A Shot is Fired on the Island

A wild boar, more fierce and bloodthirsty than a Rottweiler, hastened after them, its muscular haunches working ferociously skidding left and right.

The sounds of its snorting interrupted by Ignacio who had turned towards the ocean shouting: "Tambien cerdo! HEY PEEG".

Bravely he jumped up and down, waved his arms, and continued to shout and throw rocks at the panting monster.

Sean shouted, "Rachel lie down now!"

He crouched and took aim. 'CRACK' the first round shot over Rachel's prostrate form hitting the body surface of the running pig, leaving a red streak; grazing it but not slowing it, as it squealed in pain. The large hairless mammal - with sharp teeth protruding from a slobbering jaw - was fifteen feet from Rachel.

"STAY DOWN!" Sean shouted. 'CRACK', the second round flew through the air at 900mph and hit the beast's forehead. A small hole oozed blood; the exit wound as big as a man's hand. The animal skidded to a halt, rolling over, splattering blood, bone and gristle over Rachel. A dark pool appeared in the sand, an awful mixture of smells: cordite, blood, faeces and animal stink.

Ignacio jumped up and down shouting at the pig. He mimed shooting a pistol and shouted "BLAM! BLAM!" Helping Rachel shakily to her feet the pair walked to Sean and back to camp. Rachel trembled.

Excited chatter stopped after a few minutes. The mood changed; Ignacio sullen and morose, his arms crossed. Sean shrugged towards Rachel. Finally, after an atmosphere of gloom, she took Iggy to one side. Their brows furrowed. Sean knew they were in deep discussion. It swung from argument, to pleadings, to reasoning. Rachel returned alone. Iggy wandered down the beach, his shoulders slumped.

"What's that about?" Sean said to Rachel as she sat on his lap cuddling.

"He feels when we leave he has no-one. For the first time in his little life he has a family, and he'll lose it in a few days. I have an idea, Sean, but I don't know how you'll feel." She whispered her plan in Sean's ear.

"Mmm OK, I can't stand women crying," Sean went to get the Satellite phone.

"John? Yes it's me, who do ya think it is Einstein?" Sean spoke into the black handset, a cord stretching to a yellow box. "No, sorry it's not an emergency. No we're not having a row. Listen, John, you're the planner, the calm forward thinker. Hear Rachel's plan and see what you can do."

Sean handed the handset to Rachel who outlined her plan.

Before the night became too dark Sean invited his junior helper to the wild boar. Carrying the heavy carcass to the snare area he showed him how to skin and cut up a large animal, tying cross pieces of Acacia, the beast suspended. With strokes of his blade red welts appeared on the animals. Cutting deeper, like a surgeon, Sean opened pink flesh, severing lumps.

On Friday night the trio had starters of fish, for main meal fried pork and vegetables, for pudding they had bananas. Over the camp-fire they had a song session, Sean and Rachel singing The Righteous Brothers; "Unchained Melody", Ignacio sang "Rhythm is Gonna Get You" by Gloria Estefan in Spanish, his hips moving to a tempo.

Iggy, translated by Rachel, wanted to share his bedtime story. There followed a harrowing tale of eight brothers and sisters, an alcoholic and violent father, a mother washing wealthy families' clothes for a few dollars, and the breakdown of the family unit so that Iggy was carried to an orphanage as a toddler. Foster parents just wanted Iggy to work for free, so he ran away five times. Young Ignacio thrusted onto the streets when an eight-year old, survived by his wits for four years.

Sean said, with Rachel translating, "My father was killed when I was five; I lived a rebel, eventually joining the Paras. They became my family."

Ignacio rose from sitting cross-legged in the sand, and hugged him, both Sean and the Filipino were unused to shows of emotion but it was a tender moment. All three went to bed happy and full.

On Saturday morning - after coconut and bananas for breakfast - Sean decided to check the snares. The island became familiar territory to Sean. He knew they had one more day to explore. Rachel read from a leaflet from Sean's holdall: "The islands are, in effect, "half-drowned mountains" which form part of a long and wide Cordillera extending from Indonesia to Japan. Other peaks are volcanic in origin."

"By the way" Rachel turned to Sean, "how did you find this place ... no don't tell me... you bring all your girlfriends here."

"James google earthed it," Sean said, "and you're the first: and the last."

Approaching the snares Sean could tell by the "sign" that animals and reptiles had been through the cogon grass. He urged his young comrade to be careful, knowing that the island region could be a dangerous place. The sea harboured stinging jellyfish and sharp coral. In addition there were sea snakes; black and white swimming snakes with a flat head and some venom; they float on the sea surface.

Sean drew near to the area he had bloodied with the pig's entrails, and noticed a fresh faint trail in the grass.

"Stay here in the sand, Ignacio" Sean indicated with his eyes, "it may be a harmless green Tree snake, Rat snake or Bullsnake." He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the olive brown body with lateral stripes of a harmless Garter snake. "OK, come on, Mowgli," Sean called.

Ignacio joined Sean and excitedly pointed to the snake. The amphibian had stretched its mouth around the rat caught in Sean's snare partially swallowing it, but the wire noose held the rat aloft. Rats had been introduced to the islands, like many animals, by sailing ships from Europe.

Sean clubbed the snake with regret, knowing that it would not release its hold, and would die trying to swallow the snare wire.The hunters returned to eating, sleeping, fishing and exploring for the rest of the day. They loudly munched "sugar apples" with ravenous appetites and ate fish with Pechay cabbage. That night they finished the remainder of the turtle eggs. The de-salinator had provided fresh drinking water for the island group for the days they had been there. They were starting to lose track of time and checked their watches for the time and date.

"Last night on Paradise," Sean eased into his sleeping bag.

"Aww I'm gonna miss our little island," Rachel spoke in the darkness.

The following day was Sunday. The day they were going home. Informed of the day Ignacio went onto the beach, knelt and prayed. Considering the hardship he had known it amazed Sean and Rachel that he maintained a religious belief.

Rachel translated, as the boy's petitions were not quiet, he was praying for their safety, that they would be home soon, Sean and Rachel would have a baby, and Ignacio would find a mother and father. Maybe there was an answer to his prayer closer than he realised?