Resuming their journey, our party shortly afterwards arrived opposite the island on which the brothers had landed, and two of the black fellows pointed down the coast for Mat to look.
“I can only see something like a black rock,” he said, in answer to Tim’s query, as he strained his eyes.
“Why, it might be a bit of the wreck,” suggested Tim.
“Yes; that must be it, Tim. It’s what I saw drifting when we were coming ashore.”
The natives were now very excited, and, as was their wont when in this state, “jabbering” unceasingly together; but as darkness was coming on, they evidently meant to go no farther that night, for they proceeded to make several fires on the sand, and lying down, bid the white men do the same. These latter found themselves comfortable enough, excepting for the mosquitoes, to which they had been a prey ever since they landed.
Before they went to sleep, a black fellow appeared with a huge hammer-headed shark, which he had speared in shallow water. This proved large enough to furnish a meal for all. A black threw a piece of the cooked fish to Jumper, who, however, resented the way it was given him by growling and refusing to eat it then.
Mat was interested in the way the blacks made their fires. All the little sticks were pointed to the centre of the embers, and each man had his own fire.
Next morning at daylight the camp was broken up, and after broiling and eating more fish, they started along the margin of the salt water. As they approached the wreck they noticed that there was a larger portion of it than had appeared when viewed the previous evening, the whole of the bows and a portion of the waist being visible. The brothers had hoped that the poop might be farther down the coast, and the blacks evidently thought this might be possible too, for one of their number was sent off to reconnoitre past the next headland; but he came back after awhile, presumably without having seen any more of the old ship, but that he had found something was evident by his gesticulations.
Upon clambering on board with their companions, our lads found that the portion of wreck they had arrived at, though much battered and riddled like a sieve, yet by the strength of her outer timbers, held together, and thus had saved a portion of her contents. Some barrels and chests could be seen, and Mat found the place which had been occupied by his bunk; and to his great delight, on looking closer, he espied his gun jammed by the stock between the beams, but otherwise uninjured, excepting by the action of salt water. These beams, however, he could not part; no axe could he find, so he and Tim collected the black fellows, and on pointing out the gun, they at once understood what was wanted, so by their combined effort, and bringing their little tomahawks into play, the gun was freed.
“The gun’s no use without powder, Tim,” remarked his brother as he fondly handled the weapon. “Didn’t Robinson Crusoe make powder? Oh! if I could only come across my chest!”