Charley Laurel: A Story of Adventure by Sea and Land

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

  MOOLA.

  Old Moola kept a watchful eye on me, as if she divined my intention oftrying to make my escape to go in search of Dick on the firstopportunity which might occur.

  I concluded that if the warriors were away he would be less carefullylooked after than usual, and would try to find me; for I was very surethat he was as anxious about me as I was about him.

  There were a good many other boys in the village, and I used to playwith them, and did my best to excel them in all their sports. I found,after some practice, that I could walk on stilts as well as they could.I induced them to run races, and I very frequently came off the victor.They had an advantage, from being more lightly clad than I was, that isto say, while I wore my shirt and trousers, they had no clothingwhatever.

  The women, meantime, were employed in their usual domestic occupations,in making cloth by beating out the bark of the paper-mulberry tree, andmanufacturing mats and baskets. I afterwards observed that they werealways employed in such occupations, while the men, when at home,cultivated the fields, and caught fish with nets and fish-hooks, thelatter formed of mother-of-pearl, as also with bone, and woodenharpoons. Besides the articles I have mentioned, they make calabashesfrom gourds, and kava-cups formed of the cocoa-nut, as also cradles fortheir children, hollowed out of a log with great neatness. They alsouse small chests, which are in like manner hollowed out of solid piecesof wood, with covers to them, and wooden bowls and stands, on whichvarious objects are hung out of the way of the rats. Those animals aregreat pests, and to preserve their more valuable articles, the nativessuspend them in baskets from the roofs of their houses, by lines passingthrough the bottoms of inverted calabashes, so that, should thecreatures reach the polished surface of the calabashes, they slip off onto the ground, without being able to climb beneath them.

  Moola's house was furnished with all the articles I have mentioned,supplied to her by the people of her tribe, who looked up to her withgreat respect. As I was under her charge, and was moreover regarded inthe light of a chief's son, no one interfered with me, or questionedwhat I thought fit to do. This was a great advantage, and I hoped wouldenable me to carry out my plan. Besides my amusements on shore, I soonlearned to swim and to paddle a canoe, and other boys and I usedfrequently to go out in the bay. It occurred to me that, by graduallyextending our excursions, I might be able to get along the shore to somedistance, and there land and make my way into the interior. To do this,however, I found that I should require two or more companions, and theymight not be disposed to assist me. I became expert in fishing with theline and hooks and in spearing fish, but I could not manage to dive inthe way the natives did. Some of them, with a hoop-net in one hand, anda stick in the other, would dart down into the deep water among thecoral, and with the stick drive the fish hidden among its recesses intothe net. This operation was not unattended with danger. Sharks wereconstantly prowling about, to snap up a person unprepared for theirattacks; and one day, a young man who, according to custom, wore hishair loose, was caught by it among the coral, and, unable to extricatehimself, was drowned before his companions could go to his assistance.When the sea rolled in a heavy surf on the shore, it was commonamusement for boys, and even for girls, to paddle out on little rafts,mounting to the top of the surf, and if the raft was upset, whichfrequently happened, they would dive under the sea, and come up again onthe other side.

  Besides these amusements, in which I took a part, I tried to learn someof the arts practised by the natives. I never found the time hangheavily on my hands, still I was continually thinking how I could manageto find Dick. After considering the matter, I abandoned the idea ofmaking the attempt by water, and resolved to try and escape by land.Fearing that the warriors would return, I determined to put it intoexecution without delay. I had secreted as much food in the pockets ofmy jacket as they could hold, and, late in the day, I challenged mycompanions to a race on stilts across the country, pointing to a rockwhich projected from the hillside at some distance. They laughed at mewhen they saw me dressed in my jacket, declaring that I should have nochance, and willingly agreed to give me a short start, believing that,encumbered as I was, they could easily come up with me. Old Moola, notsuspecting my intentions, came out from her hut, and promised to rewardthe victor. We took our places, and away we started. I exerted myselfto the utmost to keep ahead of my competitors, and found, as I hadhoped, that I was at first gaining on them rapidly, although they in theend, I have no doubt, would have overtaken me. As soon as I felt surethat I was well out of sight, hidden by a ridge over which I had passed,I turned off to the right, and ran on along the valley, where the evenground allowed me to continue at a good speed. I then, turning into awood, jumped off my stilts, and, having concealed them among the hushes,continued my flight on foot. I went on and on, avoiding cultivated landor any huts where I might meet with inhabitants, till the increasingdarkness compelled me to stop. I had no dread of wild beasts orvenomous snakes, as I knew the island was free from them. I couldtherefore lie down on the dry grass, and recover my strength withoutfear; and I hoped that the other boys would make their way to the goal,and not think of looking for me till the darkness prevented them fromdoing so.

  I slept soundly, and soon after I awoke the first streaks of dawnappeared in the sky. Having taken a little food, and drank some waterfrom a rivulet which flowed by, I proceeded onwards, intending to lie inwait near the first village I should come to, in the hopes that one orother of the captive Englishmen might be there, and might give meinformation about Dick, should he himself not appear.

  I went on for some way, keeping myself concealed as much as possibleamong the trees, till I saw several native huts before me, just on theborders of a wood. Making my way through the wood, I discovered a treewhich I could climb. I managed, not without difficulty, to get up it,and, when near the top, concealed by the leafy boughs, I could surveyall that went on in the village below me. The people at length began tocome out of their huts, but I saw only women, or old men and boys,showing that the fighting part of the population had not returned. Invain I watched for Dick, or one of the other white men. Disappointed atnot seeing them, I descended from my perch, afraid that some of thepeople might come into the wood and discover me. Hurrying on, I had gotto no great distance, when I heard voices from among the trees behindme, showing that, had I not escaped when I did, I should have been foundout.

  I could by this time speak the native language quite well enough to makemyself understood, and I resolved, should I meet any one, to go up andspeak with confidence, as if I had full right to be at liberty.

  In a short time I reached another village. Here I watched as before,but though several natives were moving about, none of my shipmates wereto be seen, and the dreadful idea occurred to me that they had all beenmurdered. My heart sank, still I determined to continue my search.

  The direct path from village to village was very much shorter than theroad I was compelled to take, as I had to make wide circuits to avoidobservation. I was now at a considerable distance from Motakee'svillage, and I hoped, even should I be seen by any of the natives, therewas not much risk of being sent back. This made me less cautious thanbefore. Feeling thirsty, I had gone to a bright spring which gushed outof a rock, to drink, when, on looking up, I saw a young girl withseveral gourds, which she had brought to fill with water. She cast anastonished glance at me, and inquired where I had come from. I told herat once that I knew from her looks she was kind, and could only wish todo me good; that I had belonged to the ship which had been taken by herpeople, and that I was in search of my guardian. "I have not mistakenyou," I added; "you will help me, if you can?"

  She looked pleased, and replied that she could feel for me, away from mycountry and friends, and that she certainly would not betray me. Sheadded that she had heard that there was an Englishman living in the nextvillage, kept a prisoner by an old chief who ruled there, who was verystern and cruel, and made him work ve
ry hard, and that he had becomevery ill.

  "The chief himself has gone away to fight, and you will have lessdifficulty in seeing your countryman than would have been the case hadhe been at home."

  I thanked the young girl very much for her information, and she havingpointed out the road I was to take, I proceeded on my journey. I wenton till I came to the village. I could easily distinguish the chief'shouse, which was considerably larger than that of the other natives.Some short distance from it was a small hut. It was built in adifferent fashion to that of the natives, and not so neatly puttogether. On one side was a garden, apparently lately formed, andcarefully cultivated. It struck me at once that it must be the work ofan Englishman. I concealed myself, as before, so that I could watch theproceedings of the inhabitants. After a time, I saw a woman, with abasket in her hand, approach the hut: she looked cautiously round, toascertain, apparently, that no one was watching her, and then went in.She was old, and far from comely, but, even at the distance she was fromme, her countenance looked kind and gentle. She soon came out again,looking about as before, and hurrying away. I observed that her basketwas empty. This convinced me that she had been to take provisions tothe inmate of the hut, whoever he might be. I determined to ascertainthis.

  "May I come in," I asked, in the native language.

  "Who's there?" was the reply, in English.

  I knew the voice; it was Dick's.

  He lay on a bed formed of dry grass and mats; I hurried up to him.

  "I have found you at last, my dear, dear Dick!" I exclaimed.

  "Charley, is it you, yourself? Then you are not dead," he cried out."I was told you were, and it well-nigh broke my heart. I shall get wellnow though. Where have you been? what have you been about?"

  I soon told him, and how I had managed to elude my captors. Heexpressed his delight that I had not been ill-treated, as he had been.

  "That old chief is a regular tyrant; he made me work for him till Icould work no longer, and then would have let me die of starvation, if agood woman had not, at the risk of her life, brought me food. Blessthem! they are all alike, black and white, when a fellow is in trouble,however bad they may be in other respects. Things were not so bad atfirst. Tui, who lives not far off, came over with Mat Davis, and helpedme to put up this hut; or otherwise, as far as my old master wasconcerned, I should have had to sleep out of doors. He, however, wouldnot let them come again, and I have had to look out for myself. Theonly pleasant thing that has happened to me was seeing Toobo Cava go offto the war, but he will be back again soon, I fear, and then the hardwork will begin once more. But you must not stay here, Charley; I don'tknow what he would do if he caught you, though it will be a sore griefto me to have you separated from me."

  I told Dick that I was determined at all hazards to stay with him.

  "We will argue the point, Charley," said Dick.

  He at last allowed me to remain till the following day. He had been sowell supplied with food, that he was able to give me as much as Irequired. I spent half the night sitting up talking to him, and had thesatisfaction of seeing that my visit was doing him good, his complaintbeing more the result of anxiety and ill-treatment than anything else.

  "I scarcely know what to advise you to do, Charley," he said. "If youare caught here, you may be hardly dealt with, and yet I don't like totell you to leave me; though, as you say the people you have been livingwith have treated you well, it will be best for you to make your wayback to them."

  "Come what will, I am not going to run away and leave you while you aresick and helpless," I answered. "God will take care of me if I ask Him;you have often told me that, and so I will say my prayers and go tosleep."

  I did so, and coiled myself away on a heap of grass by Dick's side.

  The next morning we were awoken by hearing a great noise in the village.We found that we had both overslept ourselves. Dick went to the doorof the hut, to ascertain the cause of the hubbub, telling me to keepconcealed under the mats. After some time he came back.

  "I guessed how it is," he said; "the fighting men have returned from thewar, but, as far as I can discover, the old chief is not among them. Hehas, I suspect, been knocked on the head, and serve him right too. Theyare mourning for him, it seems, and it will be as well to keep out oftheir way, lest they take it into their heads to sacrifice us to hisghost, as I know is the fashion among these savages."

  Dick spoke quite coolly, but our danger was great. He again told me tokeep snug under the mats, and I saw him walking up and down the hut,evidently very unhappy. "I don't care for myself," I heard him say."Poor dear Charley, I wish that he was out of the scrape. Well, well;we have been saved before, and we may be saved again. It's a greatthing to know that God looks after us poor fellows better than we canlook after ourselves." While he was speaking, the noise increased.Never did I hear such savage shrieks, cries, and howls.

  "The people are cutting themselves with knives, and flints, andspear-heads, to show their grief for their dead chief," observed Dick,after he had taken another look outside the hut. He sat down, andseemed considering what he should do. After some time, I heard afootstep approaching the hut, and the old woman I had before seenentered.

  She looked very anxious, and told Dick he must get out of the way, andhide himself for some days, when he would be safe. Dick thanked herwarmly.

  "You have been kind to me, and you will be kind, I know, to my son; andif you will hide us away together I shall be happy."

  Dick then told me to come forward. The old woman looked very muchsurprised at seeing me, and on hearing that I had been taken care of byMotakee, advised me to go back at once to him, and to take Dick alongwith me. There was no time to be lost. Having ascertained that thecoast was clear, she told us to hurry off into the wood, and to make ourway as fast as we could to Motakee's village, promising, if she could,to put her people on a wrong scent, should they think of pursuing us.

  We did as she had advised. We had not, however, got far into the wood,when, as we were making our way along the hillside, as I looked backthrough an opening in the trees, I saw a number of people advancingtowards the hut, shrieking, and shouting, and flourishing their weapons.There could be little doubt that their intention was to get hold ofDick. We hurried on, and did not stop till we were far away beyond thesound of their voices.