Adrift in Pacific and Other Great Adventures – 17 Titles in One Volume (Illustrated Edition). Jules Verne
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to die on the skirt of the marsh, so far from the eastern forest which its fellows so seldom left.
Donagan examined the body. There was a wound in the flank, a wound which could not have been given by the tooth of a jaguar, or any other beast of prey.
" This guanaco was shot," said Donagan.
" And here is the proof," said the cabin-boy, picking out a bullet from the wound with the point of his knife.
The bullet was more of the size carried by a ship's rifle than by such a gun as sportsmen use. It must therefore have been fired by Walston or one of his companions.
Donagan and Moko, leaving the carcase to the birds, returned to French Den to consult with their companions.
That the guanaco had been shot by one of the Severn men was evident, for neither Donagan nor any one else had fired a gun for more than a month. But it was important to know when and whore the guanaco had received the bullet.
Taking everything into consideration, it appeared the wound must have been given not more than five or six hours before—that being the lapse of time necessary for the animal to cross the Down Lands so as to reach the river. Consequently, one of Walston's men must that morning have been at the south point of Family Lake, and the party must have crossed East River, and be getting nearer and nearer to French Den.
Thus the position was getting more serious, although danger was not yet upon them. In the south of the island lay this vast plain, cut up by streams, patched with swamps, dotted with sandhills, where there was not enough game to furnish the party with their daily meals. It was unlikely that Walston, as yet, had ventured to cross it; no report of firearms had been heard, and there was reason to hope that the position of French Den had not yet been discovered.
Nevertheless, means of defence had to be enforced with renewed vigour. If there was any chance of repulsing an attack, it lay in the colonists not being caught by surprise outside the cave.
Three days afterwards a more significant event happened to increase their fears, and show that their safety was more endangered than ever.
On the 24th, about nine o'clock in the morning, Briant and Gordon had gone out across Zealand River, to see if they could throw up a sort of entrenchment across the narrow footpath which ran between the lake and the marsh. Behind this entrenchment it would be easy for Donagan, the best shot of the party, to lie in ambush if Walston's advance was discovered in time.
They had gone about three hundred yards from the river, when Briant stepped on something which broke under his foot. He took no notice of this, thinking it was one of the thousands of shells rolled up by the spring tides when they covered the plain. But Gordon, who was walking behind him, stopped and exclaimed,—
" Look here, Briant, look here! "
" What's the matter ? "
Gordon stooped and picked up what had been broken
"Look!" he said.
" That is not a shell," said Briant. " That is—"
"A pipe!"
Gordon held in his hand a black pipe with the stem broken off at the bowl.
" As none of us smoke," said he, " this pipe must have been lost—"
" By one of the men, unless it belonged to the Frenchman who was here before us."
No! The pipe had not belonged to Baudoin, who had died twenty years before. It had been dropped very recently, as the fragments of tobacco inside it clearly showed. A few days before, perhaps a few hours before, one of Walston's companions or perhaps Walston himself had been on this side of the lake.
Gordon and Briant returned at once to the cave. There Kate stated that she had seen this very pipe in Walston's possession.
There was now no doubt that the pirates had got round the south of the lake. Perhaps during the night they had reached the bank of Zealand River. And if French Den had been discovered, if Walston knew about the colony, would he not have thought that the tools, instruments, ammunition, and stores he was so much in need of were here to be had, and that seven active men would easily get the better of fifteen boys—especially if he could take them by surprise? Anyhow, there was no longer room to doubt that his party was now close to them.
Under such alarming circumstances, Briant agreed with his comrades that a more active watch should be arranged. During the day an outpost was stationed on Auckland Hill, so as to command the approaches from all sides. During the night two of the bigger boys mounted guard at the entrances to the cave. The doors were strengthened with supports, and in a moment it was rendered possible to barricade them with the large stones that were heaped up inside the cave In the narrow windows driven through the rock, the two little cannons were kept ready. One defended the Zealand River side, the other the side towards the lake. Guns and revolvers were so disposed as to be ready for use at the least alarm.
It was now the 27th of November. For two days the heat had been stifling. Huge clouds passed heavily over the island, and distant thundering announced the approach of a storm. In the evening Briant and his companions had retired earlier than usual into the hall, after taking the precaution, as had been their custom the last few nights, of hauling the boat into the storeroom. The doors were shut, and the only thing to be done now was to wait for bed-time, and kneel in prayer and think of home.
About half-past nine the storm was in full fury. The cave was lighted up by the vivid flashes, and the hill seemed to shake with the rolling thunder peals. It was one of those storms without wind or rain, which are the most terrible of all, for the motionless clouds discharge their electricity over the one spot, and often a whole night will go by and the storm be unexhausted.
Costar, Dole, Iverson, and Jenkins hid in their beds and jumped at every dreadful outburst that showed how near the lightning was to them. But they had nothing to fear in that cave. The flashes might strike twenty times, a hundred times, the crest of the hill. It could not penetrate the thick walls of French Den. From time to time Briant, Donagan, or Baxter went and held the door ajar and returned immediately half-blinded by the flashes. The heavens seemed on fire, and the lake one huge sheet of flame.
From ten o'clock to eleven o'clock there was not a moment's peace between the lightning and the thunder. It was not till near midnight that the storm began to slacken. Longer and longer intervals separated the thunderclaps, whose violence diminished as they grew more and more distant. Then the wind rose and drove away the clouds that hung so near the earth, and the rain fell in torrents.
Then the youngsters began to be less afraid. Two or three heads hidden beneath the bed-clothes came into view, although it was time for all to be asleep. Briant and the others, having taken the usual precautions, Were going to bed, when Fan gave unmistakable signs
of uneasiness. She jumped up and ran to the door and gave a long continuous growl.
" Has Fan scented anything ?" asked Donagan, trying to quiet the dog.
" When that intelligent animal went on like this before," said Baxter, " she made no mistake."
" Before we go to bed," said Gordon, " we must find out what it all means."
" Quite so," said Briant, " but let nobody go out, and let us be ready to defend ourselves."
Each took his gun and revolver. Then Donagan stepped towards the door of the hall, and Moko towards the door of the store-room. They listened at the threshold, but not a sound did they hear outside, although Fan continued to growl and began to bark loudly. This was most unfortunate, and Gordon tried in vain to keep her quiet.
Suddenly there was the report of a gun. There could be no mistaking it for a thunder-clap. And the gun must have been fired within two hundred yards of French Den.
Donagan, Baxter, Wilcox, and Cross picked up their rifles and stood ready at the doors to open fire on whoever approached. The others had begun to heap up the stones and form the barricade, when a voice outside was heard shouting,—
"Help! Help!"
There was a man in danger of his