The Swiss family Robinson
Billy. Fritz and Jack, accompanied by Turk and the jackal, took the
right bank of the lake, while I followed the left, with Francis, and
his two young dogs. It was the first time that the little fellow
had shared in any of our expeditions, or had had a gun entrusted to
him; he marched along with his head up, and as proud as a new-made
officer; and he burned with ardour to make trial of his new weapon.
But the noise of our steps among the dried rushes frightened only
some herons, and they flew so suddenly and quickly that it was
impossible to shoot them. Francis began to grow despairing at his
ill success, when suddenly we found ourselves in presence of an
innumerable quantity of wild geese and black swans, which covered the
waters in all directions. Frank was just about to fire into the mass,
when suddenly a sort of deep, prolonged cry, like a bellow, issued
from the middle of the rushes. We stopped, astonished, and a second
after the cry was repeated.
“I am sure,” said Francis, “that it is the little onagra.”
“Impossible,” said I; “he would not leave his mother; and, besides,
we must have heard him as he passed along. It is more likely to be a
swamp-bird, called a bittern.”
I called the dogs to my side, and, setting them in the rushes,
presently heard the report of Francis’s gun. But, instead of firing
in the air, he had discharged his gun right into the thickest part of
the rushes, and I saw the birds that the dogs had disturbed flying
away safe and sound.
“You awkward fellow,” said I; “you have let your game escape you.”
“On the contrary, papa, I have him! I have him!” repeated he, with
passionate emotion. “Look!”
So saying, he pulled out of the rushes an animal resembling an
agouti, and which the little hunter had already christened by that
name.
I examined it with attention, and discovered that there was much
difference between it and the agouti.
This one was about two feet in length, had incisor teeth like the
rabbit, webbed feet, long snout, but no tail at all.
“You have killed a rare and curious beast,” said I to my little boy.
“It is an inhabitant of South America, of the same family as the
agouti and peccaries, but much rarer. It is a cabiai, and what is
more, a cabiai of the largest size.”
“And what sort of an animal is this cabiai? I have never heard of him
before.”
“Oh, yes; you heard him bray just now; for it was his cry that I
attributed to the bittern. This animal profits by the darkness of
night to provide his food: he runs fast, can swim well, and has the
power of remaining a long time under water; he eats seated on his
hind legs; and as to his cry, it sounds exactly like the braying of
an ass.”
But it was now time to return home, and Francis rejoiced at the
prospect of his triumph over his brothers. He took up his cabiai,
threw it over his shoulder, and although I saw that it was much too
heavy for him, I thought I would let him have the merit of the whole
affair.
We found, on returning, Master Ernest tranquilly seated on the bank
of the river, and surrounded by a prodigious number of enormous rats
which he had killed. The phlegmatic philosopher then recounted to us
the history of this massacre.
“We were occupied,” said he, “my mother and I, in collecting the
ripe rice-blades, when I discovered, at a little distance, a sort
of high, solid causeway, which looked like a road constructed in
the middle of the swamp. I immediately set off to discover what it
was, and Master Knips with me. But we had scarcely advanced one step
when he darted from my side in pursuit of an animal that quickly
disappeared in a sort of hole bored in the causeway. I remarked, on
advancing, that the two sides of the bank were pierced all along
with these holes, all of the same form and size. I was curious to
know what they contained, and I introduced into the opening a long
bamboo cane that I had in my hand. I had scarcely drawn it out when
there issued forth a legion of animals similar to the first. Knips
ran after them; but the rice grew so thick that he could not get
along. An idea then occurred to me to place my rice-sack over the
hole. I did so; and beating the top of the causeway with a stick, a
great number ran into the sack. I then began to beat the bag with my
stick, so as to kill the prisoners. But imagine my surprise when I
found myself assailed by a whole army of rats who emerged from every
side, and began to run up my pantaloons. Knips made most desperate
attempts. I could do nothing with my stick, and I cannot tell what
might have happened if Billy had not heard my voice, and come to my
assistance. He rushed bravely upon the army of rats, and made so
terrible a slaughter that the enemy fled in terror. Those that you
behold fell victims to my stick and the formidable teeth of Billy;
the rest of the army took refuge in their holes.”
The narration of Ernest excited my curiosity, and I wished to see for
myself the causeway with its inhabitants, and I recognized a series
of works similar to those of the beaver, with the single difference,
that they were not so extensive. I made my sons observe the
conformity that existed between these animals and the beaver of the
north; both had the same membrane at the feet to facilitate swimming;
both had the flat tail, and both were provided with two little bags
of musk.
Fritz and Jack returned during these conversations; they brought back
a ruffled moor-hen and a nest of eggs: we placed them under one of
our hens that happened to be sitting at the time. We then all united
around a savoury mess of rice that my good wife had prepared. She had
cooked a small piece of the cabiai; but it was detestable, and we
abandoned it to our dogs, who would not taste the flesh of the rats
on account of the smell of musk.
The repast was a merry one. We were all delighted to have found
no traces of the boa; and my mischievous boys showered a flood of
epigrams upon the “Conqueror of Rats,” as they called poor Ernest.
The conversation naturally turned upon what we should do with our
rat-skins; and it was determined upon to make a carpet of them, to
preserve the floor of our house dry. Our first care was to clean them
with sand and ashes, as we were accustomed to do.
Presently Jack and Francis ran to their knapsacks.
“Look here, sir!” said the youngest, as he threw some pine cones
before the philosopher.
“Look here, sir!” said Jack, placing on the table some little shining
apples, of a pale green, which exhaled a strong odour of cinnamon.
A general cry of admiration greeted them.
“Stop!” cried I. “Before tasting this fruit, Master Knips must
undergo the customary trial, for I am afraid these are the fruit of
the manchineel tree; and the manchineel apples produce most terrible
colics.”
I then opened one of the fruit, and discovered that I had been
deceived by the appearance. The manchineel apple has a nut, and these
had very small seeds, like the common apple. While I was showing this
difference to my children, Master Knips snatched one of the apples
from the table and commenced to eat it, smacking his lips as if it
were something excellent. This determined the matter. I distributed
the fruit, and on tasting them we declared them most excellent. Fritz
wished to know their name.
“They are,” said I, “cinnamon apples; I think you gathered them from
a low shrub; did you not, Jack?”
“Oh, yes, yes--shrub--cinnamon. I am falling asleep,” stammered out
the stupid fellow.
I then gave the signal for retiring. We took all necessary
precautions for safety during the night, and we sought, on our
mattresses of cotton, the repose that the fatigues of the day had
rendered necessary.
CHAPTER XLIII
The Pig Hunt--The Supply--The Otaheitan
Roast--Ham Smoking
The next morning, at break of day, we renewed our search. We directed
our course to the sugar-cane plantation, where I had built a hut of
branches, but we found it all blown down; and setting up our tent, we
resolved to pass the forenoon there.
While my wife was making preparations for dinner, we explored the
sugar-canes, as I thought it would be a natural retreat for the
serpents, if there yet remained any in this part of the country.
Happily, our investigation was without any result; and we were
turning to quit the sugar-canes, when suddenly our dogs began to
bark, as if they had taken some dangerous animal. We could perceive
nothing; but as it was not prudent to venture among the canes, I
ordered my sons to direct their course toward the plain, and we soon
found ourselves clear of the canes. At the same time there emerged
from them a troop of pigs of quite respectable size and strength. I
at first thought it was the young family of our old sow; but their
number, the grey colour of their skin, and the singular manner in
which they walked, soon banished that idea. They trotted one after
the other with a precision and regularity that would have done
honour to a troop on parade. I took good aim, fired both barrels of
my gun, and two of the animals fell. The loss did not seem to make
much impression on the rest of the troop, who trotted on as before.
It was a singular spectacle to see the whole family marching along
the borders of the sugar-canes, with an imperturbable tranquillity;
every one followed exactly in his place, without any pushing for
precedence; and, on examining them more closely, we found that there
was but one footstep in the sand, so regularly did they march.
But Jack and Fritz, who were a little in advance, could not let them
pass unheeded. Bang, bang, went their pistols, and two more animals
bit the dust; the dogs also had their part in the victory, and each
one strangled a victim.
I immediately recognized them as being a sort of hog, and as I knew
that one part, if not immediately removed, would render the meat
uneatable, I immediately set about the operation, and my sons gladly
aided me, so rejoiced were they at such a splendid booty; for we had
six pigs, each, on an average, three feet in length.
While we were thus occupied, I heard the reports of two other guns
in the distance; I conjectured them to have come from Ernest and
Francis, who had overtaken the pigs. I was right; and Ernest, who
soon returned with the waggon for which I had sent Fritz, confirmed
me in my conjecture. We thus had in possession three more pigs, for
Billy had also done his duty.
The arrival of the doctor naturally provoked a discussion on the
name of our game. Fritz thought that these were the Otaheitan pigs
of which Captain Cook speaks. Ernest was of another opinion, and
maintained that they were peccaries. This animal is very common in
Guiana and South America. Before loading the waggon we resolved
to clean our game to diminish the weight. Although we worked as
diligently as possible, the work was not yet finished at dinner-time,
and we were glad to find in the sugar-cane a cordial that refreshed
and nourished us. We set out for the tent; but my boys were so
proud of our chase that they determined to convert our convoy into
a triumphal march: they cut some green boughs and decorated our
equipage; they adorned their caps and guns with flowers, and we made
our entrance chanting a song of victory.
“You have kept me waiting long enough, gentlemen,” said my wife;
“your dinner is all spoiled; but, bless me! what a quantity of meat!
Why should you abuse the provision nature has so liberally provided
by killing more than we require?”
We justified ourselves as well as we were able, and my children
offered their mother the sugar-canes they had brought home.
Fritz proposed to regale the family with an Otaheitan roast. We
received his proposition, but it was put off till the morrow, as the