Adrift in Pacific and Other Great Adventures – 17 Titles in One Volume (Illustrated Edition). Jules VerneЧитать онлайн книгу.
night before.
The sky was magnificent. A light breeze barely ruffled the surface of the lake. There was every sign of a fine day. If the weather would only keep fine for thirty-six hours Gordon would be satisfied, for he counted on reaching French Den the next evening.
By eleven o'clock the boys were back at Stop River. Nothing had occurred on the way except that Donagan had shot two splendid tufted bustards, with a plumage of black mixed with red above and white below, which put him in as good a humour as Service, who was always ready to pluck, draw, and roast any bird whatsoever.
This was the fate of the bustards an hour later, when the boys had crossed the river in the Halkett boat.
" Now we are under the trees," said Gordon, " and I hope Baxter will have a chance of using the lasso or the bolas."
"He hasn't done much with them as yet," said Donagan who did not think much of any weapon of the chase except firearms
" And what could we do with the birds ? " asked Baxter.
" Birds or quadrupeds, Baxter, I don't think much of your chance."
" Nor I," added Cross, always ready to support his cousin.
" You might as well wait until he has tried them before you condemn them," said Gordon. "lam sine he will do something good. When our ammunition gives out, the lasso and the bolas will not fail us."
" But the birds will," said Donagan.
" We will see," said Gordon, " and now let us lunch."
But the preparations took some time, as Service wanted his bustard cooked to a turn. The one bird was enough for the meal; it was a good-sized one, and these bustards weigh about thirty pounds, and measure nearly three feet from beak to tail, being among the largest specimens of the gallinaceous tribe. This one was eaten to the last mouthful, and even to the last bone, for Fan, to whom the carcase fell, left as little as her masters.
Lunch being over, the boys started off inter the unknown part of Trap Woods traversed by Stop River on its way to the ocean. The map showed that it curved towards the north-west to get round the cliff, and that its mouth was beyond False Point; and, therefore, Gordon resolved to leave the river, which would take him in the opposite direction to French Den, his object being to take the shortest road to Auckland Hill, and then strike northwards along its base.
Compass in hand Gordon led the way to the west. The trees, wider apart than in the more southerly district, offered no obstacle, and the ground was fairly clear of bushes and underwood.
Among the birches and beeches little clearings opened now and then into which the sun-rays penetrated. Wild flowers mingled their fresh colours with the green of the foliage and the carpet of grass. In places, superb senecios bore their blooms on stems two or three feet high, and Service, Wilcox, and Webb gathered some of the flowers and stuck them in their coats.
Then it was that a discovery of great use was made by Gordon, whose botanical knowledge was often to be of use to the little colony. His attention was attracted by a very bushy shrub, with poorly developed leaves, and spiny branches, bearing a reddish fruit about the size of a pea.
" That is the trulca, if I am not mistaken," said he. " It is a fruit much used by the Indians." " If it is eatable," said Service, " let us eat it, for it costs nothing."
And before Gordon could stop him Service began to crack some of the fruit between his teeth. He made a horrible grimace, and his comrades roared with laughter, while he spit out the abundant salivation caused by the acidity on the papillae of his tongue.
" You told me it was eatable ! " he exclaimed.
" I did not say it was eatable," replied Gordon. " The Indians use the fruit for making a drink they obtain by fermentation. The liquor will be of great value to us when our brandy has all gone, that is, if we mind what we are doing with it, for it soon gets into the head. Fill a bag with the trulcas, and we'll experiment with them at French Den."
The fruit was not easy to gather from among the thousands of thorns, but by beating the branches Baxter and Webb knocked enough on the ground to make a bagful, and then the journey was resumed.
Further on, the pods on another shrub were also gathered. They were the pods of the algarrobe, another South American native, which also by fermentation yield a. strong liquor. This time Service abstained from trying them, and he did well, for although the algarrobe seems sweet at first, yet the mouth is soon affected with extreme dryness.
In the afternoon, a quarter of a mile before they reached the slope of Auckland Hill, the boys made another discovery of quite as much importance. The aspect of the forest had changed. In more sheltered position the vegetation was more richly developed. Sixty or eighty feet from the ground the trees spread their huge branches, amid which innumerable songbirds chattered. One of the finest of the trees was the antarctic beech, which keeps its tender green foliage all the year round. Not quite so high, but still magnificent, rose clumps of " winters," with bark the flavour of cinnamon.
Near these Gordon recognized the " pernettia," the tea-tree of the whortleberry family, met with in high latitudes.
" That will take the place of our tea," said Gordon. " Take a few handful of the leaves, and later on we will come back and gather enough for the winter."
It was four o'clock before Auckland Hill was reached near its northern end. Although it did not seem to be as high here as at French Den, yet it was impossible to ascend it owing to its almost perpendicular slope. This was, however, of no consequence, as it was intended to follow its base all the way to Zealand River.
Two miles farther on the boys heard the murmur of a torrent which foamed through a narrow gorge in the cliff, and which was easily forded.
" This ought to be the stream," said Donagan, " that we discovered on our first expedition."
" That in which was the causeway ? " asked Gordon.
" Yes," said Donagan, " and which we called Dike Creek."
" Well, let us camp on its right bank," said Gordon. " It is just five o'clock, and if we are to pass another night in the open air, we might as well do it here under the shelter of these big trees. To-morrow, I hope we shall sleep on our beds in the hall."
Service busied himself preparing the second bustard for dinner. It was to be roasted like the other one; but it is not fair to find fault with Service on account of the sameness of his bill of fare.
While dinner was being got ready, Gordon and Baxter strolled off into the wood, one in search of new plants, the other with the intention of using his lasso or bolas—if it was only to put an end to the jokes of Donagan.
They had gone about a hundred yards into the thicket when Gordon, calling Baxter by a gesture, pointed to a group of animals playing about on the grass.
" Goats ? " asked Baxter, in a whisper.
" Yes, or rather animals that look like goats," said Gordon. " Try and get one—"
" Alive ? "
" Yes, alive ; it is lucky Donagan isn't with us. He would have shot one before now, and put the others to flight ! Let us get nearer quietly, and don't let them see us."
There were six of these goats, and they had not yet taken alarm. One of them, a mother probably, suspecting some danger, was sniffing the air and looking about, ready to clear off with the herd.
Suddenly a whistling was heard, the bolas came spinning from the hand of Baxter, who was not twenty yards away from the group. Well aimed and thrown, it wound round one of the goats, while the others disappeared in the thicket. Gordon and Baxter ran towards the goat which was vainly trying to escape from the bolas. She was seized so that it was impossible for her to get away, and two kids, that instinct had kept near the mother, were also taken prisoners.
" Hurrah! " exclaimed Baxter. " Hurrah! Are they goats ? "
" No," answered Gordon, " I think they are vicugnas."
" And will they give milk ? "
"