LAWLESS DAYS

Otago Witness, Issue 3860, 6 March 1928, Page 78

LAWLESS DAYS

A STORY OF OLD NEW ZEALAND AND THE SOUTH SEAS.

By

Mona Tracy.

(Copyright.—For the Otago Witness.)

CHAPTER XIII.—THE RUNAWAYS. All the afternoon the search went on. Parties of seamen patrolled the beach, peered down the cliffs, and went as far as they could penetrate into the gullies for any sign of the missing boys. They found the jolly-boat, which Dick had sent adrift, and towed it back to the ship. But of Dick and Barry they could find no trace. They had disappeared, declared the seamen, as completely as if the earth had opened and swallowed them up. “ The sea more likely! ” snarled Captain Gates. “ I’ll wager the careless young imps have got to skylarking with the boat, and drowned themselves ! ” H o was in a vile temper. It was a bad business, from Captain Gate’s point of view to have fed a couple of lads for the length of the passage from Hobart Town, only to have them do away with themselves, just when they were likely to have been of some use to him. At dusk the seamen gave up the search. Captain Gates had decided that, as the wind was fair for the south, the Bee must be got away. “ I’ll not delay longer for such a pair of worthless young ruffians!” he roared. “ If they/re dead, the world is well rid of them. And if they’re alive they’ll live to regret the day 7 they deserted their ship! While the seamen went aloft, and the getting of the anchor began, Ben went slowly aft, to where the boat "still swung against the brig’s stern. He stared down at it. a queer little smile on his -lips. “ The fishing lines were gone,” he muttered. “ Where’s the harm in sending the boat after them? ” Bending down he drew out a knife and cut the boat adrift. A wave caught it, and sent it spinning away from the brig. In the fast falling dark it went unnoticed.

Meanwhile, for the runaways’the hours were passing all too slowly It had been Dick’s suggestion that they abandon the boat, Barry's that they should land on some rocks along which their footmarks could not be traced. Then they’ had pushed steadily inland, keeping always out of sight of the ship. The Bee was anchored on the eastern side of the island. At the western extremity arose a hill, somewhat taller than the others. Its scrub-covered slopes were broken here and there bv outcrops of what looked like granite rock. T . “ There’s bound to- be a cleft of some sort in which w e can hide ourselves! ” Dick had gasped; and Barry, ploughing steadily through the scrub, had agreed. They had found the land about this bay more open than that of the one in which the Bee lay anchored. Still, as they pushed inland, they began to strike trouble, and on reaching the base of the hill, they found that it was onlyr'bv crawling on their hands and knees through the densely-matted scrub they could hope to reach the rocks. On "they went, crawling upwards, scratching themselves and tearing their clothes on thorns and projecting branches. Great was their delight to find, at last, such a place as they had been seeking—a deep cleft, running in for a few feet, and then turning at a sham angle to the left.

“ No one who did hot actually climb the hill would ever suspect it was here! ’ Dick had gurgled delightedly as he and Barry threw themselves down to recover their breath. “ The. opening is too well screened by the scrub to be seen, from below.” Nevertheless, the day was an anxious one for the both boys. Many times they stole towards the mouth of the cleft, and peered out through the scrub. Once they saw a couple of seamen standing at the foot, of the hill, as though debating whether or no to Clime it. One, indeed, did make a half-hearted attempt to push hit, way through the scrub, but gave it up before he .had gone more than a few yards. “■Barry! The ship's sailing!” At dusk Dick told his friend the joyful news. “They’re getting sail on‘her!” “ There’s a wind coming,” Barry answered. “ Arc you certain you hid the cask so they couldn’t find it? ” Dick aske<* anxiously. He had disliked the Bee and all her rough crew; but now that she ■was actually going there seemed something almost friendly about her.

‘‘ That Ben might have found it,” said Barry. “ He’s cleverer than the rest. But no one else would—of that I’m certain.” “ Well, we can only pray it's still where you put it,” said Dick. “ For without our tools we’d have a hard time on this island. Indeed, we'd run-the danger of starving. There doesn’t seem even to be a seal about.” “ I think.” said Barry, straining his eyes towards the Bee, “ we'd better not go hunting the cask to-night. By tomorrow we’ll know vhetlier the brig is really gone, or whether Captain Gates is playing a trick on us.” “ Agreed,” nodded Dick. “ What about food, though? I'm starving.” With a quiet smile Barry produced from his pocket a package of ship’s biscuits. “ Hurrah ! ” cried Dick. “ You’re a splendid comrade, Barry ! ” Returning to the far end of the cleft they supped and they settled themselves down for the night. It being midsummer they suffered no discomfort from cold. “ And by the time winter comes, if we’re . still here,” thought Dick, “ we’ll have sealskins to keep us warm. I hope, though, we find a ship to take us off before then.” Worn out by their day’s excitement both boys slept soundly. Dawn found them at the mouth of the cleft, staring eagerly out over land and sea. There was no sign of the Bee. “ Gone! ” cried Dick. “ And no doubt many leagues away by this time. There's a fairish wind blowing out there! ” Barry’s eyes were fixed on something white which lay stranded on a tiny stretch of beach. He gave a sudden yell. “ ’Tis a boat! ”he cried; and without another word started plunging downhill. Dick followed at his heels, sliding and slipping and tearing his clothes in the thick scrub.

They talked eagerly as they salved the little craft and drew it up beyond the reach of the high tide. How had it come thefe? What miracle had prevented it from being dashed to pieces on the rocks? And how, in the first place, had it got loose from the Bee? “ However it came, ’tis the most fortunate thing that has- happened to us yet,” Dick declared. “It means that we can fish where we will; and that we need never go short of food. Now for the cask and our precious tools! ” Barry led the way towards the bay in which the Bee ■ had anchored. Dick was filled with vague fears. Supposing someone had chanced upon the cask, and taken it away? Even when he had proposed to Barry that they desert the Bee, he had known that their lives on the island would , not be easy; but without their tools it. was likely to be one continuous fight for existence. “ Twelve paces from the rocks, and 12 from the edge of the scrub,” said Barry, coming to a halt. “ ’Tis here, Dick, buried in the sand. At high water the sea covered it- and washed away all traces of my diggings.” Catching up a couple of tough pieces of driftwood, they fell to work. When the rim of the cask came into, view, Dick, unable to restrain his delight, gave vent to a wild war dance. An instant later he again sobered, for he had remembered that the day would be all too short ’ for the many things they had to do. ‘‘Food first,” he told Barry; “then a drink at the creek ; and next- we must find some sort of shelter for the night.” “ There's but the remains of last night’s biscuit,” said Barry’. “I wish now, we’d been after bringing the little boat round.” “ After I’ve eaten, I’ll go for it,” Dick said. “Do you, Barry, while I’m gone, find somewhere for us to camp, and carry our tools there.”

The morning passed quickly. Dick, bringing the . boat round, put down a line, and was rewarded by the catch of a big cod. “ There’s our dinner,” he thought proudly. On arriving he found that Barry had made himself busy. The Irish boy had selected, as the place for their camp, a grove of stunted trees that grew beside the stream about a hundred yards from the shore. To this he had borne armful after armful of bracken, dried brushwood, and the like. “ We’ll sleep softer to-night,” he promised Dick. “ If the rain would but hold off for- a few days until we can get a hut built, I’d find it in my forgive the spalpeen who had me transported ! ” • While Dick cleaned and cut up the fish with their knife, Barry kindled a fire, and piled on it handfuls of dried twigs. Never had Dick seen the Irish boy so happy. Barry whistled and sang, a

different being to the boy he had been aboard the Bee.

“ ’Tis because I feel free,” he explained shyly; and Dick nodded in sympathy. J V :U ’ r -X and 1 S ct to England he Jl’i ‘ e , thou S h L “ rn see to it that ri ?\ a cha " ce ln the world. Perhaps Bn< ?e Nat-will take him into the East India Company s service.” nte;nf' r me i a - ended ’ Barry looked at Hick, plainly seeking directions. ‘I think,” said Dick, ‘‘that, first of s ore W of fo^ bet n r ‘7 t 0 g6t in a little whilt th f ° f Us must Ashing wL othe [. ook s for shellfish. There of tL be a ' ,y egg ® about this time ot the year. That done, w e must go hunting for driftwood, out of which to build our shelter. You contrived to get some nails, Barry?” ° Not many,” answered Barry. “ R u t enough, I think, for our needs.” Diving his arm into the cask he brought them out. The hammer followed, and then came a bewildering assortment of articles, ending up with a couple of sailor's needles and some strong thread. Only one thing worried Dick—the smallness of their stock of potatoes, ho ill r" USt h ° a . rd thc,n u l’ like Soldolie told Barry. Some we must plant, though I doubt whether this is the season fo putting them in. They mean the difference between good health and bad.” tv J\ i- asked Barry; whereupon 1 told him of the horrors of sourvv ano how it attacked those who were deprived of fresh vegetable food. Barry's eyes grew wider as he listened. “ Perhaps we may be able to find some herb that will keep the scurvy away ” he suggested. '

“We may” Dick said. “But on the other hand, if we go eating strange plants we may succeed only in poisoning ourselves.

“ I’ll keep my eyes open, anyway," promised Barry.

’,T° ? nr Y ork ’ thpn >" cried Dick. , This time it was Barry who went fishing, while Dick prowled along the shore, looking for shell fish. Both boys were rewarded, Barry by several fish, and Dick bj some mussels, of which there seemed an abundance. “ And now for making us some kind of shelter,” Dick said. “ Any suggestions, Barry? ” “ I’ve been thinking,” said Barry, that t would be better for ns to explore the island a little before we get to building our hut. This bay appears’ a desolate one. Surely, somewhere about the coast, there must be a cove into which the seals come to calve.” “ That’s a fine idea,” said Dick heartily. ‘ But suppose it rains before we get our hut built?” “ Then we'll just get wet.” said Barry calmly; and Dick went off into peals of laughter. “ Barry's just the kind of comrade for an adventure of this nature,” he thought, as he and the Irish boy carried the tools and their food to the boat. “Nothing seems to put him out.” Launching the craft, they each took an oar, and set the boat's head south. It took them but little time to reach the southernmost point of the bay. Then, Lr some time, they pulled along in the shadow of some high granite cliffs. “I believe we’re coming to some sort of cove,” Dick said presently, resting on his oar. ‘ ’Tis myself that thought there must bo something of the kind on such a coast,” Barry replied. “What cliffs, Dick! Did you ever see the like?”

“Never!” said Dick truthfully; and they pulled on again. The cliffs came to an abrupt end. Dick and Barry had to row out nearly a quarter of a mile in order to dodge a wicked-looking reef, over which the sea broke angrily. Once clear of this they pu the boat’s nose about. “ What’s that? ” cried Barry suddenly, as something came swimming towards the boat at a tremendous pace. “ Seal! ” answered Dick promptly. “ You were right, Barry—there are seals about here.” “He’ll be after upsetting the boat!” yelled Barry. “ I don’t think so,” laughed Dick. “ He is just curious to see what we are. In any case, we can hit him with an oar if he comes too- near.” The seal came swiftly up. When a few yards from th e boat he stopped suddenly, and stared at the bays with such a comical expression in his big watery eye s that even Barry grinned. Then apparently having satisfied his curiosity, he turned and swam off. “ What a dinner he’d have made ! ” exclaimed Barry, watching him as he slid through the water.

Dick shook his head. “ Too old,” he said. “ Even Captain Gook, to whom few things in the way of food came amiss, couldn't find it in his heart to enjoy old seal meat. When we go hunting seals for food, we must stick to the baby ones. They’re easier to kill, too.” Hurrah ! ” cried Barry suddenly. “ There’s our cove, Dick! ”

“ And a beauty,” said Dick, turning round to look up the narrow, winding harbour. “ I wonder how .far inland it runs—but there, we don’t wish to go far from the coast. We must always be on the look-out for some vessel. I think we’d better' land on yonder little beach, and take a look about us.”

They pulled for the beach, which lay at the foot of a tussocky hill, with a wooded valley on either side of it. Beaching the boat, they climbed the hill, and gazed eagerly up the cove. Dick was delighted to find that the bush on the land that sloped down to its' still waters was much more open than any he had previously seen on the island.

“ That must be because this part is more sheltered than the rest,” he thought.

Behind the hill lay a ravine, through which ran a stream of clear water. “ We’ll go down and see if it’s drinkable,” Dick said. Barry obediently started downwards through the thick grass. Before following him, Dick took one more long look up the cove. A wild yell from Barry caused him to spin round. “ Dick! Dick! I’m murdered entirely! ” Barry’s voice wag filled with fright. A glance told Dick what had happened. Barry had come suddenly on a seal that was basking on the hill, and had tripped over it. Th© seal had started up suddenly, knocking the Irish boy off his feet, and both had -gone rolling down the slope together. Dick plunged down the hill. He could see the seal making off down the ravine, while Barry still roared at the top of his voice. “Are you hurt, Barry?” Dick enquired anxiously, as he hauled his friend to his feet. “ I’m winded entirely ,! ” gasped Barry, feeling himself to make sure that no bones were broken. “ What happened to that spalpeen of a seal.” “ lie ran off for Ins life,” Dick grinned. “ I think he had a bigger fright than you did.”

” Gch! ” Barry's breath was coming back. “ ’Tis myself will look where I'm going next time when I take a stroll. If I’d a stick now, I’d go hit him on the nose and make my dinner-of him!” “We'll follow him and see where he went,” said Dick; and the two set off ii. pursuit. ’ —

They went downstream. To Hieir surprise they found that the creek ran into •i big opening in a cliff. “ Come in, Barry! ” Dick invited his companion. “ 'Tis evidently an underground cave of sorts.” For the first yard or so they could scarce walk upright, but' after that the passage widened suddenly, and an instant later they found themselves standing in a roomy cavern, stretching back about 20 feet on either side of the stream. Light entered it from a big gap in the roo" directly above the stream. “ There must be another opening which leads on to the rocks at the foot of the sea cliffs,” said Dick, gazing about him. “ Mr Seal had evidently gone that way.

You won't be able to dine on him, Barry." “I'm thinking,” said Barry. “That I’m grateful to him after ail. He has show’ll us the way to a fine new home.” (To be continued.)