IX
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE DUSK
NOW WITH the coming of the dawn, a lasting silence stole across the
island and into the valley, and, conceiving that we had nothing more
to fear, the bo'sun bade us get some rest, whilst he kept watch. And
so I got at last a verysubstantial little spell of sleep, which made
me fitenough for the day's work.
Presently, after some hours had passed, the bo'sun roused us to go
with him to the further side of the island to gather fuel, and soon
wewere back with each a load, so that in a little wehad the fire going
right merrily.
Now for breakfast, we had a hash of broken biscuit, salt meat and some
shell-fish which thebo'sun had picked up from the beach at the foot of
the further hill; the whole being right liberally flavoured with some
of the vinegar, which the bo'sun said would help keep down any scurvy
that might be threatening us. And at the end of the meal he served out
to us each a little of the molasses, which we mixed with hot water,
and drank. The meal being ended, he went into the tent to take a look
at Job, the which he had done already in the early morning; for the
condition of the lad preyed somewhat upon him; he being, for all his
size and top-roughness, a man of surprisingly tender heart. Yet the
boyremained much as on the previous evening, so that we knew not what
to do with him to bring him into better health. One thing we tried,
knowing that no food had passed his lips since the previous morning,
and that was to get somelittle quantity of hot water, rum and
molassesdown his throat; for it seemed to us he might die from very
lack of food; but though we worked with him for more than the half of
an hour, we could not get him to come-to sufficiently to take
anything, and without that we had fear of suffocating him. And so,
presently, we had perforce to leave him within the tent, and go about
our business; for there was very much to be done.
Yet, before we did aughtelse, the bo'sun led us all into the valley,
being determined to make a very thorough exploration of it, perchance
there might be any lurking beast or devil-thing waiting to rush out
and destroy us as we worked, and more, he would make search that he
might discover what manner ofcreatures had disturbed our night.
Now in the early morning, when we had gone for the fuel, we had kept
to the upper skirt of the valley where the rock of the nearer hill
came down into the spongy ground, but nowwe struck right down into the
middle part of the vale, making a way amid the mighty fungi tothe
pit-like opening that filled the bottom of the valley. Now though the
ground was very soft, there was in it so much of springiness that it
left no trace of our steps after we had gone on a little way, none,
that is, save that in odd places, awet patch followed uponour
treading. Then, when we got ourselves near to the pit, the ground
became softer, so that our feet sank intoit, and left very real
impressions; and here we found tracks most curious and bewildering;for
amid the slush that edged the pit--which I would mention here hadless
the look of a pit nowthat I had come near to it--were multitudes of
markings which I can liken to nothing so muchas the tracks of mighty
slugs amid the mud, onlythat they were not altogether like to that of
slugs'; for there were other markings such as might have been made by
bunches of eels cast down and picked up continually, at least, this is
what they suggested to me, and I do but put itdown as such.
Apart from the markings which I have mentioned,there was everywhere a
deal of slime, and this we traced all over the valley among the great
toadstool plants; but, beyond that which I have already remarked, we
found nothing. Nay, but I was near to forgetting, we found a quantity
of this thin slime upon those fungi which filled the end of the little
valley nearest toour encampment, and here also we discovered many of
them fresh broken or uprooted, andthere was the same markof the beast
upon them all, and now I remember the dull thuds that I had heard in
the night, and made little doubt but that the creatures had climbed
the great toadstools so that they might spy us out; and it may be that
many climbed upon one, so that their weight broke the fungi, or
uprooted them. At least, so the thought came to me.
And so we made an end of our search, and after that, the bo'sun set
each one of us to work. But first he had us all back tothe beach to
give a handto turn over the boat, so that he might get to the damaged
part. Now, having the bottom of theboat full to his view, he made
discovery that there was other damage beside that of the burst plank;
for the bottom plank of all had come away from the keel, which seemed
to us a very serious matter; though it did not show when the boat was
uponher bilges. Yet the bo'sunassured us that he had no doubts but
that she could be made seaworthy; though it would take a greater while
than hitherto he had thought needful.
Having concluded his examination of the boat,the bo'sun sent one of
the men to bring the bottom-boards out of the tent; for he needed some
planking for the repair of the damage. Yet when the boards hadbeen
brought, he needed still something which they could not supply, and
this was a length of very sound wood of some three inches in breadth
each way, which he intended to bolt against the starboard side of the
keel, after he had gottenthe planking replaced so far as was possible.
He had hopes that by meansof this device he would be able to nail the
bottom plank to this, andthen caulk it with oakum, so making the boat
almost so sound as ever.
Now hearing him express his need for sucha piece of timber, we were
all adrift to know from whence such a thing could be gotten, until
there came suddenly to me a memory of the mast and topmast upon the
other side of the island, and at once I made mention of them. At that,
the bo'sun nodded, saying that we might get the timber outof it,
though it would be a work requiring some considerable labour, in that
we had only a hand-saw and a small hatchet. Then he sent us across to
be getting it clear of the weed, promising to follow when he had made
an end of trying to get the two displaced planks back into position.
Having reached the spars, we set-to with a very good will to shift
away the weed and wrack that was piled over them, and very much
entangled with therigging. Presently we had laid them bare, and so we
discovered them to be in remarkably sound condition, the lower-mast
especially being a fine piece of timber. All the lower and topmast
standing rigging was still attached, though in places the lower
rigging was stranded so far as half-way up the shrouds;yet there
remained muchthat was good and all of it quite free from rot, and of
the very finest quality of white hemp, such as is to be seen onlyin
the best found vessels.
About the time that we had finished clearing theweed, the bo'sun came
over to us, bringing withhim the saw and the hatchet. Under his
directions, we cut the lanyards of the topmast rigging, and after that
sawed through the topmast just above the cap. Now this was, a
verytough piece of work, and employed us a great part of the morning,
even though we took turn and turn at the saw,and when it was done we
were mightily glad that the bo'sun bade oneof the men go over with
some weed and make upthe fire for dinner, after which he was to put on
apiece of the salt meat to boil.
In the meanwhile, the bo'sun had started to cutthrough the topmast,
about fifteen feet beyond the first cut, for that was the length of
the batten he required; yet so wearisome was the work, that we had not
gotten more than half through with it before the man whom the bo'sun
had sent, returned to say that the dinner was ready. When this was
dispatched, and we had rested a little over our pipes, the bo'sun rose
and led us back; for he was determined to get through with the topmast
before dark.
Presently, relieving each other frequently, we completed the second
cut, and after that the bo'sun set us to saw a block about twelve
inches deep from the remaining portion of thetopmast. From this,
whenwe had cut it, he proceeded to hew wedges with the hatchet. Then
he notched the end of the fifteen-foot log, and intothe notch he drove
the wedges, and so, towardsevening, as much, maybe, by good luck as
good management, he had divided the log into two halves--the split
running very fairly downthe centre.
Now, perceiving how that it drew near to sundown, he bade the men
haste and gather weed and carry it across to our camp; but one he sent
along the shore to make a search for shell-fish among the weed; yet he
himself ceased notto work at the divided log, and kept me with him as
helper. Thus, within the next hour, wehad a length, maybe some four
inches in diameter, split off the whole length of one of the halves,
and with this he was very well content; though it seemed but a very
little result for so much labour.
By this time the dusk wasupon us, and the men, having made an end of
weed carrying, were returned to us, and stood about, waiting for the
bo'sun to go into camp. At this moment, the man the bo'sun had sent to
gather shell-fish, returned, and he had a great crab upon his spear,
which he had spitted through the belly. This creature couldnot have
been less than a foot across the back, and had a very formidable
appearance; yet it proved to be a most tasty matter for oursupper,
when it had been placed for a while in boiling water.
Now so soon as this man was returned, we made at once for the camp,
carrying with us the piece of timber which we had hewn from the
topmast. By this time it was quite dusk, and verystrange amid the
great fungi as we struck acrossthe upper edge of the valley to the
opposite beach. Particularly, I noticed that the hateful, mouldy odour
of these monstrous vegetables was more offensive than I had found it
to be in the daytime; though this may be because I used my nose the
more, in that I could not use my eyes to any great extent.
We had gotten half way across the top of the valley, and the gloom was
deepening steadily, when there stole to me upon the calmness of
theevening air, a faint smell;something quite different from that of
the surrounding fungi. A moment later I got a great whiff of it, and
was near sickened with the abomination of it; but the memory of that
foul thing which had come to the side of the boat in the
dawn-gloom,before we discovered the island, roused me to a terror
beyond that of the sickness of my stomach; for, suddenly, I knew what
manner of thing it was that had beslimed my face and throat upon the
previousnight, and left its hideous stench lingeringin my nostrils.
And with the knowledge, I cried out to the bo'sun to make haste, for
there were demons with us in the valley. And at that, some of the men
made to run; but he bade them, in a very grim voice, stay where they
were, and keep well together, else would they be attacked and
overcome, straggled all among the fungi in the dark. And this, being,
I doubt not, as much in fear of the rounding dark as of the bo'sun,
they did, and so we came safely out of the valley; though there seemed
to follow us a little lower down the slope an uncanny slithering.
Now so soon as we reached the camp, the bo'sun ordered four firesto be
lit--one on each side of the tent, and this we did, lighting them at
the embers of our old fire, which we had most foolishly allowed to die
down. When the fires had been got going, we put on the boiler, and
treated the great crab as I have already mentioned, and so fell-toupon
a very hearty supper; but, as we ate, each man had his weapon stuck in
the sand beside him; for we had knowledge that the valley held some
devilish thing, or maybe many; though the knowing did not spoil our
appetites.
And so, presently, we came to an end of eating, whereat each man
pulled out his pipe, intending to smoke; but the bo'sun told one of
the men to get him uponhis feet and keep watch, else might we be in
danger of surprise, with every man lolling upon the sand; and this
seemed to me very good sense; for it was easy to see that the men, too
readily, deemed themselves secure, by reason of the brightness of the
fires about them.
Now, whilst the men were taking their ease within the circle of the
fires, the bo'sun lit one of the dips which we had out of the ship in
the creek, and went in tosee how Job was, after the day's rest. At
that, I rose up, reproaching myself for having forgotten the poor lad,
and followed the bo'sun into the tent. Yet, I had but reached the
opening, when he gave out a loud cry, and held the candle low down to
the sand. At that, I saw the reason for his agitation, for, in the
place where we had left Job, there was nothing. I stepped into the
tent, and, in the same instant, there came to my nostrilsthe faint
odour of the horrible stench which had come to me in the valley, and
before then from the thing that cameto the side of the boat. And,
suddenly, I knew that Job had fallen prey of those foul things,
and,knowing this, I called outto the bo'sun that they had taken the
boy, and then my eyes caught the smear of slime upon the sand, and I
had proof that I was not mistaken.
Now, so soon as the bo'sun knew all that wasin my mind; though indeed
it did but corroborate that which had come to his own, he came swiftly
out from the tent, bidding the men to stand back; for they had come
all about the entrance, being very much discomposed at that which the
bo'sun had discovered. Then thebo'sun took from a bundle of the reeds,
which they had cut at the time when he had bidden them gather
fuel,several of the thickest, and to one of these he bound a great
mass of the dry weed; whereupon the men, divining his intention, did
likewise with the others, and so we had each of us the wherewithal for
a mighty torch.
So soon as we had completed our preparations, we took each man his
weapon and, plunging our torches into the fires, set off along the
track whichhad been made by the devil-things and the body of poor Job;
for now that we had suspicion that harm had come to him, the marks in
the sand, and the slime, were very plain to be seen, so that it was a
wonder that we had not discovered them earlier.
Now the bo'sun led the way, and, finding the marks led direct to the
valley, he broke into a run, holding his torch well above his head. At
that, each of us did likewise; for we had a great desire to be
together, and further than this, I think with truth I may say, we were
all fierce to avenge Job, so that we had less of fear in our hearts
than otherwise had been the case.
In less than the half of a minute we had reached the end of the
valley; buthere, the ground being of a nature not happy in the
revealing of tracks, we were at fault to know in which direction to
continue. At that, the bo'sun set up a loud shout to Job, perchance he
might be yet alive; but there came no answer to us, save a low and
uncomfortable echo.Then the bo'sun, desiring to waste no more time,
ran straight down towards the centre of the valley, and we followed,
and kept our eyes very open about us. We had gotten perhaps half way,
when one of the men shouted that he saw something ahead; but the
bo'sun had seen it earlier; for hewas running straight down upon it,
holding his torch high and swinging his great cutlass. Then, instead
of smiting, he fell upon his knees beside it, and the following
instant we were up with him, and in that same moment it seemed to me
that I saw a number of white shapes melt swiftly into the shadows
further ahead: but I had no thought for these when Iperceived that by
which the bo'sun knelt; for it was the stark body of Job, and no inch
of it butwas covered with the little ringed marks that I had
discovered upon my throat, and from every place there ran a trickle of
blood, so that he was a most horrid and fearsome sight.
At the sight of Job so mangled and be-bled, there came over us the
sudden quiet of a mortal terror, and in that space of silence, the
bo'sun placed his hand over the poor lad's heart; but there was no
movement,though the body was stillwarm. Immediately uponthat, he rose
to his feet, a look of vast wrath upon his great face. He plucked his
torch from the ground, into which he had plunged the haft,and stared
round into the silence of the valley; but there was no living thing in
sight, nothing save the giant fungi and the strange shadows castby our
great torches, andthe loneliness.
At this moment, one of the men's torches, having burnt near out, fell
all to pieces, so that he held nothing but the charred support, and
immediately two more came to a like end. Upon this, we became afraid
that they would not last us back to the camp, andwe looked to the
bo'sun to know his wish; but the man was very silent, and peering
everywhereinto the shadows. Then afourth torch fell to the ground in a
shower of embers, and I turned to look. In the same instant there came
a great flare of light behind me, accompanied by the dull thud of a
dry matter set suddenly alight. I glanced swiftly back to the bo'sun,
and he was staring up at one of the giant toadstools which was in
flames all along its nearer edge, and burning with an incredible fury,
sending out spirits of flame, and anon giving out sharp reports, and
at each report, a fine powder was belched in thin streams; which,
getting into our throats and nostrils, set us sneezing and coughing
most lamentably; so that I am convinced, had any enemy come upon us at
that moment, we had been undone by reason of our uncouth helplessness.
Now whether it had come to the bo'sun to setalight this first of the
fungi, I know not; for it may be that his torch coming by chance
against it, set it afire. However it chanced, the bo'sun took it as a
veritable hint from Providence, and was already setting his torch to
one a little further off,whilst the rest of us werenear to choking
with ourcoughings and sneezings. Yet, that we were so suddenly
overcome by the potencyof the powder, I doubt if a full minute passed
before we were each one busied after the manner of the bo'sun; and
those whose torcheshad burned out, knocked flaming pieces from the
burning fungus, and with these impaled upon their torch-sticks, did so
much execution as any.
And thus it happened that within five minutes of this discovery of
Job's body, the whole of that hideous valley sent up toheaven the reek
of its burning; whilst we, filledwith murderous desires, ran hither
and thither with our weapons, seeking to destroy the vile creatures
that had brought the poor lad to so unholy a death. Yet nowhere could
we discover any brute or creature upon which to ease our vengeance,
andso, presently, the valley becoming impassable by reason of the
heat, the flying sparks and the abundance of the acrid dust, we made
back to the body of the boy, and bore him thence to the shore.
And during all that night no man of us slept, and the burning of the
fungi sent up a mighty pillar offlame out of the valley, as out of the
mouth of a monstrous pit and when the morning came it still burned.
Then when it was daylight, some of us slept, being greatly awearied;
but some keptwatch.
And when we waked there was a great wind and rain upon the island.
[ tobe continued....]
'' Our Lord ! grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter and save us from the torment of the Fire '' [Ameen]
-
{in Arab} :->
Rabbanaa aatinaa fid-dunyaa hasanatan wafil aakhirati hasanatan waqinaa 'athaaban-naar/-
(Surah Al-Baqarah ,verse 201)
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