WE THINK THE WORST OF OUR TROUBLES ARE OVER; BUT THEY ARE NOT.
Before we departed from that place I wounded the milk-tree in divers places, and, with Lady Biddy's help, drew off nigh upon half a gallon of juice, with which we filled a small keg which, as luck would have it, the seamen had left in the locker. Also I cut a fan-shaped palmetto-leaf with a long stem for Lady Biddy to protect her head, and likewise I got a leaf for my own crown, tying it under my chin with that sling I had in my pocket, for though the sun was now sinking this heat was prodigious. Then, with our store of provisions in the locker, we slipped out with the current—the tide of the sea being yet at ebb—and passing the bar came into the open water, which was as smooth and fair as the sky above.
Looking about us we were comforted to perceive no boat nor any sign of our enemy nearer than the black ship, which lay best part of two leagues, as I judged, to the east. This distance I strove to increase by laying vigorously on to my oars and making for the west; but by keeping too close in shore I ran presently on a sandbank; and, getting off that, grounded shortly after on a second; and thence on a third; till at length, seeing that I made less speed than haste, I was compelled to pull out a quarter of a mile or more for deeper water, and so get free of those plaguy sands.
However, I was consoled for the loss of time and my discomfort by the pleasure of Lady Biddy, as we thus again obtained a view of the majestic mountains I have spoken of. Indeed, I was fain to lose another five minutes, resting on my oars, and looking over my shoulder at the superb spectacle; for the sun, being now in its decline, did light up these mountains so that they were glorious to behold. Some of the peaks burnt and sparkled like cut diamonds—indeed, they may have been crystal, for all I know to the contrary—while others shot up like tongues of flame, as if the sun by its near approach had set them afire; then those further from his course shone all rosy, pink with shadows of tender violet.
Lower down, their sides glowed with rich shades of purple, yet painted over with a soft bloom like any plum. As for the valley below, 'twas like naught in the world but a great maze of lilac-bushes, by reason of the flowering trees.
Quitting this prospect I scanned the sea very closely, yet could I see nothing like a sail of any kind, which made me doubt whether there lay any town in those parts we were coming to; for if there were, then most likely would there be fishers; and with a smooth sea and a gentle air, they surely would be abroad casting nets at this time. This raised a secret joy in my heart; but, Lord! when I glanced back at those incredibly high mountains, I was awed by the vastness of the wilderness in which we must somewhere make a dwelling-place.
To make up for lost time I now bent my back to the work before me, and rowed on very steadily, only casting my eye round over my shoulder from time to time for my guidance. Lady Biddy was very thoughtful and grave, as if she likewise was impressed with awe by the aspect of those vast mountains. Moreover, she was recovering that strength and composure of mind which enabled her to gauge her condition justly, as I had foreseen; and this she could not do without perceiving how slender was the thread of hope that held her from despair. But, despite the return of strength, there was more in her heart than she could bear; and when she had been sitting in silence thus some while, she turned her head aside, as if to scan the shore, but it was that I should not see her eyes. Presently she stole her hand up and gently wiped away a tear that was stealing down her cheek, and I saw a movement of her fair throat, as though she were choking down a sob. And this so moved me that I had much ado to keep from weeping in sympathy.
She gave another little gulp, and pushed again the tear from her cheek—poor soul, she had no handkerchief; and then with an effort turns to me, and, seeing my long face, laughed faintly, though her eyes were yet full.
"We're better off than we were this time yesterday," says I as cheerfully as I could, but with a horrid thick voice.
"Ay," says she, "and 'tis ungrateful and foolish to forget it."
"Why, as for that," says I, "a scald will smart none the less for your getting out of hot water. But 'tis a comfort to know that we are not likely to get into the same broth again, and may reasonably hope to be relieved of our pain in time, and not long neither, which will give us patience to endure our present ills."
"I will be patient; indeed I will," says she earnestly. "'Tis the least I can do in return for your goodness, Benet."
"Let us talk of something else," says I.
"Can you make any guess as to where we are?" she asks presently.
"Ay," says I, with as stout a voice as if I were telling the truth, "I make no question of our whereabouts, or I should not have spoken so hopefully."
"But you did not seem to know before we started"—with a shrewd glance.
"No, for then I could not see the run of the mountains. Now, when we landed before supper I could not have sworn but we were in Campeachy, or Honduras, or the Isle of Cuba."
"How could you know after we had eaten?" says she.
"Because our thirst led to the discovery of the milk-tree. Then I knew we must be in Guiana, for they grow nowhere else"; adding to myself, "for aught I know."
A little smile of satisfaction played about her face; then she asked eagerly:
"And what have you learnt by the run of the mountains?"
"Why, that we can't be many miles from the Gulf of Paria. For, if you will recall Sir Bartlemy's chart to mind, you will remember that the only mountains in Guiana that run by the sea are there."
"What part of the chart, Benet?" says she, knitting her brows.
"Up at the top, against Trinidado."
"Oh! I remember," said she, clapping her hands joyfully. "Why, that is close to where you left—left him!"
"Yes," says I; "and the very place Sir Bartlemy will go to refit, if I know aught about the matter."
In this way did I bring her round to a more cheerful temper and a forgetfulness of her position. Nay, I almost cheated myself in trying to deceive her. For, to tell the truth, I had no honest opinion that we were near Paria, else had we seen by this time Margarita, or some of those isles thereabouts. Rather I was inclined to think we were over against the mountains of Guayva. However, I believe we were in neither the one place nor the other but on the coast of Darian—these huge mountains being a spur of the Andes; and if we were not there, then I know not where we were.
I kept on long after the sun had set, nor would I have stayed when I did but for the rocks which began to encumber the shore, and my fear to venture far abroad lest some current should get me into trouble.
Coming now to a kind of cove, well sheltered with rocks and convenient to abide in, as far as we could judge by the light of the stars, I threw out the grapple, which was made fast to the headline, and found it held very well.
This being done, we ate a second supper of turtle and milk; after which I made up as comfortable a bed in the bottom of the boat as was to be had with no better material than the lug-sail, and induced Lady Biddy to lie down and get some sleep, promising to wake her as soon as the day broke, and get a few hours' sleep myself whilst she kept watch.
There was just enough light for me to descry her pale face at the further end of the boat as she lay on the rude bed. I sat watching her, maybe two hours, thinking by her stillness she had fallen asleep; but of a sudden, without moving, she says:
"Benet, do you think we could get there in a week?"
I answered—though with a feeling that I did wrong to encourage a false hope—I answered, I say, that I thought we might do so.
"If we have good luck," she adds.
"Good luck we must have, for the worst is past," says I.
"Yes, I think so," says she. "Good-night."
And in this belief she fell asleep, perhaps to dream her hopes were realized.
Alas! she was soon to be roused from that dream—soon to know that the worst was not past.