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Read Ebook: White Fire by Oxenham John Manton G Grenville George Grenville Illustrator
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Ebook has 384 lines and 18454 words, and 8 pages
The arm of the hill which ran down into the water hid the seaward view on that side. As Cathie spoke, a trim black vessel, with a thin trail of smoke at its cream-coloured funnel, came silently round the point.
They all jumped up at so unusual a sight and stood watching eagerly.
"Service ship," said Cathie. "What on earth is she doing here?"
At sight of the two ships in the lagoon the stranger slowed down, and then her syren pealed shrilly across the water.
"Now, lads, show the navy men how you can row," was the captain's order, and in two minutes the white boat was bounding towards the opening in the reef. It leaped the rollers and presently drew in to the rows of bronzed faces which lined the side of the ship and looked on approvingly.
"This is Kapaa'a, I presume?" asked a tall man in a heavily-braided cap.
"This is Kapaa'a," said Blair.
"And is this Mr. Blair?"
"I am Kenneth Blair. This is Captain Cathie."
"Come on board, gentlemen." A ladder dropped over the side, and they swung up to the deck.
"Can we get inside there, captain?" asked the tall man. "And is there anchorage? I don't much like the look of the weather and the barometer is unusually low."
"Yes, sir, it's going to blow, or I'm much mistaken. You can get in all right. There's no bottom to that hole in the reef. But whether you'll be better inside or outside, if it blows hard, I wouldn't like to say. I've kedged both the schooners there, and I think they'll ride it out."
"And there's plenty of water and good holding?"
"Plenty water to within a couple of hundred yards of the shore. The shelf breaks there. Holding's fair. You'd better kedge same as we've done."
"Perhaps you'll con her in for us to what you consider a good position. We shall be here for some time, and it'll be pleasanter inside. You'll excuse me, Mr. Blair, for the moment. We'll have plenty of time to talk when we get ashore," and he went up on to the bridge with Cathie, and the big ship headed for the reef. She went weltering through the passage with the big rollers roaring at her stern, and crept up under lee of the southern ridge. Then the anchor went down with a plunge, and the boats dropped lightly into the water to carry the kedges and cables to the rocks.
Presently the two captains came down from the bridge and approached him.
"You will permit me to offer you such hospitality as the island affords, captain?" said Blair.
The other seemed to hesitate for a moment, then he replied, "Thank you, Mr. Blair, I shall have to be ashore part of the time so I will avail myself of your offer. I will accompany you in five minutes. Can I offer you any refreshment--a glass of wine?" and on their declining this he disappeared below.
He was up again inside the five minutes, and with a word or two to his senior lieutenant, descended the ladder into the whale-boat.
"Your crew does you credit, captain," he said to Cathie, as the proximity of the uniform braced every man of them to his best.
"Picked men, every one of them, sir, and good men all," said Cathie proudly, and every man felt himself a good inch taller.
The dull red glow had faded off the hills and out of the sky. The water of the lagoon was the colour of lead, with a sullen heave in it. The jets of foam on the reef looked like the fangs of wolves against the dark sky beyond. There were cold whispers in the air, and the palm-trees on shore shivered audibly. The white mission-houses and buildings gleamed chill white against the dark hill, but yet gave a touch of comfort and civilisation to the scene.
The crowding natives were greatly impressed by the sight of Captain Pym. Ha'o underwent the process of presentation with extreme dignity, and then Blair led the captain to his house.
"Why--Mr. Pym!" cried Aunt Jannet, who was nearest the steps and so met him first. "It is good of you just to drop in on us in this way," and she shook his hand with a warmth that almost succeeded in infusing the like into his response.
"Yes, I've come over six thousand miles to call on you, Mrs. Harvey. And how are you, Mrs. Blair? Still suffering exile with equanimity?"
"No exile, no suffering, Captain Pym," said Jean brightly. "We are all enjoying ourselves extremely, I assure you."
"Well, I suppose one can bring one's mind to anything."
"If it's the right kind of mind, you can," said Aunt Jannet heartily.
There was just a touch of implication in her tone and manner that some folks were not the happy possessors of that kind of mind. Captain Pym stiffened back into officiality somewhat.
"And you really experience no longings for London again, Mrs. Blair?" he asked, metaphorically turning his back on Aunt Jannet, who magnanimously went inside to see after supper.
"Not the very slightest."
"Marvellous!"
"You see I have here what I had not in London You shall see my boy in the morning. He's the finest little fellow in the world."
"Ah! ... I suppose that fills many a want."
"He fills our hearts so that there is no room for wants. Are you making a long stay?"
"That depends. A few days, at all events."
"We shall have heaps of things to show you. All our work here, and there's a wonderful valley down there with great stone gods that date back to about the time of the flood. Some ancient race that used to live here, they say. We will have a picnic there."
"If I have time I shall enjoy it."
In due course the time came, but Captain Pym enjoyed it less than he had anticipated.
"Now, good people, supper's ready, and you'll all catch your deaths if you sit out there any longer," called Aunt Jannet from the doorway. "We have been stewing with the heat all day," she added to Captain Pym, "and now it's gone to the other extreme. I think you must have brought a cold wind with you, captain."
"We haven't had a breath all day. It looks like a spell of dirty weather," said the captain.
The wind was coming off the sea in cold gusts. A weary half moon was bucketting through a rout of ragged clouds, which sped on over the mountains as if in haste to hide themselves from some unseen pursuer. In the gaps of the hurrying clouds the moon and a few stars shone wanly, and in their dim, ineffective light, the water of the lagoon tossed brokenly like a pan of boiling lead. The flying rags of cloud came from the dark bank in the west into which the sun had dropped. It was spreading upwards. The roar of the reef sounded harsher than usual and full of threatening. There was a strange uncanny look and feeling abroad.
"You'll have some supper first, captain?" said Aunt Jannet.
"Oh, yes, I'll make sure of some supper. If it's to be a fight I can fight better on a full stomach than an empty one."
So they went inside, and found it pleasant to close the door, which was a very unusual thing with them.
Captain Pym's manner during supper was still somewhat stiff and formal; but he unbent enough to give them the latest astonishing news of the outside world, the lack of which was the one thing they felt somewhat at times. But it was only when the pipes were alight afterwards that he disclosed himself.
"You are wondering, no doubt, what brings me here, Mr. Blair," he said.
"Well--yes, somewhat. You are the first visitor we have had."
"Not quite. And it is because of those others that I am here."
Blair looked at him in surprise. Captain Cathie nodded understandingly, as though in confirmation of his own thoughts.
"Certain complaints have been made to the Government concerning some of your doings here, and they have sent me to look into the matter."
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