masterman ready-第31节

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〃Tell　us　the　story；　Ready。〃

〃Well；　two　soldiers　were　standing　on　the　rocks　at　St。　Helena；　the　rocks　were　out　of　the　water；　but　the　swell　just　broke　over　them。　Two　sharks　swam　up　to　them；　and　one　of　them；　with　a　blow　of　his　tail；　turning　round　the　same　way；　tripped　one　of　them　into　the　water；　which　was　very　deep。　His　comrade　was　very　much　frightened；　and　ran　to　the　barracks　to　tell　the　story。　About　a　week　afterwards；　a　schooner　was　in　Sandy　Bay；　on　the　other　side　of　the　island；　and　the　people　seeing　a　very　large　shark　under　the　stern；　put　out　a　hook　with　a　piece　of　pork；　and　caught　him；　they　opened　him；　and　found　inside　of　him；　to　their　horror；　the　whole　of　the　body　of　the　soldier；　except　the　legs　below　the　knees：　the　monster　had　swallowed　him　whole；　with　the　exception　of　his　legs；　which　it　had　nipped　off　when　it　closed　its　jaws。〃

〃I　really　had　no　idea　that　they　were　so　bold；　Ready。〃

〃It　is　a　fact；　I　assure　you；　and　therefore　we　cannot　be　too　careful　how　we　go　into　the　water：　you　saw　how　soon　the　poor　pig　was　despatched。〃

〃I　wonder　how　the　pigs　get　on；　Ready；〃　said　William。

〃I　dare　say　they　have　littered　by　this　time；　sir；　they　have　no　want　of　food。〃

〃But　can　they　eat　the　cocoa…nuts？〃

〃Not　the　old　ones；　but　they　can　the　young　ones；　which　are　constantly　dropping　from　the　trees；　and　then　there's　plenty　of　roots　for　them。　If　we　stay　long　here　we　shall　soon　have　good　sport　hunting　them；　but　we　must　be　very　careful；　for　although　they　were　tame　pigs　when　we　brought　them　on　shore；　they　will　be　wild　and　very　savage　in　a　very　short　time。〃

〃How　must　we　hunt　them？〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave。

〃Why；　sir；　with　the　dogs；　and　then　shoot　them。　I　am　glad　that　Vixen　will　have　pups　soon；　we　shall　want　more　dogs。〃

〃Shall　we　not　have　more　mouths　than　we　can　find　food　for？〃

〃Never　fear　that；　sir；　as　long　as　we　have　the　sea　to　fish　in。　Dogs　live　very　well　upon　fish；　even　if　it　is　raw。〃

〃We　shall　have　some　lambs　soon；　Ready；　shall　we　not？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　I　expect　very　soon。　I　wish　we　had　more　food　for　the　animals：　they　are　put　rather　hard　to　it　just　now；　but　next　year；　if　we　find　more　food　on　the　island；　we　must　keep　the　grass　near　home；　to　make　hay　and　stack　it　for　the　winter　time　…　or　the　rainy　season　rather；　for　there　is　no　winter　in　these　latitudes。　I'm　pretty　sure　we　shall　find　some　clear　land　on　the　south　of　the　island；　for　the　cocoa…nut　grove　does　not　extend　so　close　to　the　water　on　that　side　as　it　does　on　the　north。〃

〃I　do　so　long　to　go　on　our　exploring　party；〃　said　William。

〃We　must　wait　a　little；〃　replied　Ready；　〃but　I　don't　know　whether　you　will　go；　we　must　not　all　three　go　at　once；　and　leave　Mrs。　Seagrave　alone。〃

〃No；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃that　would　not　be　fair；　either　you　or　I　must　remain；　William。〃

William　made　no　reply；　but　it　was　evident　that　he　was　annoyed　at　the　idea　of　not　being　of　the　party。　They　worked　very　hard　that　day；　and　the　walls　rose　fast　out　of　the　water。

After　supper；　Ready　continued　his　narrative。　〃We　remained　concealed　until　it　was　dark；　and　then　Hastings　and　Romer；　each　with　a　musket　on　his　shoulders　and　a　ham　at　his　back；　and　I；　being　the　smallest；　with　the　rifle　and　the　great　loaf　of　bread；　set　off　on　our　journey。　Our　intention　was　to　travel　north；　as　we　knew　that　was　the　road　leading　from　the　colony；　but　Hastings　had　decided　that　we　should　first　go　to　the　eastward；　so　as　to　make　what　we　sailors　call　a　circumbendibus；　which　would　keep　us　out　of　the　general　track。　We　passed　through　the　deep　sands　of　False　Bay；　and　after　that　gradually　ascended；　getting　among　brushwood　and　young　trees；　but　we　saw　no　signs　of　cultivation；　nor　did　we　pass　one　house　after　we　had　left　False　Bay　astern　of　us。　About　twelve　o'clock　we　were　very　much　fatigued；　and　longed　for　a　drink　of　water；　but　we　did　not　find　any；　although　the　moon　shone　as　bright　as　day。　We　distinctly　heard；　however；　what　we　did　not　much　like；　the　howling　and　cries　of　the　wild　beasts　which　increased　as　we　went　on；　still　we　did　not　see　any；　and　that　was　our　comfort。　At　last　we　were　so　tired　that　we　all　sat　down　on　the　ledge　of　a　rock。　We　dared　not　go　to　sleep；　so　we　remained　there　till　daylight；　listening　to　the　howling　of　the　animals。　We　none　of　us　spoke；　and　I　presume　that　Hastings'　and　Romer's　thoughts　were　the　same　as　my　own；　which　were；　that　I　would　have　given　a　great　deal　to　find　myself　safe　and　sound　again　within　the　prison　walls。　However；　daylight　came　at　last；　the　wild　beasts　did　not　prowl　any　more；　we　walked　on　till　we　found　a　stream　of　water；　where　we　sat　down　and　took　our　breakfast；　after　which　our　courage　revived；　and　we　talked　and　laughed　as　we　walked　on；　just　as　we　had　done　before。　We　now　began　to　ascend　the　mountains；　which　Hastings　said　must　be　the　Black　Mountains　that　the　soldiers　had　talked　to　us　about。　They　were　very　desolate；　and　when　night　came　on　we　collected　brushwood；　and　cut　down　branches　with　our　knives；　that　we　might　make　a　fire；　not　only　to　warm　ourselves；　but　to　scare　away　the　wild　beasts；　whose　howling　had　already　commenced。　We　lighted　our　fire　and　ate　our　supper；　the　loaf　was　half　gone；　and　the　hams　had　been　well　cut　into　…　we　knew；　therefore；　that　very　soon　we　should　have　to　trust　to　our　guns　for　procuring　food。　As　soon　as　we　had　finished　our　meal；　we　lay　down　by　the　fire；　with　our　muskets　loaded　close　to　us；　and　our　ammunition　placed　out　of　danger。　We　were　so　tired　that　we　were　soon　fast　asleep。　It　had　been　agreed　that　Romer　should　keep　the　first　watch；　and　Hastings　the　middle；　and　I　the　morning；　but　Romer　fell　asleep；　and　the　consequence　was；　that　the　fire　was　not　kept　up。　It　was　about　midnight　that　I　was　awakened　by　something　breathing　hard　in　my　face；　and　just　as　I　could　recall　my　senses　and　open　my　eyes；　I　found　myself　lifted　up　by　my　waistband；　and　the　teeth　of　some　animal　pinching　my　flesh。　I　tried　to　catch　at　my　musket；　but　I　put　out　my　wrong　hand；　and　laid　hold　of　a　still　lighted　brand　out　of　the　fire；　which　I　darted　into　the　animal's　face；　it　let　me　drop　directly；　and　ran　away。〃

〃What　a　providential　escape！〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave。

〃Yes；　it　was；　ma'am；　the　animal　was　a　hyena。　Fortunately　they　are　a　very　cowardly　sort　of　beast；　still；　had　it　not　been　for　the　lighted　stick；　it　would　have　carried　me　off；　for　I　was　very　small　then；　and　it　lifted　me　up　as　if　I　was　a　feather　in　its　mouth。　The　shout　I　gave　woke　Hastings；　who　seized　his　musket　and　fired。　I　was　very　much　frightened；　as　you　may　suppose。　As　for　Romer；　he　never　woke　till　we　pushed　him　hard；　he　was　so　completely　knocked　up。　This　affair；　of　course；　made　us　more　cautious；　and　afterwards　we　lighted　two　fires；　and　slept　between　them；　one　always　remaining　on　the　watch。　For　a　week　we　travelled　on；　and　as　soon　as　we　were　over　the　mountains；　we　turned　our　heads　to　the　northward。　Our　provisions　were　all　gone；　and　we　were　one　day　without　any；　but　we　killed　an　antelope　called　a　spring…bock；　which　gave　us　provisions　for　three　or　four　days：　there　was　no　want　of　game　after　we　had　descended　into　the　plain。　I　forgot　to　mention；　however；　a　narrow　escape　we　had；　just　before　we　had　left　an　extensive　forest　on　the　side　of　the　mountain。　We　had　walked　till　past　noon；　and　were　very　much　tired；　we　decided　upon　taking　our　dinner　under　a　large　tree；　and　we　threw　ourselves　down　in　the　shade。　Hastings　was　lying　on　his　back；　with　his　eyes　looking　upwards；　when　he　perceived　on　the　lower　branch　of　the　tree　a　panther；　which　lay　along　it；　his　green　eyes　fixed　upon　us；　and　ready　to　spring；　he　seized　his　musket；　and　fired　it　without　taking　aim；　for　there　was　no　time；　but　the　ball　entered　the　stomach　of　the　animal；　and；　as　it　appeared；　divided　its　back…bone。　Down　came　the　beast；　within　three　or　four　feet　of　where　we　lay；　with　a　loud　roar；　and　immediately　crouched　to　spring　upon　Romer；　but　it　could　not；　for　the　back…bone　being　broken；　it　had　not　any　power　in　its　hinder　quarters；　so　it　raised　up　its　fore　quarters；　and　then　dropped　down　again。　I　never　saw　such　rage　and　fury　in　an　animal　in　my　life。　At　first　we　were　too　much　frightened　to　fire；　but；　perceiving　that　the　beast　could　not　spring；　Hastings　snatched　the　musket　from　Romer　and　shot　it　through　the　head。

〃We　were　now　obliged　to　hunt　for　our　livelihood；　and　we　became　bolder　than　ever。　Our　clothes　were　all　in　rags；　but　we　had　plenty　of　powder　and　ammunition；　there　were　hundreds　and　hundreds　of　antelopes　and　gnus　in　the　plain　…　indeed；　sometimes　it　was　impossible　to　count　them。　But　this　plentiful　supply　of　game　was　the　cause　of　our　being　in　greater　danger；　for　now；　for　the　first　time；　we　heard　the　roar　of　the　lions　every　night。　We　made　large　fires　to　keep　them　off；　but　they　often　made　us　tremble　when　they　came　near　to　us。〃

〃Did　you　ever　meet　with　one　in　the　day…time？〃　said　William。

〃Yes；　sir；　we　often　saw　them；　but　they　never　attacked　us；　and　we　were　too　much　afraid　to　fire　at　them。　Once　we　met　one　face　to　face。　We　had　killed　an　antelope　called　a　hartebeest；　and；　with　our　muskets　on　our　shoulders；　were　running　to　secure　it。　Just　as　we　came　up　to　the　spot；　we　beard　a　roar；　and　found　ourselves　not　ten　yards　from　a　lion；　who　was　lying　on　the　top　of　the　beast　we　had　killed；　his　eyes　flashing　fire　at　us；　and　half　raising　himself；　as　if　ready　for　a　spring。　We　all　took　to　our　heels　as　fast　as　we　could。　I　never　looked　back　til