I lost not an instant, but saddled Swift, late as it was, in order to ride to the assistance of our boys, desiring Ernest to prepare the small cart and follow me with his mother at daybreak, bringing everything we should require for camping out for some days.
The bright moonlight favored my journey, and my arrival at the Gap surprised and delighted the boys, who did not expect me till the next day. Early on the following morning I inspected the footprints and ravages of the great unknown. The canebrake had, without doubt, been visited by an elephant. That great animal alone could have left such traces and committed such fearful ravages.
Thick posts in the barricade were snapped across like reeds. The trees in the vicinity, where we planned to build a cool summer house, were stripped of leaves and branches to a great height, but the worst mischief was done among the young sugar-cane plants, which were all either devoured or trampled down and destroyed.
It seemed to me that not one elephant but a herd must have invaded our grounds. The tracks were very numerous, and the footprints of various sizes; but, to my satisfaction, I saw that they could be traced not only from the Gap, but back to it in evidently equal numbers.
We did not, therefore, suppose that the mighty animals remained hidden in the woods of our territory; but concluded that, after this freebooting incursion, they had withdrawn to their native wilds, where, by greatly increasing the strength of our ramparts, we hoped henceforth to oblige them to remain.
In what manner to effect this we laid many plans during the night of my arrival, when, sitting by an enormous watch fire, I chatted with my boys and heard details of their numerous adventures, so interesting for them to relate, and for me to hear, that everyone was more disposed to act sentinel than retire to sleep.
The mother and Ernest arrived next day, and she rejoiced to find all well, making light of trodden fields and trampled sugar canes, since her sons were sound in life and limb.
A systematic scheme of defense was now elaborated, and the erection of the barricade occupied us for at least a month, as it was to be a firm and durable building, proof against all invasion. As our little tent was unsuited to a long residence of this sort, I adopted Fritz’s idea of a Kamchatkan dwelling and, to his great delight, forthwith carried it out.
Instead of planting four posts, on which to place a platform, we chose four trees of equal size, which, in a very suitable place, grew exactly in a square, twelve or fourteen feet apart. Between these, at about twenty feet from the ground, we laid a flooring of beams and bamboo, smoothly and strongly planked. From this rose, on all four sides, walls of cane. The frame of the roof was covered so effectually by large pieces of bark that no rain could penetrate.
The staircase to this tree-cottage was simply a board plank with bars nailed across it for steps. The flooring projected like a balcony in front of the entrance door, and underneath, on the ground, we fitted up sheds for cattle and fowls.
I was pleased to find that the various birds taken by the boys during this excursion seemed likely to thrive. They were the first inmates of the new sheds, and even the black swans soon became tame and sociable.
Constantly roaming through the woods, the children often made discoveries.
One day, after an excursion to the opposite side of the stream beyond the Gap, Fritz made his appearance, coming swiftly downstream. His brothers rushed to meet him, each eager to see and help to land his cargo.
Ernest and Franz were running up the bank, with arms full of plants, branches, and fruits when Fritz handed to Jack a dripping-wet bag which he had brought along partly underwater. A curious pattering noise proceeded from this bag, but they kept the contents a secret for the present, Jack running with it behind a bush before peeping in, and I could just hear him exclaim:
“Hullo, I say, what monsters they are! It’s enough to make a fellow’s flesh creep to look at them!”
With that he hastily shut up the bag and put it away safely out of sight in water.
During the absence of the adventurer we had been busily engaged in making preparations for our departure—and everything was packed up and ready by the morning after his return.
Our land journey was effected without accident or adventure of any kind.
Jack, mounted as usual on Hurricane, the ostrich, carried the mysterious wet bag very carefully slung at his side, and when near home started off at a prodigious rate in advance of us.
He let fall the drawbridge, and we saw no more of him until, on reaching Rockburg, he appeared leisurely returning from the swamp, where apparently he had gone to deposit his “moist secret,” as Franz called it.
We were all glad to take up our quarters once more in our large and convenient dwelling, and my first business was to provide for the great number of birds we now had on our hands, by establishing them in suitable localities, it being impossible to maintain them all in the poultry yard. Some were, therefore, taken to the islands; and the black swans soon became perfectly at home in the swamp, greatly adding to the interest of the neighborhood of Safety Bay.
Toward evening, as we sat in the veranda listening to Fritz’s account of his trip round the Cape, an extraordinary hollow, roaring noise sounded from the swamp not unlike the angry bellowing of a bull.
The dogs barked, and the family rose in excitement. But I remarked a look of quiet humor in Fritz’s eye, as he stood leaning against one of the veranda pillars, watching Jack, who, in some confusion, started off toward the marsh.
“Come back, you silly boy!” cried his mother. “The child has not so much as a pistol, and is rushing off alone to face he knows not what!”
“Perhaps,” said I, looking at Fritz, “this is not a case requiring the use of firearms. It may be only the booming of a bittern which we hear.”
“You need not be uneasy, mother,n said Fritz. “Jack knows what he is about. Only this charming serenade took him by surprise, and I fancy he will have to exhibit his treasures before they reach perfection. Yes, here he comes!”
Lugging his “moist secret” along with him, Jack, flushed and breathless, came up to us, exclaiming:
“They were to grow as big as rabbits before you saw them! Such a shame! I never thought they would kick up a row like that. Now for it!”—and he turned out the bag. “This is ‘Grace,’ and this is ‘Beauty.’”
Two immense frogs rolled clumsily on the ground. Recovering their feet, they sat squat before us, swelling and puffing with a ludicrous air of insulted dignity, while peals of laughter greeted them on all sides.
“Ladies and Gentleman, these are two very handsome young specimens of the famous African bullfrog,” said Jack, pretending to be offended at the mingled disgust and amusement occasioned by their appearance. “They are but half grown, and I hoped to maintain them in seclusion until they reached full size, when I would have introduced them with proper éclat. But since their talent for music has brought them precociously into public notice, I must beg for your kind and indulgent patronage, and—leave to take them back to the swamp!”
Great clapping of hands followed Jack’s speech.
Grace and Beauty were examined, and commented on with much interest, and voted decidedly handsome “in their way.”
Their general color was greenish brown, mottled and spotted with reddish brown and yellow; the sides green and black; the underpart yellow, mottled with orange. The eyes were positively beautiful, of a rich chestnut hue, covered with golden-white dots, which shone with a metallic luster. The skin of the body was puckered into longitudinal folds.
By general consent they were remanded to the swamp.
Shortly after our return to Rockburg, my wife drew my attention to the somewhat neglected state of our dear old summer residence at Falconhurst, begging me to devote some time to its restoration and embellishment.
This I most willingly undertook, and we removed thither as soon as the boys had completed the arrangement of an artificial salt lick to their satisfaction.
At Falconhurst things were quickly in good order, and we made a great improvement by completing the broad terrace supported on the arching roots of the trees—it was better floored—and rustic pillars and trelliswork sustained a bark roof which afforded a pleasant shade.
After this was done, I was compelled to consent to a plan long cherished by Fritz, who wished to construct a watchtower and mount a gun on Shark Island. After great exertion, both mental and bodily this piece of military engineering was completed. Then at flagstaff was erected, on which the guard at this outpost could run up a white flag to signal the approach of anything harmless from the sea, while a red flag would be shown on the least appearance of danger.
To celebrate the completion of this great work, which occupied us during two months, we hoisted the white flag and fired a salute of six guns.
