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Trapped by Malays: A Tale of Bayonet and Kris, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 23. More About A Friend |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY THREE. MORE ABOUT A FRIEND "All right, old man," cried Peter Pegg, as he sprang up and crossed to the door, where his visitor was chuntering, as the lad called it, and making a succession of peculiar snorts as he waved his trunk up and down. "What's the matter? Want some breakfast?" And after a moment's hesitation he stretched out his hand and began to stroke the great, prehensile organ that was now passed over his shoulders and down his sides. "You won't hurt me, will you, old chap? That'll do. Steady, and I will get you some breakfast." The quiet, soothing tone of the lad's voice seemed to convey his meaning, for the elephant curved the end of his trunk right upwards and began to trumpet. "Hear that, Mister Archie?" cried Peter, as he made for where the fruit-basket stood. "Yes," replied the subaltern, raising himself slowly and painfully. "Is anything the matter?" "No, sir; only my friend come to see us." "Your friend?" said Archie wonderingly. "Yes, sir; the helephant. Can't you see him?" "No," said Archie. "Oh yes, I can see its trunk." "That's right, sir; come for some breakfast;" and the young private strode back, breaking up the cake and placing a goodly piece within reach of the extended trunk, for it to be taken and disappear through the opening, when the trunk quickly returned ready for more. The business was repeated again and again, and the pieces of bread were followed by bananas and a fair-sized vegetable which might have been either pumpkin or melon. The trunk curled round it directly, but this proved too great in diameter to pass altogether through the hole, dropping from the trunk and being dashed at by its donor. "Well caught!" cried Peter. "You must wait a minute, old chap," he continued, pulling out his knife, with which he divided the small pumpkin in four, each portion being quietly taken and drawn through, to disappear in the monster's cavernous interior, to be followed by several more bananas, Peter dealing out his gifts deliberately so as to make more of what in its entirety was a mere snack for the visitor. "There," he cried at last; "that's all you'll get, so you had better toddle." _Hoomph_! grunted the elephant. "What do you mean by that?" _Phoonk_! came in a hollow-sounding grunt. "Oh, why didn't you speak plain? Want water, do you? Can't spare any. My young governor wants a good wash. Go on down to the river. There's plenty there. Good old chap," he continued, softly stroking the trunk; and after a low, muttering sound the elephant submitted to the caresses, and then began to respond. "Take care, Pete!" said Archie in a low whisper. "All right, sir. He knows me." "But he may turn spiteful. A blow from an elephant's trunk would dash you across the place." "Oh, he isn't going to dash me--are you, old man?" "Take care!" whispered Archie hoarsely, for the great serpentine trunk glided completely round Peter and drew him close up to the hole, raising him from the ground, so that he hung three or four feet above the dried leaves. "Ah-h!" sighed Archie, with an ejaculation of relief, as the elephant lowered the lad again and withdrew his trunk through the hole, and the two young men heard the soft movements of his huge, yielding feet as he slowly shuffled off, making a deep, low, muttering sound. "There, Mister Archie, what do you think of that?" "Think!" said the lad excitedly. "I was afraid the brute would crush you to death." "Not he, sir. Didn't you see what friends we were?" "Oh yes; but they are dangerous friends." "He isn't going to be dangerous to us, sir. I am glad you woke up. I wanted you to see him; and now you know how easy it will be for us to escape. Once I get you on his back, he will take us to camp as easy as you please." "Yes, once we are on his back," sighed Archie. "But how's that to be managed?" "Oh, you want your breakfast, sir. You've got the dismal empties bad. Now, what do you say--a cup of water and a bit of bread to soak in it, or shall I give you a wash first?" "A wash! Oh Pete, if you could only bathe that place on my head first, I feel as if it would be so refreshing." "All right, sir. Plenty of water. That's why I wouldn't give any to the helephant. You've got a handkerchy, and I shall have to trouble you for that there tie as well; that silky thing will do to bathe the place nicely, and the handkerchy to dry you with.--No, it won't. I never thought of that." "Oh yes, take them," said Archie eagerly. "The tie will soon dry again." "Yes, I know that, sir; but your puggaree would have been better, only you lost that along with your cap." "Never mind. Make haste; the place is so hot and stiff." "Yes, sir, I know; but the wash must come last." "Why?" cried Archie irritably. "Because this 'ere ain't a bath-room, sir, and there ain't no washhand-stand. You see, I have only got that there big jar of water, and a cocoa-nut shell to drink out of. You must have breakfast first, and here goes." Archie remained silent while, taking the cup, the lad fetched the great jar, which was half-full of water. "There you are, sir," cried Peter, as he filled the cup. "What do you say? Think you could sit up now, or shall I help you?" In response, wincing a little from pain and feebleness, Archie sat up, took the cup, and drained it with thirsty haste. "That's good," cried Peter, taking and refilling it. "It does me good to see you, sir. Oh, you are coming on fine. Slep' all night, didn't you?" he continued, as he steadied the cup. "I suppose so, Pete," said Archie, with a sigh. "I don't remember any thing." "That's a good sign, sir. Now then, have another, or will you try a little soaked bread first?" "No," said Archie decisively. "You drink that." "No, no, sir; after you have done." "'Tention! Drink first," said Archie, speaking more firmly. "Oh, if you give commands, sir," said Peter, "I must do it;" and he drained the little vessel, with almost as much avidity as his patient, "Fine tap, ain't it, sir?" he continued, as he drew breath. "Yes. Now give me another cup and a piece of bread, so that I can break it and soak it." "Hooray! You are getting hungry, sir;" and the lad broke off some of the bread from the big cake that was left, handed a piece to his subaltern, and watched him with intense satisfaction as with trembling fingers he held a wedge in the cup, keeping it there till it was thoroughly soaked. "Now then, you do the same," said Archie. "Oh, I can wait, sir. I ain't in no hurry." "Obey your orders, sir," cried Archie sternly. "Right, sir," was the prompt reply; and the private followed his officer's example, this being repeated in each case, with results doubly satisfactory to Peter Pegg. "They make capital bread here, sir, don't they?" he said, smiling, as he partook heartily of his share of the food. "Yes," replied Archie quietly. "I seem to be able to taste it better this morning." "That's good, sir. Ready for a piece more?" "Yes; about half as much as you gave me." The repast went on till Archie refused another portion. "Give me some more water. I think I can manage," he said. "Now," he continued, after drinking, "take as much water as you like." "Sure you won't have some more, sir?" "Quite." "'Cause there won't be another chance till the niggers come with the next lot.--Oh yes, I didn't think of that," cried Peter; and after drinking a couple more cupfuls, he placed the brimmed shell upright in one corner of the stable, before proceeding carefully to bathe his companion's face and hands, and ended by applying a succession of drenched pads to the painful, stiffened wound. "How does that feel, sir?" he asked after a time. "Oh Pete, I can't tell you! It's something heavenly. Go on, please. The necktie keeps getting so hot. Ah yes, better and better," he sighed. "There, that'll do," he said at last. "You must be tired now." "Not me, sir," replied the lad. "It's easy enough. I could go on for a week--only I am glad you cried halt." "Yes; I thought you must be weary," said Archie. "No, sir, 'tain't that, I tell you. There!" and he withdrew the silk necktie, dripping, from the bottom of the jar. "That's sucked up the very last drop, sir. Hold still, sir, and let me lay this just on the top, and as soon as you begins to feel it too warm I will take it away and hang it up to dry. I won't dab the place with the handkerchy, because it will feel cooler if you let it dry by itself." "Why, Pete, you are as good as a nurse." "Oh, I don't know, sir. Tidy, like--tidy. You see, I have had two goes over the chaps in horspittle, and one can't help picking up a bit." "No nurse could have done better," said Archie in a tone full of relief. "Well, sir, 'tain't much to talk about. You see, I ain't got no proper tackle--not so much as a sponge. Now, if Dr Morley was here he'd put on some lint and a bandage." "Yes, I suppose so. Is the wound very big?" "Quite big enough, sir. Might be bigger. Worst of it is, it's so much bruisy-like. But you are getting better, sir, splendid." "Ah, and I have been so selfish, thinking only of myself. You must be longing for a wash, and there isn't a drop of water left." "Oh, I don't mind, sir. I shall crumble up some of them leaves and have a dry wipe, for I suppose my skin don't look very cheerful." Archie held up his hand. "What's that, sir? Somebody coming?" Archie bowed his head, and Peter Pegg went on tiptoe to his observatory, and drew himself up, holding back as much as possible, to see a Malay, whom he recognised as the previous night's sentry, standing back at some little distance, shading his eyes with his hands as he looked upward, and then changing his position time after time as he seemed to be sweeping the roof with his eyes, before hurrying away. "Why, I'd 'most forgotten that," said Peter to himself. "He was looking up there to see if he could find where that there spear's sticking in the roof, and," he added, with a chuckle, "it ain't sticking there a bit. I suppose he's afraid of being hauled over the coals by his sergeant for losing his weapon. Sarve him right! The beast! Why, he might have sent it right through me." This thought seemed to suggest what he had gone through over-night, for after taking a final glance in the direction of the retiring sentry, he dropped softly down to where the broad patch of light lay upon the leaves, drew up the leg of his trouser, and examined an unpleasant-looking wound. "Might have been worse," he thought. "Only wants leaving alone. Just a wash and a dab of old Jollop's sticking-plaister; and it won't get neither, for it will heal up by itself and be something to show," he chuckled--"PP's first wound in the Malay Expedition!" Getting up actively enough, for he fancied he heard a sound, he climbed to the hole once more, and found he was right, for the Malay sentry was returning, shouldering a fresh spear. "Now, where did he get that?" thought the lad. "It's wonderful to me how quiet everything is here. There must be houses, or huts, or something, and a fairish lot of men; and, of course, there's helephant-sheds. Only where are they? Jungle, jungle, jungle, without so much as a squint of anything else. Wonder what Mister Archie thinks about it." The lad dropped down again, after noticing that the sentry was now leaning on his spear, scanning the roof once more; but as Peter stood listening and laughing to himself, he muttered: "He must have thought it was a big monkey!" and he mentally pictured what had passed in the night, when a smart tap caught his ear which sounded as if the shaft of the spear had been brought down with a rap upon the ground. This was followed by a step or two. "Coming here," thought the lad, and he stepped quickly over the leaves, to throw himself down close to Archie as if he were asleep, but keeping one half-closed eye fully observant of all that passed. The sunlight was streaming in through the sides of the building in several places, and the watcher was conscious of the movements of the man by his shadow crossing first one and then another of these openings, one of which he directly after darkened. "Don't you stir, Mister Archie," he whispered. "Sentry's squinting through one of the holes." There was no reply, and Peter watched till the light struck in again through the darkened hole. This was followed by footsteps. "You see him, didn't you, sir?" said Peter, turning in his fellow-prisoner's direction.--"Look at that, now! I was shamming sleep, but, my word! he's off again, sound as a church; and that means he's getting well. I feel better too after that bread and water. Now then, some of that fruit." He went gently to the basket, which held a still ample supply. "Might have given old Two-tails some more," he muttered. "This won't do. We shall eat some, but there will be a lot to spare, and if they come and find the basket like this they will grow stingy; and I can use any amount for our friend." Taking up the basket, he carried it to one corner, raised a few leaves, and placed part of the bananas in the clearing, before lightly covering them up, taking the basket back to Archie's side, and placing several of the yellow fruits close to his hand. "I might go to sleep," he thought, "and they will be ready for him." Then settling himself down near the empty water-jar, which he carefully wiped out and turned upside-down to dry, he began to munch his own share of the fruit, making up his mind the while to think out thoroughly a good plan for their escape. "One helephant," he said softly, "two spears, one officer, and one private who knows how to use the spears. Wanted: two krises and how to get away. Well, there's nothing like thinking, so here goes." _ |
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