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The doctor was away shooting and botanising; but the mate and Walter immediately hurried towards the point; while Alice, who had heard Nub's shouts, dropped her work and quickly followed them. They all looked out eagerly in the direction Dan pointed, where, in the north, just rising above the horizon, was seen the white sail of a vessel, lighted up by the rays of the setting sun.
A hail came from the raft uttered by two voices. "O Mr Shobbrok, that was Nub's voice, and Alice's too! I am sure of it," exclaimed Walter, scarcely able to speak from excitement. He then, lifting up his own voice, shouted in return "Is that you, Alice? Is that you, Nub?" "Yes, yes," answered Nub; "praise Heaven, we all right! Is dat you, Massa Walter?" "Yes," answered Walter. "O Walter!
"Look, I brought dis," he said, producing a piece of rope. "Now I go and slip it ober de head of de iguana; and when I pull him down, you pin him to de ground with your spears." The doctor and Walter agreed to follow Nub's advice, and cautiously approached the sleeping brachylophus, as the doctor called the creature.
I have only to eat enough to keep body and soul togeder; and you have not been accustomed to hardships as I have since I can remember; so you see dat it's right I should give you more dan I take myself." Alice did not quite understand Nub's reasoning, but she felt very hungry, and was thankful to obtain the food. "Now, Missie Alice, I am not going to eat any more of de biscuits," said Nub.
For their sakes, I wish that we could go back." "Dat we can't do, Missie Alice; for, if I try eber so hard, I not pull against such a gale as dis," answered Nub. Alice was silent; she saw that Nub's reason was a true one. Though she had assured him that she was not frightened, she felt very anxious and alarmed about her own fate and his.
We no want to pop into de middle of a village; if we do, de women begin to shriek, and de babies cry out, and tink dat white debils come among dem, and den de men come out and kill us." The doctor agreed to Nub's proposal, and they proceeded more cautiously than before. Walter pulled away at every young tree they met, and at last he found one which the doctor thought would suit their purpose.
They did not fail, as may be supposed, to keep a bright lookout for any passing sail; but none appeared. With nearly four dozen fine large fish, they returned to the harbour. Nub's eyes glistened, as he came down to assist in hauling up the boat, on seeing the number of fish. "No fear now of starving, I tink," he observed. "I neber thought we get so much as dat.
"When she sees you, if you succeed in reaching her, she will surely fly away." "No, Massa Walter," said Nub, "she not do dat, for de hole is shut up with clay, and she only got room to poke her head out." Nub's plan was to form a ladder up the tree with the bamboos they had seen.
He had thought the loss of the sail a great misfortune, but for the last two days it would have been of no use except to afford some shelter to Alice; and perhaps, like other things which people at first look on as misfortunes, the loss might prove ultimately advantageous. With Nub's assistance Alice could move about a little on the raft, to prevent her limbs from becoming benumbed.
It took some time to fit the rigging to it; and as it was formed of creeping vines, the mate acknowledged that it had not a very ship-shape appearance. It was set up on the highest part of the point, and a flag manufactured with the mate and Nub's red handkerchiefs and the linings of the jackets of all the party.
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