Chapter 10. Peter Turns Mahout

________________________________________________
_ CHAPTER TEN. PETER TURNS MAHOUT

It was the morning appointed for the review, the preparations having been all made on the previous day; and the _reveille_ rang out, making Archie Maine turn over upon his charpoy bed with an angry grunt, for instead of unbuttoning his eyelids he squeezed them up extra tight.

"Mr Archie, sir, don't you hear the call?"

"Hear it? Yes. What does it mean?"

"Look sharp, sir. I'm putting your things straight. Tumble up and tumble in."

"Be quiet, you noisy rascal! What does it all mean? I say, we are in the middle of the night!"

"Not it, sir. Do look sharp, sir."

"But what for?"

"It's because of the review, I suppose, sir. The lads are all tumbling up as if there was some alarm. I ain't half dressed."

"Alarm! Nonsense! Sha'n't get up till the regular time."

"Hi! Hullo, Maine!" and Captain Down's voice was heard outside. "Are you nearly ready? Company's all turned out."

"Ready--no! What's the matter?"

"Don't quite know, but I think we are being attacked. The watch have come in with news that a strong party of the Malays are approaching by the forest path, out beyond the campong."

"What stuff!" cried Archie, beginning to dress sleepily. "It's the country-people coming in to see the show.--Here, you, Peter Pegg, why don't you get a light? Who's to see to dress?"

"Slip into your things, man," cried the Captain irritably. "No nonsense. Recollect where we are."

"Oh, all right," grumbled Archie. "I know it's only a false alarm."

"False alarm or no, the Major was half dressed before I came on here."

"Oh, all right," grumbled Archie again; "I'll manage.--Pete," he whispered, "try to get me a cup of coffee."

"Who's that?" cried the Captain.

"Sergeant, sir--Ripsy," came in that non-com's deep, important voice.

"Well, what's up?"

"Well, sir, they may be coming to see the review, but it don't look like it. There's a strong body of well-armed natives just the other side of the campong, and they may be friends or they may be enemies, but we have got to be ready for them, anyhow. You see, sir, it don't look right, because if they had been friends they would have been coming down the river in their boats. These 'ere must have been marching all night; and they have got elephants with them."

Whatever the body of Malays was, short as was the notice given, they found that the English cantonments were well guarded, and those who approached beyond the native village, where the main body had halted, were stopped before they could get any farther.

It was quite dark, and the whole appearance of the body of men suggested a night attack; but before long native messengers came into camp with a message from the chief officers of Rajah Suleiman to say that they had had a long night march so as to reach Campong Dang before sunrise, on account of the heat, and asking that they might be furnished with refreshments for His Highness, and be given permission for the elephants to be brought into camp by their mahouts, to be placed in the shade of the trees by the parade-ground while the grass-cutters went out for their food.

Messages then began to pass to and fro, and invitations were sent to the Rajah and his officers to join the officers' mess at breakfast and rest, as it would be hours before the military evolutions would begin.

The excitement and bustle quickly calmed down; pickets were stationed, with orders that none of the Malays were to come into camp; and the mess-men were almost ready to announce breakfast, when the Doctor came bustling on to the scene, and one of the first people he stumbled against was Archie.

"Oh, here you are," he cried, hastily fastening one or two buttons of his white flannels. "Just the fellow I wanted to see."

"Morning, Doctor. How are you?" replied the lad.

"Bad. Up nearly all night with a couple of sick people, and I was at last just sinking into a pleasant doze when those wretched bugles began to ring out. All your doing."

"My doing, sir?"

"Yes--upsetting our regular routine. It will be just as I expected when the Major arranged for tins absurdity. As if Her Majesty couldn't have a birthday without everybody going mad with a desire to get sunstroke."

"Have some breakfast, sir," said Archie quietly. "You will feel better then."

"Better, sir? Bah! Nothing the matter with me now. Eh, what? Is the coffee ready? Can't be. These princes and potentates haven't all come in yet, and I suppose we shall have to wait for them."

"No, you won't, sir. Captain Down and some more of us who will have to be on duty have got a snug corner to ourselves, and we are going to have a snatch meal before going out."

"Oh," said the Doctor in a more mollified tone. "Then there is somebody here blessed with brains! Who was it--Down?"

"No, sir; if I must confess," cried Archie, "it was I."

"Oh," said the Doctor. "Then you must have been thinking of number one, sir."

"No, Doctor. My fellow, Peter Pegg, got me a cup of coffee an hour ago."

Matters soon settled quietly down, and the swarthy-looking Rajah Suleiman, in gorgeous array and attended by quite a staff of his notables--Maharajah Lela, Tumongong, Muntri, Lakasamana, and the rest of them--was haughtily partaking of an excellent breakfast, with a string of followers behind the chairs of him and his suite--pipe-bearers, betel-box carriers, and other attendants; while a picked guard of his finest men in a uniform of yellow satin, all armed with the lim-bing or throwing-spear and kris, were drawn up in the veranda, carefully watching over their lord in the mess-room, and as carefully watched over themselves by a guard of quiet-looking linesmen with fixed bayonets.

It fell to Archie's lot to be near the clump of trees beneath which the half-dozen splendid elephants that brought in the Rajah were being fed and groomed.

They had come in covered with mud from their journey along the narrow forest path formed of a line of deep mud-holes made by the elephants themselves, every one of the huge animals invariably planting his feet in the track of the one which had preceded him. Their trappings during the journey had been carefully rolled-up, and now hung with the howdahs from horizontal branches of the sheltering trees.

As soon as it was light the great beasts had been marched down by their attendants to the landing-place for a swim, and brought out again back to the shelter to be carefully groomed, and now stood partaking contentedly of their morning meal, prior to being decked with their gay howdah-cloths and other trappings.

One of the first men that Archie encountered was Peter Pegg, who was standing watching the mahouts, who in turn were overlooking the attendants whose duty it was to groom the Rajah's stud.

"How is it you are not on duty?" he said.

"Am, sir," said the lad. "The Sergeant put me here to keep a heye on these helephant chaps and see as they don't get quarrelling with t'other Rajah's men."

"Why, they have not come yet, have they--Rajah Hamet, I mean, and his people?"

"Oh yes, sir; and they are out yonder--helephants and all. Joe Smithers is doing the same job with them."

"Did you see the Rajah?"

"No, sir," replied the lad; "only 'eerd he was there. I am to be relieved to go to breakfast in a hour's time."

Archie nodded and went on. The hour passed, and Peter, who had no further orders, forgot all about breakfast in the deep interest he took in the proceedings of those who had the elephants in charge; while as he waited for the bugle-call which would summon him to the ranks, he stood watching the finishing touches being given to the elephants, now browsing on the plenteous supply of fresh green leafage thrown before them by the grass-cutters, and began to make friends with the mahouts.

He tried one after the other, but on each occasion only to meet with a surly scowl.

He was going to cross to the man in charge of the finest of the elephants--a little, sturdy fellow, who only looked on while the attendants were busy over the showy trappings, the edgings of which glistened with a big bullion fringe, and who himself was showily dressed in the Royal yellow, which suggested that this must be the Rajah's own mount. Pete took a step towards him, but shrank back as if it were not likely that this chief among the others would receive his advances any better, when a voice behind him made him turn his head sharply, to find that Joe Smithers, now for the present off duty, had likewise been attracted by the elephants, and had strolled up for a look.

"Why didn't you come for your breakfast, comrade?" he said.

"Oh--wanted to see these 'ere;" and then, as an idea struck the lad on noticing the canvas haversack slung from Smithers's shoulder, he said quickly, "What you got in your satchel, comrade?"

"Only bread-cake."

"Give us a bit."

"Take the lot," said Smithers. "I don't want it. Only in the way. A drink of water will do for me."

Pegg gave him a peculiar look as he hurriedly transferred two great portions of the regimental bread to his own haversack.

"Thank you, comrade. I say--got any 'bacco?"

"Yes; but I want that."

"Never mind. Give it to me, Joe. I'll pay you with twice as much to-morrow."

Without hesitation Mrs Private Smithers's husband handed over a roll of about two ounces of tobacco.

"Thank you," said Pegg. "Now you shall see what you shall see."

Peter shouldered his rifle, marched straight up to the gaudily attired mahout, looked him up and down admiringly, pointed at his handsome turban, smiling the while as if with satisfaction, and then tapped the gilded handle of the ankus the man carried, drawing back and looking at him again.

"Well, you do look splendid," he said.

The swarthy little fellow seemed puzzled for the moment, but Peter Pegg's look of admiration was unmistakable, especially when he walked quickly round the mahout so as to see what he was like on the other side, before saying:

"Have a bit of 'bacco, comrade?"

Not a word was intelligible to the little, bandy-legged fellow, whose supports had become curved from much riding on an elephant's neck; but there was no mistaking the private's action as he took out the roll of tobacco, opened one end so as to expose the finely shredded aromatic herb, held it to his nose, and then passed it on to the mahout, whose big, dull, brown eyes began to glisten, and he hesitated as if in doubt, till the private pressed it into his hands and made a sign as if of filling a pipe and puffing out the smoke. The little fellow nodded his satisfaction, while Peter Pegg smiled in a friendly way and pointed to the huge elephant, which had ceased munching the turned-over bundle of green food at his feet, and now stood swinging his head to and fro and from side to side.

"My word," said Peter, "he is a beauty!" And then, looking about him first at one and then at another until he had bestowed a glance upon the other five great beasts, he turned once more to what proved to be the Rajah's special mount, and then spoke again to the little mahout.

"He is a beauty," he said; and once more his looks conveyed to the driver the admiration he felt. "May I feed him?" he added, taking out a piece of the white bread he had obtained, and making a sign as if holding it out to the elephant.

The mahout looked doubtful, but the elephant himself answered Peter Pegg's question by slowly raising his trunk, reaching out and closing it round the new white bread, prior to curving it under and transferring it to his mouth.

The mahout nodded and smiled at his new friend, and the elephant showed his satisfaction by extending his trunk for more.

"You are a splendid old chap," said Pegg, breaking another piece of bread inside his haversack and offering it to the monstrous beast, now slowly flapping his great ears.

This was taken, and bit by bit Peter doled out another portion of the white cake, venturing at the same time to stroke the animal's trunk.

"I'll risk it," he said. "If he tries to knock me over I can easily jump away."

But the elephant made no sign of resentment, only transferring the piece of bread and extending his trunk for more.

"Here you are," said Peter; "only you can't have any more goes. Wish I'd got a dozen quarterns, though. I want to mount you, old chap, and hang me if I know how to set about it. However, here goes; only I must look sharp."

The next minute as the elephant's trunk was extended to him he gave it another scrap of the bread, and followed this up with a few friendly touches, which the monster seemed to accept in a friendly way, before transferring the bread; the mahout looking on smilingly the while.

The trunk was raised slowly again, and the mahout uttered a few words, with the result that the private had to make a strong effort over self to keep from starting away from an expected blow; but in obedience to the driver's words the great beast slowly passed his trunk over the young soldier's shoulders and breast, and then, grunting, swung up the end as if asking for more of the bread.

"Only two bits more," said Peter; and he turned to the mahout and made signs to him that he should mount to the elephant's neck.

The young soldier hardly expected it, but his meaning was so well conveyed that the mahout uttered a command, when the elephant passed his trunk round the driver, swung him up, and dropped him easily into his seat, raising his ears the while, and then lowering them over the rider's knees.

"Bravo! Splendid!" cried Pegg, clapping his hands; and the next minute, after another word or two which the elephant evidently understood and obeyed, the little mahout dropped lightly down and stood smiling at his admiring audience.

It was not Peter Pegg's words, but the meaning must have been conveyed by his eyes to the mahout, for Peter said excitedly:

"There, I'd give a suvron, if I'd got one, to be able to say to our chaps that I'd had a ride on a helephant like that;" and then, to his surprise, the mahout looked at him, smiling, uttered a few words to him, and held out his hand.

"Eh? What?" cried Peter. "Let you hold my rifle? Well, I oughtn't to; but there aren't no officers near. There, I'll trust you, and I wish I could tell you what I want."

To his surprise and delight, as the mahout took hold of the rifle and examined it curiously, uttering another order to his great charge, Peter Pegg felt the great coiling trunk wrap round his waist, swing him up in the air, and drop him astride of the huge beast's neck. "Oh, but, I say, this 'ere won't do," cried Peter; "I am wrong ways on:" and scrambling up from sitting facing the howdah, he gradually reseated himself correctly, nestling his legs beneath the great half-raised ears. "My word! ain't it nice and warm?" cried the young soldier excitedly. "Shouldn't I like to ride round the camp now!--I say, Joe, ain't this prime?"

His comrade, who had been looking on admiringly, uttered a grunt, which was followed by an order from the mahout, resulting in the elephant reaching up his trunk, which coiled round the young soldier's waist, twitched him out of his seat, and dropped him at the driver's feet.

"Here, just a minute," panted the young soldier, thrusting his hand into his haversack and withdrawing the last bit of bread. "Here you are, old chap;" and he transferred the piece to the raised trunk, which he patted again and again before it was withdrawn.--"Thankye, comrade. You will find that prime 'bacco, and here's wishing I may see you again."

"Now, Pete," growled Smithers, for the first notes of the bugle-call rang out.

"All right. Give us my rifle, comrade. I'm off." Catching the rifle from the mahout's hand, he followed Smithers at the double; but he contrived to give one glance back at the magnificent beast upon which he had been mounted, with a strange feeling of longing for his lost seat. _

Read next: Chapter 11. Full Review Order

Read previous: Chapter 9. The Major On Hedging

Table of content of Trapped by Malays: A Tale of Bayonet and Kris


GO TO TOP OF SCREEN

Post your review
Your review will be placed after the table of content of this book