Bevis: The Story of a Boy

Serendib. Withcontinual labour they poled it along the shore of Serendib, nearly tothe end of the island, and then half-way across, and paddling hard withthe poles contrived to get over aslant. By the time they had moored it,it was quite dusk, and they were tired with the exertion of forcing theunwieldy craft in the face of the gale.

  Hastening home they found the stockade just as it had been left, andlost not a moment in lighting the fires, one on each side of the hut,the wood for which had already been collected. The gate was padlocked,the kettle put on, and they sat down to rest. A good supper and strongtea restored their strength. They sat inside the cage at the table, andneeded no lantern, for the light of the two fires lit up the interior ofthe stockade.

  As it became later the hare and the birds were fastened to the stake fora bait, more wood was heaped on the fires, and last of all the remainingpoles were lashed to the uprights of the shed, forming a complete cagewith horizontal bars. The matchlock was placed handy, the bow andarrows laid ready, and both axes, so that if the beast inserted his pawthey could strike it.

  Cards were then drawn to see who should go to sleep first, and as Beviscut highest, he went into the hut to lie down. But after he had beenthere about a quarter of an hour he jumped up, quite unable to go tosleep. Mark said he did not feel the least sleepy either, so theyagreed that both should sit up. Till now they had been in the outershed or cage, but Mark thought that perhaps the creature would not comeif it saw them, so they went inside the hut, and made Pan come too. Thecurtain was partly let down and looped aside, so that they had a view ofthe stockade, and the lantern lit and set in the niche.

  They could hear the wind rushing over the trees outside, and every nowand then a puff entered and made the lantern flicker. The fires stillburned brightly, and as nothing came the time passed slowly. Bevis didnot care to write up his journal, so at last they fell back on theircards and played bezique on the bed. After a time this too wearied.The tea and supper had refreshed them; but both had worked very hardthat day--a long day too, as they had been up so early--and theirinterest began to flag. The cards were put down and they stood up torecover their wakefulness, and then went out into the cage.

  The fires still flickered, though the piles of wood were burnt through,and the sticks had fallen off, half one side half the other. The windhad risen and howled along, carrying with it a few leaves which blewagainst the bars. It was perfectly dark, for the thick clouds hid themoon, and drops of rain were borne on the gale. They would have likedto replenish the fires, but could not get out without unlashing severalof the bars, and as Mark said the creature would be more likely to comeas the fires burned low. Weary and yawning they went back into the hutand sat down once more.

  "One thing," said Mark, "suppose he were to stay just outside thestockade--I mean if he comes and we shoot and hit him till he is savage,and don't kill him, well then if he can't get in to us, don't you see,when it is day he'll go outside the stockade and lie down."

  "So that we can't go out."

  "And there he'll stay, and wait, and wait."

  "And stay till we are starved."

  "We could not shoot him through the stockade."

  "No. Or he could go up on the cliff and watch there and never let usout. Our provisions would not last for ever."

  "The water would go first."

  "Suppose he does that, what shall we do then?" said Mark.

  "I don't know," said Bevis languidly.

  "But, now you think."

  "Bore a tunnel through the cliff to the sea," said Bevis, yawning. "Iam so sleepy, and one get out and swim round and fetch the raft."

  "Tunnel from the cave right through?"

  "Straight right through."

  "We shall beat him any way," said Mark.

  "Of course we shall. Wish he'd come! O!"--yawning--"Let us go tosleep; Pan will bark."

  "Not both," said Mark.

  "Both."

  "No."

  Mark would not agree to this. In the end they cut cards again and Markwon. He stretched himself out on the bed and asked Bevis what he wasgoing to do. Bevis took one of the great-coats (his pillow), placed iton the floor by the other wall of the hut, sat down and leaned backagainst the wall. In this position, with the curtain looped up, hecould see straight out across to the gateway of the stockade, which wasvisible whenever the embers of the fires sent up a flash of light. Panwas close by curled up comfortably. He put the matchlock by his side sothat he could snatch it up in a moment. "Good-night," he said; Mark wasalready firm asleep.

  Bevis put out his hand and stroked Pan; the spaniel recognised the touchin his sleep, and never moved. Now that it was so still, and there wasno talking, Bevis could hear the sound of the wind much plainer, andonce the cry of a heron rising harsh above the roar. Sometimes theinterior of the stockade seemed calm, the wind blew over from the topsof the trees to the top of the cliff, and left the hollow below inperfect stillness. Suddenly, like a genie, the wind descended, and theflames leapt up on each side from the embers. In a moment the flamesfell and the enclosure without was in darkness.

  All was still again except the distant roar in the wood. A fly keptawake by the lantern crawled along under the roof, became entangled in aspider's web and buzzed. The buzz seemed quite loud in the silent hut.Pan sighed in his slumber. Bevis stretched his legs and fell asleep,but a gnat alighted on his face and tickled him. He awoke, shookhimself, and reproached himself for neglecting his duty. The match ofthe matchlock had now burned almost away; he drew the last two inches upfarther in the spiral of the hammer, and thought that he would get up ina minute and put some more match in. Ten seconds later and he wasasleep; this time firmly.

  The last two inches of the match smouldered away, leaving the gunuseless till another was lit and inserted. Down came the genie of thewind, whirling up the grey ashes of the fires and waking a feeblerresponse. The candle in the lantern guttered and went out. As the dawndrew on above them the clouds became visible, and they were nowtravelling from the north-north-west, the wind having veered during thenight.

  A grey light came into the hut. The strong gusts of the gale ceased,and instead a light steady breeze blew. The clouds broke and the skyshowed. A crow came and perched on the stockade, then flew down andpicked up several fragments; it was the crow that had pecked the jack'shead. He meditated an attack on the hare and the birds strung to thestake, when Pan woke, yawned and stretched himself. Instantly the crowflew off.

  Sunbeams fell aslant through the horizontal bars on to the table. Pangot up and went as far as the short cord allowed him; there was a crustunder the table; he had disdained it last night at supper, when therewas meat to be had, now he ate it. He gave a kind of yawning whine, asmuch as to say, "Do wake up;" but they were sleeping far too sound tohear him.

  Mark woke first, and sat up. Bevis had slept a long time with his backto the wall, but had afterwards gently sunk down, and was now lying withhis head on the bare ground of the floor. Mark laughed. Pan wagged histail and looked at Bevis as if he understood it. Mark touched Bevis,and he instantly sat up, and felt for the gun as if it was dark.

  "Why!"

  "It's morning."

  "He hasn't been?"

  "No."

  They unlashed the bars, let Pan loose, and went out into the courtyard.It was a beautiful fresh morning. There were no signs whatever of thecreature having visited the place, neither outside nor in. They weremuch disappointed that it had not come, but supposed the wind and theroughness of the waves had deterred it from venturing across.

  After breakfast, on looking at the sun-dial, they were surprised to findit ten o'clock. Then taking the matchlock, bow, and axe, as before,they started for the bed of reed-grass, thinking that the creature mightpossibly have come to the island without approaching the stockade. Thedanger had now grown familiar, and they did not care in the least; theywalked straight to the place without delay or reconnoitring. The trailhad not apparently been used during the night,
a small branch of ash hadbeen snapped off and blown on to it, and the waves and wind had smoothedaway the disturbed appearance of the weeds.

  As the wind was favourable and not rough, they at once resolved to sailto the south and examine the shore there, and if they could hit upon thetrail to follow it up. But first they must have their bath at PearlIsland. They returned to the hut, put the hare and birds that had beenhung on the stake inside the hut, and lashed up the bars, determinedthat the creature at all events should not have the game in theirabsence.

  Then locking the gate of the stockade, they went to the raft, and bathedat Pearl Island. The mast was then stepped, the stays fastened, and thesail set. Bevis took the rudder and put it in the water over thestarboard quarter, it was like a long, broad oar, the sail filled, andthe heavy