Charley Laurel: A Story of Adventure by Sea and Land Read online

  CHAPTER SEVEN.

  THE FIRE.

  The _Dolphin_ being greatly in want of water, put into the FalklandIslands to obtain it, as well as beef, which the captain understoodcould be obtained for the trouble of catching the animals on whose backsit existed.

  The shore of the harbour in which we lay was rocky, but beyond it was awide expanse of partly level, and partly undulating ground, reaching faraway in the distance.

  Dick told me he would take me on shore to see some of the fun, he beingone of the men appointed to shoot the cattle.

  Mounted Spaniards, or Indians, with their bolas and lassoes, would havekilled them with perfect ease; but, armed as we were, with only heavymuskets which did not always go off, the chances were very great againstthe desired beef being obtained. Just as we had shoved off, thecaptain, seeing me in the boat, ordered me back. The men, however,having already begun to give way, pretended not to hear him, and we weresoon beyond hailing distance of the ship. In a short time we sawanother boat following us. After we had landed, who should step out ofher but Miss Kitty and Mr Falconer; he had a gun on his shoulder, buthad not intended coming till he found that she wanted to have a walk onshore. Whether or not she had asked leave of Mrs Podgers, I do notknow; she did not always consider that necessary when she had a fancyfor doing anything.

  We pushed on some way inland, and though the herbage was high, it wasnot thick except in places where there were large tufts of talltussock-grass, like waving plumes growing out of the earth, while theground itself was tolerably smooth. We went on till we reached a rockyknoll rising like an island amidst the sea of waving grass thatsurrounded it. We climbed to the top, that we might discover where thecattle were to be found in greatest numbers. As yet, a few only hadbeen seen, which scampered off before a shot at them could be obtained.Three or four herds were discovered in the distance. The mate, withhalf the men, agreed to go in one direction and to stalk them down,while Dick and the rest went in another. Miss Kitty said she was tired,and that she would remain on the top of the rock with me till theirreturn. The mate begged to leave with her a flask of water and somebiscuits, which he had brought, I suspect, on her account. Not knowingwhat sort of scenery she might meet with, she had brought hersketch-book, for she was a well-educated girl, and understood music, anda number of other things besides. She laughingly observed that a fewstrokes would quickly picture the surrounding scenery. She amusedherself with copying a huge tuft of the tussock-grass which grew near,and then made me stand and sit, now in one position, now in another,while she took my portrait. Then telling me to play about near her, andto take care not to tumble off the rock, she sat down to meditate. Whather thoughts were about I cannot say, but she certainly very oftenlooked in the direction Edward Falconer had gone.

  Several shots were heard from time to time. They grew fainter andfainter, as if the cattle had headed off away from the harbour.

  The day wore on. The sun was already sinking in the sky.

  "I wonder when they will come back?" she said once or twice. "Can yousee any one, Charley?"

  I looked, but could not distinguish any objects amid the expanse ofgrass.

  A dull booming sound of a ship's gun came from the direction of theharbour, then another and another.

  "That is, I suspect, to recall the boats," said Kitty to me. "I couldfind my way there with you, Charley; but I don't like to leave thisspot, lest those who have gone after the cattle on returning mightwonder what has become of us."

  We waited some time longer--the sun set--the shades of evening drew on.Kitty became very anxious. It was too late now to attempt alone to getback to the boats; and it was evident that we should have to spend thenight on the knoll. As there was plenty of tall grass around, Iproposed that we should build a hut for ourselves, but, as we had nomeans of cutting it, we could not carry out my project. Miss Kitty was,as before, casting an anxious gaze around, expecting each moment thatsome one would appear, when suddenly she exclaimed--

  "See, see, Charley! What is that?"

  I looked in the direction she pointed, when I saw a dark line of smokerising out of the plain, curling in wreaths as it ascended towards thesky. It might have been mistaken for mist, had there not appeared belowit a thin red line with sharp little forks darting upwards.

  "The grass is on fire! Oh, what will become of them?" she exclaimed,seizing my hand, and gazing, with dread and horror in her countenance,at the advancing line of flame and smoke. I did not suppose that weourselves were in danger; but on looking round I observed the numeroustufts of grass which grew on every side among the rocks.

  One part of the mound was composed entirely of bare rock. I pointed itout to my companion. Though we should be almost suffocated with smoke,we might there escape the flames. We hastened to it, and kneeling down,she prayed for protection for me, and for herself, and for Edward--Iheard her mention the mate's name--and for the rest.

  I was not particularly frightened, because I did not see anything veryterrible; only the red line of fire jumping and leaping playfully, andthe wreaths of smoke, which looked very graceful as they curled roundand round, till at length they formed a dark canopy which spread overthe sky.

  "They may have been on the other side of the fire," I heard Kitty say;"but then he would have thought of me, and, I fear, have attempted torush through the flames to my rescue, and Dick will not have forgottenyou, Charley. We must pray for them, my boy--we must pray for them."

  On came the wave of flame; the whole island from one end to the otherseemed on fire. Our communication with the harbour was well-nigh cutoff. Though the men in charge of the boats might have seen itapproaching, they could not have come to our assistance.

  Happily, Kitty's dress was of a thick material, and so was mine, for theweather had been for some time cold, and Dick had made me a winter suit.Kitty saw clearly that the flames would surround the rock, and creep upits sides; and the open space on which we had taken refuge was fearfullysmall. I fancied that I could hear the roaring and hissing of theflames, they were already so near, when a shout reached our ears.

  "They are coming! they are coming!" cried Kitty; "but oh, I fear thefire will overtake them before they can gain the rock. I see them! Isee them! It is dreadfully close!" She gasped for breath. Then sherose to her feet, and waved her white handkerchief, hoping that it mightbe distinguished through the gloom, for she in vain tried to cry out inanswer to the shout we had heard. The glare of the approaching firefell on her figure. At that moment a man dashed up the rock--it wasEdward Falconer. He could only utter, "You are safe, dearest!" and sankon the ground. Kitty stooped down and tried to raise him, pouring somewater from the flask into his mouth. He speedily revived. Three othermen followed him--the first was Dick; he seized me in his arms, and gaveme a hug and put me down on the rock, and then he and the rest dashedback towards the flames, and began with their guns to beat and trampledown the surrounding grass. The mate joined them, but the flamesquickly reached the spot, and in a few minutes we were surrounded by asea of fire. Dick sheltered me in his arms, and Edward Falconersupported Kitty in the very centre of the rock, turning their backs tothe scorching flames from which they attempted to shield us. The smokecurled round our heads, and we had great difficulty in breathing. Icould not help crying out from the pain of suffocation, which made Dickalmost distracted. He first lifted me up above his head, that I mightget more air; and when he could support me no longer, he threw ahandkerchief over my face, and held me in his arms as a mother would herchild.

  How long we stood thus I do not know; it seemed a very long time. Atlength the fire had burned up all the grass around us, and the smokegrew less. Still it was impossible to reach the harbour, and might beso for many hours to come.

  The whole party sat down on the rock, Miss Kitty inviting me to come toher, while Edward Falconer sat by her side.

  "As you like, Miss," said Dick; "but I would not give him up to any oneelse."

  "I hope the
rest got off safe, as they were not far from the shore,"observed one of the men. "But I say, Dick, I wonder what has become ofthe beasts you and Mr Falconer killed?"

  "They must be well roasted, at all events," answered Dick. "The sunwon't have been long up either before every bone will be picked clean bythe galinasos and other birds."

  "It's mighty possible, I'm afraid, that two or three of our fellows havebeen caught. It will be a cruel job if they are, for though a sailorlays it to his account to get drowned now and then, he doesn't expect tobe frizzled into the bargain," observed Pat O'Riley.

  They went on joking for some time, notwithstanding the fearful scenethey had gone through, and although even at that moment some of theirshipmates might be lying scorched to death on the plain below them. I,however, was soon asleep, with my head on Kitty's lap, and thereforecannot say what she and Edward Falconer talked about. All I know is,that before I closed my eyes I saw him endeavouring to shield her fromthe wind, which blew sharply over the knoll.

  At daylight we set out, Edward and Dick insisting on carrying Kitty in achair formed with their hands, while Pat O'Riley carried me on hisshoulders.

  "Well, Miss Kitty, we had given you up for lost," exclaimed MrsPodgers, who met us at the gangway.

  It struck me, young as I was, that her address did not show muchmaternal affection.

  "Had not Mr Falconer and some of the crew come to our rescue, the boyand I would have been probably burnt to death, but they bravely riskedtheir lives to save ours," answered Kitty, firmly.

  A boat was sent back to look for the remainder of the men; some atlength arrived, but three could not be found, though search was made forthem in every direction. Some thought that they had run away, othersthat they had been destroyed by the flames. A portion of one ox onlywas brought on board, but the captain would not wait to obtain more, andhaving filled up the water-casks, the _Dolphin_ again sailed to go roundCape Horn.

  We had got very nearly up to the southern end of America, when we met agale blowing directly against us, which sent us back far away to theeastward and southward. The wind, however, again coming fair, we ranbefore it under all sail to make up for lost time.

  Finding Dick's berth empty one evening after it was dark, and notfeeling inclined to sleep, I crept up on deck to be with him, as I hadbeen accustomed to do in more genial latitudes. I found him on thelook-out on the forecastle.

  "What do you want to see?" I asked, observing that he was peering intothe darkness ahead.

  "Anything that happens to be in our way, Charley," he answered. "Anisland, ship, or an iceberg; it would not be pleasant to run ourjib-boom against either of the three."

  "What is that, then?" I asked, my sharp eyes observing what I took tobe a high white wall rising out of the sea.

  "Down with the helm!" shouted Dick at the top of his voice. "An icebergahead!"

  "Brace up the yards!" cried the officer of the watch from aft.

  The mast-heads seemed almost to touch the lofty sides of a huge whitemountain as we glided by it.

  "In another half-minute we should have been on the berg, if it hadn'tbeen for you, Charley," said Dick, when we had rounded the mountain, andwere leaving it on our quarter. "I'll back your sharp eyes, after this,against all on board."