This was the first time we found a plantain, and in answer to Jimmy's _cooey_ we followed and found him hauling himself up by the large leaf-stalks, to where, thirty feet above the bottom, hung, like a brobdignagian bunch of elongated grapes, a monstrous cl.u.s.ter of yellow plantains.

"I say, they ain't good to eat, are they?" said Jack, as Jimmy began hacking through the curved stalk.

"Yup, yup! hyi, hyi!" shouted Jimmy, tearing away so vigorously at the great bunch that it did not occur to him that he was proceeding in a manner generally accredited to the Irishman who sawed off a branch, cutting between himself and the tree.

The first knowledge he, and for the matter of fact we, had of his mistake, was seeing him and the bunch of bananas, weighing about a hundredweight, come crashing down amongst the undergrowth, out of a tangle of which, and the huge leaves of the plantain tree, we had to help our black companion, whose first motion was to save the fruit.

This done he began to examine himself to see how much he was hurt, and ended by seizing my axe and bounding back into the jungle, to hew and hack at the tree till we called him back.

"Big bunyip tree! Fro black fellow down," he cried furiously. "Got um bana, though!" he exclaimed triumphantly, and turning to the big bunch he began to separate it into small ones, giving us each a portion to carry.

"I say, what's these?" said Jack Penny, handling his bunch with a look of disgust.

"Bananas," I said. "Splendid fruit food."

"How do you know?" said Jack sourly. "There's none in your garden at home."

"My father has often told me about them," I replied. "They are rich and nutritious, and--let's try."

I ended my description rather abruptly, for I was thirsty and hungry as well, and the presence of a highly flavoured fruit was not to be treated with contempt.

I cut off one then, and looking at Jack nodded, proceeded to peel it, and enjoyed the new sweet vegetable b.u.t.ter, flavoured with pear and honey, for the first time in my life.

"Is it good?" said Jack, dubiously.

"Splendid," I said.

"Why, they look like sore fingers done up in stalls," he said. "I say, I don't like the look of them."

"Don't have any, then," I said, commencing another; while every one present, the doctor included, followed my example with so much vigour that Jack began in a slow solemn way, peeling and tasting, and making a strange grimace, and ending by eating so rapidly that the doctor advised a halt.

"Oh, all right!" said Jack. "I won't eat any more, then. But, I say, they are good!"

There was no likelihood of our starving, for water was abundant, and fruit to be found by those who had such energetic hunters as the blacks.

So we proceeded steadily on, hoping day by day either to encounter some friendly tribe, or else to make some discovery that might be of value to us in our search.

And so for days we journeyed on, hopeful in the morning, dispirited in the heat of the day when weary. Objects such as would have made glad the heart of any naturalist were there in plenty, but nothing in the shape of sign that would make our adventure bear the fruit we wished.

If our object had been hunting and shooting, wild pig, deer, and birds innumerable were on every hand. Had we been seeking wonderful orchids and strangely shaped flowers and fruits there was reward incessant for us, but it seemed as if the whole of the interior was given up to wild nature, and that the natives almost exclusively kept to the land near the sea-sh.o.r.e.

The doctor and I sat one night by our watch-fire talking the matter over, and I said that I began to be doubtful of success.

"Because we have been all over the country?" he replied, smiling.

"Well, we have travelled a great way," I said.

"Why, my dear boy, what we have done is a mere nothing. This island is next in size to Australia. It is almost a continent, and we have just penetrated a little way."

"But I can't help seeing," I said, "that the people seem to be all dwellers near the sea-coast."

"Exactly. What of that?" he replied.

"Then if my poor father were anywhere a prisoner, he would have been sure to have found some means of communicating with the traders if he had not escaped."

"Your old argument, Joe," he said. "Are you tired of the quest?"

"Tired? No!" I cried excitedly.

"Then recollect the spirit in which we set about this search. We said we would find him."

"And so we will: my mind is made up to find him--if he be living," I added mournfully.

"Aha!" said the doctor, bending forward and looking at me by the light of the burning wood, "I see, my fine fellow, I see. We are a bit upset with thinking and worry. Nerves want a little tone, eh? as we doctors say. My dear boy, I shall have to feel your pulse and put you to bed for a day or two. This is a nice high and dry place: suppose we camp here for a little, and--"

"Oh no, no, doctor," I cried.

"But I say, Oh yes, yes. Why, Joe, you're not afraid of a dose of physic, are you? You want something, that's evident. Boys of your age don't have despondent fits without a cause."

"I have only been thinking a little more about home, and--my poor father," I said with a sigh.

"My dear Joe," said the doctor, "once for all I protest against that despondent manner of speaking. 'My poor father!' How do you know he is poor? Bah! lad: you're a bit down, and I shall give you a little quinine. To-morrow you will rest all day."

"And then?" I said excitedly.

"Then," he said thoughtfully--"then? Why, then we'll have a fishing or a shooting trip for a change, to do us both good, and we'll take Jack Penny and Jimmy with us."

"Let's do that to-morrow, doctor," I said, "instead of my lying here in camp."

"Will you take your quinine, then, like a good boy?" he said laughingly.

"That I will, doctor--a double dose," I exclaimed. "A double dose you shall take, Joe, my lad," he said; and to my horror he drew a little flat silver case out of his pocket, measured out a little light white powder on the blade of a knife into our pannikin, squeezed into it a few drops of the juice of a lemon-like fruit of which we had a pretty good number every day, filled up with water, and held it for me to drink.

"Oh, I say, doctor!" I exclaimed, "I did not think I should be brought out here in the wilderness to be physicked."

"Lucky fellow to have a medical man always at your side," he replied.

"There, sip it up. No faces. Pish! it wasn't nasty, was it?"

"Ugh! how bitter!" I cried with a shudder.

"Bitter? Well, yes; but how sweet to know that you have had a dose of the greatest medicine ever discovered. There, now, lie down on the blanket near the fire here, never mind being a little warm, and go to sleep."

I obeyed him unwillingly, and lay attentively watching the doctor's thoughtful face and the fire. Then I wondered whether we should have that savage beast again which had haunted our camp at our first starting, and then I began to dose off, and was soon dreaming of having found my father, and taken him in triumph back to where my mother was waiting to receive us with open arms.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

HOW I WAS DISPOSED TO FIND FAULT WITH MY BEST FRIEND.