Chapter Seventeen.
Escape from the Island.
“Some savages come on board, sir,” I heard the mate sing out to the captain, a fine-looking man, who was standing near the wheel; “an old and a young one.”
“No, please you, sir,” said Dick, stepping aft. “We are not savages, but unfortunate Englishmen. We have had a hard job to make our escape from the savages, though, and if you will take my advice, sir, you will not go into that harbour; for if you do, you will run a chance of being treated as our ship was.”
“How is that, my man?” asked the captain; and Dick thereupon told him the way in which the Dolphin had been cut off, and how all had been kept prisoners for upwards of two years by the natives.
“I thank you for the warning, my friend,” said the captain, “and we will be on our guard against treachery. I think, however, that if we show that we are well armed and on the watch, we need not fear them. We are in want of water, wood, and vegetables, and by letting the natives understand that we will pay fairly for them, we shall, I hope, obtain what we require.”
“As to that, sir, Charley Laurel and I can talk well enough to them; and we will take good care to tell them that they must play no tricks.”
“You may be of much service to me, then,” said the captain, “and I shall be glad to carry you and Charley Laurel, as you call him, to any place we touch at where you may wish to land.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Dick; “but we can both work our passage, and though it is better than two years since I was afloat, I don’t think I am less handy than before.”
The ship, which we found to be the Phoebe, Captain Renton, having brought up in the bay, a number of canoes came off to her. The captain told me and Dick to say to them that he could allow no one on board. The natives looked much surprised at seeing us on the deck, and they of course guessing that we had told the captain what had happened to the Dolphin, some of them paddled back again in a great fright, supposing that he had come to punish them for what they had done. By the captain’s directions we told them not to be alarmed; that he wished to be friends with them; and that if they behaved well, they would be treated as friends.