The Swiss family Robinson
conversation until our huntsmen returned. We did not wait long, for
the galloping of their steeds was soon heard, and in another moment
they were at our sides.
Jack and Francis each carried a little kid on his back, with the feet
tied together, and the game-bag of Fritz appeared to me to be pretty
full.
“A fine chase, papa!” cried Jack. “Storm carried me through the
desert like a flash of lightning. Fritz has two magnificent Angora
rabbits in his pouch, and also a complaisant cuckoo, who led us to
one of the finest hives I have ever seen; we shall be able to get
plenty of honey.”
“Jack has not told all,” said Fritz: “we have taken a whole troop of
antelopes prisoners, and have driven them into our domains, where we
can hunt them and tame them just when we please.”
Turning towards Jack, whose face seemed very much swollen, I said,
“What is the matter with your cheeks? have your adventures been
dangerous in any way?”
Fritz interrupted his answer, and began the following narration.
“After quitting you, we took the direction of the valley and, finding
a narrow place where two or three trees had fallen down, we took
advantage of this natural bridge, and crossed to the other side of
the river. We rode on some time without perceiving anything, our
coursers going at full speed, and the sun not being high enough to
be unpleasant. At last we discovered, in the distance, two herds of
small animals, of what kind we could not distinguish, but I thought
they were either antelopes or gazelles. Our first care was to call
our dogs together, and keep them close by our sides, as we knew
the animals were more afraid of them than of us. I then divided my
forces: I gave Francis the line of the river as his position; Jack
occupied the middle, while I, mounted on the onagra, sustained the
right wing, and endeavoured to drive the animals to the centre. We
effected this movement, and one of the herds passed the river as
quietly as if the act had been voluntary. The other herd did not seem
to perceive us until we were close to them, when suddenly they raised
themselves from the grass where they had been lying, and, stretching
out their long necks and little heads, surmounted by short, pointed
ears, set off at full speed; and now our chase commenced. We urged
our coursers onward, and, giving our dogs their liberty, we soon
forced the entire troop over the river, and drove them into the
defile which separated us from the savanna. After we had secured them
in our dominions, the next thing was to keep them there. Several
plans were proposed, but at last the following was chosen. We
stretched a long cord from one side of the defile to the other, and
fastened to it every light thing we could find, the continual motion
of which frightened the animals away whenever they approached it; the
ostrich-plumes in our hats, our handkerchiefs, etc., furnished us
with materials.”
“Admirable!” said I, as the boy stopped as if to see how his
stratagem was received, “admirable! The only thing is, in the night
it cannot be seen; but it truly was a bright thought for such a boy.
But about the rabbits,” added I, “what do you intend to do with them?
If they should happen to get in your mother’s vegetable garden, there
would not be much of it left.”
“No, no; but I thought that one of our two islands would make a good
home for them; for instance, Shark Island would make a magnificent
warren, and furnish us many a good dish, and fine furs to make caps
out of.”
“But how did you come to take them alive?”
“The honour of the capture is due to my eagle; he pounced down upon
a troop of rabbits that were flying before us, and carried off two
in his talons. I rescued them before he had injured them, and he
consoled himself by killing another, which he soon devoured.”
I could see that Jack was watching every opportunity to put in a
word, and I laughingly requested the poor fellow to speak.
“In my turn!” said he, “in my turn! I galloped on with Francis while
Fritz was chasing the rabbits; the dogs followed us, and suddenly we
saw them jump forward, and run after two little animals about the
size of a hare, that fled with incredible rapidity. Away we all went,
and, after a hot chase of a quarter of an hour, we captured the two
fugitives. There they are,” continued the young narrator, throwing
down before us two beautiful little animals; “I think they are young
fawns.”
“And I think,” said I, “that they are antelopes.”
“Well, whatever they may be,” continued Jack, “our dogs behaved
admirably, and so, I can say, did their masters. But that was nothing
to what happened afterwards. We had scarcely commenced our progress
when a sort of cuckoo began to fly before us, singing away as if
to defy us. I had already levelled my gun, when Fritz requested me
to recollect that it was loaded with ball, and that I should only
waste the charge. I accordingly slung my gun on my back, and we rode
on, the cuckoo flying on before us, when suddenly he stopped just
over a bees’ nest, artfully concealed in the ground. We now held a
council of war about the nest, and discussed the plan of attack.
Francis begged to be excused, recalling to our memories the former
attack at Falcon’s Nest. Fritz was willing to do all the advising
part, but would rather leave the execution to somebody else; so you
see, at last, the whole affair devolved upon me. Armed with some
sulphur matches that I found in my knapsack, I advanced and tried to
suffocate the bees by throwing the lighted matches down the hole,
when suddenly a rumbling noise was heard, and, in a second, a swarm
of bees emerged, attacking me on all sides. My hands and face were
violently treated, and it was with the greatest difficulty that I
mounted my buffalo and rode away, bearing with me the honourable
marks of the conflict. I could scarcely believe,” said Jack, as he
finished his recital, “that so small an animal could cause so much
pain.”
I reflected long upon what Jack had told me concerning the strange
bird that had shown them the nest of bees. I easily recognized it
as being the “cuckoo-indicator” of naturalists; “But,” thought I,
“how, if this coast is uninhabited, could the bird have known that
human beings liked honey, and would be willing to share the discovery
with him? Is not such conduct a sign that we are not the first men
who have trod this soil? May not the interior of the country be
inhabited?” These considerations were of the highest importance to
us, and I was convinced that it would not be prudent to advance into
the interior, unless with the greatest caution. I also resolved to
build a fortress on one side of the coast, and I chose Shark Island
as its situation, as it appeared to me that a strong fortification
that would command the coast of Felsenheim, and fortified by our two
cannons, would enable us to defend ourselves against all attack from
the interior, if any ever took place.
CHAPTER XLVII
Ostriches Again--A Hunt and a Capture--Acquisition
of Treasure--Euphorbia--Vanilla
At the break of day I was up, and awoke my sons; our labours were
almost done--our bears’ meat was smoked, our fat all run out into
bamboo vessels; and the rainy season, which was rapidly approaching,
warned us to return to our home in the grotto. Nevertheless, I wished
to make another excursion into the desert, to see whether a second
visit to the nest of ostrich eggs would not succeed better than
the first, and I likewise wanted to gather some of the gum of the
euphorbia.
As we wished to accomplish this excursion as rapidly as possible,
it was resolved to go on horseback. We took with us Turk and Billy,
and set off, following the direction of the Green Valley, tracing
over again all the places rendered illustrious by some remembrance
of our last excursion--the spot where we had encountered the bears,
the turtle-marsh, and, at last, the rock from which Fritz discovered
the ostriches. To this rock we gave the name of “Arab’s Tower,” in
allusion to the mistake he had made in thinking the ostriches to be
Arabs of the desert.
Jack and Francis galloped off at full speed, and, as the plain was
so level that they could not escape from my eye, I let them go on. I
retained Fritz by my side to aid me in gathering the euphorbia which
had congealed in the sun. I had provided myself with a vessel to put
it in, and I soon filled it with the little drops of hardened gum.
This gum is one of the most violent and subtle poisons, and my son
asked me why I took so much pains to collect it.
“I intend to use it,” said I, “to destroy the monkeys--a cruel means,
I will allow, but necessity drives us to adopt it. We can also employ
the euphorbia in preparing the skins of birds and other animals; it
will preserve them from corruption, and keep out all insects. To
whatever use, however, we may apply it, the greatest precaution must
be observed, as it is capable of producing the most dreadful results.”
During our work, the two cavaliers had almost disappeared in the
savanna, and it was with great difficulty that our eyes could follow
them, surrounded as they were by a cloud of dust. They had passed far
beyond the ostrich nest, to which we directed our course, wishing to
see whether the eggs had been abandoned or not.
We had scarcely come in sight of the nest when we saw four noble
ostriches rise from the sand and advance toward us. Fritz’s first
care was to prepare his eagle for the conflict; and, to prevent it
from renewing the former scene of carnage, he fastened its beak so
strongly that it was almost harmless. Our dogs were also muzzled,
and we stood still, in order that we might not frighten the birds.
On they came, with half-extended wings, gliding over the ground with
inconceivable rapidity. They seemed to think us inanimate objects,
for they came on directly for us until they had arrived within
pistol-shot; they were three females and a male--the last a little
in advance, with his beautiful tail-feathers floating behind him.
The moment of attack was come; I seized my string with balls, and,
calling up all my sleight-of-hand, I launched it against the male
ostrich. Unfortunately, however, instead of catching him around the
legs, as I intended, the balls of my string took a turn round his
body, and I only fastened his wings to his sides. It diminished his
speed somewhat, but the victory was not complete; and the frightened
bird turned round, and, using his long legs, endeavoured to escape:
away we dashed after him, I on the onagra, and Fritz on the colt.
But we were nearly exhausted, when, happily, Jack and Francis rode
up, and cut off his further retreat. Fritz then unhooded his eagle,
and, pointing out the ostrich to him, he immediately pounced upon his
prey; and now commenced an arduous chase. Jack and Francis on one
side, and Fritz and I on the other, tormented him, and harassed him
without ceasing; but the most useful combatant was the eagle. The
presence of this new enemy troubled the ostrich greatly; he felt him
on his head, and heard the flapping of his wings, while, on the other
hand, the eagle, furious at finding his beak strongly fastened by a
ligature of cotton, was so violent that, by a vigorous stroke of his
wings, the ostrich fairly tottered. Jack then threw his string and
balls so skilfully that the noble bird bit the sand of the desert.
A cry of joy burst from the huntsmen, the eagle was recalled and
hoodwinked, and we hastened to our prize in order to prevent his
breaking the bonds that confined him; for he was so very violent,
and struggled so vigorously, that I hardly dared to approach him. I
imagined that by depriving him of light I might reduce his fury, and
I threw my hunting-sack, my vest and handkerchief, over his head.