it be?" asked Mrs. Weldon, with an inquiring glance
towards Dick.
"We must wait and see, madam," replied Dick quietly.
Bidding Bat, Austin, and Hercules follow his example, Dick Sands took
up a cutlass and a rifle, into the breach of which he slipped a
cartridge. Thus armed, the four young men made their way towards the
river bank. Tom and Actæon were left with Mrs. Weldon at the entrance
of the grotto.
The sun was just rising. Its rays, intercepted by the lofty range of
mountains in the east, did not fall directly on the cliff; but the sea
to its western horizon was sparkling in the sunbeams as the party
marched along the shore. Dingo was motionless as a setter, but did not
cease barking. It soon proved not to be his old enemy who was
disturbing him. A man, who was not Negoro, appeared round the angle of
the cliff, and advancing cautiously along the bank of the stream,
seemed by his gestures to be endeavouring to pacify the dog, with which
an encounter would certainly have been by no means desirable.
"That's not Negoro!" said Hercules.
[Illustration: "Good morning, my young friend."]
"No loss for any of us," muttered Bat.
"You are right," replied Dick; "perhaps he is a native; let us hope he
may be able to tell us our whereabouts, and save us the trouble of
exploring."
With their rifles on their shoulders, they advanced steadily towards
the new arrival. The stranger, on becoming aware of their approach,
manifested great surprise; he was apparently puzzled as to how they had
reached the shore, for the "Pilgrim" had been entirely broken up during
the night, and the spars that were floating about had probably been too
few and too scattered to attract his attention. His first attitude
seemed to betray something of fear; and raising to his shoulder a gun
that had been slung to his belt, he began to retrace his steps; but
conciliatory gestures on the part of Dick quickly reassured him, and
after a moment's hesitation, he continued to advance.
He was a man of about forty years of age, strongly built, with a keen,
bright eye, grizzly hair and beard, and a complexion tanned as with
constant exposure to the forest air. He wore a broad-brimmed hat, a
kind of leather jerkin, or tunic, and long boots reaching nearly to his
knees. To his high heels was fastened a pair of wide-rowelled spurs,
which clanked as he moved.
Dick Sands in an instant saw that he was not looking upon one of the
roving Indians of the pampas, but upon one of those adventurers, often
of very doubtful character, who are not unfrequently to be met with in
the remotest quarters of the earth. Clearly this was neither an Indian
nor a Spaniard. His erect, not to say rigid deportment, and the reddish
hue with which his hair and beard were streaked, betokened him to be of
Anglo-Saxon origin, a conjecture which was at once confirmed when upon
Dick's wishing him "good morning," he replied in unmistakable English,
with hardly a trace of foreign accent,--
"Good morning, my young friend."
He stepped forward, and having shaken hands with Dick, nodded to all
his companions.
"Are you English?" he asked.
"No; we are Americans," replied Dick.
"North or South?" inquired the man.
"North," Dick answered.
The information seemed to afford the stranger no little satisfaction,
and he again wrung Dick's hand with all the enthusiasm of a
fellow-countryman.
"And may I ask what brings you here?" he continued.
Before, however, Dick had time to reply, the stranger had courteously
raised his hat, and, looking round, Dick saw that his bow was intended
for Mrs. Weldon, who had just reached the river-bank. She proceeded to
tell him the particulars of how they had been shipwrecked, and how the
vessel had gone to pieces on the reefs.
A look of pity crossed the man's face as he listened, and he cast his
eye, as it might be involuntarily, upon the sea, in order to discern
some vestige of the stranded ship.
"Ah! there is nothing to be seen of our poor schooner!" said Dick
mournfully; "the last of her was broken up in the storm last night."
"And now," interposed Mrs. Weldon, "can you tell us where we are?"
"Where?" exclaimed the man, with every indication of surprise at her
question; "why, on the coast of South America, of course!"
"But on what part? are we near Peru?" Dick inquired eagerly.
"No, my lad, no; you are more to the south; you are on the coast of
Bolivia; close to the borders of Chili."
"A good distance, I suppose, from Lima?" asked Dick.
"From Lima? yes, a long way; Lima is far to the north."
"And what is the name of that promontory?" Dick said, pointing to the
adjacent headland.
"That, I confess, is more than I am able to tell you," replied the
stranger; "for although I have travelled a great deal in the interior
of the country, I have never before visited this part of the coast."
Dick pondered in thoughtful silence over the information he had thus
received. He had no reason to doubt its accuracy; according to his own
reckoning he would have expected to come ashore somewhere between the
latitudes of 27° and 30°; and by this stranger's showing he had made
the latitude 25°; the discrepancy was not very great; it was not more
than might be accounted for by the action of the currents, which he
knew he had been unable to estimate; moreover, the deserted character
of the whole shore inclined him to believe more easily that he was in
Lower Bolivia.
Whilst this conversation was going on, Mrs. Weldon, whose suspicions
had been excited by Negoro's disappearance, had been scrutinizing the
stranger with the utmost attention; but she could detect nothing either
in his manner or in his words to give her any cause to doubt his good
faith.
"Pardon me," she said presently; "but you do not seem to me to be a
native of Peru?"
"No; like yourself, I am an American, Mrs. ----;" he paused, as if
waiting to be told her name.
The lady smiled, and gave her name; he thanked her, and continued,--
"My name is Harris. I was born in South Carolina; but it is now twenty
years since I left my home for the pampas of Bolivia; imagine,
therefore, how much pleasure it gives me to come across some countrymen
of my own."
"Do you live in this part of the province, Mr. Harris?" Mrs. Weldon
asked.
"No, indeed; far away; I live down to the south, close to the borders
of Chili. At present I am taking a journey north-eastwards to Atacama."
"Atacama!" exclaimed Dick; "are we anywhere near the desert of Atacama?"
"Yes, my young friend," rejoined Harris, "you are just on the edge of
it. It extends far beyond those mountains which you see on the horizon,
and is one of the most curious and least explored parts of the
continent."
"And are you travelling through it alone?" Mrs. Weldon inquired.
"Yes, quite alone; and it is not the first time I have performed the
journey. One of my brothers owns a large farm, the hacienda of San
Felice, about 200 miles from here, and I have occasion now and then to
pay him business visits."
[Illustration: "He is my little son."]
After a moment's hesitation, as if he were weighing a sudden thought,
he continued,--
"I am on my way there now, and if you will accompany me I can promise
you a hearty welcome, and my brother will be most happy to do his best
to provide you with means of conveyance to San Francisco."
Mrs. Weldon had hardly begun to express her thanks for the proposal
when he said abruptly,--
"Are these negroes your slaves?"
"Slaves! sir," replied Mrs. Weldon, drawing herself up proudly; "we
have no slaves in the United States. The south has now long followed
the example of the north. Slavery is abolished."
"I beg your pardon, madam. I had forgotten that the war of 1862 had
solved that question. But seeing these fellows with you, I thought
perhaps they might be in your service," he added, with a slight tone of
irony.
"We are very proud to be of any service to Mrs. Weldon," Tom interposed
with dignity, "but we are no man's property. It is true I was sold for
a slave when I was six years old; but I have long since had my freedom;
and so has my son. Bat here, and all his friends, were born of free
parents."
"Ah! well then, I have to congratulate you," replied Harris, in a
manner that jarred very sensibly upon Mrs. Weldon's feelings; but she
said nothing.
Harris added,--
"I can assure you that you are as safe here in Bolivia as you would be
in New England."
He had not finished speaking, when Jack, followed by Nan, came out of
the grotto. The child was rubbing his eyes, having only just awakened
from his night's sleep. Catching sight of his mother, he darted towards
her.
"What a charming little boy!" exclaimed Harris.
"He is my little son," said Mrs. Weldon, kissing the child by way of
morning greeting.
"Ah, madam, I am sure you must have suffered doubly on his account.
Will the little man let me kiss him too?"
But there was something in the stranger's appearance that did not take
Jack's fancy, and he shrank back timidly to his mother's side.
"You must excuse him, sir; he is very shy."
"Never mind," said Harris; "we shall be better acquainted by-and-by.
When we get to my brother's, he shall have a nice little pony to ride."
But not even this tempting offer seemed to have any effect in coaxing
Jack into a more genial mood. He kept fast hold of his mother's hand,
and she, somewhat vexed at his behaviour, and anxious that no offence
should be given to a man who appeared so friendly in his intentions,
hastened to turn the conversation to another topic.
Meantime Dick Sands had been considering Harris's proposal. Upon the
whole, the plan of making their way to the hacienda of San Felice
seemed to commend itself to his judgment; but he could not conceal from
himself that a journey of 200 miles across plains and forests, without
any means of transport, would be extremely fatiguing. On expressing his
doubts on this point, he was met with the reply,--
"Oh, that can be managed well enough, young man; just round the corner
of the cliff there I have a horse, which is quite at the disposal of
the lady and her son; and by easy stages of ten miles or so a day, it
will do the rest of us no harm to travel on foot. Besides," he added,
"when I spoke of the journey being 200 miles, I was thinking of
following, as I usually do, the course of the river; but by taking a
short cut across the forest, we may reduce the distance by nearly
eighty miles."
Mrs. Weldon was about to say how grateful she was, but Harris
anticipated her.
"Not a word, madam, I beg you. You cannot thank me better than by
accepting my offer. I confess I have never crossed this forest, but I
am so much accustomed to the pampas that I have little fear of losing
my way. The only difficulty is in the matter of provisions, as I have
only supplied myself with enough to carry me on to San Felice."
"As to provisions," replied Mrs. Weldon, "we have enough and to spare;
and we shall be more than willing to share everything with you."
"That is well," answered Harris; "then there can be no reason why we
should not start at once."
He was turning away with the intention of fetching his horse, when Dick
Sands detained him. True to his seaman's instincts, the young sailor
felt that he should be much more at his ease on the sea-shore than
traversing the heart of an unknown forest.
"Pardon me, Mr. Harris," he began, "but instead of taking so long a
journey across the desert of Atacama, would it not be far better for us
to follow the coast either northwards or southwards, until we reach the
nearest seaport?"
A frown passed over Harris's countenance.
"I know very little about the coast," he answered; "but I know enough
to assure you that there is no town to the north within 300 or 400
miles."
"Then why should we not go south?" persisted Dick.
"You would then have to travel to Chili, which is almost as far; and,
under your circumstances, I should not advise you to skirt the pampas
of the Argentine Republic. For my own part, I could not accompany you."
"But do not the vessels which ply between Chili and Peru come within
sight of this coast?" interposed Mrs. Weldon.
"No, madam; they keep out so far to sea that there would not be the
faintest chance of your hailing one."
"You seem to have another question to ask Mr. Harris," Mrs. Weldon
continued, addressing Dick, who still looked rather doubtful.
Dick replied that he was about to inquire at what port he would be
likely to find a ship to convey their party to San Francisco.
"That I really cannot tell you, my young friend," rejoined Harris; "I
can only repeat my promise that we will furnish you with the means of
conveyance from San Felice to Atacama, where no doubt you will obtain
all the information you require."
"I hope you will not think that Dick is insensible to your kindness,
Mr. Harris," said Mrs. Weldon, apologetically.
"On the contrary," promptly observed Dick; "I fully appreciate it; I
only wish we had been cast ashore upon a spot where we should have had
no need to intrude upon his generosity."
"I assure you, madam, it gives me unbounded pleasure to serve you in
any way," said Harris; "it is, as I have told you, not often that I
come in contact with any of my own countrymen."
"Then we accept your offer as frankly as it is made," replied the lady,
adding; "but I cannot consent to deprive you of your horse. I am a very
good walker."
"So am I," said Harris, with a bow, "and consequently I intend you and
your little son to ride. I am used to long tramps through the pampas.
Besides, it is not at all unlikely that we shall come across some of
the workpeople belonging to the hacienda; if so, they will be able to
give us a mount."
Convinced that it would only be thwarting Mrs. Weldon's wishes to throw
any further impediment in the way, Dick Sands suppressed his desire to
raise fresh obstacles, and simply asked how soon they ought to start.
"This very day, at once," said Harris quickly.
"So soon?" asked Dick.
"Yes. The rainy season begins in April, and the sooner we are at San
Felice the better. The way through the forest is the safest as well as
the shortest, for we shall be less likely to meet any of the nomad
Indians, who are notorious robbers."
Without making any direct reply, Dick proceeded to instruct the negroes
to choose such of the provisions as were most easy of transport, and to
make them up into packages, that every one might carry a due share.
Hercules with his usual good nature professed himself willing to carry
the entire load; a proposal, however, to which Dick would not listen
for a moment.
"You are a fine fellow, Hercules" said Harris, scrutinizing the giant
with the eye of a connoisseur; "you would be worth something in the
African market."
"Those who want me now must catch me first," retorted Hercules, with a
grin.
The services of all hands were enlisted, and in a comparatively short
time sufficient food was packed up to supply the party for about ten
days' march.
"You must allow us to show you what hospitality is in our power," said
Mrs. Weldon, addressing her new acquaintance; "our breakfast will be
ready in a quarter of an hour, and we shall be happy if you will join
us."
"It will give me much pleasure," answered Harris, gaily; "I will employ
the interval in fetching my horse, who has breakfasted already."
"I will accompany you," said Dick.
"By all means, my young friend; come with me, and I will show you the
lower part of the river."
While they were gone, Hercules was sent in search of Cousin Benedict,
who was wandering on the top of the cliff in quest of some wonderful
insect, which, of course, was not to be found. Without asking his
permission, Hercules unceremoniously brought him back to Mrs. Weldon,
who explained how they were about to start upon a ten days' march into
the interior of the country. The entomologist was quite satisfied with
the arrangement, and declared himself ready for a march across the
entire continent, as long as he was free to be adding to his collection
on the way.
Thus assured of her cousin's acquiescence in her plans; Mrs. Weldon
proceeded to prepare such a substantial meal as she hoped would
invigorate them all for the approaching journey.
Harris and Dick Sands, meantime, had turned the corner of the cliff,
and walked about 300 paces along the shore until they came to a tree to
which a horse was tethered. The creature neighed as it recognized its
master. It was a strong-built animal, of a kind that Dick had not seen
before, although its long neck and crupper, short loins, flat shoulders
and arched forehead indicated that it was of Arabian breed.
[Illustration: They came to a tree to which a horse was tethered.]
"Plenty of strength here," Harris said, as after unfastening the horse,
he took it by the bridle and began to lead it along the shore.
Dick made no reply; he was casting a hasty glance at the forest which
enclosed them on either hand; it was an unattractive sight, but he
observed nothing to give him any particular ground for uneasiness.
Turning round, he said abruptly,--
"Did you meet a Portuguese last night, named Negoro?"
"Negoro? who is Negoro?" asked Harris, in a tone of surprise.
"He was our ship's cook; but he has disappeared."
"Drowned, probably," said Harris indifferently.
"No, he was not drowned; he was with us during the evening, but left
afterwards; I thought perhaps you might have met him along the
river-side, as you came that way."
"No," said Harris, "I saw no one; if your cook ventured alone into the
forest, most likely he has lost his way; it is possible we may pick him
up upon our road."
When they arrived at the grotto, they found breakfast duly prepared.
Like the supper of the previous evening it consisted mainly of corned
beef and biscuit. Harris did ample justice to the repast.
"There is no fear of our starving as we go," he observed to Mrs.
Weldon; "but I can hardly say so much for the unfortunate Portuguese,
your cook, of whom my young friend here has been speaking."
"Ah! has Dick been telling you about Negoro?" Mrs. Weldon said.
Dick explained that he had been inquiring whether Mr. Harris had
happened to meet him in the direction he had come.
"I saw nothing of him," Harris repeated; "and as he has deserted you,
you need not give yourselves any concern about him." And apparently
glad to turn the subject, he said, "Now, madam, I am at your service;
shall we start at once?"
It was agreed that there was no cause for delay. Each one took up the
package that had been assigned him. Mrs. Weldon, with Hercules' help,
mounted the horse, and Jack, with his miniature gun slung across his
shoulder, was placed astride in front of her. Without a thought of
acknowledging the kindness of the good-natured stranger in providing
him so enjoyable a ride, the heedless little fellow declared himself
quite capable of guiding the "gentleman's horse," and when to indulge
him the bridle was put into his hand, he looked as proud as though he
had been appointed leader of the whole caravan.
CHAPTER XVI.
THROUGH THE FOREST.
Although there was no obvious cause for apprehension, it cannot be
denied that it was with a certain degree of foreboding that Dick Sands
first entered that dense forest, through which for the next ten days
they were all to wend their toilsome way.
Mrs. Weldon, on the contrary, was full of confidence and hope. A woman
and a mother, she might have been expected to be conscious of anxiety
at the peril to which she might be exposing herself and her child; and
doubtless she would have been sensible of alarm if her mind had not
been fully satisfied upon two points; first, that the portion of the
pampas they were about to traverse was little infested either by
natives or by dangerous beasts; and secondly, that she was under the
protection of a guide so trustworthy as she believed Harris to be.
The entrance to the forest was hardly more than three hundred paces up
the river. An order of march had been arranged which was to be observed
as closely as possible throughout the journey. At the head of the troop
were Harris and Dick Sands, one armed with his long gun, the other with
his Remington; next came Bat and Austin, each carrying a gun and a
cutlass, then Mrs. Weldon and Jack, on horseback, closely followed by
Tom and old Nan, while Actæon with the fourth Remington, and Hercules
with a huge hatchet in his waist-belt, brought up the rear. Dingo had
no especial place in the procession, but wandered to and fro at his
pleasure. Ever since he had been cast ashore Dick had noticed a
remarkable change in the dog's behaviour; the animal was in a constant
state of agitation, always apparently on the search for some lost
scent, and repeatedly giving vent to a low growl, which seemed to
proceed from grief rather than from rage.
As for Cousin Benedict, his movements were permitted to be nearly as
erratic as Dingo's; nothing but a leading-string could possibly have
kept him in the ranks. With his tin box under his arm, and his
butterfly net in his hand, and his huge magnifying-glass suspended from
his neck, he would be sometimes far ahead, sometimes a long way behind,
and at the risk of being attacked by some venomous snake, would make
frantic dashes into the tall grass whenever he espied some attractive
orthoptera or other insect which he thought might be honoured by a
place in his collection.
In one hour after starting Mrs. Weldon had called to him a dozen times
without the slightest effect. At last she told him seriously that if he
would not give up chasing the insects at a distance, she should be
obliged to take possession of his tin box.
"Take away my box!" he cried, with as much horror as if she had
threatened to tear out his vitals.
"Yes, your box and your net too!"
"My box and my net! but surely not my spectacles!" almost shrieked the
excited entomologist.
"Yes, and your spectacles as well!" added Mrs. Weldon mercilessly; "I
am glad you have reminded me of another means of reducing you to
obedience!"
The triple penalty of which he was thus warned had the effect of
keeping him from wandering away for the best part of the next hour, but
he was soon once more missing from the ranks; he was manifestly
incorrigible; the deprivation of box, net, and spectacles would, it was
acknowledged, be utterly without avail to prevent him from rambling.
Accordingly it was thought better to let him have his own way,
especially as Hercules volunteered to keep his eye upon him, and to
endeavour to guard the worthy naturalist as carefully as he would
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