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

again sighted him in

shallow water, lashing fearfully with his tail, and dyeing the waves

around him with blood. Approaching the infuriated animal as nearly as I

dared, we again fired.

 

The struggles of the whale seemed for a few moments to become even yet

more frantic, and then, with a quiver from head to tail, he lay

motionless—dead!

 

The boys were about to raise a cry of victory, but checked the shout

upon their very lips; for darting behind a rock they espied a canoe

paddled by a tall and muscular savage, who now stood up in his skiff

and appeared to be examining us attentively. Seeing that we were

standing towards him, the swarthy native seized his paddle and again

darted behind a rock. An awful thought now took possession of me. There

must be a tribe of blacks lurking on these shores, and Fritz must have

fallen into their hands.

 

We, however, I determined, should not be easily taken; and our guns

were loaded and run out.

 

Presently a dusky face appeared, peeping at us from a lofty rock: it

vanished, and we saw another peeping at us from lower down.

 

Then again the skiff put out as though to make a further reconnoitre.

All, even Jack, looked anxious, and glanced at me for orders.

 

`Hoist a white flag,’ said I, `and hand me the speaking-trumpet.’ I

seized the instrument and uttered such peaceable words in the Malay

language as I could recall: neither the flag nor my words seemed to

produce any effect, and the savage was about to return to the shore.

 

Jack hereupon lost patience, and in his turn took up the trumpet.

 

`Come here, you black son of a gun,’ he exclaimed. `Come on board and

make friends, or we’ll blow you and your—’

 

`Stop! Stop! You foolish boy,’ I said. `You will but alarm the man,

with your wild words and gestures.’

 

`No! But see,’ he cried, `he is paddling towards us!’

 

And sure enough the canoe was rapidly approaching.

 

Presently a cry from Franz alarmed me. `Look! Look!’ he shrieked. `The

villain is in Fritz’s cajack. I can see the walrus’ head.’

 

Ernest alone remained unmoved. He took the speaking-trumpet: `Fritz,

ahoy!’ he shouted. `Welcome, old fellow!’

 

The words were scarcely out of his mouth when I, too, recognized the

well-known face, beneath its dusky disguise.

 

In another minute the brave boy was on board, and in spite of his

blackened face was kissed and welcomed heartily. He was now assailed

with a storm of questions from all sides: Where had he been? What had

kept him so long, and why had he turned blackamoor?

 

`The last question,’ replied he, with a smile, `is the only one I will

now answer; the others shall be explained when I give a full account of

my adventures. Hearing guns fired, my mind was instantly filled with

ideas of Malay pirates, for I never dreamed that you could be here in

the yacht, so I disguised myself as you now see me, and came forth to

reconnoitre. When you addressed me in Malay you only added to my

terror, for it left not a doubt in my mind that you were pirates.’

 

Having in our turn described to him our adventure with the cachalot

whale, I asked him if he knew of a suitable spot for the anchorage of

the yacht.

 

`Certainly,’ he replied, casting towards me a glance full of meaning.

`I can lead you to an island where there is splendid anchorage, and

which is itself well worth seeing, for it contains all sorts of strange

things.’ And after removing the stains from his skin, he again sprang

into his canoe and piloted us to a picturesque little island in the

bay.

 

Now that there could be no doubt as to the success of Fritz’s

expedition, I no longer hesitated to give to my wife an account of his

project, and to prepare her mind for the surprise which awaited her.

She was greatly startled, as I expected, and seemed almost overcome

with emotion at the idea of seeing a human being, and that being one of

her own sex.

 

`But why,’ she asked, `did you not tell me of this at first? Why wait

until the last moment with such joyful news?’

 

`I was unwilling,’ I replied, `to raise hopes which might never be

realized; but now, thank Heaven, he has succeeded, and there is no need

for concealment.’

 

The boys could not at all understand the evident air of mystery and

suppressed excitement which neither their mother, Fritz, nor I could

entirely conceal. They cast glances of the greatest curiosity towards

the island, and as soon as the sails were furled and the anchor

dropped, they sprang eagerly ashore. In a body we followed Fritz,

maintaining perfect silence.

 

Presently we emerged from the thicket through which we were passing,

and saw before us a hut of sheltering boughs, at the entrance of which

burned a cheerful fire.

 

Into this leafy bower Fritz dived, leaving his brothers without, mute

with astonishment. In another moment he emerged, leading by the hand a

slight, handsome youth, by his dress apparently a young English naval

officer. The pair advanced to meet us; and Fritz, with a countenance

radiant with joy, briefly introduced his companion as Edward Montrose.

 

`And,’ he continued, looking at his mother and me, `will you not

welcome him as a friend and a brother to our family circle?’

 

`That will we, indeed!’ I exclaimed, advancing and holding out my

hands to the fair young stranger. `Our wild life may have roughened our

looks and manners, but it has not hardened our hearts, I trust.’

 

The mother, too, embraced the seeming youth most heartily. The lads,

and even the dogs, were not behindhand in testifying their

gratification at the appearance of their new friend—the former

delighted at the idea of a fresh companion, and the latter won by her

sweet voice and appearance.

 

From the expressions made use of by Fritz I perceived that the girl

wished her sex to remain unrevealed to the rest of the party until my

wife could obtain for her a costume more suited to her real character.

 

The young men then ran down to the yacht to bring up what was

necessary for supper, as well as to make preparations for a camp in

which we might spend the night. This done, my wife hastened to set

before us a substantial meal, while the boys, anxious to make their new

acquaintance feel at home amongst them, were doing their best to amuse

her. She herself, after the first feeling of strangeness had worn off,

entered fully into all their fun; and by the time they sat down to

supper was laughing and chatting as gaily as any one of the rest. She

admired the various dishes, tasted our mead and, without alluding once

to her previous life, kept up a lively conversation.

 

The mere fact of meeting with any human being after so many years of

isolation was in itself sufficient to raise the boys to the greatest

state of excitement; but that this being should be one so handsome; so

gay, so perfectly charming, seemed completely to have fumed their

heads; and when I gave the sign for the breaking-up of the feast, and

their new friend was about to be led to the night-quarters which had

been prepared for her on board the yacht, the health of Edward Montrose

was proposed, and drunk in fragrant mead, amidst the cheers and

acclamations of all hands.

 

When she was gone, and silence had been restored, Jack exclaimed:

 

`Now, then, Fritz, if you please, just tell me where you came across

this jolly fellow. Did you take your mysterious voyage in search of

him, or did you meet him by chance? Out with your adventures, while we

sit comfortably round the fire.’

 

So saying, Jack cast more wood upon the blazing pile, and throwing

himself down in his usual careless fashion, prepared to listen

attentively.

 

Fritz, after a few moments’ hesitation, began: `Perhaps you remember,’

said he, `how, when I returned from my expedition in the cajack the

other day, I struck down an albatross. None but my father at the time

knew, however, what became of the wounded bird, or even thought more

about it. Yet it was that albatross who brought me notice of the

shipwrecked stranger; and he, too, I determined should carry back a

message, to cheer and encourage the sender.

 

`I first, as you know, prepared my cajack to carry two persons; and

then, with a heart full of hope and trust, left you and the yacht, and,

with Pounce seated before me, made for the open sea. For several hours

I paddled steadily on, till, the wind freshening, I thought it

advisable to keep in nearer shore; that, should a regular storm arise,

I might find some sheltered bay in which to weather it.

 

`It was well I did so; for, scarcely had I reached a quiet cove which

promised to afford me the protection I desired, than the sea appeared

one mass of foam: great surging waves arose; and even in the

comparative calm of the bay I felt that I was in some danger.

 

`I passed the night in my cajack; and next morning, after a frugal meal

of pemmican, and a draught of water from my flask, once more ventured

forth. The wind had subsided, the sea was tolerably smooth; and,

keeping my eyes busily employed in seeking in every direction to

detect, if possible, the slightest trace of smoke, or other sign of

human life, I paddled on till noon.

 

`The aspect of the coast now began to change: the shores were sandy,

while further inland lay dense forests, from whose gloomy depths I

could ever and anon hear the fierce roar of beasts of prey, the yell of

apes, the fiendish laugh of the hyaena, or the despairing death cry of

a hapless deer. Seldom have I experienced a greater feeling of solitude

than whilst listening to these strange sounds, and knowing that I in

this frail canoe was the only human being near. Giving myself up to

contemplation, I rested my paddle, and allowed my cajack to drift

slowly on.

 

`As I neared the shore, I noticed a large number of strange-looking

birds, who would sometimes flutter round me, and then dart back again

to the border of the forest, where they were feeding on what appeared

to be the pepper-plant; they seized the berries in their great

ponderous beaks, threw them up into the air and then dexterously caught

them in their fall. Their beaks were really something extraordinary:

they looked as though they must give their owners a perpetual headache,

from their immense weight. The only thing that relieved the extreme

ugliness of these great appendages was their gorgeous colour, which was

only rivalled by the gay hue of the plumage.

 

`I wish now that I had brought home a specimen; but, at the time, I was

so much amused by watching the grotesque antics of the birds, that I

did not think of obtaining one. When I left the spot, I settled in my

own mind that they were toucans: was I right, Ernest?’

 

The `Professor’, unwilling to interrupt the narrative, merely gave an

oracular nod, and Fritz continued:

 

`For some hours after this I paddled quickly on, sometimes passing the

mouth of a stream, sometimes that of a broad river. Had I been merely

on an exploring expedition, I should have been tempted, doubtless, to

cruise a little way up one of these pathways into the forest; but now