The ship was totally lost. She was lying in the surf a hopeless wreck5, and few must be the hours that would elapse before she would be broken up in scattered6 fragments; it was impossible to save her. Notwithstanding that Dick Sands bewailed the loss of a valuable ship and her cargo7 to the owner, he had the satisfaction of knowing that he had been instrumental in saving what was far more precious, the lives of the owner's wife and son.
It was impossible to do more than hazard a conjecture8 as to the part of the South American coast on which the "Pilgrim" had been cast. Dick imagined that it must be somewhere on the coast of Peru; after sighting Easter Island, he knew that the united action of the equatorial current and the brisk wind must have had the effect of driving the schooner9 far northward10, and he formed his conclusion accordingly. Be the true position, however, what it might, it was all important that it should be accurately11 ascertained13 as soon as possible. If it were really in Peru, he would not be long in finding his way to one of the numerous ports and villages that lie along the coast.
But the shore here was quite a desert. A narrow strip of beach, strewn with boulders14, was enclosed by a cliff of no great height, in which, at irregular intervals15, deep funnels17 appeared as chasms18 in the rock. Here and there a gentle slope led to the top.
About a quarter of a mile to the north was the mouth of a little river which had not been visible from the sea. Its banks were overhung by a number of "rhizophora," a species of mangrove19 entirely20 distinct from that indigenous21 to India. It was soon ascertained that the summit of the cliff was clothed by a dense22 forest, extending far away in undulations of verdure to the mountains in the background. Had Cousin Benedict been a botanist23, he could not have failed to find a new and interesting field for his researches; there were lofty baobabs (to which an extraordinary longevity24 has often been erroneously ascribed), with bark resembling Egyptian syenite; there were white pines, tamarinds, pepper-plants of peculiar25 species, and numerous other plants unfamiliar26 to the eye of a native of the North; but, strange to say, there was not a single specimen27 of the extensive family of palms, of which more than a thousand varieties are scattered in profusion28 in so many quarters of the globe.
Above the shore hovered29 a large number of screeching30 birds, mostly of the swallow tribe, their black plumage shot with steelly blue, and shading off to a light brown at the top of the head. Now and then a few partridges of a greyish colour rose on wing, their necks entirely bare of feathers: the fearless manner in which the various birds all allowed themselves to be approached made Mrs. Weldon and Dick both wonder if the shores upon which they had been thrown were not so deserted31 that the sound of fire-arms was not known.
On the edge of the reefs some pelicans32 (of the species known as pelicanus minor) were busily filling their pouches33 with tiny fish, and some gulls34 coming in from the open sea began to circle round the wreck: with these exceptions not a living creature appeared in sight. Benedict, no doubt, could have discovered many entomological novelties amongst the foliage35, but these could give no more information than the birds as to the name of their habitat. Neither north, nor south, nor towards the forest, was there trace of rising smoke, or any footprint or other sign to indicate the presence of a human being.
Dick's surprise was very great. He knew that the proximity36 of a native would have made Dingo bark aloud; but the dog gave no warning; he was running backwards37 and forwards, his tail lowered and his nose close to the ground; now and again he uttered a deep growl38.
"Look at Dingo!" said Mrs. Weldon; "how strange he is! he seems to be trying to discover a lost scent39."
After watching the dog for a time, she spoke40 again:-
"Look, too, at Negoro! he and the dog seem to be on the same purpose!"
"As to Negoro," said Dick, "I cannot concern myself with him now; he must do as he pleases; I have no further control over him; his service expires with the loss of the ship."
Negoro was in fact walking to and fro, surveying the shore with the air of a man who was trying to recall some past experience to his recollection. His dogged taciturnity was too well known for any one to think of questioning him; every one was accustomed to let him go his own way, and when Dick noticed that he had gone towards the little river, and had disappeared behind the cliff, he thought no more about him. Dingo likewise had quite forgotten his enemy, and desisted from his growling41.
The first necessity for the shipwrecked party was to find a temporary shelter where they might take some refreshment43. There was no lack of provisions; independently of the resources of the land, the ebbing44 tide had left upon the rocks the great bulk of the "Pilgrim's" stores, and the negroes had already collected several kegs of biscuit, and a number of cases of preserved meat, besides a variety of other supplies. All that they rescued they carefully piled up above high-water mark. As nothing appeared to be injured by the sea-water, the victualling of the party all seemed to be satisfactorily secure for the interval16 which must elapse (and they all believed it would not be long,)
[Illustration: Surveying the shore with the air of a man who was trying to recall some past experience]
before they reached one of the villages which they presumed were close at hand. Dick, moreover, took the precaution of sending Hercules to get a small supply of fresh water from the river hard by, and the good-natured fellow returned carrying a whole barrel-full on his shoulder.
Plenty of fuel was lying about, and whenever they wanted to light a fire they were sure of having an abundance of dead wood and the roots of the old mangroves. Old Tom, an inveterate45 smoker46, always carried a tinder box in his pocket; this had been too tightly fastened to be affected47 by the moisture, and could always produce a spark upon occasion.
Still they must have a shelter. Without some rest it was impossible to start upon a tour of exploration; accordingly, all interests were directed towards ascertaining48 where the necessary repose49 could be obtained.
The honour of discovering where the desired retreat could be found fell to the lot of little Jack50. Trotting51 about at the foot of the cliff, he came upon one of those grottoes which are constantly being found hollowed out in the rock by the vehement53 action of the waves in times of tempest.
"Here, look here!" cried the child; "here's a place!"
"Well done, Jack!" answered his mother; "your lucky discovery is just what we wanted. If we were going to stay here any time we should have to do the same as the Swiss Family Robinson, and name the spot after you!"
It was hardly more than twelve or fourteen feet square, and yet the grotto52 seemed to Jack to be a gigantic cavern54. But narrow as its limits were, it was capacious enough to receive the entire party. It was a great satisfaction to Mrs. Weldon to observe that it was perfectly55 dry, and as the moon was just about her first quarter there was no likelihood of a tide rising to the foot of the cliff. At any rate, it was resolved that they might take up their quarters there for a few hours.
Shortly after one o'clock the whole party were seated upon a carpet of seaweed round a repast consisting of preserved meat, biscuit, and water flavoured with a few drops of rum, of which Bat had saved a quart bottle from the wreck. Even Negoro had returned and joined the group; probably he had not cared to venture alone along the bank of the stream into the forest. He sat listening, as it seemed indifferently, to the various plans for the future that were being discussed, and did not open his mouth either by way of remonstrance56 or suggestion.
Dingo was not forgotten, and had his share of food duly given him outside the grotto, where he was keeping guard.
When the meal was ended, Mrs. Weldon, passing her arms round Jack, who was lounging half asleep with excitement and fatigue57 at her side, was the first to speak.
"My dear Dick," she said, "in the name of us all, let me thank you for the services you have rendered us in our tedious time of difficulty. As you have been our captain at sea, let me beg you to be our guide upon land. We shall have perfect confidence in your judgment58, and await your instructions as to what our next proceedings59 shall be."
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CHAPTER XIII. LAND AT LAST.
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CHAPTER XV. A STRANGER.
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