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Chapter IV
Marooned

I know that it was my suggestion. I said:

"Wouldn't a swim be delicious? The water looks cool, and I'm so hot."

And Pipi answered:

"I'll run up to the house again and get our bathing-gowns. They're at the bottom of the big green box with the torn luggage labels."

"And ask Uncle John or Uncle Stephen." I think of things sometimes, because I am older than Jock or Pipi.

Pipi set off at a run, and Jock and I took off our shoes and stockings and dabbled our feet in the water. All around the air was very hot and very, very still; faint fleecy clouds floated lazily in the sky overhead; near by a lark rose from the sweet-smelling tussocks and winged his song right into the blue sky above. Once a strange, brightly coloured bird, with wild eyes and a cruel, hooked beak, halted on the water's edge and then flew swiftly away. - "That's a kea," said Jock, proud of his knowledge.

Keas, you know, are sheep-killing birds. They mostly attack the young lambs, and the farmers and page 54settlers hate them and wage continual war against them. Once the kea was quite an innocent, mouse-eating kind of bird, but when the sheep arrived with the white men he changed his.diet, and is now one of the worst pests in the mountain districts.

Soon Pipi came flying back, a big bundle in her arms, a fine colour in her sheeks. Jock seized his bathing-suit and disappeared behind a manuka bush. Pipi and I took shelter under a clump of broom. And weren't we glad to get out of our thick serge dresses and into our stockingette gowns.

"Ready!" called Jock.

"Ready!" returned Pipi.

"Wait a minute."

"What's the matter? You're always fussin', Ngaire."

"The uncles!"

"What about them?"

"You said you would ask permission? Do they mind?"

"I saw Uncle John. He didn't mind one bit."

After that I could enjoy myself with a clear conscience, but even with a clear conscience it wasn't half so pleasant as we had anticipated. The water was bitterly cold, and made you think of snows melting on the mountain tops. Underfoot the stones were rough, and once Jock scratched his toe rather badly. But he insisted that the hurt was only tri-page 55fling, and laughed at me when I wanted to go up to the house to get some ointment for it.

"It's nothing. Just a scratch. Say", Pipi, I'm going to swim out to that little island over there. See, the one with the manuka bushes."

"I'm coming with you," announced Pipi, who wouldn't be outdone.

"We'd better keep close to the shore," I suggested.

But Jock and Pipi only laughed.

"You're frightened," said Jock. "Come on, Pipi."

Pipi waded in, Jock dived, and I stood watching them, longing yet fearing to join them. Suddenly— oh, I hardly like to think of it now, it is just a horrible, horrible memory—I heard a cry from Jock, and saw the river catch him, whirl him and rush him forward. I didn't stop to think then; I just plunged in after him. The water caught me, whirled me round and rushed me forward too, but it let me go again, and I was able to strike out to where I saw Jock's dear dark head bobbing in the water. Somehow I managed to get hold of him, and I clung to him hard, while the current caught us again and finally deposited us, roughly enough, on the side of the little island we had set out to gain.

We scrambled ashore, Pipi helping us.

"I landed higher up," she said. "See, you got catched in that piece of manuka hangin' down in the Water. Jump, Jock! Oh, I'm all right, Skinny."

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But she wasn't. Her face was very white, her lips trembling, and a nasty cut showed red on her forehead.

But she only laughed again when I mentioned it.

"That? Oh, that's nothin'. I bumped against a boulder, I s'pose. I—don't be silly. I'm not crying. I tell you I'm not."

But she was; in fact, we all wept a little. You see, we were very shaky and frightened, and the force of the water had quite stunned Jock. It rather scared us, but he soon got over it, and was very hurt in his feelings.

"What did you want to catch me for, Ngaire?" he asked. "I could have swimmed ashore quite easily by myself."

"Of course you could," I answered, though Pipi smiled unbelievingly.

"I should hope so. Did it help you to swim better catching hold of me, Ngaire?"

"Ever so much," I said.

You see, Jock isn't very strong, but he just hates anyone to notice it; he does things ever so much too hard for him, and overtaxes his strength, mother says. Jan and I pretend he has the strength of a horse; it doesn't harm us and does him a lot of good.

But Pipi won't.

"It's just telling stories," she said once with a sudden scrupulousness. "An' Jock, you would have been page 57drowned if Ngaire hadn't pulled you out. An' you'll get an' awful cold, I expect, an' croup." "I won't."

Jock hates croup; it's such a baby' illness.

"Yes, you will, an' Kathie will have to boil water an' get ippekak. Awful bother for her too."

Pipi was feeling cold and cross, and found a certain relief in lacerating poor Jock's feelings.

"I won't. I tell you I won't. I won't! I won't!"

"Yes, you will! You will! You will!"

"I won't! You know I haven't had it for ages, Pipi; not—"

"Not since we left Auckland," said Pipi, hugging her knees.

"I didn't have it then, not for a long time before we left."

" 'Bout a month."

"It wasn't 'bout a month; it was nearly three months and more, p'raps a year. And—and, anyway" —Jock paused triumphantly—"I'm not called after a beastly litte shellfish. Pipi! Pipi! Pipis that the Maories eat. Pipis that live in the sand. Pipi! Pipi!

Pipi!"

This was the one taunt calculated to draw Pipi and disturb the aggravating coolness of her temper. You see, she just hates her name. Ngaire and Pipi are both Maori names, and I think Ngaire rather pretty, don't you? I like Pipi too, but it always makes you page 58think of the little shellfish you pick up on the sand beaches when the tides are low. Sometimes we cook them for tea; they're not bad, just a little like oysters, only very, very leathery.

Pipi would never touch them.

"It's just like eating my sisters an' brothers," she said once. "Whatever did you call me after a fish for, mother? I might just as well be Oyster or Shark or Whale. Come to dinner, Oyster dear. Have you done your practice, Sharky love? Your hair isn't brushed enough, Conger Eel. Don't eat so quickly, Cockles an' Mussels. Alive, Alive Oh!"

But now, though she blazed up for a moment, her anger died very suddennly, extinguished by a chilling wind which came down the river bed, straight from the gorge higher up. To make matters worse, the sun disappeared behind a bank of clouds, and there was no shelter to be had save the-insufficient protection afforded by a few low-growing, stunted manuka bushes.

We ran, we jumped, we skipped, we folded our arms tight, and tried to hug ourselves into warmth. But it wasn't any good; we just grew colder and colder.

It was really rather dreadful. Jock turned a funny purply-blue colour; we put him in the middle and squeezed tight, but he complained that we were so page 59cold ourselves that we only made him more freezing than ever.

And no one came to rescue us; no one thought of us, not even an uncle.

"They don't care if we do get drowned," said Pipi.

"Still, Uncle John knows we've gone Lathing. If we don't come home before night he'll be sure to search the river banks for us. And we'll be able to wave to him.

"P'raps we won't."

"Oh!"

"I don't think we'll be alive to wave to anyone."

"Perhaps he won't wait till night. He'll come down at afternoon tea-time," I suggested, as cheerfully as I could.

"No, he won't."

"He will. He'll be anxious by then."

"No, he won't. He won't be a bit anxious. 'Cause why? He doesn't know we're here."

"But you said—" At first I didn't understand, but Pipi soon enlightened me.

"I said I saw Uncle John. So I did; he was standin' on the veranda. But he didn't see me. An' I said he didn't mind. Neither he did. 'Cause why? He didn't know."

This just settled us nicely. Of course, Jan knew that we had gone down to the river, but she didn't page 60know that we had also gone bathing, and when once Jan gets hold of a book which interests her—Why, i£ the house caught fire I don't believe she'd notice it except to remark that the light was very good. So it wasn't much use depending on Jan.

And all the time it was growing colder and colder, and we were finding it harder and harder to bear. I tried to swim across the channel again, but somehow my strength seemed to have deserted me, and I dared not face the current. We took Jock and ran up and down between us as fast as we could, though our hearts were so heavy and our limbs so cold that we could hardly move ourselves. Suddenly Pipi paused, and the tears went rolling down her face; this time she did not even try to disguise the fact that she was crying.

"It's no good, Ngaire," she sobbed; "and it's all my fault. They won't never come to us."

"Perhaps they will—soon," I said, holding Jock, who, having no strength of his own, was slipping once more to the ground, and looking so queer that my heart stood still with fright.

"It's no good pickin' him up," continued Pipi miserably, though, because she was so young she failed to see the real seriousness of it as I did "It's no good makin' him run. They don't care about us. They ought to know we'd go bathin' on a hot day like this. But they don't care. I 'spect Kathie's havin' page 61afternoon tea with a thick, thick dress on, an' a long sleever under that, an' a big, roastin' fire. She doesn't mind if we do freeze to death in bathing-gowns what haven't got no arms nor legs, and what don't come properly up to the neck."

"We must go! We must keep on going!" I gasped, trying to remember whether it was for freezing or poison that you had to walk the patient up and down until he was well. "We must, Pipi. Come, Jock, dear. You're not done yet."

The words hit Jock as I meant them to, and he staggered to his feet.

"I'll help you girls along," he said, and because he has a big will in a little body he started off again —Pipi and I on either side. Up and down, up and down the island we went, running, walking, staggering till it seemed that there could be no end to it all, that we had to go on for ever.

Have you ever been so tired, cold and hungry that, though your eyes were open, you couldn't see? That is just what happened to us. Uncle Dan came galloping down the island in front of us, and it wasn't until I felt Jock lifted out of my arms and up on to uncle's horse, and saw Pipi follow, that I realised that help had come at last, and we wouldn't have to keep running for ever and ever after all.

"Come on," cried Uncle Dan, and his voice sounded miles and miles away, just like a voice you page 62hear in a dream. He caught hold of my hand, put his arm around Jock and Pipi, and we went down the island at another run. Suddenly he paused.

"I can't take the three of you at once," he said.

"The ford is too high."

I heard him quite distinctly this time, and I saw him take Jack and Pipi across the water, and then come back for me. Jock and Pipi were waiting for us on the other side, and I noticed that uncle looked very grave as he lifted Jock on to the horse and tucked the greatcoat about him.

"Come on," he said sharply. "Take my hand, Ngaire! Sit tight, Pipi, and hold Jock!"

We set off at a sharp trot, Jock and Pipi on uncle's horse, while I held his hand and ran breathlessly, trying to keep up with the others. This time we didn't negotiate the bank, but went over a winding track that led through a small plantation, past the tennis courts, to the house. Kathie was playing a set with Uncle Stephen, but when she saw us she gave a squeal, dropped her racket, and ran beside us, asking questions and crying all the way. Uncle John was talking to McPherson, and when he saw our procession arriving—we had gathered in Mrs. McPherson with an apronful of vegetables, Jan with a scared look, and Rob with a scratched face—he said "Bless me!" and came to investigate. He said, "Bless my soul!" too, very loudly, when he found that we page 63were purple and blue and black, and lightly attired in our bathing dresses and Uncle Dan's greatcoat.

"Bless my soul!" cried Uncle John. "What have the youngsters been up to now? Get them into a hot bath quickly, Katrine."

Uncle Stephen forced some burning stuff down our throats, and Pipi revived very quickly and began to explain. But when she saw Uncle John's face she felt that silence was best, and went off into a faint.

Uncle Stephen took command, and Mrs. McPher-son and Kathie put us into hot baths, and Mary warmed blankets. But, though uncle said "Put them into a hot bath," he didn't say "Boil them," and that is what Mrs. McPherson did. We went in a kind of blacky-blue, and came out a brilliant red, just like lobsters. It wasn't any use trying to keep up a faint. Pipi just had to squeal out loud when they put her into the stewing-pot. After that they wrapped us in hot blankets, roasted us in front of a huge fire, and made us take quarts of scalding gruel, so that we should be as warm inside as we were everywhere else.

Pipi and I revived so quickly that they left off fussing over us and devoted themselves to Jock, who hadn't boiled as well as we had.

"Jan will look after you," Kathie said. "Let them have a good sleep, Jan. Don't talk much."

So Jan sat down on the edge of the bed and spoke page 64in a whisper, telling us all the soothing things which had happened during the day, so that we might be lulled to rest.

"Rob went riding on Uncle John's horse, and he's hurt its knees, and, I say, Mr. McPherson found the stop bank all broken down, and there's going to be an awful row to-morrow. Uncle John just raged when you didn't come home to lunch. All right; don't wriggle, Ngaire. You must go to sleep, you' know."

"Why didn't you tell him where we were?"

"I'd forgotten. Whatever made you think of bath-' ing? I'd never have dreamt of it; and, anyway, I never thought of you because of the—the—the hook." Jan bounced off the bed like an india-rubber doll, and made a dash for the door. Soon she returned bearing, some scraps of paper and a small, scrunched piece of morocco in her hand. She flopped on my bed and spread them out over the quilt.

"That's uncle's book!" she said in an awful voice. "That's all that is left of 'Count Veroni.' I'd nearly finished it, and when I saw you all coming up to the house I put it down and forgot all about it, and now the dogs have finished it for me instead. ' I'll have to tell uncle to-morrow. Oh, Ngaire, what shall I do?"

I tried to comfort Jan, and said that I didn't expect the book was worth much. Anyhow, the uncles page 65ought to feed their dogs better. But Jan was too worried to talk soothingly any more. She could only linger on her own troubles.

"It doesn't matter, though. Nothing matters now. I wonder what will happen next? It's really quite interesting waiting to see what it will be. Perhaps I shall tumble through the dining-room window and smash the prize geraniums. Or send a tennis ball through the conservatory."

"What has Kathie been doing all day?"

Jan cheered up a little; her voice was vindictive.

"Just enjoying herself, my dear. What do you expect? She's quite grown-up, you know. Uncle Dan showed her round the garden, just as if she couldn't find the way for herself, and Uncle John took her driving. He didn't ask me. Oh, no, he doesn't take nursery children. After that she poured out afternoon tea and fancied herself, and then she played tennis with Uncle Stephen till you came home. That's all Kathie—— Here's Uncle John."

Uncle John came in to see how we were getting on, but Pipi and I were fast asleep with the blankets pulled over our noses.

"Are they all right, little scamps?" asked uncle in a whisper that was like a fog-horn.

And Jan whispered back:

"Yes, but they must be kept quiet, and not excited page 66at all. I'm just staying in case they want anything when they wake up."

"Little rascals," said uncle again, and our blood ran cold. It sounded just like, "See what I'll give them later on." That is what his voice threatened even-i£ the words were different.

Uncle turned to go, and Jan tiptoed to a chair, slipped on a rug, went at a run across the room, slap, bang into Uncle John, bringing him down with a crash and sitting on his head, so paralysed with horror that she couldn't rise.

But her dear little sisters slept through it all.