CHAPTER XXXIII

Anniversary of Our Deliverance—Motives for Thankfulness

One morning, having arisen earlier than the rest of my young family, I occupied myself by counting up the time that had passed away since our shipwreck. I calculated the dates with the utmost exactness, and I found that the next day would be the anniversary of that event. It was just two years since the hand of God had been extended over us to save us from a watery grave. I felt my mind filled with thanksgiving, and I resolved to celebrate the day with all the pomp our situation would permit.

As I had not yet fixed upon the arrangements for our holiday, I said nothing about it to my family. Breakfast over, we proceeded to our different employments, and it was not until we were seated at supper that I announced, in a pompous manner, the holiday for the morrow.

“Be ready,” said I to my sons, “to celebrate the anniversary of the morrow; let each one prepare himself as is proper for so great a day.”

These last words, joined to the announcement of a holiday, surprised and overjoyed my children. Their mother was not less astonished than they were to find that they had been on the island two years.

On the morrow we rose and dressed as decently as our scanty means afforded, and proceeded to breakfast. After our daily prayer I announced to my family that the amusements of the day would conclude with the exercises which always terminated our holidays.

“You have practised for some time,” said I, “in wrestling, running, slinging, and horsemanship; the time has come when you shall receive the reward for your labours. You shall this day contend, before your mother and me, and the crown shall be given to the victor. Come, champions,” I added, elevating my voice, “the barrier is open, enter the lists; and you, trumpets, sound the horn of combat.” As I said these last words, I turned to the little inlet where our geese and ducks were feeding, and the whole troop, frightened by my gestures, and the tone of my voice, commenced a most deafening clamour, and furnished my sons with a good joke to excite their risible faculties.

I then organized the different combats which were to take place. First came firing at a mark; the materials for this were soon arranged by fixing in the ground a rudely-shaped piece of wood, with two bits of leather at each side of the top, which we called a kangaroo. Jack did wonders, either by chance or skill: he shot away one of the ears of our pretended kangaroo! Fritz just grazed the head, and Ernest lodged his ball in the middle of the body. The three shots were all worthy of praise. Another proof of skill was then made; it consisted in firing at a ball of cork which I threw up in the air. Ernest had the advantage here: he cut the ball to pieces. Fritz also shot well, but Jack could not hit it. We then tried the same thing with pistols, shortening the distance, and again I complimented my boys upon the progress they had made since last year.

Slinging succeeded to the pistol exercise. Fritz carried off the prize. After that came archery; and here all—even little Francis—distinguished themselves. Next came the races; and I gave them for a course the distance between Family Bridge and Falcon’s Nest.

“The one that arrives first,” said I to the runners, who gathered about me, “will bring me, as proof of his victory, my knife, which I left on the table, under the tree.” I then gave the signal, by clapping my hands three times. My three sons set out, Jack and Fritz with all the impetuosity that marked their character; on the contrary, Ernest, who never did anything without reflecting, set off slowly at first, but gradually augmented his pace. I perceived that he had his elbows pressed firmly against his body, and I augured well from this little mark of prudence.

The runners were absent about three-quarters of an hour. Jack returned first; but he was mounted on his buffalo, and the onagra and the ass followed him.

“How now,” said I, “is this what you call racing? It was your legs, and not those of the buffalo, that I wished to exercise.”

“Bah!” cried he, jumping from the back of his courser; “I knew I would never get there, so I left the course; and, as the trial of horsemanship comes next, I thought that, as I was near Falcon’s Nest, I would bring our coursers back with me.”

Fritz came next, all out of breath and covered with sweat; but he had not the knife, and it was Ernest who brought it me.

“How came you to have the knife,” said I, “when Fritz got here before you?”

“The thing is simple,” answered Ernest; “in going, he could not long keep up the pace he started with, and soon stopped to breathe, while I ran on and got the knife; but in coming back, Fritz had learned a lesson; he pressed his arms against his sides, and held his mouth shut, as he had seen me do, and then the victory depended upon our relative strength: Fritz is 16, while I am but 13, and of course he arrived first.”

I praised the two boys for their skill, and declared Ernest conqueror.

But now Jack, mounted on his buffalo, demanded that the equestrian exercises should commence, and he be allowed to repair the injury his reputation had sustained.

“To the saddle, to the saddle, my lads,” he bellowed with all his force, “and you shall then see who can best manage a courser; we shall then know whether you can sit your horse as well as you can exercise your legs.”

I hastened to comply with the request of the little braggart: Fritz mounted his onagra, and Ernest took the ass; but although they tried all their skill, Jack distanced them both. I was frightened myself to see with what boldness the boy abandoned himself to the powerful animal that bore him. To stop, charge, and turn was but a trifle to him; a practised groom could not have managed a thoroughbred horse with more ease and grace than he did his bull. Just as I had declared the contest over, and was about to proclaim Jack victor, the little Francis rode into the arena, mounted on his young bull “Broumm,” who was not more than three or four months old; my wife had made him a saddle of kangaroo-skin, with stirrups adjusted to his little legs, and there he sat, a whip in his right hand, and the bridle of his animal in the left.

“Gentlemen,” said the little cavalier, saluting us with a gracious bend, “I have not contended with you thus far in any of the exercises of the day; will you now permit Milo of Crotona to make a trial of his horsemanship before you?”

The assembly loudly applauded this little harangue, and the cavalier commenced to manœuvre his courser. The boy was more cool and calm than those of his age are apt to be. But what I admired most was the docility of the animal. My wife looked on with maternal pride to see the success of her dear pupil, and Francis was unanimously proclaimed an excellent horseman.

After the horsemanship, the swimming occupied some time; they also climbed the trees; and, after we had finished our gymnastics, I announced that the rewards would now be distributed, and that the crowns would shade the brows of the victors.

Every one hastened to the grotto, which had been lighted up with all the torches we possessed; my wife, as queen of the day, was pompously installed in an elevated seat, decorated with flowers, and I called up the laureates to receive the rewards, which their mother distributed to each one as she impressed a tender kiss upon his forehead.

Fritz—conqueror at shooting and swimming—received a superb English rifle, and a hunting-knife, which he had long wished for. Ernest had for the reward of the race a splendid gold watch. Jack—the cavalier—obtained a magnificent pair of steel spurs and a whip of whalebone. Little Francis received a pair of stirrups and a box of colours as a reward for the industry he had displayed in educating his bull.

When this distribution was finished, I rose, and, turning to my wife, presented her with a beautiful English work-box, in which was contained all those little things that add so much to the comfort of an industrious woman, such as pins, needles, scissors, etc.

“Receive,” said I, “my excellent companion, also a reward; for your services and endurance during the year well deserve one, even though the tender love of myself and children may be in itself a sufficient reward.”

The day was finished as it had begun—with songs and expressions of joy; we were all happy, all contented: we all enjoyed that pure felicity which a life free from reproach had given us; and we all thanked in our hearts the Lord who had been so merciful toward us.

FOOTNOTE:

These articles were portion of the property brought from the wreck.