They were too knowing, however, to accept David’s fictitious bait, as a fish would probably have done.
One look at it was quite sufficient for them; first one and then another wheeling round and coming nearer the surface of the water to inspect the inducement offered them, and flying off again in disgust.
At last, just as a group of three of the cape pigeons, which were the most inquisitive of the lot, stooped down over the strip of red flannel attached to David’s hook, he gave it a jerk and it caught somehow or other in the bird’s foot or leg, and he pulled it in, squeaking and fluttering all the time, its companions circling round it in alarm, and cawing in concert over its misfortune.
“Hurrah!” exclaimed Jonathan, as David hauled in his prize, flapping vigorously, over the gunwale in triumph; and he stretched out his hand to take hold of it.
“Look out, and stand clear a moment,” shouted out his friend. “Those cape pigeons have a nasty habit of throwing up everything they have in their stomachs on to you as soon as you catch them. There, you see. I suppose it’s a means of protection given them by nature, the same as the savoury perfume of the American skunk.”
“He’s lucky to have anything to bring up,” said Jonathan drily. “It is more than we could do, I’m sure. There’s plenty of him to eat, however, old fellow,” he added, when the bird had disgorged its last feed, “and I vote we pluck off his feathers at once and begin business.”
“All right,” said David, giving the bird a rap on the head with the steering oar, which effectually stayed any further proceedings on its part. “Pipe all hands to dinner.”
Both the boys said afterwards, when detailing their experiences during that voyage in an open boat across the ocean when they were lost at sea, that they never before or since ever enjoyed such a meal in their lives as that cape pigeon, which they plucked, and divided into two equal portions, eating the raw flesh, share and share alike, with the greatest gusto, even licking up afterwards the blood that dropped from it on to the thwarts.
The repast gave them new life and spirits, and from that hour the tide of their affairs seemed to flow more favourably, as shortly afterwards they caught a molly hawk, which they carefully put away in the boat’s locker along with the water, which David was very particular in allowancing out, giving Jonathan and himself only a small quantity twice a day out of a measure he had made by cutting off the toe part of one of his boots.
Towards the afternoon of the same day the heavens grew dark right ahead, a big black cloud spreading across the horizon like a great curtain, and mounting gradually till it hid the sun from view.