The mutineers, for such they evidently were, on seeing the party, hurried on; but as they got halfway across the sandy shore of the bay, a huge seal suddenly darted out of the wood, and seeing the men running, made chase. He soon overtook the nearest, whom he knocked over, giving him a fierce bite, and then rushed at the next, whom he treated in the same way. Willy and Peter, who had stopped on the top of the ridge to rest, hearing the cries, looked round.
“Why,” exclaimed Willy, “that is our old friend Tippo Sahib, and he is giving those fellows their deserts.”
Tippo Sahib sure enough it was. The mutineers, who had never seen such a creature before, seized with a panic, ran off in all directions, two or three overtaking the party of emigrants.
“No, no, we don’t want you fellows,” cried the men. “You be off now, or you will be sorry for it.”
Two of the mutineers humbly petitioned to be allowed to keep with the party, when Willy at length told them that they might do so if they would behave better in future. The rest by this time were nowhere to be seen, having run into the wood to escape, as they hoped, from the strange beast which had attacked them.
As the travellers neared the settlement, Mrs Morley, with her daughters and Mrs Twopenny, came out to welcome them. The former invited Emily and May to their cottage, while Mrs Clagget, introducing herself to Mrs Twopenny, told her she should be happy to take up her abode with her.
Harry having reached the settlement some time before, preparations were already being made for the reception of the party. The men willingly turned out to give up their huts to the women and children. Fires were lighted, and several of the people were busy, under the direction of Mrs Rumbelow, cooking food, while the men were employed in bringing in wood for forming fresh huts. Harry started off a fresh party to assist those already engaged in the work. The gentlemen laboured as hard as any of the men, and in a short time a row of huts, constructed after the fashion of those already built, rose near them.
Harry’s chief anxiety was, however, to provide food for so many mouths, as he saw the store which had been made for the former party rapidly diminishing. Some of the emigrants grumbled, too, at not having a greater variety. Seal-soup and fried roots served for breakfast, and boiled or roasted seal, with baked roots and water, for dinner, while the same fare was served at supper. Sometimes fish varied the material for their meals; but neither they nor mussels were to be obtained when the weather was stormy, and the sea broke with violence on the rocks.
Several days passed away, when a sail was seen coming up the harbour. She was recognised as the cutter. Nearly all the inhabitants of the little settlement ran down to welcome her. She had on board several casks and kegs brought by the boatswain from the wreck. They were eagerly rolled up to the huts, when they were found to contain flour and beef, raisins and suet. “Hurrah! we shall have English beef and plum-pudding now,” exclaimed numerous voices. The doctor, however, who acted as store-keeper, ordered them at once to be placed in safe keeping, to be served out as required. He soon afterwards held a consultation with Mrs Rumbelow. Under his directions, an oven was constructed, while he set to work in his laboratory to manufacture some yeast, or risings, as Mrs Rumbelow called the composition; and the next morning a supply of hot rolls was distributed among the women and children. How delicious they appeared to those who had for many a long day not tasted a morsel of bread!
Bollard brought word that considerable progress had already been made in building the “Young Crusader,” and Captain Westerway requested that he might be supplied with such provisions as the island afforded, in order to husband those which had been saved from the wreck, as they would be required as stores for the vessel. Among other things, he brought several cases of gunpowder, and the sportsmen were therefore able to range the island with their guns in search of game.