Our pleasant meal over, I prepared to start for home, but Fritz reminded me of the cachalot, and although he confessed he should not care to repeat the operation of cutting up a whale, he thought it would be a pity to lose such a chance of obtaining a supply of spermaceti.
I fully agreed with him; and embarking, we quickly reached the sandbank on which the monster lay. No sooner did we come near than the dogs leaped ashore, and before we could follow, rushed round to the other side of the great beast; snarling, growling and howling ensued, and when we reached the spot we found a terrific combat going on. A troop of wolves were disputing fiercely with the dogs their right to the prey.
Our appearance, however, quickly settled the matter; two of the brutes already lay dead, and those that now escaped our guns, galloped off. Amongst the pack were a few jackals, and no sooner did Coco catch sight of these, his relations, than, suddenly attracted by his instinct, he left his master's side, and in spite of our shouts and cries, joined them and disappeared into the forest.
As it would have been useless and dangerous to attempt to follow the deserter into the woods, we left him alone, trusting that he would return before we again embarked. Fritz then climbed up the mountain of flesh, and with his hatchet quickly laid open the huge skull; Jack and Franz joined him—Ernest having remained on the island, where we had left my wife and Jenny—and with buckets assisted him to bail out the spermaceti.
The few vessels we possessed were soon full, and having stored them in the yacht, we once more embarked and arrived at the little island shortly before the dinner-hour.
A capital meal had been prepared for us and, when we had made ourselves presentable, we sat down to it, and related our adventures. The account of Coco's desertion was received with exclamations of surprise and sorrow. `Yet,' said Jenny, after a time, `I do not think you should despair of his recovery, for animals in their native state seldom care to allow those that have been once domesticated to consort with them.
`My poor albatross even, though he was never thoroughly tamed, and certainly did finally desert me, yet used to return at intervals; and I am pretty sure that were you, Jack, to search the wood early tomorrow morning, you would find your pet only too willing to come back to civilized life; or, if you like, I will go myself and find him, for I should immensely like to have a paddle in the cajack all by myself.'
Jack was delighted at the former suggestion, and though he would not listen for a moment to Jenny's request to be allowed to go alone, he agreed, if she cared for the fun of an early cruise, to accompany her in the canoe next morning, and to return to the yacht in time to start for Rockburg.
At sunrise they were off, armed with `bait' in the shape of meat and biscuit, and a muzzle and chain which Jack had manufactured in the evening to punish the runagate for his offences, should they catch him. Arrived at the sandbank, they landed; and, after entering the forest and shouting `Coco, Coco!' till the woods rang again, they presently espied the truant, slouching disconsolately towards them, looking very miserable and heartily ashamed of himself.
With torn ears, and coat ruffled and dirty, he sneaked up. There was no need to use the bait to entice him; and when the poor beast thus came, unhappy and begging forgiveness, Jack had not the heart to degrade him further with the muzzle and chain. He had evidently attempted to join his wild brethren, and by them had been scouted, worried, and hustled, as no true jackal; and, as Jenny had foretold, was now only too glad to return to bondage and to comfort.