Page:The crater; or, Vulcan's peak.djvu/208

THE CRATER; been relieved by the Divine mercy, remained indelibly im pressed on his heart, and influenced his future life to a degree that increased the favour a thousand-fold. The mode of proceeding was next discussed, in the course of doing which Mark communicated to Bob, some what in detail, the circumstance of the recent convulsion, and the changes which it had produced. After talking the matter over, both agreed it would be every way desirable to bring the whole party, and as much of the property as could be easily moved, up to windward at once. Now, that the natives knew of the existence of Rancocus Island, their visits might be often expected, and nothing was more uncertain than their policy and friendship. Once on Ran cocus Island the Peak could be seen, and from the Peak the Reef was visible. In this way, then, there was every reason to believe that the existence of their little colony would soon become known, and the property they possessed the object of cupidity and violence. Against such conse quences it would be necessary to guard with the strictest care, and the first step should be to get everything of value up to windward, with the least possible delay. The na tives often went a long distance, in their canoes and on their rafts, with the wind abeam, but it was not often they undertook to go directly to windward. Then the activity of the volcano might be counted on as something in favour of the colonists, since those uninstructed children of nature would be almost certain to set the phenomenon down to the credit of some god, or some demon, neither of whom would be likely to permit his special domains to be tres passed on with impunity. While Mark and Bob were talking these matters over, Socrates had been shooting and cleaning a few dozen more of the reed-birds. This provision of the delicacy was made, because Betts affirmed no such delicious little creature was to be met with on Rancocus, though they were to be found on Vulcan s Peak literally in tens of thousands. This difference could be accounted for in no other way, than by supposing that some of the birds had originally found their way to the latter, favoured by accidental cir cumstances, driven by a hurricane, transported on sea weed, or attending the drift of some plants, and that the