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Fire Island, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 35. By The Skin Of Their Teeth |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE. BY THE SKIN OF THEIR TEETH "Murder!" said Wriggs, in a low voice. "That there will be, Billy, if them chaps don't let us alone. Look here, mate, it aren't their island; they lives somewheres else, or they wouldn't want a boat--bah! I don't call them holler logs boats--to get here. Who are they, I should like to know? Just a-cause we're ashore, and can't get our ship afloat they think they're going to do just what they please with us. But we've got guns, Billy, and we know how to use 'em, mate, and if they think as they're going to collar off all there is aboard the _Planet_, they're jolly well out of their reckoning, eh, Billy?" Smith had by this time shifted himself to his messmate's side and was looking at him earnestly, but Wriggs did not stir, he only rested his chin upon his hands and stared hard at the two canoes. "Now, then, d'yer hear what I said?" Wriggs gave a short nod. "Well, say something, then. What'cher thinking about?" "I was a thinking, Tommy, as it warn't no use for you to go on talking, when we ought to be toddlin' back and telling the three gents as we're in a mess." "Well, there is something in that, Billy. What d'yer say, then, shall we run and tell 'em?" "No, Tommy; if we gets up and begins to run, them crystal minstrel chaps'll see us, and come arter us like hooray. We oughter congeal ourselves back again." "How are we to, when there aren't no trees to congeal behind?" "This how," said Wriggs. "I'm off. You foller arter me same way." As soon as he had done speaking, he laid his gun close down by his side and began to roll himself over and over with such rapidity that he was some yards away before Smith thought of imitating his action. "Well, this here is a rum 'un," he grumbled. "I never thought when I come to sea as I should have to turn myself into a garden roller. But one never knows!" He began rolling himself as fast as he could after Wriggs, and at last, after they both had to correct several divergences from their proper course, they approached the two friends, who were seated beneath a tree. "Look, Panton!" cried Drew, excitedly. "What at?" "Those two fellows. They must have found and been eating some poisonous kind of berry. They've gone mad." "More likely been breathing some bad volcanic gas. Here, I say, you two, what's the matter with you?" he cried, as Wriggs rolled close up to him, and stopped to lie with his mouth open, staring, but too giddy to speak. "I thought so," said Drew. "We must get them back to the ship and give them something." At that moment Smith rolled up, and lay giddy and staring. "Here, you two: can't you speak? What's the matter with you?" Wriggs pointed at Smith, as much as to say, "Ask him," and when the friends looked in his direction, Smith nodded at Wriggs. "We must get back," cried Panton. "Ahoy-y-y-y! Lane! Ahoy-y-y-y-y!" he shouted. "Don't, sir! don't!" cried Wriggs, in a choking voice. "Why not?" cried Drew. "What's the matter with you? Here, try and get up." "No, no, sir," they cried in duet. "Then, what is it?" "Niggers, sir," gasped Smith. "Comin' ashore!" "Quick, close under cover!" said Panton, and all crawled under the shade of the nearest tree. "Now, where are they?" said Panton. "You can't see 'em from here, sir, but we saw the whole lot on 'em in two canoes, a comin' on like steam, and they'll be here afore many minutes have gone." "Quick, then!" cried Panton. "Here, you are best at it, Smith. Hail Mr Lane as loudly as you can." The man stared at him. "Hail him, sir, with that there lot o' black ruffyians just landing! Why, it's saying to 'em, 'Here we are, my lads; come an' catch us.'" "Of course! You are right," cried Panton, excitedly, as he stood wiping his face. "But what are we to do?" "Two of us must try and track him," said Drew. "Do you think they heard me shouting before?" "Dunno, sir. On'y hope as they didn't, that's all, sir," said Wriggs. "Perhaps they did not," said Drew, hurriedly. "But look here, Lane can't have gone far, he was too weak to make much of a journey. Here, Wriggs, come with me. You two keep quite close in hiding." At that moment from one of the trees at the edge of the forest, there rang out the hoarse, cawing cry of one of the paradise birds, and directly after they saw that a little flock had taken flight, and were crossing the open land to make for the forest, far away toward the slope of the mountain. A sudden thought inspired Drew, and signing to his companions, he put his hands close to his lips and gave vent to a very fair imitation of the bird's note. In fact, so close was it, that they saw a couple of birds in the little flock wheel round and come back over their heads, till evidently detecting that it was a deceit, they flew off again. "There; what's the good of that, man?" cried Panton, angrily. "You couldn't deceive them." "No, but I may trick poor Lane. He'll think it is some of the birds, and come back eagerly to try and shoot one." "Bah!" ejaculated Panton; but Drew took no heed of his impatient, angry manner. Putting his hands to his mouth again, he produced a capital imitation of the bird's call note, and then stood listening. There was no rustling of the undergrowth, though, nor sign of an eager white face peering out of the dim twilight among the great shadowy tree-trunks, but a noise arose from the distance, which sent a thrill through every one present, and made all strain their ears in the direction of the shore, for it was the murmur of a crowd. It was a strange, awe-inspiring sound, suggesting a horrible death at the hands of merciless savages, and, acting under one impulse, the two sailors glanced at Panton, and Drew saw plainly enough their startled look of horror, as they turned and ran as hard as they could go back along the edge of the forest toward the brig. "The cowardly hounds!" said Panton, between his teeth, and he involuntarily cocked his gun. "I could find it in my heart to send a charge of shot after them." "Let them go," cried Drew, bitterly. "We must hide here in the forest. They will warn Mr Rimmer, and perhaps it's best." He finished his speech with the loud _wok, wok, wawk_ again. "Do stop that abominable row," cried Panton, whom the weakness had made irritable. "You'll bring the niggers straight to us." "I sha'n't stop it," said Drew, coolly, and he repeated the call. "There!" he cried triumphantly, "that was it, exactly." "Pish!" said Panton. "I told you so," said Drew, excitedly, as the murmur of the approaching Papuans came nearer, and at the same moment there was a rushing of wings, as half a dozen large birds perched in one of the trees and gave proof of the exactitude of the botanist's imitation by answering loudly, as if to say, "Who was it called?" Meanwhile Smith and Wriggs had run as hard as they could go for about a hundred and fifty yards, and then, once more moved by the same impulse, they pulled up short. "Woa hoa! Woa ho a ho!" said Smith, in a deep, smothered voice. "Avast below there," cried Wriggs, panting hard. "Stopped 'em at last, Billy," said Smith. "Ay, and mine too, Tommy; I never see such a cowardly pair o' legs afore, did you?" "Yes, matey, mine's the worstest, for they begun it and started yourn. Think on 'em, running away and taking us along with 'em, leaving one's officers in the lurch like that." "Ay, 'nuff to make a man wish as they was wooden legs, Tommy, eh?" "Or cork, messmet. But don't jaw, Billy. Let 'em have it. Make the beggars run as they never run afore. Come on back again." The two men took hold of hands and ran back as hard as ever they could go to where Panton and Drew were standing, and as they came up the flock of Paradise birds flew off again, and the murmur of the Papuans' voices sounded very near. "Then you thought better of it," said Panton, fiercely. "Nay, sir, never thought at all," replied Smith, stolidly. "Did you ever see two pair of such legs as these here?" and he gave his thighs each a tremendous slap, Wriggs following his example. "What do you mean?" said Panton, roughly. "_Wawk, wawk, wawk, wawk, wawk_!" cried Drew, with his face turned to the forest. "That we didn't, sir," said Smith, indignantly. "They took the bit in their teeth and bolted just like hosses, and run; there warn't no walk about it, or I wouldn't ha' minded it so much. But we pulled up as soon as we could, didn't we, Billy?" "Ay, mate, that's so," growled Wriggs. "But hadn't we better stow under kiver? Them charcoal chaps is getting precious nigh." "What! are you going to stop?" said Panton. "Yes, sir, course we is," said Smith, in an ill-used way. "We couldn't help it if our legs warn't under control. You don't know, p'raps, but I do, and Billy Wriggs too, what trouble a man's legs'll get him in. Why, I've known Billy's legs take him ashore to a public-house, and then they've got in such a nasty state o' what Mr Rimmer calls tossication, that they couldn't stand. Didn't they, Billy?" "Ay, Tommy, they did, lad," growled Wriggs; "but speak the truth, messmate, and don't keep nought back. Yourn was just as bad." "Wuss, Billy, ever so much, and I was quite ashamed to take 'em on board again. Oh, murder! Look-ye there!" Smith exclaimed, in a hoarse whisper, and he dropped down flat. "Legs again!" growled Wriggs, following his example, one that the others were not slow to adopt, for all at once the heads of several spears came into view, and hardly had the little party crept well under cover before there was a sudden burst of voices, and they could see the black faces of a crowd of Papuans advancing. There was very little cover, and, to the horror of all, they saw and heard that the enemy had what the military would term flankers out, in shape of a couple of men at each end of their line; and while the main body kept along out in the open, the scouts at the right forced their way through the undergrowth and among the trees at the edge of the forest. Those were crucial minutes, and both Panton and Drew felt that at any moment they might be seen, for two naked figures came nearer and nearer through the trees, till their white eyeballs and glistening teeth could be seen plainly, and as Panton crouched there, with his piece convulsively clutched in his hands, he felt certain that one of the men saw him plainly, and was striding to get nearer, so as to be within reach for a deadly thrust with his spear. On and on he came, glaring straight before him, holding his weapon carefully poised, and in utter ignorance of how near he was to death, for at the slightest gesture Panton would have drawn trigger and shot the savage in his track, a charge of bird shot at so short a distance being as effectual as a bullet. "It will be an enemy the less," he thought, and at one instant he had determined upon firing and making sure before the man thrust at him with his spear. Just then there was a faint crack as of a twig being sharply broken, and the savage turned quickly round to stand in an attitude of attention, poised spear in one hand, bow and arrows in the other, ready to throw or strike as the need might be. Panton and his companions lay and crouched there, breathlessly, all trembling with excitement, not with dread. For the same thought as now invaded Panton's breast came to Drew's--that it was Oliver Lane, attracted by the imitation of the bird's cry, making his way back into a horrible trap. As if moved by the same muscles, two barrels rose slowly to a horizontal position, and fingers were upon triggers ready to press the mechanism and pour the deadly contents into the savage the moment he raised his hand to strike or took step forward to get a better aim. Never was man nearer death, for all thought of the danger to self was non-existent. All the two young men had in their minds was that poor Oliver Lane must be saved, and, if guns had carried truly, the black would have fallen. The shots would have brought the enemy upon them with a rush, but neither thought of that, and so they waited, watching the naked back of the savage, above which appeared his head, with the hair gummed and matted out to a tremendous size, somewhat resembling the cap of a grenadier officer, though looking larger in the forest gloom. But no further token of another presence was heard, and after waiting, watchful and alert, for the next sound, the savage looked about keenly, and then turned, gave a sharp look round, and continued his course, seeming as if; with all his acuteness, the cracking stick had so taken off his attention that he completely overlooked the danger within a few yards of where he stood. Just then there was a low call from the main body of the enemy, which the man answered, and the next minute he had, with his companions, passed on out of sight, leaving the hidden party at liberty to breathe freely. _ |
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