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Potona or Unknown New Zealand

Chapter XVII. The Old Haven—Winter on the Coast—Circumvented by the Yankee—Diamond Cut Diamond

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Chapter XVII. The Old Haven—Winter on the Coast—Circumvented by the Yankee—Diamond Cut Diamond.

And now I must pass over a period of six months.

Where were we now?

Believe it or not; I assure you it is true. We were on exactly the same spot as at this time last year, namely on the shore of the bay near the scene of our wreck. How we came there will be told in a few words. Hunter's illness delayed our starting southwards for at least six weeks. We parted from our native friends with the warmest and best wishes from both sides; poor Potona, especially, we thought would never have ceased embracing us. At last, after nearly two months' sojourn with them, we paddled out of the river.

But during our long and unavoidable detention the winter had crept up. The day after bidding farewell to the native village, a fierce storm overtook us from the northward. The canoe, not the best of sea boats in fine weather, shipped wave after wave, until at last we were fain to look out for some place to land until the gale abated. For some hours we drove along, the coast presenting nothing but a wall of rock to the waves.

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“Hurrah!” suddenly sang out Harry, “Why there's our old haven. Look! yonder,” pointing to a high bluff some little distance in front.

“I believe you are right,” I exclaimed; “we'll risk it at any rate;” and I directed the canoe's head towards the point indicated. All doubts were set at rest, and in a few minutes we were safely floating inside the bay, on whose shores we had already lived so long.

Contrary to expectation, the storm did not abate; but proved the precursor to more dreadful ones. Unwillingly we came to the conclusion that we should have to spend another winter here; so, after waiting some days in hope of the weather changing, we hauled the canoe well up out of harm's way, and began making preparations for the fast approaching winter.

We found poor Smith's grave undisturbed. On entering the hut by the lake, I cannot describe what mournful feelings took possession of us. Three of the companions whose society had helped to cheer the last long gloomy winter days, were gone; and we realized their loss now more than ever. Poor Smith, poor Swabs, poor Smart! beneath your rough exteriors you concealed warm and faithful hearts.

The winter passed much as the preceding one. Spanish Joe had taken possession of Smart's favorites, the parrots, and tended them like children. Moloney had not parted with his ungainly though amusing laughing-bird; and our three feathered friends helped greatly to relieve the dull monotony of our every-day existence.

And now the second winter had passed, and we reckoned we had been nearly two years on the coast.

Our little party, reduced to five since Smart's death, consisting now of Harry, Moloney, Hunter, Spanish Joe and page 114 myself—made our way to the beach, to see if the canoe was uninjured.

We found her quite whole, but her sides were so rotten and worm-eaten that we thought it best to set to work at once and build a new boat.

Two months passed in this work, for with our diminished numbers and bad tools it proved a much more serious job than the former one had been, and our little craft would have been ready for her voyage in another day or two—when we were disagreeably surprised one morning to hear behind us the nasal twang of our quondam acquaintance the Yankee.

“Guess yer didn't expect the pleasure of my company agin, strangers,” he said, advancing towards us; “but yer see, arter you left the natives, yer friend Potona made it so tarnation hot for this child that he thought it best to make tracks. I calculated I could find this hyar location of yours, but I didn't ‘spect ter find yer hyarabouts—thort yer would ha’ bin to hum long afore this period.”

“And what may you want now you have come?” I asked.

“Waal, strangers, as yer put the question so clear, I don't mind tellin' yer. I'll jine yer party and return to the settlements; pervided none of yer blow the whistle about my individooality.”

“Many thanks for your offer, Jim Days; it is on a par with your usual character. Now supposing we don't see it in the same light as yourself—in other words that we won't have you with us—what then?”

“Draw it mild, Captain—you wouldn't leave a free and enlightened citizen of the U-nited States of America to die like a dog, would yet?”

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“We'll consider the matter among ourselves,” I replied, “and let you know our answer.”

“Anything to give a feller to eat?” he asked “for I'm just in a condition to appreciate a square meal.”

I directed Joe to give him something to eat; whispering at the same time to see he did not lay hands on our guns or anything else. We agreed, after some debate, to let him come along with us on our voyage to the settlements, determined at the same time to keep a sharp eye on him to prevent treachery. How he succeeded in circumventing us, despite our precautions, you shall hear directly.

Once more we were afloat; this time there seemed nothing to hinder us making some civilized place.

We gave three hearty cheers as we pulled down the bay, and bade good-bye for ever to all the well-known scenes.

“Hooroosh!” shouted Pat, as we found ourselves gliding out to sea—“Hooroosh! boys; but we're clear off this time an' no mistake. Arrah thin! won't we just have a fling when we set foot among dacent people agin!”

“I'm afraid, Pat,” said Harry, “we'll have no money for a ‘fling’ if we ever see the settlements again.”

“Sorra a fear o' that, sor,” answered our light-spirited comrade. “Bedad, they'll faiste us like princes!”

“How long do you reckon it is since we were wrecked, Captain?” enquired Hunter of me.

“Well,” I answered “as near as possible I think about twenty months.”

“Shure, an' it seems to me it's been years that we've been dodging round this hathenish place,” remarked Pat.

“And how long do you think it will take us to make the nearest European station?” asked Harry.

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“That I really cannot say,” I replied; “for I have not the remotest idea how far we have to go; but at the very outside I should think a fortnight ought to do it.”

One evening, several days after we had started, as the weather looked stormy, I thought it would be best to seek some sheltered cove to land on, in preference to keeping on during the night, as we had hitherto been in the habit of doing.

We soon discovered a small bay, where we ran the boat ashore. Our tent, which had been brought with us from our old camp, was erected under a clump of trees; and we proceeded to make all snug for the night.

After supper, as it was very cold, the men began lamenting that our stock of brandy was quite exhausted; whereupon Jim Days hauled out a good sized flask from some hidden recess in his coat, and offered it to us, saying:

“Take a drop of this, mates. It's raal good whisky. I've kept it by me for some time past, not havin' any cause to use it; guess it'll warm up yer vitals smart.”

We each took a moderate allowance, and then prepared to turn in.

Suddenly the idea struck me—what if that liquor was drugged, and the Yankee intended playing some trick on us? I looked at Days hard, but his face never moved a muscle; the self-satisfied, cool and impassive expression that he always wore, remained the same. “Perhaps I'm wrong,” I thought; “anyhow I'll be on the safe side;” so making some trifling excuse, I rose and left the tent. My first care was to place the three guns, which had been left in the boat, in a thick bramble which grew a little distance behind the camp. I then unshipped the rudder, which with the oars and sail, I concealed in another place, taking care that the Yankee did not observe my actions.

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Most of the other valuables, such as the hatchets and one or two tools, were in the tent; so I could not remove them without exciting the suspicions of Days.

This done, I became more at ease, especially as I felt no evil effects as yet from the spirits I had drunk, and I could hear the rest of the men laughing and talking inside the tent. If Days did try on any of his tricks and give us the slip, he would hardly be so rash as to try and make off in a ruddlerless boat, without sail, oars, or any other appliance either for steering or propelling the craft.

Scarcely had I lain myself on the ground, when I felt my head begin to swim, my limbs to lose their power, and I knew I had been drugged. The last thing I remembered, as I fell into a state of insensibility, was Jim Days' exulting and sardonic laugh, as he rose and left the tent.

How long I lay unconscious—whether for one or more days—I have not the most remote idea.

When I awoke it was broad daylight. I tried to rise, but my limbs refused their office. All I could do was to move my head about; and even this gave me excessive pain. My comrades lay all around me, with faces pale and distorted, and but for their heavy breathing. I should have thought they were dead. I tried to speak, but my tongue clave fast to the roof of my mouth.

For some hours I lay like this, and evening was creeping on, when I observed a pannikin near the door of the tent. Oh! if I conld only reach it—there might be a drop of water or tea in it. After much manoeuvring, not without a considerable amount of physical and mental agony, I managed to roll myself over until I could lay my hand on it—but alas! was to weak to grasp it.

I did, however, what answered equally well—for there was not a drop of liquid of any sort in it—I capsized it.

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“Oh!” thought I, “must we die, after all our toiling and suffering, and die like poisoned dogs—unable to procure the remedy that might renew our lives?”

Ah! what sound was that? a long pause, in which I scarcely dared to breathe.—'Twas only imagination.—No! there it is again—and no mistake this time: Patter, patter, patter; drip, drip, drip,—and down came the rain in torrents! Only let me get my head outside; and let a few blessed drops fall upon my face, and I shall be saved!

Exhausted as I was since my previous exertion, I set to work again. Inch by inch I moved, until at last my head was nearly in the entrance of the tent. Another struggle, and a sudden gust of wind blew the blessed rain against my face. Even this renewed my strength a little, and enabled me to get my head quite outside. Then I turned over on my back and let the water pour into my mouth, and over my face.

I felt my strength returning by degrees. I sat up. I got on my knees; and at last, supporting myself against the tent, stood on my feet.

As soon as I could walk a little, my first care was to attend on my companions. I easily caught some rain in the pannikin, and proceeded to pour it into their mouths. One by one they showed signs of returning consciousness; and by midnight, dark as it was, I managed to have them all sitting up, and rapidly gaining the use of their muscles. In the morning all the party could rise and walk about.

The rain still came down in bucketfuls, and the wind had risen to a hurricane. It needed but one glance at the beach to see that our boat was gone—and we inwardly bemoaned our folly in being so easily taken in by a villain like Days.

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His reason for deserting us was plain. All along he had shown evident fear of our handing him over to justice on our arrival at a ssttlement; and despite our promises that we would not do so, he had plainly come to the determination of being on the safe side, and getting there before us.

On further search, we found the guns, oars, etc., safe; the powder, which I had carefully wrapped up, was rather damp, but not seriously damaged. Nothing in the tent had been touched; and he had evidently not been aware of the real strength of his drug, but had hurried away in the boat at once, without observing its dismantled condition. The whole of this day we did nothing but growl and grumble and lament our continued bad fortune—and numerous were the threats of vengeance against the Yankee, should he ever cross any of our paths.

The coast in our immediate neighborhood was not nearly so rough as that part upon which we had been wrecked. At the back of the tent a level grassy plain stretched between two steep spurs for some miles inland. It was covered here and there with coppices and groves of trees; forming a not unpleasant landscape. A good-sized stream wound down the centre, and entered the sea at no great distance from the tent.

We reckoned we were not half way to the nearest settlement yet; but whether it would be possible to complete the remaining distance by land, remained to be decided.