whole of its valuable cargo is at our disposal. Suppose we decide to stay patiently here for the present--until, at least, we have brought on shore everything we possibly can?'`I agree with you to a certain extent, dear husband,' replied she, `but you do not know how dreadfully the heat among the rocks tries me. It is almost intolerable to us who remain here all day while you and Fritz are away out at sea, or wandering among the shady woods, where cool fruits refresh, and fair scenes delight you.
`As to the contents of the ship, an immense deal has been cast ashore, and I would much rather give up all the remainder, and be spared the painful anxiety it gives me when you even talk of venturing again on the faithless deep.'
`Well, I must admit that there is much right on your side,' I continued; `suppose we were to remove to your chosen abode, and make this rocky fastness our magazine and place of retreat in case of danger. I could easily render it still more secure, by blasting portions of the rock with gunpowder. But a bridge must be constructed in the first place, to enable us to cross bag and baggage.'
`Oh, I shall be parched to death before we can leave this place, if a bridge has to be made,' cried my wife impatiently. `Why not just take our things on our backs and wade across as we have done already? The cow and the donkey could carry a great deal.'
`That they will have to do, in whatever fashion we make the move,' said I; `but bags and baskets we must have, to put things in, and if you will turn your attention to providing those, I will set about the bridge at once. It will be wanted not once, but continually; the stream will probably swell and be impassable at times, and even as it is, an accident might happen.'
`Well, well!' cried my wife, `I submit to your opinion; only pray set about it without delay, for I long to be off. It is an excellent idea
to make a strong place among the cliffs here; the gunpowder especially, I shall be delighted to see stored here when we go away, for it is frightfully dangerous to keep so much as we have close to our habitation.'
`Gunpowder is indeed the most dangerous and at the same time the most useful thing we have,' said I, `and for both these reasons we must be especially careful of it. In time I will hollow out a place in the rock where we can store it safe from either fire or damp.'
By this morning's consultation we had settled the weighty question of our change of abode, and also chalked out work for the day. When the children heard of the proposed move their joy was boundless; they began at once to talk of it as our `journey to the Promised Land', and only regretted that time must be `wasted', as they said, in bridge-building before it could be undertaken.
Everyone being impatient for breakfast that work might be begun at once, the cow and goats were milked, and, having enjoyed a comfortable meal of biscuit boiled in milk, I prepared to start for the wreck, in order to obtain planks for the proposed bridge.
Ernest as well as Fritz accompanied me, and we were soon within the influence of the current, and were carried swiftly out to sea. Fritz was steering, and we had no sooner passed beyond the islet at the entrance of the bay, so as to come in sight of its seaward beach, than we were astonished to see a countless multitude of sea-birds, gulls and others, which rose like a cloud into the air, disturbed by our approach, and deafened us by their wild and screaming cries.
Fritz caught up his gun, and would have sent a shot among them had I permitted it. I was very curious to find out what could be the great attraction for all this swarm of feathered fowl; and, availing myself of a fresh breeze from the sea, I set the sail and directed our course towards the island.
The swelling sail and flying pennant charmed Ernest, while Fritz bent his keen eyes eagerly towards the sandy shore, where the flocks of birds were again settling.
Presently he shouted, `Aha, now I see what they are after! They have got a huge monster of a fish there, and a proper feast they are making! Let's have a nearer look at it, father!'
We could not take our boat very close in, but we managed to effect a landing at a short distance from the festive scene; and, securing the raft by casting a rope round a large stone, we cautiously drew near the object of interest.
It proved to be a monstrous fish, on whose flesh these multitudes of birds were ravenously feeding; and it was extraordinary to watch the ferocity, the envy, the gluttony, and all manner of evil passions, exhibited among the guests at this banquet.
25
`There was nothing on this sandy beach when we passed yesterday, I am certain, father,' said Fritz. `It seems strange to see this crea-
ture stranded here.'
`Why, Fritz!' cried Ernest, `it must be the shark! Your shark, you know! I believe I can see where you hit him in the head.'
`You are right, I do believe, Ernest,' said I, `though I think your imagination only can distinguish the gunshot wounds among all the pecking and tearing of the voracious birds there. Just look, boys, at those terrific jaws, beneath the strangely projecting snout. See the rows upon rows of murderous teeth, and thank God we were delivered from them! Let us try if we can induce these greedy birds to spare us a bit of the shark's skin; it is extremely rough, and when dry may be used like a file.'
Ernest drew the ramrod from his gun, and charged so manfully into the crowd, that striking right and left he speedily killed several, whilst most of the others took to flight. Fritz detached some broad strips of skin with his knife, and we returned towards the boat.
Perceiving with satisfaction that the shore was strewn with just the sort of boards and planks I wanted, I lost no time in collecting them; and, forming a raft to tow after us, we were in a short time able to direct our course homeward, without visiting the wreck at all.
As we sailed along, extremely well pleased with our good fortune, Fritz, by my direction, nailed part of the shark's skin flat on boards to dry in the sun and the rest on the rounded mast.
`Will that be a good idea, father?' inquired he, `it will be quite bent and crooked when it hardens.'
`That is just what I want it to be,' said I, `we may happen to find it useful in that form as well as flat. It would be beautiful shagreen*
with which we could smooth and polish wood.'
* Rough leather used like sandpaper
`I thought,' remarked Ernest, `that shagreen was made from asses' hides.'
`And you thought rightly,' said I. `The best shagreen is prepared in Turkey, Persia, and Tartary, from the skins of horses and asses. In these skins, the roughness is produced artificially; while the skin is newly flayed and still soft, hard grains of corn are spread on the under surface, and pressed into it as it dries. These grains are afterward removed, and the roughness imparted to the appearance of the skin remains indelibly; shagreen is useful in polishing joiners' work, and it is made in France from the rough skin of a hideous creature called the angel-fish.'
`Angel-fish!' exclaimed Fritz; `what a name to give to anything "hideous," father!'
`There are bad angels as well as good ones,' observed Ernest, in his dry, quiet way; `it is better to leave people to see for themselves which is meant.'
By this time we were close in shore; and, lowering the sail, we soon had our craft with the raft in tow, safely moored to the bank. No one was in sight, not a sound to be heard, so with united voice we gave a loud cheery halloo, which after a while was answered
in shrill tones, and my wife with her two boys came running from behind the high rocks between us and the stream, each carrying a
