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Mother Carey's Chicken: Her Voyage to the Unknown Isle, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 14. How The Major Showed Himself To Be A Man O' War |
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_ CHAPTER FOURTEEN. HOW THE MAJOR SHOWED HIMSELF TO BE A MAN O' WAR Poor Bruff had to be contented with a pat on the head, and then creep after his master back through the bushes to where the major was doing his best to bring his military knowledge to bear. "It's a hard job," he said, "but it must be done. As they come nearer they'll keep on firing at that boat, and in it lie all our hopes. Mr Gregory, that boat must be got through those bushes and hidden." "All hands," said the mate, in answer; and setting the example, he helped to drag the boat round, so that her bows pointed at the narrow opening in the bushes up to which she was run, and then, with the prau continuing her fire, the gig was with great labour forced through to the open ground beyond, and placed behind some rocks in the river-bed. The next task was to help Morgan through, and Small and Billy Widgeon went to where he was lying on the sand, with Bruff beside him, sharing the wounded couch. "No, my lads, I can walk," said the second-mate. "Sorry I am so helpless." "Not more sorry than we, sir," said Billy Widgeon respectfully. "I wish we'd brought Jacko with us instead of the dog." "Why?" asked Morgan, as he walked slowly and painfully toward the opening. "Might have climbed a tree, sir, and got us a cocoa-nut." "I'll be content with some water, my lad," said Morgan; and then he turned so faint that he gladly took Mark's arm as he came up to help Bruff, who was limping along in a very pitiful way. "There," said the major, as soon as all were through the gap; "now, I think if we bend down, and lace together some of these boughs across, we shall have a natural palisade which we are going to defend. That's right; fire away; I don't think we have much to fear from their gun. Now, Mr Gregory, if you will examine that side, I'll look over this, and see if we have any weak points on our flanks, and then we'll prepare for our friends." A hasty look round right and left showed that, save after a long task of cutting down trees and creepers, no attack could be made on the flanks, while, on gathering together in the front, a strong low hedge of thorny bushes separated them from the coming foes--a breastwork of sufficient width to guard them from spear thrusts, while the defenders would find it sufficiently open to fire through. Points of vantage were selected, and a careful division of the arms made, two of the men, in addition to their pistols, being furnished with the spears which had been thrown at Morgan, and were found sticking in the sand, with their shafts above water. Small took possession of these, and handed one to Billy Widgeon. "I'm the biggest, Billy, and you're the littlest," he said, "so we'll have 'em. I don't know much about using 'em, but I should say the way's to handle 'em as you would a toasting-fork on a slice o' bread, these here savage chaps being the bread." "Or," said Billy, making a thrust through a bush, "like a skewer in a chicken. Well, I'm a peaceable man, Mr Mark, sir, and if they let me alone and us, why it's all I ask; but if they won't, all I hopes is, as two on 'em'll be together, one behind the other, when I makes my first job at 'em with this here long-handled spike." "Now, my lads," said the major, who seemed to be enjoying his task, "just two words before we begin. I'm going to tell you what's the fault of the British soldier: it's firing away his ammunition too fast. Now, in this case, I want you to make every shot tell. Don't be flurried into shooting without you have a chance, and don't give the enemy opportunities by exposing yourselves. Lastly, I need not tell you to stick together. You'll do that." "Ay, ay, sir." "That's good, and now recollect you are Englishmen fighting for women as well as yourselves." "Ay, ay, sir." "Mr Gregory lets me command, because I'm used to this sort of thing, so don't mind me taking the lead." "No, sir, we won't," chorused the men. "Very well, then: don't be bloodthirsty, but kill every scoundrel you can." There was a hearty laugh at this, for, even in times of peril, your genuine British seaman has a strong appreciation of fun, and in spite of their position the major's ways and words had a spice of the droll in them. Just at that moment Morgan came up, pistol in hand, his gun having been given to one of the men. "Why, my dear Mr Morgan," said the major, "this is not right. You are in hospital, sir." "No," said Morgan grimly; "I am better now, and I'm not a bad shot with a revolver." "You had better leave it to us, Morgan," said the first-mate. "You and Mark Strong go and lie down in shelter." "Oh, Mr Gregory," cried Mark. "Why, you miserable young cockerel," said the major, "you don't want to fight?" "No, sir; but it seems so cowardly to go and hide away when the men are fighting." "So it does, my lad, so you shall stop with me, and load for me while I'm firing. Come along. Now, my lads, steady, and not a Malay pirate shall get through that bush." Every man uttered a low cheer, and settled in his place, well hidden from the occupants of the coming prau, and ready to deliver his fire when the enemy came near. It was coming steadily in, the sweeps being worked by the motley crew of scoundrels on board with a regularity which drew rough compliments from the men, and made Mr Gregory utter a remark. "Oh, yes," said the major, "they row well enough, but so did the old galley-slaves in the convict boats. Now, I won't use my revolver yet, but I've got four cartridges of BB shot that were meant for cassowaries or wild swans. Now, Mark, I think I'll give our friends their first peppering with them." "They will not kill, will they, sir?" said Mark anxiously. "No, not at the distance I shall fire from. Ah, that was better aimed," he said, as the brass lelah on board the prau was fired, to strike the sand in front of the natural stockade, and then fly right over the sailors' heads. "I'll lay a wager, Gregory, that our friends don't make such another shot as that to-day." Then followed a few minutes of painful inaction, which seemed drawn out to hours. While the prau swept slowly in, the sun beat down with terrible force, and there was not a breath of wind to cool the burning air. Fortunately, though, the little stream gurgled among the stones, and was so handy that the men had but to scoop out holes in the sand, or to form them by turning over some huge stone, to have in a few minutes tiny pools of clear cool water with which to slake their thirst. On came the prau, with her swarthy crew crowding her bamboo decks, and their dark skins shining in the sun. Their spears bristled, and as they leaned over the side and peered eagerly among the bushes, the party ashore felt to a man that once they were in the power of so savage-looking a crew no mercy must be expected. The men lay close, and to the enemy there was nothing to indicate that there would be any defence. This seemed to make the Malays more careless, for they came on excitedly, and, as it was about low water, made no difficulty in that calm sea of running their vessel's prow right ashore. Then there was a few minutes' pause, which the defending party did not understand. "I see," said Mr Gregory, at last; "they're getting the lelah in a better place, so as to have another shot at us before the men charge." The first-mate was right, for all at once there was a loud roar, and a charge of stones, it seemed, came hurtling over their heads, and flew up, to break down twigs and huge leaves from the trees, while, as the smoke rose, the Malays leaped overboard on either side, yelling excitedly, splashing in the water, and then began to wade ashore. "Eighty yards is a long shot," said the major just then, "but I may as well give them a taste of our quality." "No; wait a few moments," said Gregory, for the men were collecting in a cluster, and directly after began to rush up the sands toward the opening, yelling furiously and shaking their spears, ready to hurl. "Now," said the mate. By this time the Malays were little over fifty yards away, and taking careful aim low down the major drew both triggers so quickly, one after the other, that the report was almost simultaneous. The smoke as it cleared away unveiled a strange scene of men running here and there evidently in pain, others were spluttering about and leaping in the water, others were returning hurriedly toward the prau, while about a dozen still came on yelling with rage and brandishing their spears. "Now," said the major, "fire steadily--gunners only. Pistols quiet." Two shots followed, then two more, and the effect was an instantaneous retreat. One man dropped, but he sprang to his feet again and followed his companions, the whole party regaining the prau and climbing aboard, while the firing was resumed from the lelah. "Now I call that pleasant practice, gentlemen," said the major. "Plenty of wounded, and no one killed. It has done some good work besides, for it has let the captain know we are all right, and ready to help. By Saint George--and it's being a bad Irishman to take such an oath--see that!" "See what?" cried the mate. "The flag, Mr Gregory. Look!" cried Mark. For plainly enough now a signal was being made from one of the stern windows of the ship, and as far as they could make out it was a white cloth being waved to and fro. "Now if we could only answer that," said the major, "it would encourage them." "I could answer it, sir," cried Mark. "How, my lad?" "Give me a big handkerchief, and I'll climb up that tree and tie it to one of those branches." "Capital, my lad," said the major. "But, no; risky." "They could not hit me, sir," cried Mark; "and it's like taking no notice of my father's signals to do nothing." "I think he might risk it, major," said Gregory. "All right, then, my lad. Go on." Mark started, and after a struggle reached an enormous pandanus, one of the many-branched screw-pines. It was not a very suitable tree for a signal staff, and there were cocoa palms and others of a far more appropriate kind, but these were unclimbable without notches being prepared for the feet, whereas the pandanus offered better facility. Still it was no easy task, and it was made the more difficult by the fact that the Malays began firing at him with their brass gun, a fact enough to startle the strongest nerves. But Mark recalled for his own encouragement the fact that the major had laughingly announced the spot at which the enemy aimed as being the safest, and so he climbed on till about thirty feet above the ground he managed to attach the major's great yellow handkerchief, so that it hung out broadly, and then came down. Four shots were fired at him as he performed this feat, and on rejoining the major and Mr Gregory, the former laughingly said that not a shot had gone within fifty yards of him. "But I tell you what," he continued, "that's a bad signal--the yellow flag; they'll think we have got fever." "So we have, sir," said Morgan grimly--"war fever." "Look!" cried Mr Gregory; "they see the flag signal, and are answering it. Do you see?" It was plain enough; two flags were held out of the cabin-window, and after being waved withdrawn. "Yes," said the major, "it's mighty pretty, but there's one drawback-- one don't know what it means." The firing from the lelah was kept up at intervals, but every shot went over them, whether fired point-blank or made to ricochet from the sands. There was tremendous bustle and excitement on board the prau, but no fresh attempts were made to land, and as the long, hot, weary hours crept on the question rose as to what would be the enemy's next move. "They'll wait till dusk and attack us then," said Mr Gregory. "No," said the major, "I think not. These people never seem to me to be fond of night work. I think they'll wait till the tide rises and then go back." "Without destroying our boat?" said Morgan. "Yes, my lad. It's bad warfare to leave an enemy behind; but you'll see that is what they'll do." The major proved to be right, for after a time the prau began to move slowly round, and they saw it go back leisurely, the great sweeps dipping in the calm blue sea and an ever-widening line left behind. "That's one to us, my lads," said the major, "and next time it's our play." The men gave a cheer, and Small rose and came forward. "Lads says, sir," he began respectfully, "that if it were all the same to you they'd like me to pipe down to dinner." "Of course," said Gregory. "Where are the provisions?" "Well, you see, sir, when we all come running down, the bags o' wittles was chucked away in the jungo--in the wood, sir." "Then a couple of men must go after it--those who threw it away." "Well, sir, seeing as it were me and Billy Widgeon, we'll go arter it, if you like." The necessary permission was given, the two men departed, and at the end of an hour returned to find their companions still watching the praus, which were both made fast to the ship. "Thought as the crockydiles had been at it, sir," said Small grimly; "but we found it at last. I've brought Billy Widgeon back safe." "Of course," said the mate quietly. "Why not?" "Well, you see, sir, there was one crock took a fancy to him, and we see another lying on the edge of the pool, smiling at him with his mouth wide open; but Billy wouldn't stop, and here's the prog." _ |
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