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Trapped by Malays: A Tale of Bayonet and Kris, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 41. "If The Powder Ain't Damp" |
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_ CHAPTER FORTY ONE. "IF THE POWDER AIN'T DAMP" Morning came with a rush, the rays of the sun seeming to do battle with the mist that floated over the surface of the river. The golden arrows of light cut and broke up the one dense, grey, heavy cloud into portions which floated slowly along, separating more and more, the dull grey growing rapidly silvery, then golden, and the gold becoming suffused with soft light. So beautiful was the scene that, while Archie gazed thoughtfully at its beauty, even commonplace, powder-besmirched Peter sat with his lips apart, staring hard, and then, forgetting himself and their risky position, with its need for concealment, he clapped his hands softly. "Just look at it, Mister Archie!" he said. "Blest if the place don't look just like the inside of one of them big hyster-shells that they get the pearls out of!" "Hush!" said Archie softly. "Mum!" said Peter. "I forgot; but don't it look as if the river was boiling hot and the steam rising, and the fire that hots it was shining up through the cloud? I say, nobody could hear me say that," he whispered. "I hope not; but for aught we know boats may be floating down, hidden by that mist." "Mist--of course, sir! But it do look like steam, and it makes me think of rations and hot coffee. I say, if one feels like this just at daybreak, how's it going to be by night? Here goes to tighten my belt." Peter suited the action to his words, and moved the tongue of his buckle up two holes. After this the lad sat peering through a dense, green curtain of the beautiful tropic leafage, till by degrees all the mist had floated away with the stream, leaving the water glittering and sparkling in the bright sunshine, and giving the watchers a clear view of the flowing river and the jungle that bowed its pendent branches so that they kissed the water, while farther on tall, rigid palms shot up and displayed their feathery tufts of great leaves, to sway gently in the hot sunshine. "Let's see, Mister Archie; don't seem to be many paths where helephants and things come down to drink. I don't believe if we were landed there we could get through those woods. I wonder what makes them call them jungles. I suppose it means because the trees are all junged up together so that you can't get through. If they called it tangle there'd be some sense in it. But that ain't the worst." "What is, then, Pete?" replied Archie, speaking so that his companion in misfortune should not think him surly and distant. "Why, we have got to carry them four little chesties and the gun right through it in the dark. Well, we've got 'em, sir, and that's what we come for." "Yes, Pete; and it will be a relief to get them to the Residency." "Yes, sir; and we have got to do it; and that means we shall, somehow." The lad ceased speaking, and bent down to shift the four square, solid-looking boxes a little, and as he did so he uttered a low grunt. "I say, sir, it's been so dark that we couldn't tell what we were doing, but lookye here. These 'ere two bottom ones are standing right in the water. It's to be hoped they are tin-lined, or else what about the cartridges? What do you say to laying them two bamboo poles right across the boat for the day, and standing the boxes on them?" "Good idea, Pete!" And the two lads busied themselves in placing the boxes so that the moisture would drip away, with the possibility of their getting dry in the sunshine, which was already beginning to fill their shelter with semi-horizontal rays. "Here, I say, sir, if we had known what a ramshackle old wreck this 'ere sampan is we should have stepped along pretty gingerly while we were poling--at least I should, for it looks to me as if you could shove your foot through anywhere. Look at the sides! Why, they are half-rotten!" "Yes, Pete; it's a wonder that the boat did not go to pieces when we ran up against that other one in the night." "That it is, sir. Why, if I'd known I believe I should have liked to travel outside, hanging on, with my legs in the water." "As a bait to tempt crocodiles, Pete?" "Oh, I say, don't, sir! You give one the shivers." As the lad spoke he peered over the side of the boat and half drew his bayonet from his belt. "Might be one of those beauties under the bottom now, sir," he said half-apologetically. "Nice morning, though, ain't it? Talking about hanging one's legs over the side, we might lay them up a bit to dry;" and he set the example of stretching his own out on the seat-like thwart, and sitting silently for a while gazing through one of the openings across the river. Then, as if being silent wearied him, his tongue began to go again. "Suppose you can't make out exactly where we are, sir, can you?" "No, Pete; the river winds about so." "Of course, sir. Well, no wonder--it ain't got anything else to do. Got your watch, sir?" "Yes;" and Archie drew it out from his pocket. "What time is it, sir?" "One," said Archie dryly. "Can't be, sir. Why, that means afternoon, and the sun's only just up." "It means that it was one o'clock when we waded into the river, and the water got in, Pete." "Stopped! I'm blest! If you had thought of it, sir, you'd better have left it at home. 'Home, home, sweet home!'" hummed the lad. "But this ain't home, and I'm precious hungry; but I'd a deal rather be here, after all, than in the old whitewashed barracks where we were stationed last, with nothing but drill, drill, drill, till one felt as if they had drilled a hole right through you. Feel anything of your head now, sir?" "Yes, Pete; but not much." "That's the same with my hurt, sir; but one can't expect what we got to get well directly. Wish we'd got something to do, if it was only to clean one's buckles and lay on a bit of pipeclay. Is my face dirty, sir?" "Horribly, Pete. Is mine?" Pete showed his teeth in a broad grin. "Well, it would be all the better for a wash, sir, before you went in to mess. We might have a bit of a sluice. But I suppose it would be risky to try and get closer in to the bank?" "You couldn't, Pete. It would be impossible to force the sampan through this tangle. Why do you want to move? We are in a capital place." "I was thinking of getting some soft mud out of the bank to use instead of soap. It's wonderful cleansing, sir. I know what I should like to do." "Not talk, Pete, for you are doing that now?" "Yes, sir, I know," said the poor fellow sadly. "I feel as though if I didn't go on saying things and thinking of doing something, I should go half-dotty." "Nonsense, Pete! See how beautiful it is all round." "Yes, sir, lovely! But who's going to enjoy it when your inside keeps on saying, 'Soup and 'tater--soup and 'tater--soup and 'tater,' and there ain't none? Plenty of croc soup, of course. But, I say, Mister Archie, sir, think it would be safe to bathe?" "No; but I think you must be _half-dotty_, as you call it, to propose such a thing." "Right, sir. Of course! It does look very pretty about here, but one can't help feeling that one of them pretty, smiling creatures may be lying in there, just where the leaves touch the water, and watching us all the time. Here, I should like to murder some of them. What do you say to fixing bayonets on the end of them bamboo poles, and then pitching leaves or bits of dead wood into the water as a bait for them reptiles, and having a bit of sport to pass away the time?" "I don't feel much disposed for sport, Pete." "Course you don't, sir; but, you see, we've got hours and hours to sit here till it's dark. One feels as if one must do something. Here, I know! Capital! I've got no tackle but green leaves. I'll clean that gun." "No cleaning-rod, Pete." "Must be, sir." "Of course; but it will be hanging up somewhere in the Doctor's bungalow." "Might cut a young, thin bamboo, sir," said Pete, looking sharply round, and feeling in his pocket for his knife. "I can see no bamboos," said Archie--"nothing but crooked boughs." "Well, anyhow, sir, we might rub the specks of rust off with leaves. Would you like to have first turn?" "No, Pete. I feel as if I could do nothing but sit still and rest and think." "What about, sir?" "What they are saying about us at the Residency. I suppose they will give us the credit of not deserting." "Course they will, sir. They will be saying that we are lying speared somewhere not far from headquarters. My word, sir, won't Mrs Morley take on about losing you, sir! And, oh dear! nobody won't miss me-- except old Tipsy. Haw, haw, haw! He'd like to have me to bully-rag when he gets back to headquarters again." "Will nobody else miss you, Pete?" "No, sir--I d'know, though. Yes--old Mother Smithers, next time she has a chance to have a turn at the wash-tub. It will be, 'Now, Pete, fresh water, please.' Wish she'd got some of what's in this precious boat! Talk about a leaky sieve! Why, it's coming in everywhere. We shall have to begin baling soon, Mister Archie. To be sure; that will be next job after I've rubbed up the gun, and--This 'ere ain't a fruit-tree, is it, sir?" "Absurd!" "Suppose it is, sir. I was thinking of cocoa-nuts and getting one down to bale with. I shall have to use my cap. It's wonderful how it's stuck on. I ketched it slipping off twice, though, when we were creeping through the wood." Peter reached for the gun, and began to rub the barrels with such leaves as he could pick; but after trying to polish for some time, he shook his head in despair. "Only making it worse, sir.--I say, Mister Archie, you are not going to sleep, are you?" Archie, who was resting one hand on the side of the boat and bending down sideways, rose quickly. "Hist!" he whispered. "Listen." Peter sat motionless for some little time, and then, looking full in his companion's eyes, shook his head slowly. Then a look of intelligence came into his face, and he nodded two or three times quickly, leaned forward, and placing his lips close to his companion's ear, he whispered: "Poles! Boat coming up-stream." The two lads sat thinking of their own slow advance as they had punted upwards in the darkness, and fully understood the effort that was being made to force the advancing boat against the running water. Then the same thought must have animated both, for after peering through the leaves by which they were surrounded, each lay back upon the thwart he occupied and cautiously began drawing one of the thick boughs that touched the water closer in so as to increase the shelter; but no sooner had Archie begun to disturb the water at the side of the boat than there was a violent disturbance, and something dashed out into the open river. "Croc," whispered Peter, "or some large fish. Wish I had him on my bayonet, sir. I could eat him raw." "Hist!" whispered Archie, for the sound of splashing poles was giving place to the regular beat of oars; and crouching low, wondering whether their shelter would be pierced by the keen eyes of the enemy, they lay waiting, listening to the steady plash and the muttering of voices, which grew louder, and, looking bright in painted gold, with the rowers' silken bajus gleaming gold and yellow in the sunshine, a large dragon-boat glided by, so close to the lads' hiding-place that the rowers' blades on their side nearly swept against the leaves, and they could see the gleam of the eyes and glint of spears, for the boat was crowded with armed men, and beneath the palm shelter in the stern they could note the gaily plaided silken sarongs of the principal leaders of the party of Malays. Feeling that they must be seen, the lads hardly dared to breathe till the gilded stern of the naga had passed; and even then it seemed as if the steersman was looking back straight through the hanging leaves so that he must detect the boat. At last both were breathing freely, for the plash of oars was growing more distant, and Peter, who had found it horribly painful to remain silent so long, hazarded a few words. "Felt as if my heart was in my mouth, sir. But do you know what I was thinking all the time?" "That they must see us, Pete?" "Of course, sir; but something else." "Speak lower, man!" "All right, sir; they can't hear. But can't you guess?" Archie shook his head. "Well, I'll tell you, sir. Here's a double gun; there's four boxes of cartridges. Why haven't you got it loaded and ready to blow a couple of the enemy overboard, and then _click, click_, shove in two more cartridges, as I should hand to you, ready for two more shots? That would be enough to send them to the right-about, for they wouldn't know but what there might be half a company of us hiding here." "How are we to get at the cartridges, Pete?" said Archie, brightening up, for his companion's words sent a thrill of hope through his breast, and their position seemed not half so defenceless as before. "I've got my knife, sir." "What! to cut through the lid?" "No, sir. It's screwed down. I think I could turn the screws with the big blade." Taking one of the boxes on his knee, he brought the blade to bear, but dared not put forth all his force, and for some time he could not get even one of the fastenings to move, for the water had made the wood swell. "It's no use, Pete." "Oh, ain't it, sir? They are in precious tight, but we have got lots of time; and look--the top of this box is steaming, and it's drying fast. I shall do it if I don't break my knife." _Click_! "There, now, if half-an-inch of the blade ain't gone! And I thought it was a bit of the best stuff in our company. Well, there's a bit left to work with, and I must try and cut through." "No, no!" cried Archie eagerly. "Try if the broken blade will not go into the ends of the screws." "What! and use it as a screw-driver, sir?" cried Peter joyously. "Why, it will be quite easy now. Call mine a head! Why, it's as thick as a bowl. Here, take it coolly, sir! Here's one coming out as easy as easy.--There's one! Don't shout 'Hooray!' sir, for sound runs along over the water like a skate on ice. Why, my knife is like a real tool. Couldn't have broke off better, sir, and in half-an-hour we shall be all right if--" "If what, Pete?" "The powder ain't damp." _ |
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