Page:The crater; or, Vulcan's peak.djvu/318

 78 THE CRATER; course of the invaders. He had been kept below the whole time, and did not even know how many canoes composed the fleet. The gang in possession of the Mermaid was understood, however, to be but a very small part of Waally s force present, that chief leading in person. By certain half-comprehended declarations of his conquerors, Captain Saunders understood that the rest had entered the channel, with a view to penetrate to the crater, where Socrates, Unus and Wattles were residing, with their wives and fami lies, and where no greater force was left when the Mer maid sailed. The property there, however, was out of all proportion in value to the force of those whose business it was to take care of it. In consequence of the Rancocus s removal, several buildings had been constructed on the Reef, and one house of very respectable dimensions had been put up on the Summit. It is true, these houses were not very highly finished ; but they were of great value to persons in the situation of the colonists. Most of the hogs, moreover, were still rooting and tearing up the thousand- acre prairie ; where, indeed, they roamed very much in a state of nature. Socrates occasionally carried to them a boat-load of truck from the crater, in order to keep up amicable relations with them; but they were little better than so many wild animals, in one sense, though there had not yet been time materially to change their natures. In the whole, including young and old, there must have been near two hundred of these animals altogether, their in crease being very rapid. Then, a large amount of the stores sent from Canton, including most of the iron, was in store at the crater; all of which would lay at the mercy of Waally s men ; for the resistance to be expected from the three in possession, could not amount to much. The governor was prompt enough in his decision, as soon as he understood the facts of the case. The first thing was to bring the vessels close by the wind, and to pass as near as possible over the ground where the swim mers were to be found; for Mark could not bear the idea of abandoning a hundred of his fellow-creatures in the midst of the ocean, though they were enemies and savages. By making short stretches, and tacking two or three times, the colonists found themselves in the midst of the swim-