CHAPTER NINE.
BAFFLED AND PERPLEXED--PLANS FOR A RESCUE.
While the men assembled round the prostrate form of Mr Mason wereattempting to rescue him from his state of stupor, poor Corrie began toshew symptoms of returning vitality. A can of water, poured over him byHenry, did much to restore him. But no sooner was he enabled tounderstand what was going on, and to recall what had happened, than hesprang up with a wild cry of despair, and rushed towards the blazinghouse. Again Henry's quick arm arrested a friend in his mad career.
"Oh! she's there! Alice is _there_!" shrieked the boy, as he struggledpassionately to free himself.
"You can do nothing, Corrie," said Henry, trying to soothe him.
"Coward!" gasped the boy in a paroxysm of rage, as he clenched his fistand struck his captor on the chest with all his force.
"Hold him," said Henry, turning to John Bumpus, who at that moment cameup.
Bumpus nodded intelligently, and seized the boy, who uttered a groan ofanguish as he ceased a struggle which he felt was hopeless in such aniron gripe.
"Now, friends--all of you," shouted Henry, the moment he was relieved ofhis charge, "little Alice is in that house--we must pull it down! whowill lend a hand?"
He did not pause for an answer, but seizing an axe, rushed through thesmoke and began to cut down the door-posts. The whole party thereassembled, numbering about fifty, rushed forward, as one man, to aid inthe effort. The attempt was a wild one. Had Henry considered for amoment, he would have seen that, in the event of their succeeding inpulling down the blazing pile, they should in all probability smotherthe child in the ruins.
"The shell is in the out-house," said Corrie, eagerly, to the giant whoheld him.
"Wot shell?" inquired Bumpus.
"The shell that they blow like a horn to call the people to work with."
"Ah! you're sane again," said the sailor, releasing him; "go, find it,lad, and blow till yer cheeks crack."
Corrie was gone long before Jo had concluded even that short remark. Inanother second the harsh but loud sound of the shell rang over thehill-side. The settlers, black and white, immediately ceased theirpursuit of the savages, and from every side they came trooping in bydozens. Without waiting to inquire the cause of what was being done,each man, as he arrived, fell to work on the blazing edifice, and, urgedon by Henry's voice and example, toiled and moiled in the midst of fireand smoke, until the pastor's house was literally pulled to pieces.
Fortunately for little Alice, she had been carried out of that houselong before by Keona, who, being subtle as well as revengeful, knew wellhow to strike at the tenderest part of the white man's heart.
While her friends were thus frantically endeavouring to deliver her fromthe burning house in which they supposed her to be, Alice was beinghurried through the woods by a steep mountain path in the direction ofthe native village. Happily for the feelings of her father, the factwas made known, soon after the house had been pulled down, by thearrival of a small party of native settlers bearing one of the child'sshoes. They had found it, they said, sticking in the mud, about a mileoff, and had tracked the little footsteps a long way into the mountainsby the side of the prints made by the naked feet of a savage. At lengththey had lost the tracks amid the hard lava rocks and had given up thechase.
"We must follow them up instantly," said Mr Mason, who had by this timerecovered; "no time is to be lost."
"Ay, time is precious, who will go?" cried Henry, who, begrimed withfire and smoke, and panting vehemently from recent exertion, had just atthat moment come towards the group.
"Take me! Oh! take me, Henry!" cried Corrie, in a beseeching tone, ashe sprang promptly to his friend's side.
At any other time, Henry would have smiled at the enthusiastic offer ofsuch a small arm to fight the savages; but fierce anger was in hisbreast at that moment;--he turned from the poor boy and looked roundwith a frown, as he observed that, although the natives crowded roundhim at once, neither Gascoyne, nor Thorwald, nor Captain Montague shewedany symptom of an intention to accompany him.
"Nay, be not angry, lad," said Gascoyne, observing the frown; "yourblood is young and hot, as it should be; but it behoves us to have acouncil of war before we set out on this expedition, which, believe me,will be no trifling one, if I know anything of savage ways and doings."
"Mr Gascoyne is right," said Montague, turning to the missionary, whostood regarding the party with anxious looks, quite unable to offeradvice on such an occasion, and clasping the little shoe firmly in bothhands; "it seems to me that those who know the customs of savage warfareshould give their advice first. You may depend on all the aid that itis in my power to give."
"Ole Thorwald is our leader when we are compelled to fight inself-defence," said Mr Mason; "would God that it were less frequentlywe were obliged to demand his services. He knows what is best to bedone."
"I know what is best to do," said Thorwald, "when I have to lead meninto action, or to shew them how to fight. But, to say truth, I don'tplume myself on possessing more than an average share of the qualitiesof the terrier dog. When niggers are to be hunted out of holes in themountains like rabbits, I will do what in me lies to aid in the work;but I would rather be led than lead if you can find a better man."
Thorwald said this with a rueful countenance, for he had hoped to havesettled this war in a pitched battle; and there were few things theworthy man seemed to enjoy more than a stand-up fight on level ground.A fair field and no favour was his delight, but climbing the hills washis mortal aversion. He was somewhat too corpulent and short of windfor that.
"Come, Gascoyne," said Henry, "you know more about the savages thananybody here, and if I remember rightly, you have told me that you areacquainted with most of the mountain passes."
"With all of them, lad," interposed Gascoyne; "I know every pass andcavern on the island."
"What, then, would you advise?" asked Montague.
"If a British officer can put himself under a simple trading skipper,"said Gascoyne, "I may perhaps shew what ought to be done in thisemergency."
"I can co-operate with any one who proves himself worthy of confidence,"retorted Montague, sharply.
"Well, then," continued the other, "it is in vain to think of doing anygood by a disorderly chase into mountains like these. I would advisethat our forces be divided into three. One band under Mr Thorwaldshould go round by the Goat's Pass, to which I will guide him, and cutoff the retreat of the savages there. Another party under my friendHenry Stuart should give chase in the direction in which little Aliceseems to have been taken, and a third party, consisting of his Majesty'svessel the _Talisman_, and crew, should proceed round to the north sideof the island and bombard the native village."
"The Goat's Pass," growled Thorwald, "sounds unpleasantly rugged andsteep in the ears of a man of my weight and years, Mister Gascoyne. Butif there's no easier style of work to be done, I fancy I must be contentwith what falls to my lot?"
"And, truly," added Montague, "methinks you might have assigned me amore useful, as well as more congenial occupation than the bombardmentof a mud village full of women and children--for I doubt not that everyable-bodied man has left it, to go on this expedition."
"You will not find the Goat's Pass so bad as you think, good Thorwald,"returned Gascoyne, "for I propose that the _Talisman_ or her boatsshould convey you and your men to the foot of it, after which yourcourse will be indeed rugged, but it will be short;--merely to scale theface of a precipice that would frighten a goat to think of and then aplain descent into the valley where, I doubt not, these villains will befound in force; and where, certainly, they will not look for theappearance of a stout generalissimo of half savage troops. As for thebombarding of a mud village, Mr Montague, I should have expected awell-trained British officer ready to do his duty whether that duty wereagreeable or otherwise."
"My _duty_, certainly," interrupted the young captain, hotly, "but Ihave yet to learn that _your_ orders constitu
te _my_ duty."
The bland smile with which Gascoyne listened to this tended rather toirritate than to soothe Montague's feelings; but he curbed the passionwhich stirred his breast, while the other went on--
"No doubt the bombarding of a defenceless village is not pleasant work,but the result will be important, for it will cause the whole army ofsavages to rush to the protection of their women and children; therebydisconcerting their plans--supposing them to have any--and enabling usto attack them while assembled in force. It is the nature of savages toscatter, and so to puzzle trained forces,--and no doubt those of hisMajesty are well trained. But `one touch of nature makes the wholeworld kin,' says a great authority; and it is wonderful how useful aknowledge of the various touches of nature is in the art of war. It maynot have occurred to Mr Montague that savages have a tendency to loveand protect their wives and children as well as civilised men, andthat--"
"Pray, cease your irrelevant remarks; they are ill-timed," saidMontague, impatiently. "Let us hear the remainder of your suggestions.I shall judge of their value and act accordingly. You have not yet toldus what part you yourself intend to play in this game."
"I mean to accompany Captain Montague, if he will permit me."
"How! go with me in the _Talisman_," said Montague, surprised at theman's coolness, and puzzled by his impudence.
"Even so," said Gascoyne.
"Well, I have no objection, of course; but it seems to me that you wouldbe more useful at the head of a party of your own men."
"Perhaps I might," replied Gascoyne; "but the coral reefs are dangerouson the north side of the island, and it is important that one wellacquainted with them should guide your vessel. Besides, I have a trustymate, and if you will permit me to send my old shipmate, John Bumpus,across the hills, he will convey all needful instructions to the_Foam_."
This was said in so quiet and straightforward a tone that Montague'swrath vanished. He felt ashamed of having shewn so much petulance at atime when affairs of so great importance ought to have been calmlydiscussed, so he at once agreed to allow Bumpus to go. Meanwhile HenryStuart, who had been fretting with impatience at this conversation,suddenly exclaimed--
"It seems to me, sirs, that you are wasting precious time just now. I,at least, am quite satisfied with the duty assigned to me, so I'm off--ho! who will join me?"
"I'm your man," cried Corrie, starting up and flourishing the brokensabre above his head. At the same moment about a hundred natives rangedthemselves round the youth, thus indicating that they, too, were hismen.
"Well, lad, away you go," said Gascoyne, smiling, "but Master Corriemust remain with me."
"I'll do nothing of the sort," said Corrie, stoutly.
"Oh! yes, you will, my boy. I want you to guide my man Bumpus over themountains. You know the passes, and he don't. It's all for the good ofthe cause, you know,--the saving of little Alice."
Corrie wavered. The idea of being appointed, as it were, to a separatecommand, and of going with his new friend, was a strong temptation, andthe assurance that he would in some way or other be advancing thebusiness in hand settled the matter. He consented to become obedient.
In about half an hour all Gascoyne's plans were in course of beingcarried out. Ole Thorwald and his party proceeded on board the_Talisman_, which weighed anchor, and sailed, with a light breeze,towards the north end of the island--guided through the dangerous reefsby Gascoyne. Henry and his followers were toiling nimbly up the hillsin the direction indicated by the little footprints of Alice; and JohnBumpus, proceeding into the mountains in another direction, pushed,under the guidance of Corrie, towards the bay where the _Foam_ still layquietly at anchor.
It was evening when these different parties set out on their variousexpeditions. The sun was descending to the horizon in a blaze of luridlight. The slight breeze, which wafted his Britannic Majesty's shipslowly along the verdant shore, was scarcely strong enough to ruffle thesurface of the sea. Huge banks of dark clouds were gathering in thesky, and a hot unnatural closeness seemed to pervade the atmosphere, asif a storm were about to burst upon the scene. Everything, above andbelow, seemed to presage war--alike elemental and human--and the variousleaders of the several expeditions felt that the approaching night wouldtax their powers and resources to the uttermost.
It was, then, natural that in such circumstances the bereaved fathershould be distracted with anxiety as to which party he should join, andit was also natural that one whose life had been so long devoted to thespecial service of his God should, before deciding on the point, ask, onhis knees, his heavenly Father's guidance.
He finally resolved to accompany the party under command of HenryStuart.