Yet, the scientist knew the castaways were better armed than the first men who shared the earth with far more terrifying carnivores, and so like those men, the castaways would have to rely on their wits and keen senses.
It was decided that they would always have a guard stationed on the yurt’s platform where the elevated position would give him the best view of the jungle perimeter and the long grass that surrounded the structure.
If the slightest threat was realized, the guard would whistle or call and the entire camp would retreat to shelter to await an all clear signal—or fight for their lives.
Additionally, every member of the group was encouraged to carry a weapon when outside where they could pray to God they would never have to use it.
Van Resen knew something would have to be done to improve their defensive capabilities, and at afternoon tea, he made diagrams of bow and arrows and spears using a nail to scratch the lines on scraps of board he’d collected while breaking up packing crates.
He was reluctant to use the few blank sheets of paper from the abandoned journal in this way because they would be of great value, vital if he discovered some method of relaying a written message.
Phillip Holmes’ constant pining for rescue forced the creation of a signal fire on the beach. So near the end of the day, Jacob and Van Resen collected wood from the forest perimeter while the other men armed with knives and shovels formed a protective guard.
Van Resen had thought Holmes’ signal fire a senseless distraction when they had yet to find fresh water, but the Englishman had successfully argued his case with the women while avoiding his share of the chores.
The scientist relented finally since the activity could also produce wood for cooking and heating while giving him a peek into the jungle.
His first look at the primordial forest was overwhelming for a vast number of plant species pressed in from all sides, reducing his range to less than three feet. The scientist’s mind reeled at the plethora of leafy organisms, and he yearned to collect specimens of those plants he could not identify—wondering if they were even known to science.
Yet this formidable blind proved terrifying as well, for Van Resen knew those same leaves could hide a myriad of lethal carnivores that had also never been classified.
Such thoughts sharpened his focus on the business at hand, and with the others he built a large signal fire on the beach where a few matches were left in a sealed jar to start it. After that, a quantity of wood was delivered to the yurt for cooking and heating.
As usual, Mr. Holmes paid little attention to the task at hand, and did almost nothing to pull his own weight.
It was no secret that Holmes tended to participate in activities that allowed him to be near Lilly whom he hung about like a fly. While she enjoyed the attention, the man seemed incapable of making a lasting impression on her.
Van Resen thought Holmes should not have taken it to heart since everyone was having difficulty catching and holding the girl’s interest. She seemed constantly distracted, deep in thought, or daydreaming, and had to be constantly prodded to watch and use caution.
Lilly had awakened with little energy that day, but everyone was feeling the heat; so listlessness abounded and tempers flared as thirst and anxiety preyed upon them all.
At one point Lilly slipped into her daydream, standing in place with one arm crossed at her waist and the other hand raised to toy with her scarlet kerchief.
“We must keep an eye on the girl,” Van Resen had cautioned the others, while at the same time dispelling the elder Quarries’ greater concerns for her health saying, “She is adjusting to circumstance, and the loss of Captain Seward.”
Indeed the retired ranger had told the scientist how the girl was like a daughter to him.
“We are all out of our element,” Van Resen added, indicating the dark jungle encircling them.
However, Lilly’s governess was not so easily placated for Miss Virginia James would never rely on the others to guard against the girl’s inattention. Concerned for her charge’s well-being, she drove herself nearly to distraction watching her lest some ravenous beast sneak through the grass and have its way with her. In such an event, Miss James doubted she could rely on Mr. Holmes for protection.
So, she decided to better prove the point by creeping up behind the girl and grabbing her to shout: “Lilly Quarrie!”
“Ginny!” Lilly cried, startled out of her reverie.
“Young lady,” Virginia James stalked in front of her ward and forcefully gripped the girl’s forearms. “You have been told to stop this foolish daydreaming!”
“But Ginny, it’s my dreams,” the girl said wincing, blushing slightly. “I’m afraid I’ll forget them...”
“What nonsense is this?” Virginia snapped.
“You’ll be angry,” Lilly whimpered, with her fingers playing at her kerchief.
“Better me angry than you lion food!” Miss James scowled.
“Well...” the girl hesitated, eyes shifting to their feet. “I have dreamed of my lover, and I won’t forget him!”
“Lilly...” her governess’ voice trailed off as she stared at her ward perplexed. “A young lady should not—this is not the—time...” She glanced around them to see Van Resen and the men stacking firewood beneath the shelter. “Nor is it the place...”
“It’s true, Ginny, it’s true,” Lilly said, her hands sliding down from her throat until they caressed her hips. “He came to me in the dark, in my dreams, and he’s lost, and he can’t find his way back home!”
“You have been reading too many romances,” Ginny said, suddenly thinking of Phillip Holmes and wondering if the young fool had put these notions in her head. She glared across to where Holmes stood loafing by the other men. “Young ladies like yourself are born with a predisposition for fancy, so you shouldn’t
