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Trapped by Malays: A Tale of Bayonet and Kris, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 39. A Dark Exploit |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY NINE. A DARK EXPLOIT "It seems so stupid, Pete, going all this way round in the black darkness to get at the bungalow, when ten minutes at the outside would have taken us there." "That's right, Mister Archie. What was it--five hundred yards?" "Somewhere about; but if we had tried to walk there, how far should we have got before we had spears through us?" "About five-and-twenty, sir, or thirty; and then we shouldn't have got the cartridges. But, I say, this is about the darkest dark night I ever remember. Glad I ain't on sentry-go. Can you make out where we are?" "Yes. Can't you?" "No, sir; we come such a long way round. But as far as I can make out, we are somewhere at the back of them big trees where they fed the helephants on Sham-Fight Day." "Yes, I think that's right," whispered Archie, as they knelt together whispering. "But let's get on; we must hit the river somewhere." "Hope so, sir. It will be softer than hitting your head against trees. I did get a poke just now when I went down, and it has made my nose bleed wonderful." "How tiresome! Let's get to the river, and the cold water will soon stop it." "All right, sir." They had been creeping along for the most part on all fours for the past hour since starting, so as to avoid friends and enemies, for they had been expecting at any moment to hear a challenge from one of their own outposts or receive a thrust from a Malay spear. But so far success had attended them, and Peter had just caught hold of his officer's arm to whisper that he could smell the river, but he said instead: "'Ware hawk, Mister Archie!" And the next moment there was a rush of feet, a rough-and-tumble scuffle, the sound of blows, and Archie was down on his knees, panting and trying hard to get his breath silently so that he should not be heard. "It's all over," he thought, "unless I can do it myself. Poor old Pete! I wonder where he is." He crouched a little lower as he heard the rustling of bushes a short distance away, and he did not stir till the sounds died out, when, guessing more than knowing where the river was, he made a slight movement, and felt himself seized by the throat. "You stir, and--" "That you, Pete?" "Mister Archie! My! You have done me good! Let's lie down, put our heads together, and whisper. There were three of them, I think, and one may have stopped back." "It was our fellows, wasn't it?" "Yes, sir; and I know who one of them was. Didn't you get a crack on the back?" "Yes. Drove me forward on my face. I think it was done with a rifle-butt." "That was it, sir. You know who it was--Scotch Mac. He always says 'Hech' when he hits out." "Yes, of course." "Well, wait a bit, sir. Some day I'll pay him back. I'll make him say 'Hech' out louder. Hurt you much, sir?" "Only made my arm feel a bit numb. Stop a minute and listen. What's that?" "A splash!" "Some one rowing?" "Croc, perhaps, sir, with his tail." "Then we are close to the river." "Splendid, Mister Archie! Then it's going to be easy, after all." At the end of a few cautiously taken paces the two lads found their progress arrested by bushes, and they stopped short, trying hard to pierce the gloom; but it seemed darker than ever. "Can you tell where we are, Pete?" whispered Archie, with his lips close to his companion's ear. "No, sir; but take care, or we shall step right off the bank into the water somewhere. Think I might strike a match, sir, and chuck it before us?" "No. If you do we shall be having a spear this time instead of a rifle-butt." "Right, sir; but I don't see how we are going to find a boat unless we wade in and chance it." "Let's get on, and creep through the bushes. It may seem a little lighter close to the water's edge." Hand-in-hand they pressed on, the bushes brushing their faces but yielding easily for a few minutes, and then, as if moved by one impulse, they checked an ejaculation and stood staring straight before them, for all at once a bush they had reached sent forth a little scintillation of light, and as Peter struck out with one hand, he started a fresh sparkle of tiny little lights, as a flight of fire-flies flashed out for a moment, and left the surroundings blacker than ever. "That's done it, sir," whispered Peter. "I saw two quite plain." "I saw quite fifty, Pete," whispered back Archie. "Boats, sir! Stuff--fire-flies!" "Do you mean to say that you saw boats?" "That's right, sir. Just a glimpse--tied up, not half-a-dozen yards out in the river. Come on, sir; I'll lead; only keep hold of hands and be ready to step down into the water. These bushes hang quite over, you know how. Ready, sir?" "Yes." "Then come on." Two or three cautious steps were taken, which disturbed the occupants of one of the clumps of low growth, which sparkled vividly as the nocturnal insects were disturbed, and then the two adventurers were standing breathing hard, hip-deep in the cool water which was flowing by them. "Hear anything, Pete?" "Only the ripple-pipple of the water, sir. You see the boats this time?" "Yes, for a moment, quite plainly, away to your left." "We can reach them easy, sir; but it will get deeper. You must be ready to swim. Say the word, sir, and I will lead." "No, no; I'll go first." "That's wasting time, sir." "Right. Go on." The words had hardly passed the subaltern's lips when he felt a sudden snatch and a wallow in the water as if Peter had stepped out of his depth; but the lad recovered himself directly and stood firm, panting. "All right, sir," he whispered. "Bay'nets!" In his excitement Archie had forgotten the crocodiles, and he now tore the sharp, triangular blade from his belt, his imagination turning the ripple and plap of water against the nearest boat into the movement of an advancing reptile. But all the time, short as it was, Peter, with extended arm, was moving sideways in the direction where the boats had been seen, with the bayonet-holding hand stretched out in the direction of his goal, the other clutching Archie's left with a force that seemed crushing to the owner's fingers. Step after step was taken sideways, with the water each minute growing deeper, and as they passed quite clear of the bushes they had left, the water pressed more and more strongly against their breasts, so that they could hardly keep their feet; while as the darkness above the flowing stream seemed to be growing more transparent, Archie turned his head to gaze back in the direction of the overhanging bushes, in the full expectation of feeling a thrust from a spear, when he felt another sudden snatch and tightened his grasp of his comrade's hand, for Peter had reached deeper water and was borne off his feet, dragging Archie sideways. Then there came a sharp sound as of metal against wood, a splashing or wallowing that suggested the rush of one of the loathsome reptiles, and Peter gasped out in a gurgling way, as if he had been under water: "All right, sir. I've got hold. Let yourself float down, and make a snatch at the side." How it was done Peter did not know, and did not want to. It was enough for him in the darkness that he could feel that his companion had hold of the side of the boat, which had careened over so that the surface of the rippling river was within a few inches of the edge; and there they clung, listening with straining ears, trying to make out whether they had been heard. "It's all right, sir," said Peter softly, as they now rested with their arms over touching the bottom of the boat. "I don't know," said Archie. "I think the stern's covered in. Is anybody on board?" "Like enough, sir; but chance it;" and raising himself with a sudden movement which made a loud wallowing and sent a shudder of horror through his companion, Peter drew himself over the rough gunwale, rolled into the bottom of the boat, in company with a gush of water, and then, bayonet in hand, crept over the thwarts and under the attap-covered stern. "All right, sir," whispered the lad; and he crept to the far side of the boat, trimming it so that it made Archie's task of joining him easier to achieve. "Ready, sir?" "Yes. What about the moorings?" "I was going to cut the rope, sir," whispered Peter, "but I won't. Perhaps it's a grapnel, and we shall want it again." Creeping right to the bows, he began to haul on a roughly made fibre line, which came in readily as the water rippled more loudly against the stem, and the line became more and more perpendicular, till something struck against the frail woodwork of the bows, and, panting with his exertion, Peter drew a little, clumsily made anchor into the big sampan. "That's done it," he whispered. "Hear anything, sir?" "No; but we are floating down." "Lovely, sir. Now then, we shall have to look out, for we mustn't pass the Doctor's garden." _Crack_--_creak_--_scrape_! The two lads dropped at full length into the water that was washing about the bottom of the boat, and lay motionless till they had scraped past a boat that seemed similar to the one they had boarded. But it was evidently unoccupied, and they raised themselves up into a sitting position again, and strained their eyes to gaze in the direction of the shore they had left, where all was perfectly still. Then Archie felt his companion's hand touch his arm. "Talk about a lark, Mister Archie!" whispered Peter. "A lark?" "Yes, sir. I forgot all about the crocs. They must have been asleep." _Plash_--_wallow_! came from just ahead, as there was a slight jar as if something had been encountered, and a tiny shower of water flew over them. "Doesn't seem like it, Pete," said Archie softly. "No, sir; and the brute needn't have done that. I was quite wet enough before. I suppose you are a bit damp?" "Don't, Pete--don't!" whispered Archie. "This is no time for trying to be funny." "All right, sir. I thought it was, for I'm in precious low spirits. Think we can manage to stop opposite the Doctor's garden?" "We must, Pete; but I can make out nothing. I suppose we are a long way above the landing-place." "Oh yes, sir; and perhaps it's all for the best as we can't see, for if we could, whoever's ashore would see us; and that would mean spears, for none of our chaps would be about here." "Look here, Pete, we must both watch; but you get right in the bows with the grapnel in your hand, ready to drop it over silently when I say _Now_!" "Right, sir; but we must have ever so far to go yet, eh?" "I am not sure, Pete." "No, sir; but you will have to chance it." Archie uttered an angry ejaculation, and then clutched sharply at the side of the boat, which shivered from end to end and nearly capsized as it glided up the slanting rope of a larger vessel with which it had come violently in contact. But it righted itself quickly, and scraped along the side, with the lads crouching lower as they listened to the angry, muttering of voices and the scuffling of people moving. But the next minute the river had borne them clear, and the muttering died away. "That must have been a naga, Pete, from the size of it, and having men on board." "Suppose so, sir. I thought it meant a swim for us. But, I say, it must have spoilt somebody's beauty snooze. But look there, sir! That must mean gardens." "What, Pete?" "Can't you see them glow-worm things sparkling?" "Yes." "Well, sir, ain't you going to say _Now_?" "No, Pete. We cannot have passed the big landing-place yet. If we have, only just. Yes, that must be it, and this must be the spot. Oh! if we could only see a spark of light from the Residency we should know where we are." "Yes, sir; but it's no use to look out for lights. Still, we must be getting somewhere near, sir, and I'm ready when you are. I must leave it to you, for you know more about boating on the river than I do. It only seems to me that it can't be long before we shall be opposite the Doctor's beautiful garden and the little steps at the bottom, where you used to land." "Yes, Pete, I must guess, for I can see nothing." "Nor me neither, sir; but don't be huffy because I say what I am going to say." "No. Speak out." "Then just wait, sir, till you think we are as near as we shall get, and then chance it." Archie made no reply as he reached over the side, and, unconscious of the fact that the stream had turned the boat completely round so that she was dropping down now bow foremost instead of stern, he suddenly uttered the word "Now!" and his command was followed by a faint splash and the rattle of the rope passing over the bows, till there was a check, and then they were conscious that the sampan was swinging round again, and Archie uttered a low, groan-like sigh. "What's the matter, sir? Didn't I do it right?" "Right, my lad? Yes, you were right enough, but I was all wrong. The boat has been gliding along stem first, and I have been confused and looking at the farther shore, seeing nothing but the faint twinkle of the fire-flies." "Yes, sir; that's right enough." "No, no; it's wrong enough, my lad. I'm quite lost. I don't know where we are. You will have to haul up the grapnel again." "But what for, sir? She's swung round now right enough, head to stream--and look--look!" he whispered. "I can see trees quite plain. We must be close inshore." "Close inshore; Pete!" "Yes, sir. Can't that be the Doctor's garden?" "Hist!" whispered Archie; and there was a sound as if his companion had given his mouth a pat, for from pretty close at hand there was the low babble of voices. "Hear that, sir?" whispered Peter again. "Our chaps?" "No--Malays." _ |
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