*CHAPTER XIV.*
_*Another Exploring Trip; Tropical Fruits*_*.*
The morning following the setting of the trap I removed it and, allowingthe water to drain out through the meshes in the bag, I found threebeautiful silvery fish, not unlike the white perch of the northernwaters. Cleaning them, I broiled them over the coals, and found them tobe delicious, delicate and fine flavored. After that I had no lack offresh fish.
Puff, meantime, had made rapid progress in the art of talking and couldcarry on quite a conversation--and many were the hours I spent assistinghim in adding to his vocabulary. He insisted upon following meeverywhere I went, always walking and never making any attempt to fly,his instructions in the use of his wings having been neglected since hiscapture. When walking through the bush in search of pigeons and otherprovisions, I always carried Puff perched upon my shoulder, and he nevermade any attempt to escape. He seemed as perfectly satisfied with mysociety as I was with his, and we kept up a continuous conversation.
My supply of salt becoming nearly exhausted, I procured a large supply,enough to last me many months, by the same process as had been employedon the first experiment while marching along the coast. This I sealedsecurely in joints of bamboo.
Having no particular task on hand, one afternoon I proceeded to preparea supply of provisions, roast pigeon, fish, yam, a few oranges and halfa dozen green cocoanuts, preparatory to setting off, the followingmorning, to explore along the bank of the stream, which flowed almost bymy door, toward its source. I knew that this was a separate stream,independent of the other two that I had met with. I remembered that Ihad not crossed a third stream on my march from the mountains, and I wascurious as to its source. Certainly it must be much shorter than theother two.
Seeking my couch early in order that I might set off by daylight, beforegoing to sleep I remembered that I needed a new supply of arrows. Thiswould necessitate delaying another day, and in the morning I set towork, and before sunset I had several dozen of much better made arrowsthan the first ones.
With my quiver and provision bag slung across my back and with Puff onone shoulder and the bow-gun on the other, I set out just as the sun wasrising above the palm trees. I kept to the left bank of the stream, andsoon passed "Bamboo Pool" where I had first discovered these usefulplants.
I walked along rapidly, stopping only to refresh myself and Puff. Theway was easy, for there were very few shrubs or thorn bushes along thebank. But I had to occasionally turn aside to avoid inhospitable cactusplants, and the sharp, dagger-like plant which grew plentifully almosteverywhere.
Just as I was thinking about seeking a good place to camp in order thatI might make myself and Puff comfortable before dark, I was brought toan abrupt stop, where I stood transfixed with surprise; for I hadreached the source of the stream, less than a day's journey from myhouse.
Before me there was a little pool, only a few feet across, and itscentre was bubbling and boiling. The water which supplied the streamflowed from the bowels of the earth. While the pool was violentlyagitated, no sound was made by the up-rushing water. My brook wassimply the outlet of a subterranean river.
I at once made camp for the night, determining to spend a day around thepool before returning. I kindled a fire for the sake of its cheeringeffect, and made my supper from the provision bag. Puff was satisfiedwith a banana.
After a frugal breakfast in the morning--for I had only some plantainand a part of one of the fish left--I set out to explore the forest inthe near vicinity of the pool. Almost immediately I came across somebanana trees, and near by a few plantains were also growing. Furtheraround I found a couple of orange trees. This seemed quite a naturalgarden, and it was not so far away but that I could make frequent tripsfrom home for bananas and plantains.
Penetrating a little further into the forest, I came to a little clearspot, in the centre of which grew two large, handsome trees, each withstraight, rather smooth trunks, with symmetrical tops.
At first I thought both the trees were of the same kind, but I soonnoticed that the leaves of one were larger than those of the other, andmore pinnate. I discovered that both trees bore curious-looking fruit.The fruit, too, looked something alike. It was large, round, and greenin color, with a pebbly rind. Several were lying under each tree; butthat under one of the trees was decayed, and when I tried to move itwith my foot it yielded to the pressure, and as the mass parted itlooked like uncooked bread. The fruit under the other tree was firm andhard. I was at a loss to solve the mystery. Cutting one of the latter,I found that it had a very hard shell. Procuring a long pole from thebush, I succeeded in knocking off some fresh fruit from the other tree.On cutting this I found that the skin was thin, and that the inside hadsomething the appearance of a yam.
I carried one of each to camp, when it occurred to me to roast thelatter, and see if it proved good to eat. While it was roasting in thecoals, I cut the other green globe in halves, and found that the hardshell was very readily separated from the meat, leaving two nice bowls,suitable for drinking vessels, and perhaps for cooking. When I thoughtthe other was thoroughly roasted, I took it from the ashes. Thetransformation was marvelous. The fruit was now like light, whitebread. Very cautiously I tasted it, and found that, while it possessedno decided flavor, it was very delicate. I tried some with a littlesalt, and mentally pronounced it delicious.
Before going into camp for the night, I procured half a dozen of eachfruit, and, early in the morning, after adding a supply of bananas andplantains to my burden, started to return to the house, which wasreached early in the evening.
I became very fond of the new fruit, which answered for bread; and Imade dishes from the shell of the other which served for drinkingvessels, and I even boiled some fish in one of them.
My time was now occupied by various tasks. Frequent trips were made tothe pool. I planted more yams, and made frequent excursions huntingpigeons. I also made a complete suit of clothes from the cocoanutcloth, including a hat and a pair of very substantial moccasins, for myshoes were all but useless. These things were varied by giving Pufflessons in conversation, in which he proved to be an apt scholar.
I had seen no turtles on this part of the coast, and I contemplated ajourney to the cove where I had seen them months before, as soon as,from my calendar, I judged it to be their breeding season. I had longcraved more of their delicious eggs.
As the days and weeks passed, frequent showers came up; and after atime, the showers of warm, tepid rain became more frequent. Some werevery violent, with high wind, and occasionally thunder and lightning.They rose quickly and as quickly passed over, when the sun would burstout, making the drops falling from the trees glisten like silver. Butthere came a day of almost steady rain, and, after consulting mycalendar, I found that it was about time for the rainy season to set in.
I had hardly thought of the rainy season since my return from themountains. Indeed, I had intended to set to work and attempt toconstruct a craft with which to try to reach the distant land to theeast. But now I must wait for another rainy season to pass beforeattempting it, for the sea would be too rough to risk a voyage in a rudeand frail craft.
I allowed gloomy thoughts to take possession of me, which I did not evenconfide to Puff, who was my only comforter.