The Coral Island | Page 5

far far away from my native land, and slowly
opened my eyes to meet those of my companion Jack, who, with a look
of intense anxiety, was gazing into my face.
"Speak to us, my dear Ralph," whispered Jack, tenderly, "are you better
now?"
I smiled and looked up, saying, "Better; why, what do you mean, Jack?
I'm quite well"
"Then what are you shamming for, and frightening us in this way?"
said Peterkin, smiling through his tears; for the poor boy had been
really under the impression that I was dying.
I now raised myself on my elbow, and putting my hand to my forehead,
found that it had been cut pretty severely, and that I had lost a good
deal of blood.
"Come, come, Ralph," said Jack, pressing me gently backward, "lie
down, my boy; you're not right yet. Wet your lips with this water, it's

cool and clear as crystal. I got it from a spring close at hand. There now,
don't say a word, hold your tongue," said he, seeing me about to speak.
"I'll tell you all about it, but you must not utter a syllable till you have
rested well."
"Oh! don't stop him from speaking, Jack," said Peterkin, who, now that
his fears for my safety were removed, busied himself in erecting a
shelter of broken branches in order to protect me from the wind; which,
however, was almost unnecessary, for the rock beside which I had been
laid completely broke the force of the gale. "Let him speak, Jack; it's a
comfort to hear that he's alive, after lying there stiff and white and
sulky for a whole hour, just like an Egyptian mummy. Never saw such
a fellow as you are, Ralph; always up to mischief. You've almost
knocked out all my teeth and more than half choked me, and now you
go shamming dead! It's very wicked of you, indeed it is."
While Peterkin ran on in this style, my faculties became quite clear
again, and I began to understand my position. "What do you mean by
saying I half choked you, Peterkin?" said I.
"What do I mean? Is English not your mother tongue, or do you want
me to repeat it in French, by way of making it clearer? Don't you
remember - "
"I remember nothing," said I, interrupting him, "after we were thrown
into the sea."
"Hush, Peterkin," said Jack, "you're exciting Ralph with your nonsense.
I'll explain it to you. You recollect that after the ship struck, we three
sprang over the bow into the sea; well, I noticed that the oar struck your
head and gave you that cut on the brow, which nearly stunned you, so
that you grasped Peterkin round the neck without knowing apparently
what you were about. In doing so you pushed the telescope, - which
you clung to as if it had been your life, - against Peterkin's mouth - "
"Pushed it against his mouth!" interrupted Peterkin, "say crammed it
down his throat. Why, there's a distinct mark of the brass rim on the
back of my gullet at this moment!"

"Well, well, be that as it may," continued Jack, "you clung to him,
Ralph, till I feared you really would choke him; but I saw that he had a
good hold of the oar, so I exerted myself to the utmost to push you
towards the shore, which we luckily reached without much trouble, for
the water inside the reef is quite calm."
"But the captain and crew, what of them?" I inquired anxiously.
Jack shook his head.
"Are they lost?"
"No, they are not lost, I hope, but I fear there is not much chance of
their being saved. The ship struck at the very tail of the island on which
we are cast. When the boat was tossed into the sea it fortunately did not
upset, although it shipped a good deal of water, and all the men
managed to scramble into it; but before they could get the oars out the
gale carried them past the point and away to leeward of the island.
After we landed I saw them endeavouring to pull towards us, but as
they had only one pair of oars out of the eight that belong to the boat,
and as the wind was blowing right in their teeth, they gradually lost
ground. Then I saw them put about and hoist some sort of sail, - a
blanket, I fancy, for it was too small for the boat, - and in half an hour
they were out of sight."
"Poor fellows," I murmured sorrowfully.
"But the more I think about it, I've better hope of them," continued Jack,
in a more cheerful tone. "You see, Ralph, I've read a great deal about