during the next two or three days we leisurely explored the island. there was much in it of interest, of course, but nothing else which merits any particular description or has any bearing on this story. we did not again visit the central hill, nor did we enter any other cave. we did not even go near the treasure cave again, on the contrary we kept to the open. there were charming groves within the walls, but we could not bear to be shut up within the great cup. it seemed not unlike a prison to us. outside we could at least see the vast expanse of the restless ocean. we chose to live near the sea on the beach which was high above all tides and which was far removed from the charnel spots which made a mockery of the sylvan groves within the walls. the island was well provided with tropical fruits, many being good for food, as i knew. we caught fish in the[270] lagoon and turtle on the sand. we could make a fire and cook our food. there was salt in plenty. my tailoring and cobbling stood the test. we lacked nothing to make us comfortable, even happy, except the means of escape. my comrade was never in better health in her life. roses bloomed in her cheeks again and i—i was more than contented in her society.
we spent our days in trying to devise some means of getting across the reef and back home again, that is when i was not idly lying at the feet or following the footsteps of the woman i loved. i didn’t want to get away so far as i was concerned. i didn’t care whether we ever got away. i had wit enough not to let her see, not to let her suspect that for a moment, however—at least i made the endeavor—and i tried to convince her by my actions at least that my kissing her on the ship had been but a momentary madness, but i learned later that i failed lamentably. she says now that a baby could see that i was dying for her, and i suppose it is true, but at least i didn’t say anything. after that outbreak in the cave i kept silence.
as i look back upon those days i scarcely[271] think she treated me kindly, and yet i know not. i was at once happy and miserable—very happy in her presence, very miserable in the thought that i was and could be nothing to her. she played upon me as if i had been a pipe, she led me on and she repelled me, she drew me and she drove me. i had wit, however, to see that she was enjoying it, even if i did not; and i was in some measure content that she should be glad. it was a fool’s paradise in which we lived. we had no care, nothing could touch us, nothing could hurt us—at least so we fancied. we had water in plenty and enough to eat of pleasant variety, fruit, fish fresh caught from the lagoon, the meat and eggs of the turtle, relieved by the edibles we had brought from the ship, of which we still had some small store left. the air was soft and balmy, the birds sang, the flowers bloomed. we were young, i loved blindly, passionately; she, as i know now though i never suspected it then, with her beautiful eyes open—that is if eyes that love are ever open. eden, eden! ah it was there!
we made frequent trips up the stairs and into the cup of the island, we traversed as much of[272] the wall as possible, although that was but little because the sharp, jagged edges when we left the path would have cut our feet to pieces. we fished, we launched the boat on the lagoon and rowed clear around the island. i left her sometimes that she might refresh herself in dips within the cool water, while i did the same further away and out of sight. like adam and eve we lived in that garden and dallied with the forbidden fruit even if we did not eat it. aye, and the serpent came, as of old, into that soft pacific paradise.
late one afternoon we stood at the head of the stairs looking seaward. we had come from a long ramble throughout the cup of the island and as we stood on the top our gaze as usual instinctively turned toward the sea, perhaps seeking for the sail of some rescuing ship. the water was black with great formidable looking war canoes!
we could not believe our eyes at first. we stared at the water in amazement, motionless, awe-struck, appalled. this time it was i who came to my senses first.
“great god!” i cried, “look yonder.”
[273]“i see, i see,” she cried, in turn. “who can they be?”
“dwellers from the other islands to the westward,” i answered.
they could not see us yet fortunately but, after all, that mattered little save as a temporary respite. strangely enough, my lady did not seem to be nearly so disturbed as i.
“the reef will protect us again,” she said at last, looking at me confidently.
“not for a moment,” i answered, “they will ride that reef in those light canoes more easily than we did.”
“and you think—” she instantly began.
“our lives are in god’s hands. if i know anything these will be ferocious, bloodthirsty savages. see, they are armed.”
i pointed to one tall brown man who stood up in the bow of the nearest canoe, flourishing a broad-bladed spear.
“we must hide,” she said.
“but where? they will search the whole island as soon as they discover our boat and other belongings and realize that some strangers are here. where can we find concealment?”
[274]“in the treasure cave, of course,” she answered promptly.
and indeed that was the most likely spot. we had brought but little with us that afternoon. i had thrust a brace of pistols in my belt and she herself, by my advice, always carried her two smaller ones, and i had my sword and axe, but everything else was with the boat on the beach under the cliff. for a moment i thought of running down there and getting some of our things, but as i half turned to descend the stairs, she detained me, divining my purpose.
“no, no,” she urged, clasping my arm with both hands, “we must make shift with what we have. you could not go and come in time. perhaps they may not discover us, they may not understand the boat if they are only savages. we can hide safely until they depart, it may be. come, let us go.”
there was sense in her remarks. it might be that after performing some awful worship these most unwelcome visitors would return as they came. and by keeping closely hid we might escape an encounter with them. as ever in the emergency she gave the better counsel. nevertheless,[275] i deplored more than i can say that i could not get to the arms and other things under the cliff on the beach near the boat. they would certainly find everything as soon as they crossed the reef and landed, although what it would tell them and what they would do only time would determine. but there was no help for that now. we had to make the best of a bad situation.
we turned and ran back down the path across the wall. i had forethought to gather a number of cocoanuts and some other fruit as we passed. i filled my own pockets and then she made a bag out of her tunic and carried the rest. presently i reflected that we had no need for such haste. there would be plenty of time for us to reach the cave and conceal ourselves long before they landed, so we progressed more slowly. it was almost dusk when we reached our shelter. i had uprooted a small tree just before we started to climb the pile of stones which i used as a lever to push down the heap in every direction as we climbed so that it would be impossible for anyone else to enter the cave without piling up the stones again. we passed[276] by the stone altar and its skeletons, crept into the inner room, flung ourselves panting upon the sand and there we waited.
in that secret and secluded shelter i thought that we were safe for the time being. especially was i sure that they would make no effort to find us at night, as the place had anciently been some sort of a shrine and was probably held sacred still. and in the morning i did not think that they would chance upon that particular cave out of the many in the coral walls without a long search, unless they had proposed coming just there for other reasons than we attributed to them. even if they did stumble upon our hiding place early in the hunt, which i felt sure would be made for us as soon as they discovered evidences of our presence on the island in the shape of the dinghy, or at least at daybreak, it would take them some time to rebuild the pyramid of rock against the wall again; and when they did enter the outer room they would find it a matter of extreme difficulty to get into the inner chamber so long as i was there. unfortunately, we had brought no powder and ball with us. we had no means of[277] reloading our firearms, once they had been discharged. i resolved to reserve the four pistols we had for the last emergency. for other weapons i had my axe and sword, to say nothing of the loose stones and even of the human skulls about the altar.
i have said, i think, that the inner cave was slightly damp. the dampness rose from a spring of water which bubbled away in some dark corner which we had not cared to explore. we had what provisions we had brought with us left over from our luncheon, which i had luckily preserved instead of throwing them away, and an armful of cocoanuts and other fruit. these, however, would last us but a short while. if they could not come at us by force, they could easily starve us out. also they could, without too much trouble or danger, make themselves masters of the outer cave. indeed, i scarcely thought it would be wise for me to attempt to prevent that, and in that case they could wall up the entrance and leave us there.
it did not occur to us for a single moment that they had any knowledge of the treasure, and that they could be after that. not for even the[278] thousandth part of a second did i dream the savages were led by pimball, glibby, and most of the other seamen of the rose of devon. i did not know then, although i have since heard the whole story from the survivors, that the rose of devon had gone ashore in the terrific storm i have described, there had been a battle with the savages who sought to plunder the ship, but which was prevented at frightful loss to the islanders who were unable to contend successfully against the firearms with which the ship was so abundantly provided. a means of communication between the ship and the shore had been found subsequently, through one of the seamen who had sailed the south seas. the savages had been told of the treasure, of which indeed they had some dim traditions from days gone by; they also held the cave as one of their most sacred spots, scarcely less sacred than the great altar on the hillock in the center of the island, for what reason i cannot tell.
by some persuasion, i know not what, pimball and glibby had won them over. together they had organized an expedition to come and seize us and take the treasure. the rose of[279] devon was not badly damaged, she had been floated and found to be still seaworthy. the savages naturally cared little or nothing for the gold or silver, and i divined later that pimball had promised to turn us over to them for such purposes as the reader can well imagine. after tortures, we would inevitably be killed and eaten.
i did not figure this out then, of course. if i had guessed it, i believe i should have been so blindly furious that i should have sallied out and attacked them at the giant stairs. indeed, that would have been no bad place for defense if the stairway had been but a little narrower. had i been alone perhaps i should have defied them there, but i had my lady to look to and i dared take no chances. i could not force the fighting.
we sat silent in the cave for a long time. i had not lighted the ship’s lantern we had left there at our last visit, having no use for it elsewhere on the island, since we went to bed at dark and rose at dawn, for some of the light of the dying day filtered through from the outside cave. there was nothing that we needed light for anyway. we sat close together on the remains[280] of one of the chests to protect us from the damp sand. i always carried with me a flask of spirits. not that i am a drinking man, i left and still leave that practice to the gallants of the day, but i have found it useful in some dire emergency, and now as mistress lucy shivered in the chill, damp air, i heartened her and strengthened her with a dram.
as it was summer and not far from the line, i had not brought the boat cloak with us. i had not even worn my sailor’s jacket, but my mutilated leather waistcoat was heavy and warm and i was thankful that i had it. the pieces which i had cut from it for the soles of her little shoes had not spoiled it for wear either, since i had been careful in their selection. i took it off and despite her protestations slipped it on her. in girth it was big enough to encircle her twice, which was all the better for her comfort. i drew it around to cover her breast with a double fold and with a length of line i had in my pocket i made it fast. we sat close together and talked in low whispers and i thrilled at the contact of her sweet presence in spite of our peril.
[281]how long we talked or how long we waited i have no means of telling. it grew dark in the cave very early and when i ventured into the outside room after what seemed an interminable wait, i found night had fallen. i felt pretty sure that we need apprehend no attack that night and yet it was necessary to keep watch, so i proposed that one of us should sleep while the other listened. naturally she was the first to take rest. it was too damp and cold to lie down on the sand, so i wedged myself against one of the least rotted of the chests whose shape had been kept intact by the pile of gold and silver bars it had contained, and somewhat hesitatingly offered her the shelter of my arm.
“madam,” i said, with all the formality i could muster, “you must have sleep. you cannot lie upon this damp sand, it is bad enough to sit upon it; but upon my shoulder and within the support of my arm you shall have rest.”
“i trust you,” she replied, coming closer to me, “and if i am to sleep i know that i shall be safe within your arms.”
“as my sister, had i one, or as my mother, were she alive and here, will i support you,”[282] said i, which was, i must admit, untrue, for i had a great to-do to keep my arm from trembling, and i felt sure she would hear my heart throbbing madly when she nestled close to me, her head upon my shoulder. and she has since admitted that she did feel the tremor and hear the throb, whereat she was most glad. but i knew nothing of that then, nor for a long time after.
before she closed her eyes, however, she made her evening prayer for herself and for me, and then she made me promise that i would awaken her when i judged it to be midnight, and upon my promise she nestled down and went to sleep, her head upon my shoulder. surely never had man a more precious charge than i that night!
i sat there motionless, my bared sword at my side, listening. i could hear nothing, no sound except her soft breathing and once in a while the sough of the night wind through the trees outside, which penetrated faintly into the cave, and at more infrequent intervals the cry of some night bird came to me, but there was no sound of humanity. how long i sat there, i know not. it was my purpose to keep awake the night[283] through, and i think i must have kept awake the greater part thereof, but toward morning my head dropped back on the pile of ingots and i fell asleep. yet i did not relax my clasp upon the sleeping figure lying upon my breast. it was she who awakened when the dim light began to sift through the narrow opening into the little cave where we sat.
