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TheyallgavemeagreatgreetingasIclamberedoffmyhalfoftheshipontotheirs.
Bumpobroughtmeawonderfuldrinkoffreshwaterwhichhedrewfromabarrel;andChee-CheeandPolynesiastoodaroundmefeedingmeship'sbiscuit.
ButitwasthesightoftheDoctor'ssmilingface—justknowingthatIwaswithhimonceagain—thatcheeredmemorethananythingelse.
AsIwatchedhimcarefullywipehisglassrazorandputitawayforfutureuse,IcouldnothelpcomparinghiminmymindwiththeStormyPetrel.
Indeedthevaststrangeknowledgewhichhehadgainedfromhisspeechandfriendshipwithanimalshadbroughthimthepowertodothingswhichnootherhumanbeingwoulddaretotry.
Likethepetrel,hecouldapparentlyplaywiththeseainallhermoods.
Itwasnowonderthatmanyoftheignorantsavagepeoplesamongwhomhepassedinhisvoyagesmadestatuesofhimshowinghimashalfafish,halfabird,andhalfaman.
Andridiculousthoughitwas,IcouldquiteunderstandwhatMirandameantwhenshesaidshefirmlybelievedthathecouldneverdie.
Justtobewithhimgaveyouawonderfulfeelingofcomfortandsafety.
Exceptforhisappearance(hisclotheswerecrumpledanddampandhisbatteredhighhatwasstainedwithsaltwater)thatstormwhichhadsoterrifiedmehaddisturbedhimnomorethangettingstuckonthemud-bankinPuddlebyRiver.
PolitelythankingMirandaforgettingmesoquickly,heaskedherifshewouldnowgoaheadofusandshowusthewaytoSpidermonkeyIsland.
Next,hegaveorderstotheporpoisestoleavemyoldpieceoftheshipandpushthebiggerhalfwherevertheBird-of-Paradiseshouldleadus.
HowmuchhehadlostinthewreckbesideshisrazorIdidnotknow—everything,mostlikely,togetherwithallthemoneyhehadsaveduptobuytheshipwith.
Andstillhewassmilingasthoughhewantedfornothingintheworld.
Theonlythingshehadsaved,asfarasIcouldsee—beyondthebarrelofwaterandbagofbiscuit—werehispreciousnote-books.
These,Isawwhenhestoodup,hehadstrappedaroundhiswaistwithyardsandyardsoftwine.
Hewas,asoldMatthewMuggusedtosay,agreatman.Hewasunbelievable.
Andnowforthreedayswecontinuedourjourneyslowlybutsteadily—southward.
Theonlyinconveniencewesufferedfromwasthecold.
Thisseemedtoincreaseaswewentforward.
TheDoctorsaidthattheisland,disturbedfromitsusualpathsbythegreatgale,hadevidentlydriftedfurtherSouththanithadeverbeenbefore.
OnthethirdnightpoorMirandacamebacktousnearlyfrozen.
ShetoldtheDoctorthatinthemorningwewouldfindtheislandquiteclosetous,thoughwecouldn'tseeitnowasitwasamistydarknight.
Shesaidthatshemusthurrybackatoncetoawarmerclimate;andthatshewouldvisittheDoctorinPuddlebynextAugustasusual.
"Don'tforget,Miranda,"saidJohnDolittle,"ifyoushouldhearanythingofwhathappenedtoLongArrow,togetwordtome."
TheBird-of-Paradiseassuredhimshewould.AndaftertheDoctorhadthankedheragainandagainforallthatshehaddoneforus,shewishedusgoodluckanddisappearedintothenight.
Wewereallawakeearlyinthemorning,longbeforeitwaslight,waitingforourfirstglimpseofthecountrywehadcomesofartosee.
Andastherisingsunturnedtheeasternskytogray,ofcourseitwasoldPolynesiawhofirstshoutedthatshecouldseepalm-treesandmountaintops.
Withthegrowinglightitbecameplaintoallofus:alongislandwithhighrockymountainsinthemiddle—andsoneartousthatyoucouldalmostthrowyourhatupontheshore.
Theporpoisesgaveusonelastpushandourstrange-lookingcraftbumpedgentlyonalowbeach.
Then,thankingourluckystarsforachancetostretchourcrampedlegs,weallbundledoffontotheland—thefirstland,eventhoughitwasfloatingland,thatwehadtroddenforsixweeks.
WhatathrillIfeltasIrealizedthatSpidermonkeyIsland,thelittlespotintheatlaswhichmypencilhadtouched,layatlastbeneathmyfeet!
Whenthelightincreasedstillfurtherwenoticedthatthepalmsandgrassesoftheislandseemedwitheredandalmostdead.
TheDoctorsaidthatitmustbeonaccountofthecoldthattheislandwasnowsufferingfrominitsnewclimate.
Thesetreesandgrasses,hetoldus,werethekindthatbelongedtowarm,tropicalweather.
Theporpoisesaskedifwewantedthemanyfurther.
AndtheDoctorsaidthathedidn'tthinkso,notforthepresent—northerafteither,headded;foritwasalreadybeginningtofalltopiecesandcouldnotfloatmuchlonger.
Aswewerepreparingtogoinlandandexploretheisland,wesuddenlynoticedawholebandofRedIndianswatchinguswithgreatcuriosityfromamongthetrees.
TheDoctorwentforwardtotalktothem.Buthecouldnotmakethemunderstand.
Hetriedbysignstoshowthemthathehadcomeonafriendlyvisit.
TheIndiansdidn'tseemtolikeushowever.
Theyhadbowsandarrowsandlonghuntingspears,withstonepoints,intheirhands;andtheymadesignsbacktotheDoctortotellhimthatifhecameastepnearertheywouldkillusall.
Theyevidentlywantedustoleavetheislandatonce.Itwasaveryuncomfortablesituation.
AtlasttheDoctormadethemunderstandthatheonlywantedtoseetheislandalloverandthatthenhewouldgoaway—thoughhowhemeanttodoit,withnoboattosailin,wasmorethanIcouldimagine.
WhiletheyweretalkingamongthemselvesanotherIndianarrived—apparentlywithamessagethattheywerewantedinsomeotherpartoftheisland.
Becausepresently,shakingtheirspearsthreateninglyatus,theywentoffwiththenewcomer.
"Whatdiscourteouspagans!"saidBumpo."Didyoueverseesuchinhospitability?—Neverevenaskedusifwe'dhadbreakfast,thebenightedbounders!"
"Sh!They'regoingofftotheirvillage,"saidPolynesia.
"I'llbetthere'savillageontheothersideofthosemountains.
Ifyoutakemyadvice,Doctor,you'llgetawayfromthisbeachwhiletheirbacksareturned.
Letusgoupintothehigherlandforthepresent—someplacewheretheywon'tknowwhereweare.
Theymaygrowfriendlierwhentheyseewemeannoharm.
Theyhavehonest,openfacesandlooklikeadecentcrowdtome.
They'rejustignorant—probablyneversawwhitefolksbefore."
So,feelingalittlebitdiscouragedbyourfirstreception,wemovedofftowardsthemountainsinthecentreoftheisland.
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