From this little incident, however, we saw how dangerous was our position, and how difficult escape would be should any fierce beast steal upon us unawares: we therefore hastened to make our way to the open seashore. Here the scene which presented itself was indeed delightful. A background of hills, the green waving grass, the pleasant groups of trees stretching here and there to the very water's edge, formed a lovely prospect.
On the smooth sand we searched carefully for any trace of our hapless companions, but not the mark of a footstep could we find. `Shall I fire a shot or two?' said Fritz. `That would bring our companions, if they are within hearing.'
`It would indeed,' I replied, `or any savages that may be here.
No, no; let us search diligently, but as quietly as possible.'
`But why, father, should we trouble ourselves about them at all? They left us to shift for ourselves, and I for one don't care to set eyes on them again.'
`You are wrong, my boy,' said I. `In the first place, we should not return evil for evil; then, again, they might be of great assistance to us in building a house of some sort; and lastly, you must remember that they took nothing with them from the vessel, and may be perishing of hunger.'
`But father, while we are wandering here and losing our time almost without a hope of benefit to them, why should we not instead return to the vessel and save the animals on board?'
`When a variety of duties present themselves for our choice, we should always give the preference to that which can confer the most solid advantage,' I replied. `The saving of the life of a man is a more exalted action than contributing to the comfort of a few quadrupeds, whom we have already supplied with food for a few days. Also, the sea is so calm at present that we need not fear that the ship will sink or break up entirely before we can return.'
Thus talking, we pushed on until we came to a pleasant grove which stretched down to the water's edge; here we halted to rest, seating ourselves under a large tree, by a rivulet which murmured and splashed along its pebbly bed into the great ocean before us.
A thousand gaily plumaged birds flew twittering above us, and Fritz and I gazed up at them. My son suddenly started up. `A monkey,' he exclaimed, `I am nearly sure I saw a monkey.'
As he spoke he sprang round to the other side of the tree, and in doing so stumbled over a small round object which he handed to me, remarking, as he did so, that it was a round bird's nest, of which he had often heard.