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Trapped by Malays: A Tale of Bayonet and Kris, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 37. The Doctor's Cartridges |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN. THE DOCTOR'S CARTRIDGES The position of the beleaguered occupants of the Residency grew worse and worse. There had been three different brief despatches from the detachments, but the information conveyed was very small. In each case the commander announced that he was in full pursuit of the Rajah, who had thrown off the mask and taken to the jungle; and after reading the despatches over to the Resident the Major had uttered a grunt and said: "One would think there were three Rajahs instead of one." He had sent replies by native runners, urging upon his subordinates the necessity for an immediate return, so as to strengthen the position of the Residency, and stating that, from news that had come in, it was evident that Rajah Hamet had also thrown off the mask and was waiting, undoubtedly to make an attack in conjunction with Rajah Suleiman. "We shall be hard pressed," he said emphatically, "and I must call upon you to rally at once. Sir Charles is sending a despatch to Singapore, telling of the uneasy state of the native princes, and the sore straits in which we find ourselves; but it will be some time before a messenger can reach the Governor, and Suleiman's men are pressing me hard. As you well know, it must be many days before a gunboat can reach us here." No reply reached headquarters, for, however wanting in generalship Suleiman might have been, he took care that no messengers should pass his people in either direction, and, in fact, the Major's appeal to his officers never reached their hands, and the cunning Malays kept up the appearance of being in full retreat, leading the detachments farther and farther into the intricate mazes of the jungle. Meanwhile it was not only the ammunition that was running out but the provisions. But there was an ample supply in the various stores of the settlement, and these under ordinary circumstances would have been largely supplemented at the little market held by the people of the neighbouring campongs. But after the attack by Suleiman's men not a single native made his appearance, and, as was afterwards proved, no Malay, save at the risk of losing his life, dared to approach the military quarters. "It seems so hard," said the Resident, "that after Dr Morley and I had gone over the matter as we did respecting provisioning the place, we should not have made other arrangements for warehousing our permanent supplies. I felt that, with a strong military force for the protection of the storehouses, nothing more could be done." "No; nobody blames you, Sir Charles, for no foresight could have seen that the place would be denuded of troops, and that the enemy would close us in so completely that no man could approach a ware or store house without risking having a spear in his back." "Ah," said the Doctor, "it's lucky for us all that I beat you, Major, and got my well dug." "Yes, Morley," said the Major sharply; "and no one's more glad than I am. But you needn't tell us all about it quite so often." The Doctor chuckled, for in spite of the terrible demands that were made upon him he was generally in pretty good spirits. "Well, I won't say any more about it, but you military men, who get all the honour and glory, might let your poor doctor have a little bit of praise." "Well, what's to be done? We must have a couple or more sacks of that Indian meal from the store to-day. We cannot sit here and starve. And at the same time more of the necessaries of life, or what we have in time come to consider necessaries, must be obtained for the women and children." "Yes," said the Doctor. "My hands are full with dealing with the wounded. I can't have the poor, starving women coming into hospital to be treated for exhaustion, and the children upon my hands dying like flies." "No," said the Major; "we must call for volunteers, Sir Charles, to cut our way through the enemy to the store." "No, no," said the Doctor; "I forbid that." "Why?" said the Major angrily. "Because it means half-a-dozen or a dozen more wounded men to crowd my hospital." "Hah!" ejaculated the Major. "And I can't spare one." "Then look here," said the Doctor; "call for your volunteers--or for one volunteer at a time. You see, with their cunning and subtlety they know beforehand that we must be ready to do anything to get at the stores, and consequently they keep the strictest watch, with spearmen ready to let fly at any poor wretch who approaches either of the buildings." "Yes, yes, we know that, Doctor," said the Resident peevishly. "Then why don't you meet cunning with cunning?" replied the Doctor. "Surely the Major can pick up some clever, sharp fellow who will crawl in the darkness past the enemy's pickets and bring back something, if it's only one sack of meal." "That would be better than nothing, Doctor.--We'll try; eh, Major?" "Of course; of course." The little council of war was being held in the hottest part of the day, when the attacking enemy seemed to have drawn off for a while amongst the trees, and most of the beleaguered were grouped around in the shadow of veranda and tree to listen to the discussion. "Well," said the Resident, "I can't ask either of my native servants who have been true to us to risk his life for us. We should never see them again, for the enemy would be sure to make an extra effort to spear them." "Quite out of the question, Sir Charles," said the Doctor.--"Now, Major, we must look to you again.--What's that, Mrs Smithers?" "I was only going to say, sir, that my Joe is a big, strong fellow, and he'll volunteer to try and get a sack of flour to-night." "Eh? What's that?" cried the private. "You heard what was said, Joe. What do you mean by shaking your head like that?" "Oh, I'm not the right man," he said. "I can carry my rifle, but I'm an out-and-out bad one at carrying sacks." "Nonsense, Joe," said his wife. "You can do anything that a British soldier can." "Nay, missus," said Smithers; "'tain't in my way at all. If it was my officers wanted a stone jar of rack or a dozen of bottled ale, I might manage 'em, but I'm nowhere with sacks." "Never mind, then," said Mrs Smithers tartly; "I'll go myself." "Nay, you won't," said Joe, shaking his head more hard than ever.--"I'll go, gen'lemen. She wants to be a widow, but I look to you, Doctor, not to let her be if I come to quarters with a sack of meal pinned on to my back with a spear." That night Joe Smithers managed to crawl right round the outskirts of the settlement, got into the store from the other side, and returned by the same circuitous way with a sack of meal and such instructions to his messmates that two more men started at once and foraged with a like success. But that was only a temporary alleviation of the troubles of the beleaguered, and twice over, when off duty, Archie summoned Peter to accompany him to the lower part of the river, where they succeeded, at great risk, in wading off to a boat, fishing for three parts of the night, and returning after very fair success. Then came a day when the enemy had been more energetic than ever, and three more of the Major's little force were carried into hospital suffering badly from spear-wounds, and this just at a time when, in a whisper, the announcement had gone round that there were very few cartridges left. The Doctor had just finished tending his men with the help of Mrs Morley, for Joe Smithers's wife had broken down from being brought face to face with her well-scolded husband, who was carried in by two comrades and laid at her feet. "Oh Joe," she cried, "how could you?" "I didn't, missus. It was one of them ugly, flat-nosed chaps, who managed to put a spear into me; but I give him the bayonet in return. But ain't you going to tie me up?" "Oh, yes, yes, Joe dear!" she cried, hurrying to fetch her lotah and sponge; while the Doctor came up from the other side, frowning severely, and then making a dash to catch the unhappy woman and save her from falling, for poor Mrs Smithers, the strong and never-tiring, had fainted dead away for the first time in her life. The consequence was that the Doctor's wife stood by his side till the last dressing had been applied, and then sat in the veranda to discuss with him a glass of his favourite water and talk in a whisper about the perils of their position. "Yes," said the Doctor; "it's a very bad lookout, my dear. I have seen some bad times, but this is the worst of all, and you have no business here." "Why not, dear?" she said softly. "Because our poor fellows are doing the best they can to protect us, but at any moment one of these savage beasts might make a dash and send his lim-bing flying and hit you." "Isn't it just as risky for you, dear?" said Mrs Morley quietly. "Oh, but I am a doctor, and doctors don't count." "Nor doctors' wives," said Mrs Morley quietly. "I shall stay. Now, tell me, isn't it very strange that neither of the detachments have made their way back?" "No, my dear. They are right out in the jungle, and that explains everything. Perhaps they are being lured farther and farther on by the Rajah; or perhaps," he added to himself, "the poor fellows have been surrounded and speared.--Oh," he added aloud, "we may hear a bugle at any moment, and see the lads come in with a dash. Don't you bother your head about military matters, but help me to bring the wounded round." "I will, dear," said the poor woman quietly; "but tell me this--" "Is it military?" said the Doctor. "No, no, no, no. I was only going to say, have any of the men seen anything of that big fellow, Dula's husband?" "No," said the Doctor. "He and his wife disappeared during the attack, didn't they?" "Yes," said Mrs Morley. "I'm afraid they lost their lives." "Humph! Maybe," said the Doctor. "It is quite enough for them to be seen here with us to bring upon them the enemy's spears. But don't, please, my dear--don't! I've never said a word, but you know that I have felt it as cruelly as you, and I would have done anything to have gone up the river with those two people to try to bring back our poor child." "Yes, yes, I know; and I have tried, dear, to keep my sorrow to myself.--Hush, hush! Here's Archie Maine. Not a word before him." Mrs Morley held out her hand to the young man as he came up, and the Doctor nodded shortly as he saw the lad's contracted, anxious face. "Anything fresh, boy?" said the Doctor. "No; only the old bad news: we are coming down to the last cartridge for the rifles, and we officers have only too few for our revolvers." "Well," said the Doctor, "you know what the Major said. There are the bayonets." "Last cartridges," said Mrs Morley thoughtfully. "Yes, my dear. It's no use to hide anything from you. The poor fellows' pouches are pretty well empty." "Oh, by the way," said Archie quickly, "those three poor fellows who were just brought in--what about their pouches?" "Oh, the bearers pretty well fought for them," said the Doctor bitterly, "and divided the spoil. Two men got one apiece, the other a couple." "But, Henry dear," said the Doctor's wife, laying her hand upon his arm, "what about your double rifle at home?" "Double gun, my dear, and one barrel rifled. I haven't done much sporting with that lately. I was to have a tiger-shoot. But what do you mean? Do you want me to begin potting at the enemy?" "No, dear; I was thinking about the cartridges." "Yes, Doctor," cried Archie excitedly. "You must have a lot of cartridges." "I had four boxes, my lad--two of shot, large and small, and two of ball-cartridges for the tigers. But I haven't the least idea where they are." "But I know, dear--on the store-room floor. I put them there to be dry." "Good girl! But they're no use for our men's rifles." "The powder would be, Doctor," said Archie; "and you might let us have the rifle for one of the men." "Yes, of course," said the Doctor bitterly. "But how are you going to get them here?" "Yes," said Archie thoughtfully; "how are we going to get them here?" "Why, my lad," said the Doctor, "to reach the bungalow you would have to go through a little forest of spears, and if our lads managed to cut you out it would be only another patient for me to heal--if I could," he added softly--"and the one we could least spare." "Poor boy!" said Mrs Morley as Archie went slowly away. "I wish I hadn't mentioned the cartridges. Surely he won't dream of trying to get them?" "Oh no; it's an impossibility. He would never be so mad." "I don't know," said Mrs Morley. "After what has been done by the men in volunteering to fetch in food, he will be offering to make some such dreadful venture." "Then he sha'n't," said the Doctor fiercely, "for I will make it my duty to put the Major on his guard." _ |
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