Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss (portable ebook reader .txt) 📕

for, I lost no time in giving

chase in the boat, with Ernest and Jack; my wife, urging us to greater

speed, and declaring that some accident could not fail to happen to

`that horrid soap-bubble’.

 

We soon arrived outside the bay, at the rocks where formerly lay the

wreck, and gazed in all directions for signs of the runaway.

 

After a time we saw, at a considerable distance, a faint puff of

smoke, followed by the crack of a pistol. Upon this we fired a signal

shot, which was presently answered by another, and, steering in the

direction of the sound, we soon heard the boy’s cheery halloo; the

cajack darted from behind a point of land, and we quickly joined

company.

 

`Come to this rocky beach,’ cried Fritz, `I have something to show

you.’

 

With blank amazement we beheld a fine well-grown young walrus,

harpooned and quite dead.

 

`Did you kill this creature, my dear Fritz?’ I exclaimed, looking

round in some anxiety, and half expecting to see a naked savage come to

claim the prize.

 

`To be sure, father! Don’t you see my harpoon? Why do you doubt it?’

 

`Well, I scarcely know,’ replied I, laughing, `but success so speedy,

so unexpected, and so appropriate, to an amateur Greenlander, took me

by surprise. I congratulate you, my boy! But I must tell you that you

have alarmed us by making this long trip. You should not have gone out

of the bay. I left your mother in grievous trouble.’

 

`Indeed, father, I had no idea of passing out of sight, but once in the

current, I was carried along, and could not help myself. Then I came on

a herd of walruses, and I did so long to make a prize of one that I

forgot everything else, and made chase after them when beyond the

influence of the current, until I got near enough to harpoon this fine

fellow. He swam more slowly, and I struck him a second time; then he

sought refuge among these rocks, and expired. I landed, and scrambled

to where he lay; but I took care to give him the contents of my pistol

before going close up, having a salutary recollection of the big

serpent’s parting fling at you, Jack.’

 

`You ran a very great risk,’ said I. `The walrus is an inoffensive

creature; but when attacked and wounded, it often becomes furious and,

turning upon its pursuer, can destroy, with its long tusks, a strongly

built whale boat. However, thank God for your safety! I value that

above a thousand such creatures. Now what’s to be done with him? He

must be quite fourteen feet long, although not full grown.’

 

`I am very glad you followed me, father,’ said Fritz, `but our united

strength will not move this prodigious weight from among these rocks;

only do let me carry away the head, with these grand snow-white tusks!

I should so like to fasten it on the prow of the cajack, and name it

the Sea-horse.’

 

`We must certainly carry away the beautiful ivory tusks,’ said I, `but

make haste! The air feels so excessively close and sultry, I think a

storm is brewing.’

 

`But the head! The head! we must have the whole head,’ cried Jack,

`just think how splendid it will look on the cajack!’

 

`And how splendid it will smell too, when it begins to putrefy,’ added

Ernest. `What a treat for the steersman!’

 

`Oh, we will prepare for that,’ said Fritz. `It shall be soaked and

cleaned, and dried till it is as hard as a wooden model; it shall not

offend your delicate nose in the least, Ernest!’

 

`I supposed the walrus to be an animal peculiar to the Arctic

regions,’ remarked Ernest.

 

`And so it is,’ I replied, `though they may occasionally be seen

elsewhere; these may have wandered from the Antarctic seas. I know that

on the eastern coast of Africa is found a smaller species of walrus

called the dugong: it has long incisor teeth, but not tusks; and

certainly resembles a seal rather than a walrus.’

 

While thus speaking, we were actively engaged in the decapitation of

the walrus, and in cutting off long strips of its skin. This took some

time, as we had not the proper implements, and Fritz remarked, that in

future the cajack must be provided with a hunting-knife and a hatchet;

adding that he should like to have a small compass, in a box with a

glass top, fixed in front of the hole where the steersman sits. I saw

the necessity of this and I promised it should be done.

 

Our work being accomplished, we were ready to go, and I proposed to

take Fritz and the canoe on board our boat, so that we might all arrive

together; but I yielded to his earnest wish to return alone as he came;

he longed to act as our avant-courier, and announce our approach to his

mother; so he was soon skimming away over the surface of the water,

while we followed at slower rate.

 

Black clouds meanwhile gathered thick and fast around us, and a

tremendous storm came on. Fritz was out of sight and beyond our reach.

 

We buckled on the swimming belts, and firmly lashed ourselves to the

boat, so that we might not be washed overboard by the towering seas

which broke over it.

 

The horizon was shrouded in darkness, fearful gusts of wind lashed the

ocean into foam, rain descended in torrents, while livid lightning

glared athwart the gloom. Both my boys faced the danger nobly; and my

feelings of alarm were mingled with hope on finding how well the boat

behaved.

 

The tempest swept on its way, and the sky began to clear as suddenly as

it had been overcast; yet the stormy waves continued for a long time to

threaten our frail bark with destruction, in spite of its buoyancy and

steadiness.

 

Yet I never lost hope for ourselves—all my fears were for Fritz; in

fact I gave him up for lost, and my whole agonized heart arose in

prayer for strength to say, `Thy will be done!’

 

At last we rounded the point, and once more entering Safety Bay,

quickly drew near the little harbour.

 

What was our surprise—our overwhelming delight when there we saw the

mother with Fritz, as well as her little boy, on their knees in prayer

so earnest for our deliverance, that our approach was unperceived,

until with cries of joy we attracted their notice.

 

Then indeed ensued a happy meeting, and we gave thanks together for the

mercy which had spared our lives.

 

Returning joyfully to Rockburg, we changed our drenched garments for

warm dry clothes; and, seated at a comfortable meal, considered and

described at our ease the perils of the storm.

 

Afterwards, the head of the walrus was conveyed to our workshop; where

it underwent such a skilful and thorough process of cleaning, embalming

and drying, that ere long it was actually fixed on the prow of the

cajack, and a most imposing appearance it presented!

 

The strips of hide, when well tanned and prepared, made valuable

leather.

 

Much damage had been done by the late storm. The heavy rain had

flooded all the streams, and injured crops which should have been

housed and safe before the regular rainy season.

 

The bridge over Jackal River was partly broken down, and the water

tanks and pipes all needed repair. So that our time was much occupied

in restoring things to order.

 

On going to work one day near the cascade, we found a great number of

dark-red berries, scattered on the ground; they were about the size of

ordinary hazel-nuts, with small leafy coronets at the tip.

 

The boys thought them so inviting, that they tasted them at once, but

angry exclamations and much spitting and spluttering followed the

experiment; even Knips rejected them, and they would have been cast

aside with contempt, had not the smell induced me to examine them. I

decided that this was the fruit of the clove.

 

Some plants were immediately set in the nursery garden, and my wife was

pleased to have this excellent spice wherewith to flavour her boiled

rice and other dishes, in lieu of pepper—a very welcome variety to

everyone.

 

Having a good supply of clay, brought from the bed near Falconhurst, I

proposed to use it for making aqueducts; and, observing how much the

recent rain had promoted the growth of our young corn, I determined to

irrigate the fields with the drainage from our crushing-mill.

 

The fishing season was again successful. Large takes of salmon,

sturgeon and herring rewarded our annual exertions, and our store-room

again assumed a well-stocked appearance. Much as I wished that we could

obtain a constant supply of these fish fresh, I was obliged to reject

the naive proposal from Jack, that we should tether a shoal of salmon

by the gills to the bottom of the bay as we had secured the turtles.

 

Many quiet uneventful days passed by and I perceived that the boys,

wearied by the routine of farm work at Rockburg, were longing for a

cruise in the yacht or an expedition into the woods, which would

refresh both mind and body.

 

`Father,’ said Fritz at length, `we want a quantity of hurdles, and

have scarcely any more bamboos of which to make them. Had we not better

get a supply from Woodlands? And you said, too, the other day, that you

wished you had some more of the fine clay: we might visit the Gap at

the same time.’

 

I had really no objection to propose; and it was shortly afterwards

settled that Fritz, Jack, and Franz should start together; and that

Ernest, who had no great desire to accompany his brothers, should

remain with his mother and me, and assist in the construction of a

sugar-mill, the erection of which I had long contemplated.

 

Before they started, Fritz begged some bear’s meat from his mother, to

make pemmican.

 

`And what may pemmican be?’ she asked.

 

`It is food carried by the fur-traders of North America on their long

journeys through the wild country they traverse; and consists of bear

or deer’s flesh, first cooked and then pounded or ground to powder. It

is very portable, and nourishing.’

 

His mother consented `to humour him’, as she said, although without

much faith in the value of the preparation; and in the course of two

days a stock of pemmican, sufficient for a Polar expedition, was

fabricated by our enthusiastic son.

 

They were ready to start, when I observed Jack quietly slip a basket,

containing several pigeons, under the packages in the cart.

 

`Oh, oh!’ thought I, `the little fellow has his doubts about that

pemmican, and thinks a tough old pigeon would be preferable.’

 

The weather was exquisite; and, with exhortations to prudence and

caution from both me and their mother, the three lads started in the

very highest spirits. Storm and Grumble, as usual, drew the cart, and

were ridden by Fritz and Franz; while Hurry carried

 

Jack swiftly across the bridge in advance of them; followed by Floss

and Bruno, barking at his heels.

 

The sugar-mill occupied us for several days, and was made so much like

our other mills that I need not now describe it.

 

On the evening of the first day, as we sat resting in the porch at

Rockburg, we naturally talked of the absentees, wondering and guessing

what they might be about.

 

Ernest looked rather mysterious, and hinted that he might have news of

them next morning.

 

Just then a bird alighted on the dove-cot,