terriblebattle.
Matty came in for a share of praise, but was told she really must notrun away again. And she promised, only adding that she thought shecould "'ssist the poor dear doc."
The banquet lasted till late. The Queen had not forgotten how to playand sing. Dickson and Reginald were both good musicians, and one or twoblacks gave inimitable performances, partly gesture, partly song; whichwould assuredly have brought down the house if given in a Londonmusic-hall.
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Being freed now for a time from any fear of further invasion, attentionwas turned to the gold mines and to the pearl-fishing. At a meeting onthe hillside it was resolved that the men--they were all honestfellows--should be admitted to the secret. To have shut them out wouldhardly have been fair, so thought all.
Well, naturally enough, Reginald chose what he considered the best twoclaims; then came Dickson's choice; then Mr Hall's, and after these thesix white sailors, and they were willing to dig like heroes.
They divided the work of the day into two parts. One was spent at thegold mines, the other in fishing for pearls. They were remarkablysuccessful with the latter, but for nine months at least the gold camebut slowly in, and this was disheartening. Nevertheless, they continuedto dig and dig, assisted by native labour. The savages often foundnuggets among the _debris_ that had been overlooked by the white men,and these they dutifully presented to the owners of the claims.
It must be admitted that the men were most energetic, for while theirofficers were always at the Queen's palace by five o'clock, and readyfor dinner, the men often worked by moonlight, or even by the glimmer oflanterns. They were slowly accumulating wealth.
Success crowned Reginald's efforts at last, though. For, to his extremewonderment and delight, he struck a splendid pocket.
It was deep down at the far end of the cave, and the mould was of asandy nature, much of it apparently powdered quartz, broken, perhaps, bythe awful pressure of the mountain above. But the very first nugget hepulled from here was as large as a pineapple, and many more followed,though none so large.
No wonder his heart palpitated with joy and excitement, or that hiscomrades crowded round to shake his hand and congratulate him. But thatcave had already made Reginald a fairly wealthy man. His success,moreover, encouraged the others to dig all the harder, and not withoutexcellent results. It seemed, indeed, that not only was this island aflowery land, but an isle of gold. And the further they dug into thehill the more gold did they find. The men were very happy.
"Oh, Bill," said one to his pal one night at supper, "if ever we doesget a ship home from this blessed isle, won't my Polly be glad to see mejust!"
"Ay, Jack, she will; but I ain't in any particular hurry to go yet, youknow."
"Well, it's two years come Monday since we sailed away from thebeautiful Clyde. Heigho! I shouldn't wonder if Polly has given me upfor good and all, and married some counter-jumping land-lubber of adraper or grocer."
"Never mind, Jack; there's as good fish in the sea as ever came out ofit yet. Pass the rum. This is Saturday night, and it was just realgood of Captain Dickson to send us an extra drop of the rosy. Fill yourglasses, gentlemen, for a toast and a song. That digging has made me amighty deal too tired to think of dancing to the sweetest jig e'er afiddler could scrape out."
"Well, give us your toast, Bill. We're all primed and waiting."
"My toast ain't a very short one, but here it goes: `May the next yearbe our very last in this 'ere blessed island; may we all go home withbags of gold, and find our sweethearts true and faithful.'"
"Hear, hear!" And every glass was drained to the bottom. "Now for thesong."
"Oh, only an old ditty o' Dibdin's, and I'd rather be on the heavin'ocean when I sings it. There is no accompaniment to a song so fetchingas that which the boom and the wash of the waves make. Them's mysentiments, boys.
"Wives and Sweethearts.
"'Tis said we ve't'rous diehards, when we leave the shore, Our friends should mourn, Lest we return To bless their sight no more; But this is all a notion Bold Jack can't understand, Some die upon the ocean, And some die on the land. Then since 'tis clear, Howe'er we steer, No man's life's under his command; Let tempests howl And billows roll, And dangers press; In spite of these there are some joys Us jolly tars to bless, For Saturday night still comes, my boys, To drink to Poll and Bess.
"Hurrah!" But just at this moment a strange and ominous sound, likedistant thunder, put a sudden stop to the sailors' Saturday night. Allstarted to their feet to listen.
CHAPTER TWENTY.
"OH, AWFUL! WHAT CAN IT BE?" CRIED REGINALD.
I do not hesitate to say that the possession of unprotected wealthmaketh cowards of most people. The anxiety connected therewith may keepone awake at night, and bring on a state of nervousness that shall endin a break-up of the general health. But no thought of ever losing theprecious nuggets and pearls that had cost him so much hard work cameinto the mind of Reginald Grahame, until an event took place whichproved that gold may tempt even those we trust the most.
Harry Jenkins was a bright little sailor, the pet of his mess. He wasalways singing when at work in the diggings, and he generally managed tokeep his comrades in excellent humour, and laughing all the time. Intheir messroom of an evening they were all frank and free, and hidnothing one from the other. For each believed in his pal's honesty.
"I have a thousand pounds' worth of nuggets at least!" said Harry oneevening.
"And I," said Bill Johnson, "have half as much again."
They showed each other their gold, comparing nuggets, their very eyesglittering with joy as they thought of how happy they should be whenthey returned once more to their own country. Then they each stowedaway their wealth of nuggets and pearls, placed in tiny canvas bagsinside their small sea-chests.
This was about a week after that pleasant Saturday night which was sosuddenly broken up by the muttering of subterranean thunder and thetrembling of the earth.
But earthquakes were frequent in the island, though as yet not severe.The Queen was by no means alarmed, but Ilda was--terribly so.
"Oh," she cried, "I wish I were away and away from this terribleisland!"
The Queen comforted her all she could.
"I have a presentiment," replied the poor girl, "that this is not thelast nor the worst."
But when days and days passed away, and there were no more signs ofearth-tremor, she regained courage, and was once more the same happygirl she had been before.
Then the occurrence took place that made Reginald suspicious of thehonesty of some of those British sailors.
One morning Harry was missing. They sought him high, they sought himlow, but all in vain. Then it occurred to Johnson to look into his box.The box, with all his gold and pearls, was gone!
Harry's box had been left open, and it was found to be empty. No oneelse had lost anything. However, this was a clue, and the officers setthemselves to unravel the mystery at once. Nor was it long before theydid so. Not only was one of the largest canoes missing, with a sailthat had been rigged on her, but two of the strongest natives and bestboatmen.
It was sadly evident that Harry was a thief, and that he had bribedthese two savages to set out to sea with him.
There was a favouring breeze for the west, and Harry no doubt hopedthat, after probably a week's sailing, he would reach some of the morecivilised of the Polynesian islands, and find his way in a ship back toBritain. Whether he did so may never be known, but the fact that thebreeze increased to over half a gale about three days after he had fled,makes it rather more than probable that the big canoe was swamped, andthat she foundered, going down with the crew and the ill-gotten gold aswell. Only a proof that the wicked do not always prosper in this world.
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Poor Johnson's grief was sad to witness.
"On my little store," he told his messmates, wringing his hands, andwith the tears flowing over his cheeks, "I placed all my futurehappiness. I care not now what happens. One thing alone I know: lifeto me has no more charms, and I can never face poor Mary again."
He went to the diggings again in a halfhearted kind of way, and for aday or two was fairly successful; but it was evident that his heart wasalmost broken, and that if something were not done he might some eveningthrow himself over a cliff, and so end a life that had becomedistasteful to him.
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So one morning Reginald had an interview with his messmates.
"I myself,"