Volume Two—Chapter Three.
At Close Quarters with a Shark.
I awoke soon after sunrise the next morning, and, calling Bob, in accordance with an arrangement made overnight, we both jumped on board the boat, and, pulling to the opposite side of a tiny headland about a mile away, stripped and plunged overboard, where we swam and dived, and wallowed about in the deliciously cool element for a good half-hour, enjoying our bath as thoroughly as though we were a couple of school-boys playing truant. We were strongly tempted to make a small preliminary exploring excursion inland after this, but Miss Ella had solemnly bound us both down not to do so without her; so we returned to the Water Lily instead, wonderfully refreshed and invigorated by our dip, and quite ready for the early breakfast which was to form the first regular feature in the programme for the day.
As we rowed back to the cutter, I embraced the opportunity to pass once more over the spot where I thought I had observed the oyster-bed and, on reaching it, and peering down in the shadow of the boat, I found I was right there lay beneath us a bed of several yards extent of what I felt sure were oysters.
We described a short circuit round our little craft before stepping on board again; and I felt so ashamed of her dingy, weather-beaten appearance, that I resolved she should have a fresh coat of paint before she went outside again. This we decided she should receive next day, I undertaking to wield the paintbrush whilst Bob employed himself in overhauling the rigging and examining the spars.
Breakfast was soon disposed of, as we were all equally eager to stand once more on mother earth; and then, Bob providing himself with a few biscuits, whilst I did the same, adding a few knick-knacks for my fair companion, we jumped into the boat, and in a very few minutes reached the shore.
The painter was made fast to the stem of a stout shrub which grew close to the water’s edge; and then Bob went straight towards the widest patch of shade, and the softest turf he could find, and flung himself forthwith upon the ground, asserting that it was his fixed intention to remain there for the rest of the day, and enjoy his holiday in accordance with his own peculiar notions.
After a few vain attempts to persuade him that he would find it much more pleasant to accompany us in a ramble over the island, we gave him up to his own devices; and, Ella accepting the support of my arm, we strolled slowly away.
Our steps were directed, in the first instance, towards the northern end of the island; our path being sometimes over the short tender grass with which the ground was thickly clad, and at others along the sandy beach, to which we were occasionally compelled to diverge in consequence of the dense undergrowth, through which it would have been impossible for my companion to force her way.
We picked up several very beautiful shells on the beach, and Ella promised herself a long ramble before leaving the island, expressly for the purpose of collecting a few of the choicest varieties.
I was rather disappointed to find such a scarcity of fruit, there being none, as far as we could discover, beyond the cocoa-nuts and a few wild figs the latter rather insipid to the taste, though still a welcome change after the food we had all been accustomed to.
Ella very thoughtfully collected a little of this fruit for Bob, when we chanced to meet with a tree bearing figs of a superior flavour to the average, and I promised her that on our return I would secure a few cocoa-nuts, and treat her to a draught of the delightfully refreshing cool new milk. We found walking to be far more fatiguing than we had expected, after being pent up so long on shipboard, and I think I found it even more so than my companion, she having had until recently the comparatively wide range of a ship’s deck upon which to take exercise; whilst we of the Water Lily could only boast of “a fisherman’s walk, two steps, and overboard.”
I kept a sharp look-out for fresh water, intending to entirely refill our tank and casks; and Ella was equally anxious for such a discovery, as she gave me notice that she intended to hold a grand wash; desiring me, at the same time, to make up a bundle of all my soiled linen, etc., and deliver it over to her. This I, of course, flatly refused to do, assuring her that I was fully equal to the task of doing my own washing, and that I never would consent to her descending to the performance of so menial a task for me.
“What!” said she, releasing my arm to speak with the greater energy, “not allow me to wash a few shirts and socks for you, and your pocket-handkerchiefs? Indeed, but you must; it is woman’s peculiar province to wash clothes. Men never wash properly: they either half do it or else beat to pieces whatever they may be washing in the vain endeavour to properly purify it. Now you must let me have my own way just this once, please.”
I still refused, and added laughingly: “It seems to me to be a part of your creed that ‘it is woman’s peculiar province’ to do certain things for men; and that, if she is not at hand to do it, it cannot be done at all, or at all events in a satisfactory manner. I remember your urging the plea that ‘it is woman’s peculiar province’ to cook, as a means whereby to gain my consent to your taking charge of that department; and very grateful am I to you for so doing, for we have enjoyed our meals as we never did before; but as to your doing any washing but your own, I cannot and will not consent to it.”
“But why not?” she persisted. “Woman was created as a help-meet for man; and I am sure you will admit that our sex is more thoroughly qualified for the performance of certain duties than is man; and, where that is distinctly the case, it seems to me to point naturally to the conclusion that such duties form a part of her share of the work necessary for the comfort and happiness of the race. Of course I would not offer to wash for you or for myself, if we were in a large ship and with proper servants to do such work; but in our present circumstances I see nothing whatever of a menial or degrading character in it.”
“Perhaps not,” I replied. “I cannot enter quite so deeply as you do into the question. I can only say that the idea is too repugnant for me to consent to any such division of the ‘necessary work’ so please say no more about it, for my mind is made up, and I can be as stubborn as Bob himself upon occasion.”
“I quite believe you,” she retorted, half playfully and half disposed to be angry, “though I do not consider Bob stubborn at all. He always lets me do whatever I like; and what an original character he is. Do you know, I quite admire him. He is somewhat rough and unpolished, I admit, but he is as gentle to me as was my own dear mamma; and I hold to the opinion that a man who is gentle and courteous to women is a man of sterling worth, let his manner be as uncouth as it may. I believe that gentleness and courtesy to our sex is the first and most distinguishing mark of nature’s nobility. But why do you permit him to be so familiar and disrespectful in his manner of addressing you?”
“I do not consider him in the slightest decree disrespectful,” I replied. “He is much older than I am, and a man of far wider experience, at all events in all matters connected with our profession; and that, and our long and severely-tried friendship, abundantly justifies the familiarity of his mode of address. I dislike formality with every one except strangers. It is all very well as a means of keeping at a distance those you dislike and have no desire to become intimate with, but it is a rather formidable barrier to friendship.”
“So I think, responded Ella with animation. I do so wish—”
“What?” I inquired. She hesitated a little and blushed a great deal, and then, apparently with some effort, replied:
“Well, I wish you would exchange the formal ‘Miss Brand’ for the more friendly and familiar ‘Ella;’ that is, if you consider me worthy of your friendship.”
“I will indeed,” I replied, “with very great pleasure, if you will permit me to do so; and I trust that you, in return, will call me, as I love to be called by all my friends—Harry.”
“Very well,” she replied gaily, “I will; that is, as long as you are good to me, and do not displease me in any way. The sign of my sovereign displeasure will be a return to the formality of ‘Mr Collingwood.’”
We chatted blithely on after this upon all sorts of subjects, and I was both surprised and delighted at the depth and extent of my companion’s information. She had evidently read much, and, what was more to the purpose, had selected her reading with sound judgment, storing her mind abundantly with useful facts which she always had ready for production in support of an argument, or by way of illustration, and she frequently graced her conversation with choice quotations, introduced in the best taste and with a manner as far as possible removed from anything like affectation or pedantry. I was charmed beyond measure, and over and over again thanked the lucky accident which had rendered it my good fortune to be put upon terms of such close intimacy with so fascinating a little creature.
At length we completed our tour of the northern end of the island, returning by way of the eastern shore, until we were abreast the clump of cocoa-nut trees; when we struck inland; and, after a somewhat tortuous course between the thick-growing shrubs, reached the beach on our own side once more.
Unfortunately for Ella’s projected laundry operations, we had not been able to discover the slightest sign of a spring of fresh water anywhere.
When we arrived opposite the point where the Water Lily rode peacefully at anchor, Bob was nowhere to be seen. The boat still remained moored to the shrub, as we had left her, so I concluded that he had grown tired of inactivity and had gone off, in the opposite direction to ourselves, for a stroll. I therefore proposed to Ella that she should rest awhile upon the soft, velvety turf, whilst I returned to the cutter for a piece of rope, to aid me in my ascent after the cocoa-nuts.
The rope was soon obtained; and, returning to the shore, I passed it in a loose band round the trunk of one of the trees, leaving room in the band for the introduction of my own body.
By bearing against this whilst I raised my feet and then slipping the band up the tree, I was easily and quickly enabled to reach the fruit, from which I selected an abundant supply of the finest specimens and flung them to the ground.
Whilst thus engaged Bob hove in sight, and when I reached the ground again he reported that, having soon grown tired of doing nothing, he had started away on a walk to the southward, about half an hour after we left him, and had gone to the extreme end of the island; that he had enjoyed his walk amazingly, was excessively tired, and, like ourselves, had failed to find any fresh water.
Under these circumstances poor little Ella was compelled to postpone her washing-day, I promising that she should have the necessary time allowed her at the first suitable island we happened to reach.
By this time the dinner-hour was approaching, and Ella desired to be put on board the cutter to make the few slight preparations for the meal which were necessary.
As soon as we had put her on board and whilst she was thus engaged, I took Bob away with me in the boat to try for a few oysters. We had no means of trawling for them; but I estimated that they lay in not more than about two and a half fathoms of water, and I considered myself quite diver enough to reach that distance.
As soon as we arrived at the spot I stripped and plunged in, taking down with me an old canvas clothes-bag, which I slung round my neck.
I soon found that I had been deceived, by the crystal transparency of the water, into underestimating the depth. It was fully four fathoms to the bottom; and this, together with the difficulty I experienced in keeping the mouth of the bag open, necessitated four plunges before I had obtained half the bag full. There was not time to do more just then, so I dressed, the bag was hauled up, and we returned with our prize to the cutter.
We resolved to commence dinner with a course of oysters, and I forthwith proceeded to open some, a task which gave me a very considerable amount of difficulty.
Imagine, if you can, my surprise and delight when on opening the second oyster I found that it contained several small pearls; the third was opened, and it also contained several the fourth had none, but the fifth on being opened revealed three beauties, each as large as the top of my middle finger. To be brief, I was soon satisfied that I had stumbled upon a bed of pearl-oysters, about half of the bivalves yielding when opened more or less pearls, the greater quantity being small, such as are set in rings; but several good-sized pearls were also found, and one magnificent fellow, as large as a cherry.
As may easily be imagined, we were all excitement after this; and I proposed that, as soon as dinner was over, we should move the cutter down and anchor her upon the bed, and devote the remainder of the afternoon to systematic pearl-fishing. The proposition was rapturously received, Ella declaring that she had often read of pearl-fishing, and should very much like to witness the operation.
Accordingly, dinner was no sooner over than we weighed and stood down to the spot under our jib, and having reached it the cutter was anchored as nearly as possible over the centre of the bed. I had hit upon a plan by which, I thought, some of my difficulties of the morning might be got over; and, as soon as we were brought up, Bob and I got our floating-anchor on deck, stretched the canvas upon it, and rigging out our spinnaker-boom, a rope was passed through the sheave in the outer end of it, and bent to the crowfoot of the floating-anchor, which thus hung suspended, like a large tray, over the water. It was then lowered to the bottom; a small pig of ballast was got on deck and slung to another rope’s-end, and I then went below and changed my dress for an old white shirt and duck trousers, buckling a belt round my waist, to which, as it happened, a strong sharp sheath-knife was attached.
Being now ready to descend I looked over the side, and satisfied myself that our floating-anchor lay all right at the bottom, and in such a manner as properly to perform its new functions as a tray. I then slipped over the side into the water, grasping firmly the rope to which the piece of ballast was attached; and, having well filled my lungs with air, I waved my disengaged hand. Bob let go the rope, and the ballast draped me swiftly to the bottom.
Still retaining my hold upon the sinker with one hand, I now rapidly shovelled the oysters into my “tray” with the other, as long as I could hold my breath; and I was satisfied, at the first experiment, that my expedient was a complete success, thrice as many oysters being deposited in the tray at one dive as I had obtained altogether in the morning.
I soon had to rise to get a fresh inhalation; but by hauling up the sinker every time, so as to have the benefit of its assistance in taking me to the bottom, I was enabled to reserve all my breath and energy for my work at the oysters; and so successful was I, that, in three descents, I managed to place upon the tray as many oysters as it would hold. It was now hauled up, its contents carefully transferred to the cutter’s deck, and the anchor or tray again lowered to the bottom.
This operation had been repeated five times, with the result that a goodly pile of bivalves now graced the deck; and I had crone down a second time on the sixth round (if I may so express myself), when suddenly a dark shadow fell upon the spot on which I was at work. I glanced upward, and, to my unspeakable horror, saw an enormous shark floating motionless within a fathom of, and directly above, me.
Why he did not attack me at once I could not imagine but I conjecture that it was because, lying flat upon the ground as I was, he had not room to turn, as sharks invariably do when seizing their prey. My blood seemed fairly to congeal in my veins as I realised my appalling position.
I must rise to the surface in a very few seconds or drown where I was; and I felt convinced that the moment I was far enough from the bottom to permit of the monster making his rush, he would do so.
Suddenly, the remembrance of my sheath-knife flashed across my brain. There was no time to hesitate; my powers of endurance were almost utterly exhausted, and I felt that I could hold my breath but a second or two longer so I quickly drew the knife, and darting suddenly upwards, succeeded in grasping the shark with my left hand by his starboard fin, whilst with my right I plunged my weapon to the hilt in his gleaming white belly, extending my arm to its full length as I did so, and thus inflicting a wound nearly or quite two feet in length.
Remembering the wonderful vitality of the shark, I did not content myself with this; but thrusting my armed hand into the gaping wound, I drew the knife two or three times rapidly across his interior arrangements, inflicting such severe injuries that in less than a minute after I rose to the surface blood-stained from head to foot, and speechless with exhaustion, the shark also appeared, floating dead within a dozen yards of the cutter.
Bob’s strong and ready hand was promptly extended to assist me in over the cutter’s low gunwale but so thoroughly exhausted was I, that I felt utterly unable to make the slightest effort in aid of my shipmate’s exertions, and he was obliged to drag me bodily inboard, where, after an unavailing effort to stand, I sank upon the deck, gasping for breath, and utterly unable to utter a word.
Ella’s eager face blanched deadly white at the horrifying spectacle I presented as I lay prone at her feet, my once white clothing now deeply imbued with blood, and I thought she would have fainted; but she struggled bravely against the weakness, though she could not repress a violent shudder, which thrilled through her from head to foot.
Sinking to her knees at my side, she gently raised me until my head rested upon her throbbing breast, and gazing upon my face with a look expressive of the deepest anxiety, she inquired, “Where are you hurt, Harry? Is it much? Are you in very great pain?”
I made a powerful but unavailing effort to reply, when seeing my lips move, but without any sound issuing from them, she suddenly lost her self-control, and shrieking, “He is dying, Bob; dying, I tell you. Oh! what can we do to save him?” burst into an overwhelming passion of tears and clasping me convulsively to her bosom, she sobbed forth wild prayers for mercy, mingled with the tenderest and most endearing epithets that ever sprang from the heart of a passionately loving woman to her lips.
Surprised beyond all power of expression, and almost overwhelmed with delight at this utterly unexpected betrayal of her feeling for me, I could not suffer her to continue; so having by this time somewhat recovered my breath, I gasped out, “I am not hurt, Ella; indeed I am not; I was only overcome for the moment with exhaustion; pray calm yourself.”
“Not hurt!” she exclaimed eagerly; “not injured at all? Thank God, oh, thank God for that! But—was it kind, sir—was it like a gentleman, to permit me to be surprised into such expressions as those which have just escaped my lips? How can I ever hold up my head again in your presence, or look you in the face?”
“Hush, Ella, darling,” I whispered. “Do not distress yourself, I entreat you. I have much to say to you, and what has just passed has but precipitated matters a little. Retire below for a short time, and calm your agitated feelings; and this evening I will ask you to favour me with a few minutes of your society on shore, when I will enter into such explanations as I trust will prove entirely satisfactory, and have the effect of completely healing your wounded sensibility.
“Why,” continued I cheerily, “that is well; the roses are already returning to your cheeks, and by the time that I have been down once or twice more, and have secured another—”
“Merciful Heaven!” she exclaimed, in horrified accents, “do I hear aright? Is it possible you can be mad enough to contemplate going into the water again, after having so narrowly escaped from such a horrible death? You must not, Harry and you will not, if you entertain the slightest feeling of—of—friendship for me. Indeed, I could not bear it; another shock, such as I have just received, would kill me. Pray have some little compassion upon me.”
“Enough, Ella, and more than enough, I answered, deeply moved. Henceforward your wishes are law to me and, since you object to my going overboard again, I promise you faithfully that I will not do so. Now go below, dear, and lie down for a short time, whilst Bob and I take the cutter back to her old moorings.”
As soon as she was out of sight, Bob, who had stood patiently on one side whilst the above dénouement was taking place, approached, and, extending his hand, exclaimed:
“Now that the little beauty has done with ye, lad, give an old friend a shake of your flipper. I’m right down glad to see ye well and hearty, my dear boy,” he continued, with strong emotion.
“We both saw that doubly and everlastingly damned brute range up and take a berth close above ye; and, to own the plain, honest truth, I put ye down as good as done for. There warn’t no time to do anything by way of warning ye, or lending ye a hand anyways; for, afore I could collect my scattered wits, we saw ye let go the sinker, and next minute the water alongside was like a biling pot; and then we seed the blood, and damn me if I didn’t turn that sick and queer I couldn’t see a thing, just for a moment; and when I hauled ye aboard, I couldn’t for the life of me tell whether you was dead or alive. Now let’s get up them few h’isters that was like to have cost us all so dear, and get away from the spot as soon as we can.”
We were not very long in getting the remainder of the oysters on board, and soon afterwards we had the cutter back at her old berth. Our first task, as soon as the craft was at anchor again, was to transfer our booty to the shore, where we spread them out on a large tarpaulin on the sand to die. The method pursued by the regular pearl-fishers, I believe, is to allow the fish to remain until they are in an advanced stage of decay, when the pearls are sought for amongst the putrid mass. I felt no inclination, however, for such a task, and, moreover, did not care to expend so much time as this process involved. I conjectured that, the fish once dead, they might be opened with comparatively little difficulty; and I thought that by the time our overhaul and painting was completed, the oysters would be in a fit state for operating upon.
Ella now reappeared on deck somewhat more composed, though there was still a slight nervous flutter perceptible in her movements. I took advantage of her presence on deck to remark casually that I would now go below and change my dress, and cleanse myself from the traces of my recent encounter, which I forthwith did; and when I had refreshed myself with a copious ablution, I really felt very little the worse for my adventure. Indeed, I believe that I was less discomposed by it than either of the others.
After tea was over, I took occasion to remind Ella that I had somewhat to say to her, and requested her to accompany me on shore and take a short walk on the beach, that I might speak without being embarrassed by Bob’s presence.
She stepped silently into the boat, and in a few minutes more we stood together on the strand. Taking the arm which I offered her, she said:
“Now, Harry, what is it you wish to say to me?”
“Simply this,” I replied. “From the nature of my occupation I have had, as you may suppose, but very few opportunities of associating with your sex. With the solitary exception of my sister, I cannot say that I am intimately acquainted with any woman; and I am an utter stranger to everything relating to womankind. I know nothing whatever of their characteristics, and have not the slightest idea of how they are likely to be influenced by powerful emotions. It may be that, under such circumstances, they sometimes utter words of which they are wholly unconscious, and which have not the most remote relation to their actual sentiments. If this really be the case, a man of honour, chancing to hear such words escape the lips of a lady, will forthwith forget that they were ever uttered. This I am prepared to do with regard to the words spoken by you this afternoon, Ella, if you wish me to understand that they had no meaning. True, it will dispel a brief but blissful dream in which I have dared to indulge for a short hour or two: but what right have I to suppose that I have awakened within your breast any sentiment beyond that of the merest friendship, if I may dare to aspire even to that, especially when I take into consideration the shortness of the time you have known me? It has been but a few days, I know but almost from the moment that we met upon the deck of the Copernicus, a new and hitherto unknown feeling has animated me; it has grown with every hour of my life since then, and, without analysing its nature, I have permitted it to strengthen until it has become a part of my very life itself; a feeling which I must perforce still continue to cherish—whether for weal or for woe, it is for you to say—as long as life remains. In saying that I never analysed this feeling I am stating what is strictly true; but in that dread moment this afternoon, when I unexpectedly found myself face to face with death in one of its most dreadful forms”—my companion shuddered violently—“in that terrible moment, I say, the discovery flashed upon me that the feeling to which I have referred is love, the most passionate, devoted, idolising love. Tell me, Ella, tell me, my darling, may I dare to hope that at some time in the distant future, when you shall have had opportunities of becoming better acquainted with me—”
“Cease, Harry,” the dear girl interrupted with deep emotion, “cease, I pray you, to agitate yourself with causeless fears. Why should I hesitate—after having already given such unequivocal expression to my feelings to avow that, like yourself, I have loved almost from the first moment of our meeting. I know not whether now, or at any future time, you will deem my heart too easily won; but, if you do, remember that the advantage has been from the first all on your side. You appeared as my deliverer from a situation of peculiar trial to a young and delicately brought-up girl, and of peril the nature and extent of which you are better able to realise than I am to tell, so, in judging me, you must not forget to take into consideration, and give me the benefit of, the peculiar circumstances of the case. And whether lightly won or not, you shall find, dear Harry, that my love is not the less sincere and loyal on that account for never was there a truer or more devoted wife than I will be to you, if it please God to permit us to become united.”
And saying this, my little darling turned, and with unaffected confiding simplicity, wound her soft arms about my neck, and raised her sweet lips to mine.
The conversation which followed, deeply interesting as it was to the parties engaged, need not be reproduced here suffice it to say that the insight I thus obtained of Ella’s character and disposition amply justified the sudden and precipitate step I had taken. That it was precipitate I could not and did not attempt to conceal from myself, and that it would have been highly imprudent under ordinary circumstances thus to connect myself by so binding a tie as betrothal to one of whose very existence I was ignorant but a short fortnight before, I was also fully aware; but, after all, marriage is, to a very great extent, a lottery and one can never be really certain, until after the nuptial knot has been tied, whether one has drawn a prize or a blank.
There are some women in whom a fresh trait of character is always revealing itself, so that, just when you think you have at last succeeded in thoroughly understanding them, you discover that you are just as far off any reliable knowledge of their character as ever.
But with Ella it was very different. There was a childlike openness and ingenuousness of manner about her which quickly revealed to the observer, not only the salient points, but also the finer gradations of her character and temperament; and I believe that I had a clearer insight into both at the time that I thus hastily offered myself, than many men who do the same thing after an acquaintance of a “season,” and with such knowledge as they are able to pick up by meeting their charmer at balls, picnics, canters in the “Row,” and what not.
At length we returned to the cutter, where we found Bob, with his pipe still between his teeth, sitting aft fast asleep. I wished Ella “good-night,” and then roused Master Bob up; and whilst we smoked a final pipe together, communicated my good fortune to him.
“Ay, ay!” said he, as soon as I had told him, “you may thank ‘Jack Shark’ for having it come upon ye so soon, lad; it was bound to come sooner or later. I’ve seed it clearer and clearer every day, but it warn’t for me to say a word one way or t’other; but the narrer squeak you had for it this a’ternoon just took the little lady flat aback, and afore she could pay off, you see, she let run a whole string of lovin’ words that there warn’t no way of hauling aboard and coiling down out of sight ag’in; and so she hadn’t no ch’ice but just to haul down her colours as soon as you opened fire. Well, you’ve made a pretty prize, Harry, and I congratulate ye with all my heart. A trimmer model, or one better ballasted with the right sort of feelin’s and idees, no man need wish to sail the v’y’ge of life in company with, and as to her being fond of ye, why, she couldn’t help showing of it, try all she would. She couldn’t talk of nothing else from morning to night but you. It don’t matter what the conversation started with, whether ’twas ships, or flyin’-fish, or hurricanes, waterspouts—anything in heaven or airth, she’d bring it all round in a sort of great-circle-sailing fashion to you. And now that you’ve got her, lad, I hope as you’ll be able to sail her properly. Women is very ticklish craft to handle, you must hear in mind; as tender in a squall as a racin’ cutter with all her flyin’-kites aloft; and you’ll have to keep a sharp look-out to win’ard, and have the halliards and sheets all ready for lettin’ run at a moment’s notice, or you’ll maybe get something ser’ous carried away, or have a reg’lar downright wrack altogether afore you knows where you are.”
I could not help smiling at this characteristic speech of congratulation and caution of Bob’s, to which I of course made a suitable reply and then shaking hands, we went below and tumbled into our respective hammocks.