"What good will that do us?" said Peterkin; "there's wood enough on the island to make a thousand oars.""Ay, lad," replied Jack, "but there's a bit of hoop iron at the end of it, and that may be of much use to us.""Very true," said I, "let us go fetch it;" and with that we all three rose and hastened down to the beach.I still felt a little weak from loss of blood, so that my companions soon began to leave me behind; but Jack perceived this, and, with his usual considerate good nature, turned back to help me.This was now the first time that I had looked well about me since landing, as the spot where Ihad been laid was covered with thick bushes which almost hid the country from our view.As we now emerged from among these and walked down the sandy beach together, I cast my eyes about, and, truly, my heart glowed within me and my spirits rose at the beautiful prospect which I beheld on every side.The gale had suddenly died away, just as if it had blown furiously till it dashed our ship upon the rocks, and had nothing more to do after accomplishing that.The island on which we stood was hilly, and covered almost everywhere with the most beautiful and richly coloured trees, bushes, and shrubs, none of which I knew the names of at that time, except, indeed, the cocoa-nut palms, which Irecognised at once from the many pictures that I had seen of them before I left home.A sandy beach of dazzling whiteness lined this bright green shore, and upon it there fell a gentle ripple of the sea.This last astonished me much, for I recollected that at home the sea used to fall in huge billows on the shore long after a storm had subsided.But on casting my glance out to sea the cause became apparent.About a mile distant from the shore I saw the great billows of the ocean rolling like a green wall, and falling with a long, loud roar, upon a low coral reef, where they were dashed into white foam and flung up in clouds of spray.This spray sometimes flew exceedingly high, and, every here and there, a beautiful rainbow was formed for a moment among the falling drops.
We afterwards found that this coral reef extended quite round the island, and formed a natural breakwater to it.Beyond this the sea rose and tossed violently from the effects of the storm; but between the reef and the shore it was as calm and as smooth as a pond.
My heart was filled with more delight than I can express at sight of so many glorious objects, and my thoughts turned suddenly to the contemplation of the Creator of them all.I mention this the more gladly, because at that time, I am ashamed to say, I very seldom thought of my Creator, although I was constantly surrounded by the most beautiful and wonderful of His works.I observed from the expression of my companion's countenance that he too derived much joy from the splendid scenery, which was all the more agreeable to us after our long voyage on the salt sea.There, the breeze was fresh and cold, but here it was delightfully mild; and, when a puff blew off the land, it came laden with the most exquisite perfume that can be imagined.While we thus gazed, we were startled by a loud "Huzza!" from Peterkin, and, on looking towards the edge of the sea, we saw him capering and jumping about like a monkey, and ever and anon tugging with all his might at something that lay upon the shore.
"What an odd fellow he is, to be sure," said Jack, taking me by the arm and hurrying forward; "come, let us hasten to see what it is.""Here it is, boys, hurrah! come along.Just what we want," cried Peterkin, as we drew near, still tugging with all his power.
"First rate; just the very ticket!"
I need scarcely say to my readers that my companion Peterkin was in the habit of using very remarkable and peculiar phrases.And I am free to confess that I did not well understand the meaning of some of them, - such, for instance, as "the very ticket;" but I think it my duty to recount everything relating to my adventures with a strict regard to truthfulness in as far as my memory serves me; so I write, as nearly as possible, the exact words that my companions spoke.I often asked Peterkin to explain what he meant by "ticket," but he always answered me by going into fits of laughter.
However, by observing the occasions on which he used it, I came to understand that it meant to show that something was remarkably good, or fortunate.
On coming up we found that Peterkin was vainly endeavouring to pull the axe out of the oar, into which, it will be remembered, Jack struck it while endeavouring to cut away the cordage among which it had become entangled at the bow of the ship.Fortunately for us the axe had remained fast in the oar, and even now, all Peterkin's strength could not draw it out of the cut.
"Ah! that is capital indeed," cried Jack, at the same time giving the axe a wrench that plucked it out of the tough wood."How fortunate this is! It will be of more value to us than a hundred knives, and the edge is quite new and sharp.""I'll answer for the toughness of the handle at any rate," cried Peterkin; "my arms are nearly pulled out of the sockets.But see here, our luck is great.There is iron on the blade." He pointed to a piece of hoop iron, as he spoke, which had been nailed round the blade of the oar to prevent it from splitting.
This also was a fortunate discovery.Jack went down on his knees, and with the edge of the axe began carefully to force out the nails.But as they were firmly fixed in, and the operation blunted our axe, we carried the oar up with us to the place where we had left the rest of our things, intending to burn the wood away from the iron at a more convenient time.
