Blown to Bits | Page 6

but ceaseless efforts to
invade the calm serenity of the lagoon. Smaller islands, rich with
vegetation, were scattered here and there within the charmed circle,
through which several channels of various depths and sizes connected
the lagoon with the ocean.
"We shall soon have the king himself off to welcome us," said Captain
Roy as he came on deck and gave a sailor-like glance all round the
horizon and then up at the sky from the mere force of habit. "Visitors
are not numerous here. A few scientific men have landed now and
again; Darwin the great naturalist among others in 1836, and Forbes in
1878. No doubt they'll be very glad to welcome Nigel Roy in this year
of grace 1883."
"But I'm not a naturalist, father, more's the pity."
"No matter, lad; you're an ammytoor first mate, an' pr'aps a poet may
count for somethin' here. They lead poetical lives and are fond o'
poetry."
"Perhaps that accounts for the fondness you say they have for you,
father."
"Just so, lad. See!--there's a boat puttin' off already: the king, no
doubt."
He was right. Mr Ross, the appointed governor, and "King of the Cocos
Islands," was soon on deck, heartily shaking hands with and welcoming
Captain Roy as an old friend. He carried him and his son off at once to
breakfast in his island-home; introduced Nigel to his family, and then
showed them round the settlement, assuring them at the same time that
all its resources were at their disposal for the repair of the Sunshine.

"Thank 'ee kindly," said the captain in reply, "but I'll only ask for a
stick to rig up a fore-topmast to carry us to Batavia, where we'll give
the old craft a regular overhaul--for it's just possible she may have
received some damage below the water-line, wi' bumpin' on the mast
and yards."
The house of the "King" was a commodious, comfortable building in
the midst of a garden, in which there were roses in great profusion, as
well as fruit-trees and flowering shrubs. Each Keeling family possessed
a neat well-furnished plank cottage enclosed in a little garden, besides a
boat-house at the water-edge on the inner or lagoon side of the reef, and
numerous boats were lying about on the white sand. The islanders,
being almost born sailors, were naturally very skilful in everything
connected with the sea. There was about them a good deal of that
kindly innocence which one somehow expects to find associated with a
mild paternal government and a limited intercourse with the
surrounding world, and Nigel was powerfully attracted by them from
the first.
After an extensive ramble, during which Mr Ross plied the captain with
eager questions as to the latest news from the busy centres of
civilisation--especially with reference to new inventions connected with
engineering--the island king left them to their own resources till
dinner-time, saying that he had duties to attend to connected with the
kingdom!
"Now, boy," said the captain when their host had gone, "what'll 'ee do?
Take a boat and have a pull over the lagoon, or go with me to visit a
family I'm particularly fond of, an' who are uncommon fond of me!"
"Visit the family, of course," said Nigel. "I can have a pull any day."
"Come along then."
He led the way to one of the neatest of the plank cottages, which stood
on the highest ridge of the island, so that from the front windows it
commanded a view of the great blue ocean with its breakers that
fringed the reef as with a ring of snow, while, on the opposite side, lay

the peaceful waters and islets of the lagoon.
A shout of joyful surprise was uttered by several boys and girls at sight
of the captain, for during his former visit he had won their hearts by
telling them wild stories of the sea, one-half of each story being
founded on fact and personal experience, the other half on a vivid
imagination!
"We are rejoiced to see you," said the mother of the juveniles, a stout
woman of mixed nationality--that of Dutch apparently predominating.
She spoke English, however, remarkably well, as did many of the
Cocos people, though Malay is the language of most of them.
The boys and girls soon hauled the captain down on a seat and began to
urge him to tell them stories, using a style of English that was by no
means equal to that of the mother.
"Stop, stop, let me see sister Kathy first. I can't begin without her.
Where is she?"
"Somewhere, I s'pose," said the eldest boy.
"No doubt of that. Go--fetch her," returned the captain.
At that moment a back-door opened, and a girl of about seventeen years
of age entered. She was pleasant-looking