CHAPTER IV

Return from the Voyage of Discovery—A Nocturnal Alarm

My poor boy now began to complain of fatigue; the sugar-canes galled his shoulders, and he was obliged to shift them often. At last he stopped to take breath.—“No,” cried he, “I never could have thought that a few sugar-canes could be so heavy. How sincerely I pity the poor negroes who carry heavy loads of them! Yet how glad I shall be when my mother and Ernest are tasting them!”

“I am not without my apprehensions, that of our acquisition we shall carry them only a few sticks for firewood; for the juice of the sugar-cane is apt to turn sour soon after cutting, and the more certainly in such heat as we now experience; we may suck them, therefore, without compunction at the diminution of their numbers.”

When we reached the place where we had left our gourd utensils upon the sands, we found them perfectly dry, as hard as bone, and not the least misshapen. We now, therefore, could put them into our game-bags conveniently enough, and this done, we continued our way. Scarcely had we passed through the little wood in which we breakfasted, when Turk sprang away to seize upon a troop of monkeys, who were skipping about and amusing themselves without observing our approach. They were thus taken by surprise; and before we could get to the spot, our ferocious Turk had already seized one of them; it was a female who held a young one in her arms, which she was caressing almost to suffocation, and which incumbrance deprived her of the power of escaping. The poor creature was killed, and afterwards devoured; the young one hid himself in the grass, and looked on, grinding his teeth. Fritz flew like lightning to make Turk let go his hold. He lost his hat, threw down his tin bottle, canes, etc., but all in vain; he was too late to prevent the death of the interesting mother.

The next scene that presented itself was of a different nature, and comical enough. The young monkey sprang nimbly on Fritz’s shoulders, and fastened his feet in the stiff curls of his hair; nor could the squalls of Fritz, nor all the shaking he gave him, make him let go his hold. I ran to them, laughing heartily, for I saw that the animal was too young to do him any injury, while the panic visible in the features of the boy made a ludicrous contrast with the grimaces of the monkey, whom I endeavoured to disengage.

With a little gentleness and management I succeeded. I took the creature in my arms as one would an infant, nor could I help pitying and caressing him. He was not larger than a kitten, and quite unable to help himself; its mother was at least as tall as Fritz.

“What shall I do with thee, poor orphan?” cried I; “and how, in our condition, shall I be able to maintain thee? We have already more mouths to fill than food to put into them, and our workmen are too young to afford us much hope from their exertions.”

“Father,” cried Fritz, “do let me have this little animal to myself. I will take the greatest care of him; I will give him all my share of the milk of the cocoa-nuts, till we get our cows and goats; and who knows? his monkey instinct may one day assist us in discovering some wholesome fruits.”

“I have not the least objection,” answered I. “You have conducted yourself throughout this tragi-comic adventure like a lad of courage and sensibility, and I am well satisfied with every circumstance of your behaviour. It is therefore but just that the little protégé should be given up to your management and discretion.”

We now thought of resuming our journey. The little orphan jumped again on the shoulders of his protector, while I on my part relieved my boy of the bundle of canes. Scarcely had we proceeded a quarter of a league when Turk overtook us full gallop. The young monkey appeared uneasy from seeing him so near, and passed round and fixed himself on his protector’s bosom, who did not long bear so great an inconvenience without having recourse to his invention for a remedy. He tied some string round Turk’s body in such a way, as to admit of the monkey’s being fastened on his back with it, and then in a tone of genuine pity, he said, “Now, Mr. Turk, since you had the cruelty to destroy the mother, it is for you to take care of her child.” At first the dog was restive, and resisted; but by degrees, partly by menaces, and partly by caresses, we succeeded in gaining his good-will, and he quietly consented to carry the little burden; and the young monkey, who also had made some difficulties, at length found himself perfectly accommodated. Fritz put another string round Turk’s neck, by which he might lead him, a precaution he used to prevent him from going out of sight.

Thus proceeding, we soon found ourselves on the bank of the river, and near our family, before we were aware. Flora from the other side announced our approach by a violent barking, and Turk replied so heartily, that his motions unseated his little burden, who in his fright jumped the length of his string from his back to Fritz’s shoulder, which he could not afterwards be prevailed upon to leave. Turk, who began to be acquainted with the country, ran off to meet his companion, and shortly after, our much-loved family appeared in sight, with demonstrations of unbounded joy at our safe return.

I gave my wife an account of our journey and our new acquisitions, which I exhibited one after the other for her inspection. No one of them afforded her more pleasure than the plates and dishes, because, to persons of decent habits, they were articles of indispensable necessity. We now adjourned to our kitchen, and observed with pleasure the preparations for an excellent repast. On one side of the fire was a turnspit, which my wife had contrived by driving two forked pieces of wood into the ground, and placing a long even stick, sharpened at one end, across them. By this invention she was enabled to roast fish, or other food, with the help of little Francis, who was intrusted with the care of turning it round from time to time. On the occasion of our return, she had prepared us the treat of a goose, the fat of which ran down into some oyster-shells placed there to serve the purpose of a dripping-pan. There was, besides, a dish of fish, which the little ones had caught; and the iron pot was upon the fire, provided with a good soup, the odour of which increased our appetite. By the side of these most exhilarating preparations stood one of the casks which we had recovered from the sea, the head of which my wife had knocked out, so that it exposed to our view a cargo of the finest sort of Dutch cheeses, contained in round tins.

We seated ourselves on the ground: my wife had placed each article of the repast in one of our new dishes, the neat appearance of which exceeded all our expectations. My sons had not patience to wait, but had broken the cocoa-nuts, and already convinced themselves of their delicious flavour; and then they fell to making spoons with the fragments of the shells.

The boys were preparing to break some more of the nuts with the hatchet, after having drawn out the milk through the three little holes, when I pronounced the word halt, and bade them bring me a saw;—the thought had struck me, that by dividing the nuts carefully with this instrument, the two halves, when scooped, would remain in the form of tea-cups or basins already made to our hands. Jack, who was on every occasion the most active, brought me the saw. I performed my undertaking in the best manner I could, and in a short time each of us was provided with a convenient receptacle for food.

By the time we had finished our meal, the sun was retiring from our view; and recollecting how quickly the night would fall upon us, we were in great haste to regain our place of rest. My wife had considerately collected a tenfold quantity of dry grass, which she had spread in the tent, so that we anticipated with joy the prospect of stretching our limbs on a substance somewhat approaching to the quality of mattresses, while, the night before, our bodies seemed to touch the ground. Our flock of fowls placed themselves as they had done the preceding evening: we said our prayers, and, with an improved serenity of mind, lay down in the tent, taking the young monkey with us, who was become the little favourite of all. We all lay down upon the grass, in the order of the night before, myself remaining last to fasten the sail-cloth in front of the tent; when, heartily fatigued by the exertions of the day, I, as well as the rest, soon fell into a profound and refreshing sleep.

But I had not long enjoyed this pleasing state, when I was awakened by the motion of the fowls on the ridge of the tent, and by a violent barking of our vigilant safeguards, the dogs. I was instantly on my legs: my wife and Fritz, who had also been alarmed, got up also: we each took a gun, and sallied forth.

The dogs continued barking with the same violence, and at intervals even howled. We had not proceeded many steps from the tent, when, to our surprise, we perceived by the light of the moon a terrible combat. At least a dozen of jackals had surrounded our brave dogs, who defended themselves with the stoutest courage. Already the fierce champions had laid three or four of their adversaries on the ground, while those which remained began a timid kind of moan, as if imploring pity and forbearance. Meanwhile they did not the less endeavour to entangle and surprise the dogs, thus thrown off their guard, and so secure to themselves the advantage. But our watchful combatants were not so easily deceived: they took good care not to let the enemy approach them too nearly.

I, for my part, had apprehended something worse than jackals.—“We shall soon manage to set these gentlemen at rest,” said I. “Let us fire both together, my boy; but let us take care how we aim, for fear of killing the dogs; mind how you fire, that you may not miss, and I shall do the same.” We fired, and two of the intruders fell instantly dead upon the sands. The others made their escape; but we perceived it was with great difficulty, in consequence, no doubt, of being wounded. Turk and Flora afterwards pursued them, and put the finishing stroke to what we had begun; and thus the battle ended.

The body of one of the jackals was left on the rock, by the side of the tent in which were the little sleepers, who had not once awaked during the whole of the scene which had been passing. Having, therefore, nothing further to prevent us, we lay down by their side till day began to break, and till the cocks, with their shrill morning salutation, awoke us both. The children being still asleep, this afforded us an excellent opportunity to consult together respecting the plan we should pursue for the ensuing day.