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Trapped by Malays: A Tale of Bayonet and Kris, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 12. See The Conquering Heroes |
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_ CHAPTER TWELVE. SEE THE CONQUERING HEROES The line closed up, and marched "easy" back towards the upper end of the parade-ground, with not a single stranger to represent the spectators, and, half ironically, they were received by the band with "See, the Conquering Hero Comes." The review and sham-fight were over, and as the officers and weary men were dismissed, and the officers gathered where the ladies and others of the station were assembled, one of the first upon whom they set eyes was the young Rajah Hamet, who had just joined the Resident. "Well, Dallas," said the Major, who was mopping his forehead, "what did you think of our charge?--Ah, Rajah Hamet," he continued, as he caught sight of the young man, who approached to hold out his hand, "what did _you_ think of our sham-fight? Did you see it all?" "Magnificent, sir; every bit." "Where were you?" "Down yonder, sir, in front of my elephants and men." "Then you didn't run?" "No, sir; I have been to Aldershot and seen a review before." "I am afraid we scared your men," said Archie, to whom the young Rajah turned a few minutes later. "Well, wasn't it quite enough to scare them?" replied the Prince. "It seems to me that a body of men, to whatever nation they belonged, would require a good deal of hardening before they would stand firm and receive a bayonet charge." "Yes," replied Archie. "As far as I know, there are not many who can. It was rather comic, though, to see your men run." "Well," replied the young Prince, "I don't think my men ran any faster than Suleiman's." "Not a bit," cried Archie hastily. "I say, I didn't mean to insult you." "Oh, I am not insulted," said the young man quietly. "I should have run too if I had not known that your men would pull up at the last moment. Well, good-bye." "You are not going?" cried Archie. "You will stop and be our guest to-night? You were invited, of course. There are all the sports to come, and the illuminations and fireworks." "Oh no, I must go," said the young Rajah. "I have got to rally my men, and see them safely back." "Well, but some of your officers will do that, and bring them back." "I doubt it," said Hamet, smiling. "If I know my people, they will not stop till they get home." "Oh, surely not! They will all come here again and see the rest of our _file_--and Rajah Suleiman's too." Hamet shook his head. "Some of your people from the campongs, who know you--they may come back, but none of the others." "Well, you stop at any rate." "No," said the young Rajah. "If my people have forsaken me, I must not forsake them. Here, you promised, you know, to come and spend a few days with me, and have some tiger-shooting. When is it to be?" "When my major gives me leave. Stop! Stop now, and ask him. He or Sir Charles Dallas will put you up for the night." "No, Maine; they don't believe in me enough. Somehow they have no faith in me at all, and because I'm Suleiman's enemy--or rather, he is mine, for I have no feeling for or against the fellow--they think that I am opposed to the English, with whom I want to be friends and to get their help to civilise my people. No, I must be off to my boat at once, and try to get in touch with my people as soon as possible. They will keep to the lower elephant-patch, as near to the river as they can. There, try and get leave, old chap. I want you to come. I say, you don't mind my calling you 'old chap'?" "Like it," said Archie, holding out his hand. "I am disappointed, however, for I should have liked you to stay. But hadn't you better try to bring some of your men back?" "No. They wouldn't come now, for fear of being laughed at for being such cowards." "Well, if you must go, you must; but, as I said, I should have liked you to stay. It would have looked so friendly to my people." "I hope they will believe in me some day without that," said the young Malay. "But tell me, if you had been in my place, and seen your people scared away by the English soldiers, would you have stayed?" "No; I'll be hanged if I should," said Archie with energy. "I should have felt too mad." "Thank you," said Hamet. "That sounds frank." "It is frank," said Archie. "But I say, now, tell me: has it made you feel mad against us?" "No-o; only sorry for my people. I want to train them up to know you better, and to be ready to fight with you." "Fight with us?" "Yes; not against you--fight side by side with you, so that you may help me to civilise my folks more, and join us to put down the Malay chiefs like Suleiman." "You don't like Suleiman, then?" "Like him!" said the young man scornfully. "I like no man who cannot stretch out his hand to me and take mine in an honest grasp that I can trust." "Of course," cried Archie. "But then our Resident believes in Suleiman." "Yes, and distrusts me," said the young man rather bitterly. "Well, they think they are right; but we shall see. I say, though, I didn't see that French gentleman with Suleiman's people. I expected he would be mounted upon one of the elephants." "No," said Archie; "he has not been here for the last few days." "Forbidden to come?" said the young man. "No-o," said Archie; "he wouldn't be. He is Rajah Suleiman's friend." "Yes," said Hamet quietly. "That is why I thought he would be here. Do you like him?" "Not a bit," said Archie. "Why?" "Oh, I suppose it was because I dislike him myself. That is all. Good-bye. As we Malays say, _apa boleh booat_." "What is to be will be," said Archie. "Good-bye." The parade-ground remained deserted for quite an hour, and then some of the campong people had regained sufficient courage to begin dribbling back, to be followed by a few of the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages. But not one of the Malays who followed their Rajahs made their appearance. Consequently there was no attempt made to carry out the sports; but on being consulted, the Major gave orders that the illumination of the boats should be encouraged, and the display of rockets and coloured lights should follow; and as this news gradually spread, some of the nearest village people and fisher-folk joined in, to display their lanterns upon their boats, and a pretty fair gathering of the campong people were present as soon as it was dark, it taking very little in so effective a position to light up the river and jungle banks in a most attractive way. The Doctor and his wife and niece, in addition to several of the ladies of the station, dined at the mess that night, so that they might afterwards stroll down to the banks of the river and watch the rockets burst and sprinkle the jungle with their stars; and just as the enjoyment was at its height, and the simple Malay folk kept on bursting out with their ejaculations indicative of delight, the Major went up behind the Resident, who had been chatting with the Doctor and his ladies. "Well, Dallas," he said, "you don't feel nervous now, do you?" "Hush!" was the reply, as the gentleman addressed looked sharply round. "More so than ever. I hope you have got sentries out to command the river approaches to the station?" "Of course I have. But why?" "Because see what an opportunity is offered for those two chiefs to take revenge upon us for what they must consider an insult to their dignity." "My dear sir, you are giving reins to your imagination. They are well on the way now to their homes." "Perhaps so," said the Resident in a low, nervous tone; "but suppose they have made a halt and are only waiting till their scouts have announced to them that we are quite unprepared?" "You are assuming, my dear Dallas, that those two princes are working hand and glove." "Well, you are quite of my way of thinking over that." "Humph! No," said the Major. "I am beginning to think that our lavender-gloved young friend means well by us." "Lavender-gloved young friend!" said the Resident. "Who knows but those soft kid gloves may not be worn to cover the tiger's claws?" "Ah! who knows, my dear Dallas? But it is enough for us to know that if we can produce such an effect with blank cartridge and a sham charge, we have it in our power to protect the station and defend the honour of those we love, by using ball-cartridge and sending our bayonets home." _ |
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