Chapter 4. Guests Or Prisoners?

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_ CHAPTER FOUR. GUESTS OR PRISONERS?

Five more days were passed ascending the river, which by degrees began to display banks that were park-like and densely packed with forest trees. The dismal mangroves had disappeared, and in their place graceful palms shot up and spread their feathered plumes; bamboos rose in clumps like gigantic grasses, and canes swung from branch to branch, and festooned specimens of timber which was often one blaze of colour, and whose petals sprinkled the now bright clear water.

A tiny village was passed at intervals, and from time to time some boat floated by them deeply laden with rice or tea. At night the boat was moored to some tree trunk. The men went ashore, and collected wood and lit a fire for cooking purposes, and then all returned to sleep on board before starting early in the cool misty morning, so as to have some hours' rest in the middle of the day, before the journey was resumed in the evening.

It was a calm and peaceful, even if it were a monotonous little voyage, for, in spite of some object worthy of a naturalist's attention being pointed out, Murray preferred to wait till he was farther on his way before commencing his collecting; and white-plumaged falcon and beautiful long-tailed kingfishers were allowed to fly by unmolested.

"Wait a bit, Ned," he said, "and you shall have your hands full."

The river was now beautiful. It was a broad clear stream, with mountains visible away to the east, wherever an opening occurred in the woods, and it seemed a wonder that so lovely a country should show so seldom that it was inhabited.

At the villages they passed, the people looked peaceful, quiet, and inoffensive, although every man carried a deadly-looking kris in its wooden sheath, thrust in the twisted-up band of the scarf-like silk or cotton sarong, which was wrapped round the middle in the form of a kilt, and with the exception of something worn in the shape of a hat to keep off the sun's piercing rays, this was the only garment many of the people displayed.

They brought fruit when asked, every house having its cluster of fruit-trees about it. In some cases there were cocoa-nuts, but more frequently bananas of two or three kinds, which they parted with for a mere trifle, these forming an admirable addition to the supply of food.

Hamet generally went to market, and came back smiling often enough with a large bunch of the finger-shaped fruit, a bag of rice, and when he was most fortunate in his foraging, a couple of skinny-looking chickens and some eggs.

"Getting tired, Ned?" said Murray, one glorious morning as the men were steadily rowing on, keeping close up to the trees on their right, for the sake of the shade and the slower motion of the stream.

"No, not tired," replied the boy. "It's all too beautiful for one to get tired, but I do feel as if I should like to be doing something. I keep seeing birds I want to shoot, and flowers I should like to pick."

"Then here's news for you, boy. I reckon that we are now well up into the region I wanted to explore, and to-morrow work shall begin in real earnest."

Ned's eyes sparkled. "Begin shooting?"

"Yes, and collecting botanical specimens. There will be no need now to toil up a certain distance every day, and we shall stop at every likely-looking collecting ground to go ashore, and certainly explore every side stream or creek."

"And fish? Hamet says it would be capital if I could catch enough fish for a dinner now and then; and I want to bathe."

"Of course, and you shall try; but there are crocodiles. I have seen two within the past hour, one swimming, and the other lying on a sandbank."

"Why, I saw that," cried Ned; "but it was so still that I concluded it was all fancy, it lay so close, and looked so like the sand and mud. Well, I may fish if I can't bathe, and--well, that does seem curious just as I said that. Look, there are two of the black fellows at it."

"A dark brown and a light brown to be more correct," said Murray, as he looked at a boat some fifty yards ahead of them, where it had just shot round a bend of the smooth stream, with a Malay boy paddling; while another in bright sarong and gay-looking baju or jacket, and a natty little military-looking cap on one side of his head, leaned back trailing a line for some kind of fish.

"I say, you sir," cried Ned loudly, as he noted that the brown-looking boy was about his own age, and that he was watching the newcomers eagerly, "what's the Malay for what you are catching, and how many have you caught?"

For answer the boy gave his line a snatch in, and let it go again, showing his teeth, and laughing heartily.

"Well, you might be civil," said Ned flushing. "I say, Hamet, ask him how many he has caught."

The boatman asked the required question, and received an answer in the Malay tongue.

"He says he has only just begun."

"Well, ask him what sort of fish he catches."

But before the question could be asked, the boy shouted something.

"He says, sahib, are you fond of fishing?"

"Yes, of course," shouted Ned, forgetful of the apparent need of an interpreter.

By this time, the boats had passed each other and the distance was increasing, when there came in good plain English: "I say, where are you going?"

"Up the river," cried Ned in astonishment. "Know any more English? Where do you live? How far is it away from here, and what's your name?"

The boy in the boat threw out his line again, and burst into a shout of laughter, greatly to Ned's annoyance, for it sounded derisive; but there was no opportunity for further attempts at communication, for their boat swept round the bend, and it was plain enough whence the fishers had come, for, beautifully situated in a lake-like curve of the stream, they could see quite a pretentious-looking village with what was evidently a mosque, and just beyond it, a strong-looking stockade. The houses were of exactly the same type as those they had before passed, but in addition there were several of considerable size, whose sides were woven in striking patterns, while dense groves of cocoa, betel, and nipah palms added to the beauty of the scene.

Along the shore a dozen or two of boats were drawn up, while floating alone and doubled in the mirror-like water was a large prahu on whose deck several men were lolling about. Just then a naga or dragon, boat came swiftly from behind it, propelled by a dozen men in yellow jackets and scarlet caps, and three or four showily-costumed Malays could be seen seated and standing in the shade of the awning, which, like that of their own boat, was of palm-leaves or attap, but far more neatly-made.

"What place is this, Hamet?"

"Don't know, sir," he said. "Never been so far. It must be Campong Bukit, and that is one of the rajah's boats."

"What rajah?"

"Rajah of Dah. Great prince."

"Ah, well, we may as well stop and land, and I daresay we can buy some fresh fruit and chickens and rice. What's that?"

"Ibrahim says don't stop--not good place," replied Hamet, for one of the men had whispered to him.

"Oh, but Mr Wilson said this was an important village, and that there were English people here."

The question of stopping or not was soon decided, for by a dexterous turn the dragon boat was swept across them, their way stopped, and one of the Malays beneath the awning shouted something imperiously to the men.

Hamet replied in Malay, while Murray strained his ears to try to pick up the meaning of some of the words, without success, and then turned impatiently to Hamet.

"What do they want?" he said.

"To know who you are, sir, and where you are going."

"Tell him to mind his own business," said Murray, sharply, and to Ned's great delight. "No; it would be uncivil. Tell him I am an English gentleman travelling for my pleasure, and that we are going to land to look at the place and buy provisions."

This was duly interpreted, a fresh answer made, and permission given, the naga being kept close alongside as they all rowed for what proved to be quite a respectable landing-place, that is to say, a roughly-made jetty formed by driving bamboos into the sand and mud.

"Ask him if there are not some English people here," said Murray to Hamet.

"No, uncle, don't. Look there, in front of those trees, there's an Englishman with a white umbrella, and a lady with a parasol. Oh, I say, what a shame; she's using an opera-glass--and you said we were coming up into quite a savage place."

"So I did, Ned," said his uncle, rubbing his ear; "but I can't help it. Civilisation crops up everywhere now, and they say you can't get away from cotton prints and Staffordshire pottery without running up against Sheffield knives."

"But it is so disappointing. I say, look, and there's another lady, and they're going on to that jetty to see us come in. There'll be a steamboat call next, and I daresay there's a railway station somewhere among the trees."

"Never mind, Ned," said Murray, with a comical look of chagrin in his countenance. "We'll only buy what we can and be off again directly. I certainly didn't expect this. Why, there's another Englishman," he said, more loudly than he had intended, for they were close up to the jetty now, and the man of whom he had spoken, a red-faced youngish fellow in flannel shirt and trousers and a straw hat, said loudly:

"Not a bad shot, sor. Make it Oirish, and ye'll be right."

"I beg your pardon," cried Murray, hastily raising his hat, and the salute was returned. "What place is this?"

"Dirthy Bucket, sor. Campong Bukit they call it. Are ye from home lately?"

"From England? Yes."

All this was said as the boat glided along by the bamboo posts, and Murray added hastily: "Perhaps you would not mind helping us. We want to buy some provisions--something to eat."

"Buy something to ate?" said the man, smiling. "Whisht, here's the masther and the ladies.--Here's an English gentleman, sor."

There was rather an angry buzzing here from the dragon boat, as the gentleman with the white umbrella came on to the jetty, the two ladies with him remaining behind, while quite a little crowd of Malays began to collect on the river-bank.

"English gentleman?" said the newcomer. "Glad to see you, sir. From Singapore, I presume!"

"Not just lately; we have been staying at Dindong. We were on our way up the river, and this place seemed a likely one to lay in a store of fresh provisions. Am I right?"

"Perfectly. Come ashore, my dear sir. Your son?"

"Nephew," replied Murray, and Ned bowed stiffly.

"Just as welcome in this savage place. This way; my bungalow is a very little way off."

"But my boat, guns, and the like?"

"Be safe? Tim, jump in and take charge, while the gentlemen come up to tiffin."

"But, sor, there'll be nobody to--"

"Oh, never mind; we'll manage. My factotum, butler, footman, groom, everything," continued the stranger. "Did those fellows bring you in?"

"Not exactly. They showed us the way."

"Hem!" said the stranger, with a dry cough; and he put up his white umbrella again. "Mind the sun?"

"Oh, no; we are getting a bit acclimatised."

"You're lucky then; I'm not. My dears, gentlemen from home. Mr-- Mr--?"

"Murray."

"Mr Murray. My wife and daughter. Oh, by the way, forgot to introduce myself: Barnes, Doctor Barnes, resident physician to His Highness the Rajah of Dah, in whose capital you stand. My dear, Mr Murray and his nephew have kindly consented to take tiffin with us."

"You are very kind," said Murray, hesitating.

"No apologies are necessary," said the elder of the two ladies, rather a yellow, quick-spoken body; and she made as if to take the newcomer's arm. "We are only too glad to see a fresh face--a white one, are we not, Amy?"

"Indeed we are, mamma," said the bright-looking girl addressed, and in a half-amused way, she took Ned's arm as her father went on in front.

"I little thought of seeing English visitors," she continued. "Shall I be impertinent if I ask why you have come so far?"

"Oh no!" said Ned rather brusquely, for he resented the questioning. "Uncle and I have come up on a sporting and natural history trip. We are going on directly."

"Indeed! Then the rajah has given you leave?"

"What rajah? The man here?"

"Yes," said the girl, smiling.

"Oh no! We did not know it was necessary. Uncle will ask him then, I suppose. Does he call it his property?"

The girl looked round at him in surprise,--

"Oh yes; he is the rajah or prince of the country."

"Yes; but I thought all this belonged to the Queen."

"Well, I suppose it does, but our prince here thinks he is as important a person as the queen of England, and does exactly as he likes."

"Oh!"

"You must recollect that we are a very very long way from Singapore here, and, excepting what he has been told of England and her power, the rajah knows very little about our country, and laughs at my father as if he were telling him romances when he talks of our army and ships of war."

"He must be awfully conceited, then."

"He is," said the girl laughing. "I believe he thinks he is the greatest monarch upon earth."

"Then you are the only English people here?"

"Oh no. We have Mr and Mrs Braine and their son, and Mr and Mrs Greig."

"Who are they?"

"Mr Braine is a gentleman papa recommended to the rajah. He wanted some one to advise him and help him to introduce English customs, and to drill his army. Mr Greig is a merchant who lives here to purchase the produce of the country to send down to Singapore. You will see them, I daresay, for they are sure to come in as soon as they know that you are here."

"It all seems very funny. I thought we were coming into quite a wild place where there were elephants and tigers, and great snakes and birds that we could collect."

"Well, it could not be much more wild," said the girl, smiling. "Directly you get past our house the dense jungle begins. We are completely shut in by it, except in the front here by the river. Wild? You will hear the tigers as soon as it is dark."

"But I shall not be here," said Ned, laughing.

"I think you will," said the girl, looking at him curiously.

"Oh no; my uncle has quite made up his mind about what he intends to do, and nothing can change him."

"Indeed! We shall see. Here we are."

They had been passing through the place with its houses dotted about in the most irregular fashion, just as the builders had felt disposed to plant them, and now came upon an attractive-looking bungalow similar in character to the others, and like them raised on bamboo piles seven or eight feet from the ground, but with numberless little additions such as would be made by an Englishman. Notably a high rustic fence enclosing a large garden planted liberally with tropic shrubs and flowers, and a broad flight of steps leading up to a great open verandah which ran nearly along the whole of the front, and over which the attap roof was brought to rest on clusters of bamboo formed into pillars, up which ran and twined in profuse growth passion-flowers and other creepers.

"What a delightful place!" cried Ned. "Why, it's quite a treat to see a good garden. Look at the fruit!"

"Mamma is very proud of the garden, and--"

"Come along, squire," said the doctor, from the head of the steps. "Welcome to the Fernery."

Murray was already seated at a well-spread table, upon which a couple of Malayan women, in neat cotton sarongs woven into an attractive plaid, were placing plates and dishes, and they greeted the newcomers with a look of surprise and a smile.

"There, gentlemen," said the doctor, "you could not have arrived at a more opportune time, but you must excuse all shortcomings. We keep up old English customs as well as we can, and can give you coffee and eggs. No fried bacon, squire," he added laughingly to Ned. "You are where our genial useful old friend the pig is an abomination. Why, it's five years since I've tasted a sausage, or a bit of ham. But we can give you a curry of which I am proud. Eh, my dear?"

"Mr Murray will let a hearty English welcome make up for anything lacking," said the doctor's lady. "He knows that we are in the wilderness."

"A wilderness with bamboo chairs, a table, a clean cloth, glass, plate, napkins, and flowers and fruit," cried Murray. "Why, my dear madam, you forget that we have been picnicking in a boat. There, don't spoil your welcome by apologies!"

Then there was a busy interval during which the greatest justice was done to an excellent meal, and Ned was initiated into the mystery of sambals--tiny saucers of pickle-like and preserve preparations, popular amongst the Malays as appetisers, but quite needless in Ned's case, for he was perfectly independent of anything of the kind, and after his curry and coffee, now the first chill of strangeness had passed, paid plenty of attention to the fruit pressed upon him by the doctor's daughter. Now it was a deliciously-flavoured choice banana with a deep orange skin, now a mangosteen, and then a portion of a great durian, a scrap or two of which he ate with some reluctance.

"Hallo!" said the doctor after a glance at his daughter, "you are not getting on with your durian, sir. Pray take some more; it is our king among fruits."

"I--I am afraid it is not a good one," stammered Ned, looking rather red.

"Eh? not a good one?" cried the doctor, tasting a piece. "Delicious, just in perfect condition. Ah, you have to acquire that taste. Now then, the ladies will excuse us, and we'll have a cigar here in the shade."

He clapped his hands, and one of the Malay women brought a box of manillas.

"No, I don't think I'll smoke," said Murray. "You will not think me rude, but if you will excuse us, and put us in the way of getting what we want, I should be grateful."

"My dear sir," said the doctor, "you must see our other English residents. They are only waiting to give us time to finish our meal, and really you cannot go as yet."

"Indeed!" said Murray, smiling, and noticing that the ladies both looked serious.

"Well, you see," said the doctor rather confusedly--"do pray light a cigar, I'll set you an example--you see there is the rajah."

Ned looked up sharply at the doctor, and then darted a look of intelligence at his daughter.

"What about him?" said Murray abruptly.

"Well, you see," said the doctor, hesitatingly, "he might think--but you are going shooting and collecting, you say?"

"Yes."

"Well, you ought to ask his permission."

"What!" said Murray, laughing. "My dear sir, you talk as if this were a gentleman's estate, and he kept gamekeepers."

"Well, yes," said the doctor, smiling; "it is so on a large scale."

"How far does it extend? We will not begin shooting till we are quite beyond his patch."

"How far?" said the doctor thoughtfully. "Ah, that is a difficult question to answer. It was hard to say before the late encounters with the Rajah of Padang; now the territory is more than doubled. I think you had better send in a request. Ah, here is Braine!"

"And Mrs Braine and Mr Greig," added the doctor's lady, rising from her chair.

This ended the conversation, just when Ned saw that his uncle was growing annoyed at the doctor's opposition to his plans, and he glanced round to see that his neighbour was looking at him intently.

"I thought you would not be able to go away to-day," she whispered, as she rose and went with her mother to meet the visitors at the foot of the steps, the doctor having made an apology and gone too.

"What did that young lady say to you, Ned?" said his uncle in a low tone.

"She thought there would be some difficulty in our going on to-day."

"Oh, nonsense! These people lead an idle life, and they want every one they see to stop and play with them. I don't want to be rude, but we are not going to dawdle about here; and as for this petty chief--all rubbish!"

At that moment a tall stern-looking man, in loose white clothes and a pith helmet, came up the steps. His face was darkened almost to the tint of a Malay's, and he had a quick anxious look in his eyes, which, with his rather hollow cheeks, gave him the aspect of one who had lately been ill. He advanced with open hand.

"Glad to meet you, Mr Murray," he said. "It is a pleasure to see a countryman."

"That speech will do for me too," said a rather harsh voice, and a keen-looking gentleman of about fifty, with his face deeply lined and a quick expression and manner which at once stamped him as shrewd, now shook hands warmly with the new arrivals, while directly after a subdued, handsome-looking woman was led up by the doctor's lady.

"Let me introduce you two," said the hostess. "Mrs Braine is an ardent botanist, Mr Murray, and I'm sure that you will enjoy a chat together. She knows all our flowering plants here by heart."

"I am very pleased to meet Mr Murray," said the newcomer in a sweet sad voice. "I hope he will let me be his guide to some of the nooks on the river-bank, where the jungle can be penetrated."

"I should only be too glad, my dear madam," said Murray; "and I can find no words to express my thanks--our thanks, I should say--for your cordial reception here of a perfect stranger; but my nephew and I have only put in to buy a bag of rice and some fruit to replenish our stores, and we are going on directly."

Murray ceased speaking, and looked sharply from one to the other, for he had seen Mr Braine raise his eyebrows and glance at the doctor and the shrewd keen-looking man. The doctor laughed, and took up the cigar box.

"Have a smoke, Braine?" he said.

"Thanks," was the reply; and the newcomer took a cheroot in the midst of a rather constrained silence.

"I hope I have not said anything wrong," continued Murray, who felt piqued at the manners of those about him, for the ladies began talking together in a subdued tone.

"Oh dear me, no!" said Mr Braine hastily. "You are shooting and collecting, I think?"

"We have not begun yet," replied Murray, quickly; "but that is why we have come."

There was another pause.

"I am afraid you will give me the credit of being somewhat of a bear," continued Murray, "and really, Doctor Barnes, I am most grateful to you and your charming wife and daughter for your hospitality."

"Oh, pray, say no more," said Mrs Barnes. "You confer a favour on us by coming, though you have given us no English news as yet."

"And I am afraid, my dear madam, that I shall have time to give you very little. At the risk of being considered rude, I must ask you to excuse us now."

The doctor frowned and looked at Mr Braine, who glanced in turn at the shrewd elderly man, and he immediately searched for a silver snuff-box, and then spent a great deal of time over taking a pinch.

"Really, gentlemen," said Murray, quickly, "all this is very strange. I can hardly think you credit me with rudeness in being hurried."

"Oh no, Mr Murray, not at all," said the doctor's lady.--"Mr Braine, why do you not explain?"

"Well, really," said that gentleman, "I thought an explanation should come from you as the host and hostess, but I will do my best.--The fact is, Mr Murray, this country is something like the west coast of Scotland in the old days, when every chief had his stronghold."

"Oh yes, I have noted that," said Murray, smiling; "and I see that they have both the plaid and dirk, though you call them sarong and kris."

"Exactly. Well, my dear sir, the chief, rajah, prince, or whatever you like to call him, is omnipotent here."

"Not always, Mr Braine," said the doctor's lady, merrily. "I think my husband rules over the rajah."

"Only when he is ill, my dear, and he is the most refractory patient I ever had."

"And you see there is a certain etiquette to be observed here," continued Mr Braine. "We would do everything we could to help you to procure your provisions, and say God speed to your journey, but we are helpless."

"Indeed!" said Murray, flushing. "You mean that as we have come we must ask the rajah's permission to go: I shall do nothing of the kind. Gentlemen, we will start at once."

Mr Braine made a deprecatory sign,--

"Excuse me," he said. "You speak like one of us--like an Englishman, but my good sir, this is not England, and we are beyond the range of the law courts and the police. I say this is not England, nor is it Singapore. We are not many hundred miles from where the English rule is well in force, but here, to all intents and purposes, we are completely in the power of a barbarous chief."

"But this is absurd!" cried Murray; "surely the Governor of the Straits Settlements would crush out any piece of oppression directly, or any outrage on a British subject."

Mr Braine smiled.

"The British lion is very strong, sir," he said; "but he is well fed and drowsy. He knows that he has only to lift his paw, or perhaps only to lash his tail, to get rid of troublesome animals or stinging insects, but it is very hard to get him to do this. No doubt if Rajah Sadi were to behave very badly, the war-steamer on the station here would come up the river as far as she could, and then send an expedition in boats with plenty of jacks and marines, and perhaps a few soldiers, but not until there had been a great deal of red-tape unwound, declarations sent to and from London, and perhaps a year would have passed before the help came. Then the rajah would be punished, if they could catch him, and his stockade and village be burned. But most probably he would know from his people when the expedition was coming, and mount his elephants with his court, and go right away into the jungle, after sending his prahus and other boats up one of the side-streams where they could hide. Then the expedition would return and so would the rajah; the bamboo houses would be rebuilt, and matters go on just as before."

"You are making out a very bad case, sir," said Murray, biting his lip to keep down his annoyance, "but I shall not hesitate as to my plans."

"You mean that you will go on at once?"

"Certainly," said Murray; "and let them try to stop us if they dare."

"Humph!" said Mr Braine, raising his brows a little. "You doubt then the likelihood of the rajah's people interfering with you?"

"Excuse me for seeming rude to you in my incredulity, but I do doubt this."

Mr Braine smiled again.

"I presume," he said, "that when your boat came up you were boarded by the rajah's naga."

"Yes."

"And you saw that she had a well-armed crew?"

"I noticed that the men all wore their krises, and that spears were hanging in slings from the covered-in part."

"Exactly. That boat boards every vessel that goes up or down the river, and all pay tax or toll to the lord of this district, and have to await his permission before they can stir."

"Then," said Murray, sharply, "you consider that we are prisoners?"

"No; I do not go so far as that, but you are in the realm of a petty independent prince, who is something of a despot, and for your own sake you must submit to the customs of the country."

"But this is ridiculous!" cried Murray, angrily. "Ladies, forgive me for being so abrupt, but people from the old country resent coercion in every form. I'll be as polite to your rajah as a gentleman should be, but I am not going to have my plans upset by a savage. Ned, my lad, we'll see if they dare interfere with us."

"I beg you will do nothing rashly," said Mr Braine, for Murray took a step toward the ladies, and held out his hand smilingly.

"Good-bye," he said frankly. "I am going some distance up the river, but I hope you will let me make your acquaintance again on our return."

"You are not gone yet, Mr Murray," said the doctor, shortly; "and I advise you, sir, to practise prudence for both your sakes. As I expected, here are the rajah's people; I thought that they would not be long." _

Read next: Chapter 5. Before The Rajah

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