"You here!" exclaimed Harry, starting back.
"And why not?" inquired Brand, with a sinister smile, "haven't I as good a right to be saved as yourself?"
"Certainly, and I am glad you have saved yourself. Still your appearance surprised me a little, as I had thought that no persons except ourselves, had succeeded in reaching this island from the wreck."
"It was a narrow escape for me," answered Brand; "the current which runs round the extremity of this island, caught me, and I would have been whirled past the land, do you see, but for my catching the spur of a rock by which I just succeeded in drawing myself ashore."
"Bad eggs always float," said Turk, making a grimace.
"What mean you, you rascal?" cried Brand; "are you regrettin' my escape?"
"Not exactly, still I'll own I'd rather some of t'others had been saved and you have gone instead."
"Blast you for an unmannerly old dog," shouted Brand; "I've half a mind to give you a taste of a rope's end. Just remember you are under my orders, now, as you were aboard ship."
"I differ with ye there," answered outspoken Turk; "so much in fact, that if you should try to rope's end me, I should have to keel haul you."
And Turk, as he spoke, showed a formidable looking fist, hairy and covered with protuberances like those one see on the knots of an oak.
Brand's eye flashed fire, and he made a step forward.
Then he controlled himself, muttering something in an inaudible voice.
Meanwhile, the eyes of Mary were turned upon the intruder with a mingled expression of fear and dislike.
There was evidently in those eyes some startling resemblance which made the captain feel very uneasy, for he half turned his head, while a ghastly hue overspread his face.
"So," said Harry, breaking the awkward silence, "we did not reach our destination, the volcanic isle, after all."
"No," answered Brand, gloomily.
"Can we not get to it from here?" inquired Mary, eagerly; "I know not why, but I feel as if we should there find my poor, lost papa!"
"Never," thought Brand; "your papa has been food for fishes long before now."
In a few minutes they were at work erecting bowers.
Turk was moving away, with Brand about to follow him, when, turning and catching a sudden glance at the captain, he snatched up his bottle and pocketed it.
"You need not be afraid," said the skipper, with a sneer; "I have a supply of gin of my own," showing a big black bottle, partially protruding from the inside pocket of his jacket.
Turk pulled Harry's sleeve.
"The captain's gin," he whispered, "better than this ere brandy of mine, would make an excellent cosmopolite for the gal in case of sickness."
"You may keep your brandy if you wish," answered Harry, sternly.
At this reproof, old Turk colored and scratched his head like a schoolboy detected in some grave offence.
Then he ran forward, and grasped the young man's hand.
"I wouldn't taste a drop of my grog for the world, since the gal may want it. Still do ye see, human natur' is human natur', and I'm bound to say that I have been selfish in this matter, to the great sorrer of Tom Turk."
Two bowers were soon erected of twigs and leaves; one for the accommodation of the men, the other for Mary.
With their jackets and a multitude of dried leaves, the men formed a pleasant little retreat for the young girl, who thanked them for their pains.
Towards sundown the gale abated. The men took advantage of this to construct, with some fragments of the wreck drifted ashore, a raft, upon which they paddled out to the reef, where several barrels and boxes from the wrecked vessel had drifted. These were found to contain hard bread and salt beef, enough to last them for several weeks.
With some difficulty they got the valuable articles over the reef, and they were paddling them to land, when they saw Mary, whom they had left upon the beach, beckoning to them with an air of fear and excitement.
"We had better let the provision go," said Harry.
"No!" exclaimed Brand, "I am captain here. The gal has probably got scared at nothing."
"Come, Turk!" said Harry, "if this fellow don't choose to follow us, we will leave him."
So saying, the young man plunged into the water, closely followed by the old tar, greatly to the indignation of Brand, who, clenching his fists, muttered to himself:
"I will be even with them, yet."
Meanwhile the beach now being but twenty yards distant from the raft, Harry and his friend were soon ashore.
"Perhaps I was mistaken," said Mary, as she fled to her lover's side, "but I feel quite certain I saw the head of a savage, protruding over the shrubbery near my bower," pointing as she spoke, towards a clump of bushes about forty yards from the sylvan shelter.
Instantly Harry bounded toward the spot, armed with a stout club picked up from the ground.
Turk was about following, when a thought seemed to strike him. He retraced his step, and, taking from his pocket his bottle of grog, rolled it up in a green breadfruit leaf, and presented it to Mary.
"Here, lass!" said he, "please take charge of this and—" here a suppressed sob escaped the old fellow, "if I never return to claim it, keep it as a testamentary of affection from Tom Turk."
Before the girl could reply, he was off after Harry, who, by this time, was close upon the clump of shrubbery.
The young man looked all around him, but could see neither sign nor trace of a savage.
Concluding the girl's fancy had deceived her, both men returned to assure her that such was the case. Mary, however, looked doubtful.
"It may have been fancy," she said, "but somehow I hardly think it was."
Harry endeavoured to quiet her fears, and was finally successful.
Meanwhile Turk was noticed to behave in a singular manner. He would walk all round the girl, looking at her, now and then, in a significant manner winking first with one eye and then the other.
Annoyed, Harry at length asked him what he wanted.
"Beg pardon, Miss," he stammered "but if you please, that bottle of grog!"
Mary blushed, and thrusting her hand in the pocket of her dress, pulled forth the flask, which she at once presented to the old sailor.
"Thank ye, Miss," said he, "it shall be preserved for your benefit."
So saying he pocketed the flask, and waded off to the raft to help get the box and barrel ashore.
This was soon done.
"We had better stand watch, to-night," said Harry, when the articles were brought to the shelter.
"Wherefore?" queried Brand.
"Because Miss Manton will feel much easier, if we do."
"Oh! very well, you can stand watch if you like, but I don't care to lose my sleep for nothing."
Night soon closed round the party.
Harry took the first watch, while Turk rolled up like a ball, lay cuddled in a corner of the hut.
The storm having now subsided, the sea was almost calm. There was a full moon, but the clouds passing along over the sky, in detached masses, frequently veiled it.
Harry was pacing his beat, not far from the shrubbery in which Mary had fancied she saw the savage, when he suddenly paused, with his ear inclined to one side.
Steps, mingled with the murmur of voices, were audible, apparently approaching the hut!
To waken Turk and Brand was the work of a moment. Both sprang up to hear Harry's explanation.
"We have no arms!" said Brand, "and so we had better be scuddin' off as soon as possible!"
Turk thrust his hand in his pocket, and pulling forth his flask of grog, eyed it wistfully and anxiously.
"Sooner than this should fall in the hands of them savages," he exclaimed, "I had better put it, do you see where by rights it belongs, meanin' the stomach of Tom Turk!"
Up went the bottle, and the old tar seemed about drinking, when it struck him that the liquor might, after all, come in use for Mary, in case they should contrive to make their escape. With a heavy sigh he thrust the bottle back into his pocket.
Meanwhile the steps drew nearer.
Harry waked Mary, and at once escorted her to the raft. Not a moment too soon, for, with a sudden yell, a large party of fierce-looking islanders, tattooed from head to foot, and looming up like demons in the faint radiance of the moon, burst forth from a clump of shrubbery, about fifty yards distant.
Waving war clubs and spears, while their long hair streamed in red, fiery clouds down their backs and shoulders, the wild fellows certainly formed a hideous spectacle!
Before the raft could be unfastened, a shower of spears came whizzing round the heads of the little party.
"Shove off! shove off!" screamed Brand, as he seized the raft-pole to push the floating platform away from the beach.
"Not yet!" cried Mary, noticing that her lover, who had paused to collect the jackets left in the huts, and also a few of the biscuits, was not upon the raft.
In a moment the young man came panting to the beach.
Brand, however, not heeding the girl's exclamation was about shoving off, when Turk caught his arm.
"Avast there, captain! Don't be in too much of a hurry!"
Enraged, the latter glared upon the speaker, but this was no time for quarreling.
Harry now sprang from the raft. At the same moment two of the savages, ahead of their companions, arriving, seized the rope attached to the floating platform, which they endeavored to pull ashore.
To prevent their doing so, Harry stepped to the edge of the raft, and with the pole endeavored to strike them on the head.
One of them seizing the pole, gave it a sudden jerk, thus pulling the young man off into the water!
With a fierce yell, they then pounced upon him, dragging him to the beach!
Feeling that there was not a moment to lose, the young man, by a sudden movement, disengaged himself from their clutches; then, picking up a spear, drove it through the body of one who had lifted his war-club to beat out the sailor's brains!
The other now aimed at Harry's head a furious blow, which must have killed him, had it taken effect.
Not so, however, for old Tom Turk, seeing his friend's peril, had sprang ashore, and picked up another spear, which he thrust through the back of the native!
The scream of the dark-skinned fellow, as, throwing up his arms, he fell backward, rang down the sky with startling distinctness, while his friends, hearing that scream, and eager for vengeance, came dashing on, yelling like a pack of wild hyenas!
With a single bound through the water, Turk and Harry now gained the raft, and were soon helping Brand, who had not even left his place, push the floating platform out to sea.
Luckily there was an outer current tending towards the reef, and which drew the raft rapidly along towards the rocks. This soon was reached, while the baffled yells of the savages continued pealing along the waters.
As the raft was drawn through an opening in the reef, and the party put out to sea, Turk again drew forth his beloved grog, and eyed it wistfully.
"Ay, ay, bless your eyes!" said he, "you are too good to grease the gullets of them blueskins."
"Put up your grog, Turk," said Harry, "we have more important matters to think of."
"Ay, ay," said Brand, gruffly, "we've to think that we may be food for fishes!"
"Do you not believe we can reach the volcanic island, now?" inquired Mary, as she glanced towards the red light, gleaming, far away, along the waters.
"It's hard tellin'," answered Brand. "If there's no heavy sea and we can make head against the southern tendency of the current, we may contrive to reach the island."
With their poles which were not flat enough for paddles, the party made slow progress.
An hour had passed, when, suddenly, Mary pointed far astern towards a long, dark object, apparently shooting out from the shore.
"What is that?"
"A canoe, by ——!" ejaculated Brand. "We may as well give up, now!"
"No!" exclaimed Harry, resolutely. "We will not give up! If I mistake not," he added, pointing towards a dark mass, floating through the air to windward of them, "there is a fog coming up! This will screen us from our pursuers!"
"I am glad of that," said Mary, thankfully.
"I'm not so sure it will screen us!" said Brand, "them savages are cunnin' rascals!"
"Where there's hope," remarked Turk, "there's no use of throwin' clouds over the same."
The fog came fast, and finally thickening around the party, they seemed enclosed in a wall of darkness.
"Hark!" said Harry, suddenly, as the dip of the canoe's paddles were heard. "We must get the raft round, and try another course!"
This, with some difficulty was done, when the clumsy vessel was urged along to the southward.
"Now, then, still as mice!" said Harry.
He was obeyed, those on the raft scarcely breathing.
A moment later something dark, indistinctly seen, was observed gliding along past the raft and within twenty fathoms of it!
It was the canoe!
The weary hours of night wore away.
Poor Mary had slept but little, although Turk and Harry had made her a comfortable couch with their jackets.
Now, as the gray dawn stole upon the waters, the young girl looked round her with a weary sigh.
The fog had cleared, the faint rays of the sun were beginning to tinge the east, but, far and wide, nothing but sky and water were visible.
Sky and water, and nothing aboard the raft—not even a morsel of bread or a drop of fresh water.
Already the girl began to feel the cravings of thirst. With powerful effort, she endeavored to forget that she felt this want, but in vain.
The day wore away, the sun went down, night began to settle upon the waters.
The men strained their eyes vainly for land or sail.
Next morning the sufferings of all from thirst were intense. Brand, pulling forth his bottle of gin, drank deeply, not offering a drop to the rest.
Then Turk presented his grog to Harry.
"Give some to the poor lass!"
Harry did so. She tasted a few drops, but could not be prevailed upon to take more.
Turk looked wistfully at the flask, then thrusting it back, muttered:
"No—no! it must all be saved for that poor little girl, God bless her eyes!"
One—two—three days passed. Still adrift on the wilderness of ocean. No sail—no land—no fresh water.
God help the castaways!
Brand was almost mad. His eyes gleamed like a tiger's—he gnashed his teeth!
Harry, too, was scarcely sane! Turk alone remained cool and careful, although his sufferings were terrible.
And Mary?
Alas! poor girl—the flush on her sunken cheek burned deep and red—her eyes were feverish—her panting breath came thick and fast—she was too weak to sit up.
There was no more liquor in Turk's flask. He had given all—every drop to the young girl.
So there they all were, still drifting along, a burning sun over their heads, the water almost steaming around them.
Gradually a sickly, yellowish mist went over the sun.
Harry watched it a moment, then sprang to his feet, shrieking out:
"Land, oh!"
"Where? where?" queried Brand wildly.
It was pointed out to him, all present saw it now.
There was surely a misty line—a headland, extending away to the south and west.
"God be praised," murmured Mary, faintly; "oh Harry! Harry! we shall get some fresh water now, and some beautiful fruit!"
The poor creature smacked her lips and clapped her hands as the spoke.
How tediously slow were the movements of the raft.
On it went, however, apparently nearing the land every moment.
At length it seemed scarcely a mile distant.
"We will soon be there, now," exclaimed Mary.
Suddenly a wail went up from the raft, a long, mournful wail—a half shriek of astonishment, and bitter disappointment.
The supposed land had suddenly vanished—blown away by a mere puff of air.
Alas! it was nothing but a fog bank!
As the delusive fog was swept away before the breeze, Brand uttered a howl, and throwing himself down, dashed his head against one of the planks of the raft.
"Eat—drink! I must have something! Come, it is time!"
And he drew forth a clasp knife, eyeing Mary at the same moment with a wolfish gleam in the eyes not to be mistaken.
The bare thought seemed to inspire Harry with a rage almost demoniacal.
He threw himself upon the man, wrenching the knife from his grasp, and hurling it into the sea.
Then he caught the captain by the throat, and seemed on the point of hurling him overboard.
Turk, however, interfered.
"That work won't do, lad! You'd be sorry for it when you got over sich feelin's as at present agitates you. Let him alone, sir. We'll all have sufferin' enough yet, I'll warrant ye!"
Thus prevailed upon, not only by the old sailor but by the mingled pleadings of Mary, Harry relaxed his hold of the fellow, who, with a baffled howl, sank down, glaring at the water, as if hoping to see his knife again rise to the surface.
Meanwhile a fresh breeze now came along, wrinkling the water, and falling upon the heated brows and parched lips of the raft's people, inspiring sensations of relief.
Harry took off his outside shirt, and with one of the raft poles, thus formed a sail.
"A queer piece of canvass, sartinly," said Tom Turk, mournfully; "but as there's a to'gallant sail, we may as well have a topsail, do you see?"
So saying, he took off his shirt, which was also put upon the pole.
The impetus thus given to the raft can be hardly credited.
Away it went, rippling the water, at the rate of about three knots.
It was nearly sundown, when Tom Turk suddenly balancing himself upon his toes, was heard singing out:
"Land, oh!"
"Another delusion," bitterly exclaimed Harry, not even attempting to rise from his position by Mary's side.
"I'm sartin, this time!" exclaimed the old sailor; "fog never looks like them black things thereaway," pointing westward.
Harry and Brand were up in a moment, to discover that the old tar had indeed spoken truth.
Far away a number of rocks were seen, protruding from the sea.
"Better no land at all than that," growled Brand, in a disappointed voice. "We'll find no water there."
On went the raft, and in due time the rocks were gained. They were found to be about ten in number, and to rise several feet above the surface of the sea.
Brand was the first to spring ashore. Rushing forward, he was suddenly seen to throw himself down.
Harry and Turk were soon by his side, to perceive that he had found, in a hollow of one of the rocks, a quantity of water, evidently lodged there by a recent waterspout, and prevented from drying up by the shadow from an overhanging cliff.
It seemed as if the captain would never get his fill.
He drank and drank, drawing in the water with a noise like that of a horse at a trough.
At last he rose.
There was a gallon and a half of water still in the rocky basin.
What a contrast now was presented between the conduct of Brand and that of his shipmates. Turk filled his flask with the pure element, and presented it to Harry, who at once passed it to Mary.
"Drink first!" said the poor girl.
Finding, however, that she could not prevail upon him to do so, Mary at length drank her fill.
The effect was magical. Her eyes brightened—the feverish hue seemed to leave her cheek—she breathed a grateful sigh of relief.
At the basin, Turk would not drink until his companion had first done so.
When all had partaken, there was still a quart of water left.
Turk went to the raft, and, procuring his flask, in which there still remained a few drops, he filled it from the hollow, and returning, presented it to Mary.
"This is for you, my lass," said he.
Meanwhile, Brand filled his bottle, holding about twice as much as Turk's.
Neither Harry nor the old seaman said anything; but they exchanged glances, which said plainly:
"When we want water for the girl, we will know where to get it."
Walking about the rocks, Harry suddenly uttered a glad cry.
In some crevices among the rocks, he beheld a number of fat-looking fish.
"It seems as if heaven has sent these especially for our benefit, at the right time," said the young man, joyfully, as Turk came to his side.
The old tar, however, looked sober.
"It is easy enough," said he, "tellin' how them fish came here."
"I don't understand you."
"Well, then, I'll tell you. These rocks, is covered up at high tide. That is how them fish came to be left here!"
"We have our raft," said Harry, joyfully, "so that if the rocks do overflow, we may thus get more fish!"
"Ay, ay, it's all right, so long as the raft holds together," answered Turk, "which I'm mighty afraid, won't be long," pointing at the lashings holding the timbers together.
These lashings were, in fact, much worn; some of them could not long be made use of.
"We must try to fix the raft," said Harry, "I dare say we can contrive it so that we may keep afloat."
From the raft the hungry men soon turned their attention to the fish.
These were cooked with a couple of planks—there were plenty to spare—torn from the raft and split up against the jagged edges of the rocks, some of the fragments to be afterwards cut by Turk's pocketknife, and lighted by matches which, sailor-like, the old tar always carried with him in a small tin box, that they might be kept dry.
Meanwhile, Brand, while taking no part in these preparations, sat like a hungry tiger eyeing the cooked fish.
A portion was given to him; in fact, the whole party made a hearty and palatable meal.
Now, Mary, her wants having been relieved, again spoke of the volcanic island.
"I so wish we could fall in with some sail, which would take us there," said she. "Oh, if I could only see my dear papa!"
Brand shrugged his shoulders.
"Hark!" he suddenly screamed, as the night shadows gathered, "I fancied I heard a gurgling sound!"
Neither of the rest had heard anything.
"P'raps it was the wash of the waves against the rock," said Brand.
Next morning the whole party rose after a slight rest—the men having stood watch—to perceive that the water had risen nearly to the top of the first rock.
"The rock will soon be flooded," remarked Harry.
"Ay, ay, so I'm afraid," said Turk. "We had better try to make the raft stronger."
Unfortunately, the men having no rope with them, succeeded but poorly.
"Truth is," said Turk, aside to his friend, "I wouldn't trust ourselves two days on them planks!"
At this time the party stood upon one of the rocks.
Suddenly Mary pointed down at the water, through which, all around their position, a number of dark-looking fins now were seen, moving hither and thither.
"What are those things?" she inquired.
"Sharks!" answered Harry and Turk, as they simultaneously drew the young girl upon the raft.
The water kept rising higher.
Meanwhile, the sharks swam all round the rocks, and the raft, now and then leaping forth, as if to clutch at the party.
The sight of these ugly-looking creatures, with their long heads, sharp fins, teeth, and dull, bloodshot eyes, inspired Mary with the most disagreeable sensations.
"Come!" said she, "let us leave this fearful place!"
Turk shook his head.
"It is our only salvation, Miss, I'm afraid."
"Not much of a salvation, either," said Brand, pointing down at several of the ferocious creatures, which had begun to gnaw at the lashings of the raft.
Vainly the men endeavored to drive them away; they clung with steady tenacity to the lashings, biting with demon-like intelligence at the rope strands, as if aware that the severing of these would put the party in their power.
Finally the seamen were obliged to get off the raft on the rocks, and draw the planks after them, as the only means of pulling the lashings away from the teeth of the troublesome monsters.
The water, however, kept rising, so that it was necessary to get away as soon as possible.
The men did their best to strengthen the planks, then once more launched their raft, actually driven away by the sharks.
The tendency of the current and the wind now was to the westward.
"At such a rate," said Turk, "shouldn't wonder if we find ourselves, before two days, on the volcanic island."
For this island the party had looked every day, while they were afloat; but, for some reason or other, since the night of their first floating away from the island, they had seen nothing of the smoke or fire of the burning crater.
The seamen had attributed this fact to the murky atmosphere westward, shrouding the island from their view, while the raft had meanwhile been carried further and further from it by the tide.
When night came, after their leaving the rock, the bearings of which they endeavored to keep in mind, they again looked for the light of the volcano. The atmosphere, however, not having yet cleared, they could see no sign of it. Hoping that the current would continue in this direction and carry them to the island, they watched the west, keenly yet vainly for a sign of the shore.
Mary slept little that night. In the morning Harry pointed out to her, far away, the land, evidently that which they were anxious to reach, looming up, the mist having cleared.
That it was the wished-for shore was made evident by a column of smoke, rising up from the summit of one of the lofty island peaks.
"Do you think we will reach it?" the young girl inquired.
"I think so; if the set of the current does not change to the south," answered Harry.
He was right; before night the party were close upon the island shore.
Mary's eyes lighted up with joy. Worn though she was by hardship and suffering, she could yet feel a thrill of eager, pleasant expectation, as she gazed at the beautiful shores of this island.
Scarcely a mile in extent, and not more than half that in breadth, the shores teemed with the most luxuriant vegetation.
There were seen tall cocoanuts waving upon a bright, pebbly beach, rocks covered with flowers and vines, cascades flashing and gleaming as they glittered in the sunlight, and the broad waters of silver streams, gliding along through mossy grounds.
"Beautiful," said Mary, clapping her hands. "Papa! papa! are you there?"
She spoke half plaintively, half joyfully, clasping her hands like a little child.
Brand turned aside his head. Hardened as he was, the voice went straight to his ruffian heart, and he felt at that moment as if he would give worlds had he not committed the fearful crime which, after all, had been perpetrated for nothing.
Meanwhile Turk stood gazing steadily towards one of the island bays.
"If I ain't mistaken," said he, "there's an old wreck of some kind there!"
"Ay, ay," cried Harry; "I see it—the wreck of a schooner, if we may judge by the two stumps of her masts."
It was almost sundown before the raft touched upon the beach.
"We will commence our search for traces of your father," said Harry to Mary, after all had refreshed themselves with luxurious bananas and the remains of their fish, "by visiting that old wreck. If your parent be here, he probably has visited the hulk, and perhaps left some sign of his presence; a pipe, matches or something of that sort."
"Who knows," said Mary, "but he has taken up his quarters there."
"I'm afraid you are too hopeful, lass," said old Tom Turk, "'specially as it was believed by all aboard the Maxwell that the poor old man was drowned after he fell overboard."
"Yes," said Brand, shuddering; "I for one believe he was drowned."
"I will go with you to the wreck," said Mary.
"No," replied Harry, "it will be too much for you."
The young girl, however, insisting, the whole party started for the bay, which they could see from their position.
A short walk brought them to the wreck.
It was a schooner, and as had been supposed, with its two masts broken short off near the deck.
It lay almost upon its beam ends, firmly wedged in between two rocks.
By mounting a small, flat rock near the larboard gunwale, the party easily got aboard. Having done so, they entered the cabin. It was devoid of all articles of furniture, these probably having been taken away by some of the Indian visitors at the island.
A candle, however, with an old piece of a clay pipe, a few nails, and an empty box, were found.
Turk took the candle, and endeavored to light it. This was done with some difficulty, after which the party passed into the hold. Here, saturated with salt water, which had broken in through the bottom of the schooner, were seen several coils of old rope and a few empty barrels.
"All of which," philosophized Turk, "will come in good use, 'specially if we can find some nails."
After a long search, he came upon a bag of rusty nails, lying upon one of the beams.
"With these," said Turk, "we can manage to make a boat, leastways a good raft."
The flickering candle shed lurid light upon the old, creaking beams of the schooner, as the party vainly searched the hold for signs of Mary's father.
"Thought it would be of no use," said Turk; "Poor old man, he was drowned, you may be sartin."
"Oh, papa! papa! would that I could find him!" wailed Mary, mournfully.
Brand shuddered, as he always did, when the girl's father was mentioned.
Seating himself on a detached coil of rigging, with his back turned to the rest of the party, he suddenly fancied he felt a strange, creeping sensation stealing over his body; a feeling, as if a multitude of worms, were crawling up his back.
Instinctively he turned half round, to see his companions, already leaving the hold, passing into the cabin.
Some strange instinct prompted him to turn yet further round, when he beheld a sight which for some moments kept him motionless, unable to utter a word.
In the faint light of the candle, streaming into the hold, he saw a long, lean neck, surmounted by a face as bloodless and apparently almost transparent, with hollow cheeks and protruding eyes, lifted above a barrel at the other side of the hold.
A strange looking face it was; a face of unearthly transparency, apparently quivering like a vapor, while his eyes—those great, staring eyes, were fixed strangely upon the captain.
The latter, as mentioned, could not utter a word. To him the apparition was doubly terrible, as it was that of the man whom he had pushed overboard from the Maxwell.
Yes, there it was, sure enough, the face of the unfortunate passenger, William Manton.
As Brand, like one spell-bound, continued staring at the strange vision, he beheld the lean throat quivering, and heard issuing therefrom a gurgling cry exactly like that on the fatal night.
It was a horrible sound, especially to Brand, who, with one hoarse scream, bounded backward on beholding the apparition suddenly vanish, as if melting away in the air.
At the noise made by Brand, Turk, followed by Harry, rushed back into the hold.
"What is the matter?"
"Nothing," gasped Brand; "nothing at all."
There were big drops of sweat upon his brow, his eyes protruded, while great, purple rings spread around them.
"Nothing," said Turk; "ay, ay, now, but there must be something the matter with ye, Cap. D'ye feel hungry?"
Perceiving that he must make some excuse, Brand puzzled himself trying to think of some plausible one.
"The fact is," said he, "I believe what we've gone through has unstrung my nerves. I thought I felt a snake around my legs, when it was nothing but a coil of rope."
His auditors believed him all the more readily that they had by this time concluded that the man, like most all thoroughly selfish people, was a coward.
In a short time they were out of the schooner, when Brand, who had previously lagged, was now the foremost.
In a short time they reached a level piece of turf about one hundred yards from the wreck.
This they concluded would be a good halting place, at least for the present, and so they commenced the work of erecting shelters.
This was soon done, after which they threw themselves down to rest, Mary, as on the other island, occupying a bower apart from the others.
The young girl slept but little that night. When she did full asleep, her slumber was troubled with disagreeable dreams. The roaring of the volcano whose red gleam could be seen far up through the shrubbery, shooting from one of the island peaks, mingled with her fancies, and seemed the report of countless volleys of musketry.
At morn, after partaking of a frugal breakfast, the party consulted as to their next course.
Turk wanted to commence at once upon his boat, Brand, sullen, glowering and silent, seemed inclined to do nothing, while Mary and Glenville concluded to walk off by themselves to explore the island.
Striking through the shrubbery, the young people soon found themselves at the foot of the peak on which was the volcano.
They could see the smoke and the flashes of fire shooting up, could also feel the ground shake under them, as if the flames were careering beneath their very feet. Watching the volcano awhile, they moved on.
"Let us explore the island thoroughly," said Mary, "we may yet come upon some trace of my parent."
"Why is it, Mary," inquired Harry, "that you seem so confident on this subject?"
"My father," answered the young girl, "was an excellent swimmer. I have heard him say he once swam across the East River, New York, while a boy.
"Then again the captain informed me that, in falling overboard, it was found that my parent had carried away with him a plank, which, from carelessness, had been left hanging loosely over the stern. Now what more likely than that with the help of the plank, and this island but two miles to leeward, he should succeed in reaching it?"
Harry shook his head.
"Of course," said he, "such things have happened, but I have no idea that your father reached the island."
For several hours the two walked over the isle, which they found to be a beautiful place. There were flowers of almost every hue, clear, purling streams, rocks, caverns and cascades, while through the green shrubbery the banana and the breadfruit were visible.
The wanderers, however, came upon no traces of Mr. Manton, and Harry could see that his companion's hopes in this respect were almost extinguished.
Returning to the spot where the shelters were located, they found Turk already at work upon his boat, assisted by Brand.
"You are making good progress," remarked Harry.
"Ay, ay," answered Turk, "there's no chance for laziness, now. The sooner we leave this island the better, accordin' to my notion."
The old tar spoke solemnly.
"Ay," said Captain Brand, "that's my opinion. Hark! did ye hear that?"
A roaring, rumbling sound was heard, right under their feet; the ground trembled violently.
"It is the subterranean fire of that volcano," said Harry. "I hardly think there is much danger."
He said this to quiet the fears of Mary, who turned pale and looked anxious.
"To my notion," said Turk, "it's devils a-lightin' their brimstone right under us, hopin' in that way to catch us. It's plain they're after some one among us, which I may premise by sayin' ain't me nor Harry, nor this young lass."
Brand frowned darkly.
"How know you that I'm not as good as the rest of you," said he.
"Honestly speakin', Cap, I don't think you are," exclaimed the old tar, bluntly.
"I've always led a good life," said Brand, shunning the great blue eyes of Mary.
There was a rumble like thunder under ground, then a report like the discharge of musketry.
"The devils is a-firin' off their muskets to celebrate that lie of yours, Cap," remarked Turk, as he turned to his work.
The party now felt anxious. The noises under ground continued, the island shook, while increased volumes of fire shot up from the volcanic peak.
Harry now assisted Turk in his work on the boat. There had been found that morning in the schooner an old hatchet with which Turk had knocked away a large quantity of timber from the wreck to be conveyed to the spot where he intended erecting his boat.
Working all day, the men made good progress.
Brand worked as hard as the rest. It was not the danger from the volcano alone that urged him on in his efforts, but the continual harassing fear, of again beholding that fearful apparition of his drownded victim.
At night the aspect of the volcano was terrific. There were the lurid flames, apparently shooting to the very skies, while whole showers of sparks were thrown out in fiery flakes that filled all the air, floating along like millions of fireflies over the sea, in the water of which the were reflected.
Meanwhile the shocks became every moment more frequent, the ground shaking as if beneath the tramp of armed horsemen.
Harry had advanced into the thicket a short distance, when he became aware of a hissing sound, as if thousands of serpents were around him.
At the same moment, a broad, bright stream of something flashed up before him, apparently descending towards him with great rapidity.
Now he comprehended that it was a stream of lava, thrown from the volcanic crater, and rushing down the side of the steep cliff.
In fact he had not time to reach the spot where he had left his companions, when it came hissing and rushing into the thicket, which he had just left.
All night a careful watch was kept, the raft with additional timbers secured to it being in readiness for the party to leave at a moment's notice.
Nothing more than the shocks, with the fall of additional lava occurred, however, to disturb the party.
"I doubt if anything serious happens, after all," said Harry.
Turk pointed to a couple of fissures in the side of the cliff.
"That looks bad," said he; "in my opinion, this island goes in less than forty-eight hours."
Good progress was made on the boat this day.
At night watching the volcano, Mary suddenly uttered a wild cry, and pointed up towards an overhanging rock beneath the crater.
"What is it?" was the question.
"I don't know," said Mary, shuddering, "but just now I am certain I saw a form appear, and then suddenly vanish upon that shelf of rock."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Turk looked solemn; Brand turned deadly pale.
"It must have been a spirit," said the old tar; "some imp after you, Cap," he added, looking straight at Brand.
"Ay, a spirit," muttered the captain, his teeth chattering.