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CHAPTER IV.
The gloomy Shores below the Andes. The Cave of Refuge. Domestic Arrangement. The Morning Survey. The failure of Provisions. The Fishing Expedition. Shouting in the Woods. The Water-fowl. The Return of the Fishing Party.

THEY looked round, and perceived by the dim light, that they had landed on a spot scattered thickly with dwarfish trees and bushes, backed by steep wooded rocks, rising one above another, and spreading on towards the lofty Cordillera, piercing the clouds.

The first care of the children, after removing Mrs. Merton from the boat, almost insensible from cold and terror, was to form for her a dry resting-place, by spreading their blankets and cloaks on the beech, till they could find some sort of shelter from the chill and moist night air. The boys then, with Dr. Lewis, ascended the banks, and looked round for some place of refuge, but in vain; they could see nothing but the dark jungle; and they decided, therefore, to return and unlade the boat, as well for the security of their property from accidents, as to obtain the means of raising a temporary tent with the sails.

While the young men were occupied in removing the casks and boxes beyond the reach of a rising tide, Matilda and Mary had made their way through, or rather over, the thick jungle, till they reached a cliff grown over with luxuriant creeping plants. Passing along the face of the cliff, Mary, in stooping down to disentangle her dress, discovered a very low opening. Through this she crept fearlessly, and finding it led into a spacious cave, she did not wait a moment. but returned to her sister and they flew lightly back to their friends to announce their happy discovery, Mary assuring her mamma that her cave was quite as good as that of Robinson Crusoe.

"But I cannot live in a cave," ejaculated Mrs. Merton in a tone of despair; "go on my children, and leave me here to die."

"A likely thing, indeed, for us to do!" answered Nanny. "Come, mistress, brisk up a bit, and somehow or another, we'll get you on to see what sort of a place these sharp bairns have picked us out."

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"Besides, my dear Mrs. Merton," said Lewis, "we have the use of our hands, and we should none of us choose to sit down idly to dwell in a cave. But we shall he glad to make this cave our hotel for the night, if it be habitable, and if we can find no better shelter; for you must allow my dear Mrs. Merton, our need of shelter is urgent."

"But I shudder to think on the danger which my child has run," said Mrs. Merton. "Why did you venture alone into a place which probably may be the den of a bear, or some other ferocious beast, from whose claws you have been providentially preserved?"

"But I believe, papa," observed Tom, "that none of the ursi are found in South Ameriea. We are informed that the black bear, an animal that feeds on fruit, roots, and honey, is common in North America down to the Isthmus of Panama; the dangerous grisly bear, the terror of man and beast, ranges the Rocky Mountains, spreading destruction as he goes but this monstrous and ferocious animal has never yet, I believe, been found in the woods of the Andes."

"Tom is quite correct," said Dr. Lewis, "and we need not have any fear of intruding on a bear."

"Of course not," said Mary "I should certainly have seen the owner, if there had been one, for I looked keenly round. And I am quite sure you will be all delighted with the very comfortable lodging I have selected for you."

Dr. Lewis and Tom had carried Mrs. Merton between them, and they soon reached the rock ; but when they were shown the low narrow entrance, they all shrunk back, a little startled. At length Lewis and Jack crawled through, carrying with them some dry branches, and having struck a light, they kindled a fire and surveyed the cavern. They decided that it would at any rate, be desirable as a shelter for the night, as it was spacious, dry, and airy, from numerous loopholes in the rock. In walking round, they discovered a wide opening not far from the first, which would afford a more convenient entrance, though it was quite concealed by creeping plants on the face of the rock. Through this opening they emerged and joined their anxious friends, who had become alarmed for their safety.

On the representation of the two surveyors, the whole party ventured to enter. Mrs. Merton shuddered as she gazed round | | 46 on this vast dungeon, and Nanny screamed loudly at the sight of some bats flitting about, disturbed by the light but conviction that this dry and secure shelter was their only rufuge from the dangers of the night, reconciled the most fastidous to minor inconveniences.

All now was bustle and activity. While Nanny settled Mrs. Merton on a couch of cloaks, Mary and Matilda collected dry twigs, and soon raised an enormous fire; and as the cave was floored with dry fine sand, it really looked comfortable. Dr. Lewis suggested the prudence of removing all their effects to this place of safety, and, with the assistance of Tom, Jack, and Charles, accomplished this work of great labor then, after Nanny had filled. her kettles with fresh water from the river, they rolled pieces of rock, to secure the two places of entrance. Then Jack declared their castle was impregnable.

The largest chest was selected for a table, smaller boxes formed seats, and they sat round the fire, enjoying the warmth till the tea-kettle boiled.

"I took care of the tea and sugar," said Nanny, "for I knew, mistress, you would get on badly without them, if we got among the savages, like what the little lasses read to me, wild creaters that eat raw flesh like brute beasts. But, laws me! Matilda, honey, haven't I gone and never thought of tea-cups."

"I am quite astonished at you, Nanny," answered Matilda. "Now, observe how thoughtful I have been. Reflecting on our probable wants, I took care to bring away six of the small tin cups of the cabin, which we disliked so much to use there but I considered they could be carried with less danger than glass or china, to serve out the water in the boat. Now we shall be compelled to use them for tea-cups and everybody ought to thank me for my prudence."

But everybody did not thank Matilda; on the contrary, her brothers laughed at her vanity; Mr. Merton began seriously to consider some theory for the correction of conceit and vanity; and, above all, Dr. Lewis, the friend. and instructor of this clever little girl, shook his head reprovingly and thus made her feel a little ashamed of her boasting. Nor was she much gratified to see her mamma's disgust at the sight of tea served in a tin cup, made in a kettle, and without milk.

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But fatigue and cold compelled her to swallow the tea; and it was astonishing to see the exhilarating effect produced on the wearied voyagers by their simple supper of tea and biscuit.

After supper, all hands were again at work; the boxes were piled up to form a separate bed-chamber for the gentlemen, and for his couch each had his blanket. The single mattress they had been able to bring away was spread for Mrs. Merton; the cloaks and blankets made beds for the little girls. Mr. Merton read prayers, with more than usual devotion, with a special thanksgiving for their deliverance from the dangers of the sea. Then Nanny made up a good fire, and they lay down and slept as soundly as if the cares of to-morrow were nothing.

But the dawn of morning brought serious thoughts to every heart, of the first step to be taken in their strange position. Dr. Lewis rose with the light, called Charles and the boys, and with them left the cave to look round at the prospect the light of day should reveal to them. They climed the most accessible part of the cliff, till they reached a sort of platform covered with jungle, over which they walked for some distance. Tom found that this thicket consisted of barberries, covered with fruit not yet ripe, arbutus, and dwarf beechtrees; and he was satisfied, for he should here obtain new botanical specimens. Their progress was soon arrested by still higher cliffs rising towards the mountains. They walked forward towards the north for a few hundred yards, and at length an open vista showed them the mighty Pacific breaking against perpendicular cliffs on the one hand, whilst on the other side rose the frowning barrier of the Andes. There was a stern and gloomy air of solitude in the grand scene and it was with much awe that even the young and thoughtless boys looked upon hill rising above hill, all thickly clothed with dark woods, and all, apparently, untrodden by man.

"It seems impossible to penetrate farther inland," said Tom, "especially for females; and dear mamma would certainly die of fatigue or fright if she attempted it. Would it possible, Dr. Lewis, for us to ascend the river in the boat?"

"Certainly not, for any distance," answered Lewis. "It is plain that the river flows from the Cordillera, and must be | | 48 a torrent higher up, where a boat would be useless. I see no means of our leaving the retreat which has sheltered us, but returning to the boat, descending the river, and making another struggle against the prils of the ocean."

Charles shrugged his shoulders, and protested against such madness and even Tom and Jack, whose love for the sea it required much to quell, looked sorrowfully at their lacerated hands, and had evidently no desire to take up the oars again.

"I don't see why we should not cross the Andes," said Jack, stoutly; "other travellers have done it, and why should not we try! Let its make a litter, and turn the oars into poles for it, it well be ten times easier to carry mamma than to tug at the heavy work of rowing.

"Your proposal is exceedingly absurd," returned Tom--"Do you not perceive that, to cross these fearful mountains, we must pass over the region of perpetual snow; and without guides, moles, or horses, we should inevitably be lost."

"At all events, my dear boys," said Dr. Lewis, smiling at their discussion, "I believe we must try the ocean before the mountain. But let us return now, and petition for some breakfast, for I, at least, am very hungry."

They returned laden with dry brushwood for fuel, as a propitiation to the household goddess, Nanny, whom they found active and busy, and rather more amiable than she had been the preceding evening. Mrs. Merton had reminded her that one of the chests contained a silver tea-service, a present from Charles Villars, when he came of age, to his kind and gentle aunt, who had valued it too munch to leave it behind her. Nanny grumbled a little about the fash of opening boxes but, being assisted by the cheerful girls, the cords and nails were soon removed, and the silver teapot and sugarbasin, and a damask tablecloth, taken from the box. The breakfast-table was spread, and though the tin cups did not harmonize with the glittering silver equipage, the strange medley only increased the merriment of the party. Mary declared she had never enjoyed a breakfast so much; the tea was so good made with fresh water, and the old dry biscuits seemed fresher since they were removed from the close ship; and, to complete the table-service, Dr. Lewis produced three small silver cups, which had formed part of the fittings of his | | 49 medicine-chest, and which were now presented to the three ladies. The tea might have been better with milk, but the voyage had accustomed them to this privation.

Nanny was pleased with her stack of fuel, and, in very good humor, said, "Now, as soon as you've done your breakfast, one of you must go to the butcher's shop, and get me a pint for dinner, for I tell you there's none here for you."

This was a melancholy fact that no one had thought of, and Charles drew such a long face at Nanny's words, that Mary burst into an uncontrollable laugh, for which her sister reproved her, and assured Charles that he need not feel unhappy, as she had no doubt she should be able to contrive something for dinner. These words increased the merriment of the young party.

"Bring out your wand at once," said Jack, "and begin your incantation, most potent fairy. Summon the slaves of the wand, and order them to provide a sumptuous dinner, well cooked,--be very particular about the cooking, for Charley is difficult to please."

But when the laughter subsided, the stern reality of the ease appeared somewhat gloomy, and they set about discussing their situation seriously. After Mr. Merton had received a full account of the expedition of the morning, Dr. Lewis added:

"Now, my dear sir, I should like to have your opinion on the steps necessary to take for as it appears we have unfortunately landed on an uninhabited and apparently uninhabitable shore, we shall be compelled to make further exertions. My own persuasion is, that it would be desirable to extend our voyage northward, if possible, till we may be enabled to reach one of the ports of Chili."

"Oh, Mr. Merton!" exclaimed his alarmed wife. "I trust you will never consent to such a plan. I would sooner die here than enter that dreadful boat again. I cannot endure the sea, Why should we not go inland? Surely, if we persevered in going forward, we should at length meet with some human beings to pity and help us. Or I will even be content to remain here: wretched as this cave is, I can endure it better than the terrors of the sea."

"Why is it impossible," asked Mr. Merton, much distressed at his wife's agitation, "to travel north by land along the | | 50 coast? I am of opinion that such an experiment should first be tried. I have, in fact, myself no love for maritime adventure, and would gladly remain on the shore, and in the quiet retreat to which the mercy of God has conducted us."

"Papa was not cut out for a sailor," said Jack. "But, Dr. Lewis, wouldn't it be a good plan to have a look at the shore by daylight?"

"I was about to propose this plan," replied Lewis. "I hope Mr. Merton will not object to our taking the boat down to the mouth of the river, and making a survey of the coast. We might be able to discover some more favorable landing place, and, at all events, catch a dish of fish for dinner."

"There's some sense in that!" exclaimed Nanny. "Take your rods and nets, my good lads, and be off, and see to get some trout, or maybe a salmon, and we'll not starve. But you'll not get me into either boat or ship again--I'll bide with mistress. This is but a sad jail of a place; but if I had just a bonny cow, and a bit of a poultry-yard, I could bide here ten times sooner than in your crazy boats, or among such murdering sailor chaps. Lord save us!"

Dr. Lewis was disappointed at the reluctance shown to the plan, which he still considered the wisest; but, hoping that time would reconcile every one to it, he profited by a reluctant permission extorted from Mr. Merton, and arranged the the fishing-party. Charles had one of his common fits of indolence, and declined to accompany them; but Tom and Jack soon produced all their fishing-tackle from the great chest, and, with Dr. Lewis, entered the boat, and with very little labor rowed down the stream.

They were no sooner out of sight, than Charles felt a little ashamed of his idleness; he took his rifle from the ease, looked out his powder and shot, and asked Mr. Merton if he thought there would be any good sport in the woods.

"I am unfortunately unable to ascertain the latitude we have reached," answered Mr. Merton: "had we landed as far north as the fertile country of Chili, you might have obtained birds, curious and valuable. On the coast the penguin (Diomedea chilensis), a link between the tribes of the air and the ocean; or by the rivers the beautiful flamingo (Phænicopterus chilensis); besides the condor and ostrich, and the innumerable variety of humming-birds."

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"Get us a fat goose, or a couple of ducks, if you can, Master Charles," interrupted Nanny. "I shouldn't know how to set about cooking them birds, with such crabbed names."

"I will try for something eatable, depend on it, Nanny," said Charles, laughing.

"And I will go with you, Cousin Charles, to pick up the game, and to search for eggs," said Mary.

"If there are any eggs to he found," said Matilda, "your giddy head will never discover them. I must go myself, of course, and then I can take care of you. But in case we should lose our way, we ought to have a post with a signal erected here; and that I certainly shall not attempt to rear."

"That I will undertake," cried Mary. "If Nanny will lend me her scarlet cloak, you will see what an admirable signal I will hang out."

"I request you to leave the matter in my hands," said Matilda, gravely; "I will consider it over--"

"No time for consideration. Dinner must be provided, and Charles has the game to shoot, so up I go," cried the active little girl, as, catching the lower branches, she swung herself up a beech-tree; and, climbing like a squirrel, she tied the cloak to the highest bough.

Charles was now thorougly ashamed, and as he held out his arms to assist her to descend, he said:

"Dear Mary, what an idle fellow I am! But you shall never climb a tree again you have given me a good lesson."

Attired in the close, warm cloth dresses which had been provided for the colder part of their voyage, and which the moist climate, even in the summer season, rendered very necessary, the sisters set out with Charles to make their way up the wooded cliffs,--no easy task: the tangled underwood obstructed their steps, and on the summit of the first hill they entered a wood of tall beeches, mingled with a noble tree, which Charles recognised as the winter's bark; and they were glad to see also the graceful birch, and a sort of fragrant laurel. In the midst of this wood they heard the strange notes of a variety of birds, and Mary, in great astonishment, cried,--

"How very strange, Charles, that the birds of America should have a different language from those of Europe. I am | | 52 certain that little fellow is a redbreast; he hops up to us as familiarly as our own dear English redbreast; but they would never understand each other, for the note of this pretty creature is more like the bark of a dog than the song of a bird." "This must be the Pteroptochos rubecula, I rather think," observed Charley; "but you must ask your scientific brother Tom to describe it to you, Mary, for I am too idle to become a lecturer. But, see, there is a flock of birds of the same family running along the ground. These are more like game than your redbreast, and I shall certainly have a shot at them."

Charles soon killed half a dozen of these little creatures, which resembled fieldfares, but had longer legs. Mary then besought him to desist, for she declared it was a positive sin to destroy so many lives for one meal.

"Let us return to the banks of the river," proposed Matilda. "I am positive I saw wild fowl up the stream; and wild ducks would make a more substantial dinner than these small birds."

To this proposal Charles willingly assented, for in truth he was more fatigued by walking along the entangled brushwood than the light and active girls, and he hoped to find a clearer path on the banks of the river. They found the shores overgrown with reeds, and the water covered with wild ducks, geese, and petrels; the beautiful kingfisher also dipped now and then into the stream, and then withdrew to its nest among the reeds.

Charles was quite satisfied with his prospect of sport, and thanked Matilda, as he loaded his fowling-piece, for being such a capital pointer.

"I did not think of your sport when I directed you here, Charles," returned she, honestly; "all my consideration was for the larder."

And Charles soon provided plentifully for the larder, while Mary crept about among the rushes, and filled her pockets with eggs. They were now heavily laden, and the road was very rough but Charles roused himself to unusual exertions; cut some stout branches, to supply the sisters with good walking-sticks, and then suspending his heavier game on the end of a third pole, he placed it over his shoulder, and with slow steps they made their way homewards, guided through the mazy woods by Mary's scarlet signal.

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They reached the cave very weary, long after midday, and found that the voyagers had not yet returned, and that Mr. and Mrs. Merton were in great anxiety about them. But the wearied party were too hungry to be able to wait dinner for their friends. It was quite a sufficient trial of their patience to wait the process of cooking the game; but there was no help for it: so the girls assisted Nanny to pluck the small birds, which were then broiled on sticks laid over the fire, dished up on some smooth beech leaves, and eaten with biscuit and salt, a bag of the latter forming part of Nanny's spoil when they loft the vessel. The knives and forks she had pocketed at the same time were now invaluable; but even her prudence had forgotten to secure plates, a most offensive omission in the eyes of the fastidious Charles, and a great discomfort to Mrs. Merton ; but to the light hearted girls only an excellent joke, at which they laughed so heartily, that the dinner was, in the end, enjoyed by all.

But as more guests were expected, and the little birds were all eaten, it was necessary to turn to the large wild ducks they had brought in. Nanny looked at these ducks with dismay, and a strong expression of disgust on her countenance, which moved Mary to laughter, a liberty Nanny resented by becoming very angry.

"Did ever anybody living set about cooking such a heap of outlandish things?" exclaimed she, wrathfully, as she seized and began to tear the feathers from one of the birds. "Them that likes may eat 'em, but they'll not catch me poisoning mysel' with such oily, fishy creatures. And please to say, Master Charles, how they are to he roasted?"

Matilda suggested that the birds should be made into a stew and the iron kettle was suspended over the fire, the ducks cut up, and with salt and a little rice, made into a savory dish.

But Nanny's ill-humor was not subdued. She began by sharply reproaching Mr. Merton for letting people wheedle him to leave home; then she accused Charles for taking their passage among a den of thieves. As to Dr. Lewis, she declared he must have lost his senses, to bring them to such a landing-place, a place so bad that nobody had ever built a house there. The sisters were scolded for tearing their frocks, "going scambling about like lads;" and finally, she said, | | 54 that if the youths did not return soon they should fast; she had no notion of slaving for them, when they could stay out whole days on their pleasure.

But Nanny's wrath, though loud, was never lasting or serious: she had recovered her composure, and was announcing that the stew was completed, when the voices of the fishermen were heard singing the "Canadian Boat Song" as they rowed up the river. The harmony of the three voices had a pleasing effect in the solitude of these dark woods, and filled the eyes of Mrs. Merton with tears. She was even roused to go outside the cavern to await time arrival of the voyagers; the rest of the family hurrying to the strand to receive the light-hearted party. They had filled the only basket they had brought from the ship with large trout and fine salmon, and at the bottom of the boat lay a quantity of fine oysters which they had found on the rocks at the sea-coast.

This addition to the store of provisions was hailed with great satisfaction by Matilda and Nanny, the careful housekeepers ; and even Charles, though he had dined before, assisted in swallowing a few oysters, in order that the large convenient shells might be used as plates for the stew, which the hungry guests applauded as the most savory of dishes, never once objecting to the fishy flavor.