Two Sailor Lads by Gordon Stables

It soon became evident that the supply of petroleum oil saved from the brig would run short, but here again Quambo came to the rescue. He and Cassia-bud collected an immense heap of ripe cocoa-nuts, and every day for weeks were busy doing something or other to them. I think they wished them to decay. At all events at the end of that time they set to pounding them up by degrees, and gradually extracted from the mess quite a large quantity of clear and beautiful oil. This in a less warm country would have been solid. The lamps in which the oil was burned were simply cocoa-nut shells cut down. A little water was put in first, then the oil over this, and wicks of pith floated on top by inserting them in disks of wood. So the difficulty of light was got over. And this was certainly something to be thankful for, because the sun set every night soon after six o'clock, and to have had to sit for long hours in the dark before turning in, would have been anything but pleasant.

Besides they had books now, and Fred and Frank took it in turns to read to the others every night.

Sunday was kept as a complete Sabbath, or day of rest, and prayers were said and the Bible read, and long walks taken in the woods or along the rocks.

Fred and Frank could not help marvelling at the wonderful tameness of the sea-birds as they sat on their nests. Even the frigate-bird, for example, on its one big white egg, looked like Patience on a monument, and was not averse to being handled.

I must tell you something about Cassia-bud's pets. First and foremost he one day found a strange wee bird, that had in some way or other tumbled out of its nest. He brought it home, nursed it and fed it regularly day and night, but allowed it as much freedom as it cared for.

It grew so tame that it followed the boy wherever he went, and was as often perched on his shoulder or head as anywhere else. It had a low, long, plaintive cry too, but this was reserved for Cassia-bud's especial delectation, or for Bob's. The bird, if not on the top of Cassia-bud, or not eating its food, one would be sure to find on Hurricane Bob's back. Perhaps his long hair kept its toes comfortable, then the dog's coat glittered so that the bird often pretended it was water, and went through all the motions of bathing in it.

This pet of Cassia-bud's was pure white, with two long trailing tail feathers of charming crimson. A robber-crab was another strange pet the boy had. How he had managed to tame this droll and uncouth-looking monster I cannot say. He fed him regularly with cocoa-nut, perhaps that was the secret. The crab was at least two feet in length, and lived in the hollow root of a tree, always coming out, however, when the boy called him.

Now in early spring, that is, between September and October, the turtles used to come on shore at some parts of the coast to lay their eggs. It was very curious to watch them. They were exceedingly shy, and usually chose a moonlight night for their work. So having now no fear of kelpies or other apparitions, our heroes, accompanied by Cassia-bud, used to go to a distant part of the beach and lie in wait for the turtles. By-and-by a great beast would be seen waddling slowly and cautiously towards the scrub.

After listening, apparently to make sure no one is looking, she quietly digs a deep hole about a yard in width. Then presently the eggs are laid, probably a hundred or two, and one by one taken by the flipper, as if it were a hand, and gently placed side by side in the hole. In about an hour's time the business is finished, Then the eggs are covered with sand, and carefully patted down. Her wonderful wisdom is shown by the tact that she even tries to conceal the place by snapping down twigs and leaves and covering it up. She then waddles off towards the sea again. Now would have been the time for Fred and Frank to have rushed out and tried their hands at turtle-turning. But it seemed the height of cruelty at such a time. Besides, it would have taken them a long time indeed to have eaten a turtle.

But the eggs were very delicious. Pure white they are and round. They have no shell, only a skin, and in size are about four inches to five inches round.

Our castaways soon discovered a plan for supplying themselves with plenty of young turtle. They simply took the very wee ones, after they were hatched, and kept them in a natural sea-water reservoir near the reef, feeding them on different kinds of weeds. They could in this way have stewed turtle for dinner any day, just as in our country we have fowls.

Well, one day among the rocks, while gathering algae to feed the juvenile turtles, Cassia-bud noticed Bob coming wading out of the water with some huge brown thing. It was a turtle of small size, and probably not very old. Bob held it by the flipper. When he attempted, however, to put it down he found that this was impossible. The turtle had seized him by the collar, and held fast on to it.

Bob looked very serious over it. His catching the turtle was all very well and very clever he thought, but to be caught by the turtle in turn was turning the table with a vengeance. He had caught a Tartar. He shook himself again and again, but all in vain. Then he walked straight up to Cassia-bud.

"Look here, Kashie," said the dog, talking with his eyes and his tail, "here is a pretty piece of business! I don't want to wear this beast dangling on my breast all my life night and day. Can't you choke him off?"

Cassia-bud couldn't choke him off, however, but he unloosed the dog's collar; and Bob carried collar, turtle, and all home in his mouth. Strange to say, the beast became as great a pet with the nigger-boy as either the bird or the robber-crab. Nor was the turtle a bit particular as to what he ate, so long as he could swallow it.

The difficulties to be encountered in building a vessel of any size, that should be at all seaworthy, seemed at the first blush almost insurmountable. It was long talked about before anything was done.