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Among Malay Pirates And Other Tales Of Adventure And

Peril

G. A. Henty

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Title: Among Malay Pirates

And Other Tales Of Adventure And Peril

Author: G. A. Henty

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AMONG MALAY PIRATES

A TALE OF ADVENTURE AND PERIL

by G. A. Henty.

CHAPTER I.

"I wish most heartily that something would happen," Harry Parkhurst,

a midshipman of some sixteen years of age, said to his chum, Dick

Balderson, as they leaned on the rail of her majesty's gunboat

Serpent, and looked gloomily at the turbid stream that rolled past

the ship as she lay at anchor.

"One day is just like another--one is in a state of perspiration

from morning till night, and from night till morning. There seems

to be always a mist upon the water; and if it were not that we

get up steam every three or four days and run out for twenty-four

hours for a breath of fresh air, I believe that we should be all

eaten up with fever in no time. Of course, they are always talking.

of Malay pirates up the river kicking up a row; but it never seems

to come off."

"There is one thing, Harry--there is always something to look

at, for there are canoes constantly going up and down, and there

is plenty of variety among them--from the sluggish dhows, laden

with up country produce, to the long canoes with a score of paddlers

and some picturesque ruffian sitting in the stern. It adds to the

interest when you know that the crews are cutthroats to a man, and

would make but the shortest possible work of you if they had got

you in their power."

"Yes, Dick. Look at that canoe coming up stream; what a good looking

chap that is in the stern, though by the way he scowls at us I can

quite believe he would, as you say, cut our throats if he had the

chance. That is a pretty little child sitting by him, and what a

gorgeous dress she has! There, you see, he can look pleasant enough

when he speaks to her. I fancy they must have come from a long way

up the river, for they look wilder than most of the fellows who

pass us. If that fool who is steering her does not mind what he

is about, Dick, he will either run into that canoe coming down or

else get across our chain. There, I told you so."

The man at the tiller was in fact, looking, with mingled curiosity

and hostility, at the gunboat that he was passing but a few yards

away, and did not notice a canoe, manned by six rowers, that was

coming down with the stream, taking an oblique course across the

bows of the Serpent, and was indeed hidden from his view by the

hull of the vessel, until he had passed beyond her. Then there was

a sudden shout and a yell from a dozen throats, as the two canoes

came into collision, the one proceeding up the river being struck

on the quarter with a force that almost cut her in two, and in an

instant her occupants were in the water. As the Malays were to a

man almost as much at home in the water as on land, the accident

would have had little effect beyond the loss of the boat and its

contents, had it not been that the stern of the other craft struck

the Malay chief with such force as to completely disable him, and

ads:

he would have sunk at once had not two of the boatmen grasped him

and kept his head above water.

"What has become of the child?" Harry Parkhurst exclaimed, and he

and Dick Balderson both leaped on to the rail, throwing off their

jackets as they shouted to the men to lower a boat. Nothing could

be seen of the child until, after half a minute's suspense, a little

face suddenly appeared in the swirl of the muddy water some fifteen

yards from the vessel's side. It was gone again in an instant,

but, as it disappeared, both lads sprang from the side and with a

few strokes reached the spot where they had seen the face disappear;

then they dived under water and soon grasped her. As soon as they

came to the surface a sailor, who had seized a coil of rope, flung

it to them, and, grasping it, they were quickly by the side of the

gunboat.

A minute later some sailors, who had at once tumbled into a boat

on the alarm being given, came up. The child was first handed into

it, then the midshipmen scrambled in, and, by their directions,

two of the sailors, standing on the thwarts, lifted the child high

above their heads to the hands of the men leaning over the bulwark.

"Take the little thing to the doctor," Dick said. "Now, lads, row

on; let's pick up some of those Malay fellows."

A babel of shouts and sounds rose from the water; the bow of the

second canoe had been stove in, and she also had sunk to the water

level; a fierce fight was going on between several of the Malays;

the chief, who was being supported by two of his crew, was shouting

furiously; and others of his men, in obedience to his orders, were

diving under water. Harry turned to the gunboat, and called to the

men to bring Soh Hay, the interpreter, to the side. A minute later

the man was hustled to the rail.

"Tell that chief that we have got his child safely on board," Harry

shouted.

Again and again the interpreter called out; but it was some time

before he could make the chief pay attention to him. As the latter

caught the purport of his words his face changed at once, and, after

calling to his men to desist from their search, his head sank on

to the shoulder of one of the men supporting him, and he evidently

lost consciousness.

"He is badly hurt, Dick; we had better get him on board, too. Old

Horsley was wishing this morning that he had something to do beyond

administering doses of quinine to the men."

Taking the tiller, he brought the boat alongside the chief, and

four of the sailors, directed by Dick, gently raised him from the

water and laid him on the bottom of the boat. Blood was flowing

freely from an ugly gash in his face, and it was evident from the

manner in which his left arm hung limp, as they lifted him up, that

either the shoulder or the arm itself was broken.

"Get him alongside at once, lads," Dick said. "I expect he is more

injured than we see. The other fellows will be all right; they can

all swim like fish."

In two or three minutes the injured man was laid down under an

awning over the fore deck of the cruiser, and the surgeon at once

came up.

"How is the child, Doctor?"

"She is still insensible," he said, "but she will soon be all

right. I can't discover any injury, and I think it likely that it

was the sudden shock, and perhaps a knock against the side of the

boat, that stunned her; for I have no doubt she could swim, small

as she is. This is a much more serious affair; he has an ugly gash

in his temple, his collarbone is broken, and," he went on, as he

passed his hands down the patient's side, "he has two, if not more

ribs broken."

"Well, we will leave him to you, Doctor; there are a lot of these

fellows in the water, and I suppose they must be brought on board

until we can get a boat to take them ashore."

In a few minutes eighteen Malays were brought to the side, and the

two canoes, which were floating level with the water, were towed

up and fastened by a rope to the stern of the gunboat. Even when

safely on deck, the two parties were still so infuriated that they

had to be separated and placed under guards apart from each other.

Three or four had been killed by the stabs of the deadly krises,

and their bodies could be seen floating astern. Several of those

rescued had wounds more or less severe.

"We should not have much chance with those fellows in the water,

Mr. Parkhurst," an old sailor said to Harry.

"No, indeed, Davis; they could swim round and round us, and our

cutlasses would be very little good against those ugly looking

krises. If we were to leave them to themselves, they would fight

to the death; and, after all, it was no one's fault in particular.

Mr. Balderson and I were watching them; one was crossing the ship's

bow just as the other came out from her side, and they were into

each other before either had time to hold their boat up."

"That chap the doctor is bandaging up was in a nice taking about his

child, sir; it was a lucky job that you and Mr. Balderson happened

to catch sight of her."

"Yes, poor little thing! It was only just a glimpse we got of her

face; but as we were looking for her, and ready to dive, it was

enough."

"Lucky we are inside the bar, Mr. Parkhurst, or the sharks would

have had half the fellows."

"I did not think of it at the time, Davis, and it would not have

made any difference if I had; we were only in the water a couple of

minutes, and the Malays were making noise enough to frighten away

any number of sharks. You will have the job of washing out our

trousers again--we had only put them on clean half an hour before."

"That aint no matter, sir, especially if you go down and change at

once; the mud will come out easy enough if I leave them in a bucket

of fresh water for half an hour."

The two midshipmen joined the group of officers who were standing

near the doctor; the latter had, on closer examination, announced

that four of the ribs were broken. He had finished his work just

as the lads came up. News had been brought up by the steward that

the little girl had opened her eyes; while he was speaking, the

Malay conversed rapidly with the interpreter.

"What is he saying, Soh Hay?" the captain asked.

"He is asking why his daughter is not here, and if she is hurt, and

how she came to be saved," the man replied. "Me tell him she come

up to see him soon; the doctor say she no hurt."

Two minutes later the doctor reappeared, carrying the child in his

arms. She looked round fearlessly at the white faces until her eye

fell upon her father, when she slipped out of the doctor's arms

like an eel and ran to him. The grim features of the Malay lit up

with a pleasant smile as he held out his right hand to her. She was

a strange little figure, for the doctor had not waited to obtain

any suitable garments for her, but had wrapped her up in one of

the signal flags, which the child herself had wound round her waist

and over her shoulder like a native sarong.

"You tell him, Soh Hay, that he must not talk to her," the doctor

said. "If he keeps quiet, he will get well in short time: if he

talk, he ill many days; but I will let him say a few words to her

now."

The Malay's eyes passed over the group of officers and rested on

the two midshipmen, whose wet clothes showed that they were the

officers who had, as the interpreter had told him, dived in and

rescued the child. He said something to the interpreter.

"Malay man want to speak to you, young gentlemen," the man said;

"he wish to thank you."

"Oh, tell him there is nothing to thank us for," Harry said hastily;

"it was nothing more than taking a bath."

"Yes, officer, but he wishes to speak to you."

Somewhat reluctantly, the two lads approached the side of the

injured man; he took each of them by the hand, and, as he did so,

said something which Soh Hay interpreted:

"The chief says that you have given him back what he loved best in

the world, and that his life is yours whenever it may be of use to

you; he may be of service to you, gentlemen, should you ever go up

the river--a Malay never forgives an injury or forgets a service."

"Tell him we are very glad to have brought his little girl out of

the water," Harry said, "and that if we ever go up the river, we

will pay him a visit."

The chief was now laid in a cot which was swung from the stanchions of

the awning, while the little girl was carried away by the doctor,

who laid her in a berth, gave her a cup of tea, which she drank

obediently to his orders, but evidently regarded as being extremely

nasty, and she was then told through the interpreter to go to

sleep until her sarong was dried. A couple of hours later she was

on deck again in her native garb and ornaments. The interpreter

pointed out to her the two midshipmen who had rescued her, and

she at once went up to them, and, slipping her hands into theirs,

began to prattle freely; they were unable to understand what she

said, but they took her round the ship, showing her the guns, and

introduced her to Ponto, the captain's great Newfoundland, who

submitted gravely to be patted by her; to Jacko, the monkey, who

was by no means disposed to be friendly, but chattered and showed

his teeth; and to Julius Caesar, the negro cook, who grinned from

ear to ear, and presented her with some cakes from a batch which

he had just made for the captain's table.

The rest of the Malays had already left the ship; two native boats

had been hailed, and in these the two parties of Malays had taken

their places, and, with their boats towing behind, had been rowed

away, the captain giving strict instructions that they were to be

landed on opposite sides of the river. The little maid speedily

became a general pet on board the Serpent, and was soon the proud

possessor of several models of ships, two patchwork quilts, several

carved tobacco boxes, and other specimens of sailors' handiwork. Small

as she was, she had evidently a strong idea of her own importance,

and received these presents and attentions with a pretty air of

dignity which at once earned for her the title of the Princess.

On the second day after the accident, the chief's boat came off

from the shore, the damage having been speedily and neatly repaired.

Little Bahi stood on the top of the accommodation ladder as they

approached, and addressed them with great asperity, using much

gesticulation with her arms.

"What is she saying, Soh Hay?" Dick Balderson asked.

"She is telling them that they are bad men to let the boat be

run down; that she is very angry with them, and they will all be

punished."

'The men looked very crestfallen under their little mistress'

reproaches, and held up their hands in a deprecating manner; while

the helmsman stood up and, after salaaming deeply, entered upon a

long explanation, which ended in his asking if he might come on board

to see his chief. Permission was at once granted by the captain,

upon the request being interpreted to him. When he mounted the

steps, Bahi led him to the side of her father's cot. The doctor,

however, interposed.

"Tell him he must not talk," he said to the interpreter; "the chief

is ill and must not be allowed to excite himself. But he can say

a few words, if he wants to."

The cot had been lowered to within a few inches of the deck in order

that the chief might watch his daughter as she trotted about and

romped with Ponto, who had now quite taken her into his friendship.

The chief's face expressed alarm when he first saw the great dog;

but when he saw how gentle the animal was, and how, when one of the

sailors placed the child on his back, it walked gravely up and down

the deck, wagging its tail as if pleased with its novel burden, he

was satisfied that no harm could come to her from this formidable

looking animal. He had first spoken a few words sharply to the

man in answer to his excuses, and, indeed, had the helmsman been

minding his business instead of looking at the ship, the collision

might have been prevented; but Hassan Jebash was at the present

moment so well contented with the recovery of his child that he

accepted the man's excuses, and the latter went back to his boat

evidently greatly relieved.

In a few days the chief began to show signs of impatience, and

through the interpreter constantly demanded of the doctor when he

would be well enough to leave.

"You ask him, Soh Hay, whether he wishes to be able to lead his

tribe in battle again, or to go through life unable to use a kris

or hurl a spear. In another ten days, if he remains quiet, he will

be able to go, and in a couple of months will be as strong and

active as ever, if he will but keep quiet until the bones have

knit. Surely a chief is not like an impatient child, ready to risk

everything for the sake of avoiding a little trouble."

The chief, on this being translated to him, scowled angrily.

"Tell him it is of no use his scowling at me, Soh Hay. I am not

doctoring him for my own amusement, but for his good, and because

he is the father of that little child."

The chief, when this was translated to him, lay without speaking

for two or three minutes, and then said quietly, "Tell the doctor

I am sorry; he is right, and I have been foolish. I will stay till

he says I may go."

CHAPTER II.

Four or five days later the chief was allowed to get up and to

walk quietly up and down the deck, and a week afterwards the doctor

said, "You can go now, chief, if you desire it; but you must be

content to keep quiet for another couple of months, and not make

any great exertions or move quickly. How long will it take you to

go up the river to your home?"

"Six days' easy paddling."

"Well, that is in your favor; but do not travel fast. Take it quietly,

and be as long as you can on the voyage--lying in a canoe is as

good a rest as you can take."

"Thank you, Doctor, I will obey your instructions. You have all been

very kind to me, and a Malay chief never forgets benefits. I have

been hostile to the white men, but now I see I have been mistaken,

and that you are good and kind. Is it true that your boat is going

up the river? Soh Hay tells me that it is so."

"Yes; one of the chiefs, Sehi Pandash, wishes to place himself

under our protection, and he has sent to ask that the ship might

go up and fire her big guns, that the tribes round may see that he

has strong friends who can help him."

"It is two days' rowing up the river to my place from his, and

when you are there I shall come down to see you. Sehi is not a good

chief; he quarrels with his neighbors, and shelters their slaves

who run away to him; he is not a good man."

"Well, we shall all be glad to see you, chief, and I hope that you

will bring your daughter with you. She has won all our hearts, and

we shall miss her sadly."

"I will bring her if I can do so safely," the chief said gravely;

"but I am no friends with Sehi; he stops my trade as it comes down

the river, and takes payment for all goods that pass down. It is

because he knows that many of us are angered that he wishes to put

himself under your protection. I think that you do not do well to

aid so bad a fellow."

"We did not know that he was a bad fellow, chief. The best plan

will be for you and the other chiefs who are aggrieved to send down

complaints against him, or to come down yourselves when we are up

there and talk it over with our Captain, who will doubtless impress

upon Sehi the necessity for abstaining from such practices, and

that he cannot expect aid from us if he embroils himself with his

neighbors by interfering with their trade. Is he strong?"

"He has many war prahus, which sometimes come down to the sea and

return with plunder, either collected from the cultivators near

the coast or from trading ships captured and burnt."

"I will mention what you tell me to the Captain, and it will prepare

him to listen to any complaint that may be made to him. But you must

remember that he is only acting under the orders of the Governor

of the Straits Settlements, and must refer all important matters

to him."

"I will come when you are there," Hassan said gravely. "If nothing

is done, there will be war."

There was general regret on board the Serpent when the little princess

said goodby to all her friends and went down the accommodation

ladder to the boat with her father. The chief had said but little

to the two young midshipmen, for he saw that they preferred that

the matter should not be alluded to, but he held their hands at

parting, and said:

"I shall see you again before long; but if at any time you should

want me, I will come, even if your summons reach me in the middle

of a battle."

"It is such nonsense, Doctor," Harry said, as the boat pushed off,

"to have so much made of such a thing as jumping into the water.

If one had been alone, and had tried to save a man or a woman, in

such a state of funk that there was a good chance of their throwing

their arms round your neck and pulling you down with them, there

might be something in it, though everyone takes his chance of that

when he jumps in to save anyone from drowning; but with a little

child, and two of us to do it, and the ship close at hand, it was

not worth thinking of for a moment."

"No, Parkhurst, from your point of view the thing was not, as you

say, worth giving a thought to; but, you see, that is not the point

of view of the chief. To him it is nothing whether your exploit

was a gallant one or not, or whether you ran any danger; the point

simply is, his child would have been drowned had you not seen her

and fished her out, and that it is to you that he owes her life.

I think you have reason to congratulate yourselves on having made

a friend who may be very useful to you. It may be that there will

be trouble up the river; and if so, he might possibly be of real

service to you. But in any case he may be able to give you some good

hunting and fishing, and show you things that you would never have

had an opportunity of seeing without his friendship and assistance."

"I did not think of that, Doctor; yes, that would certainly be a

great thing."

"I can assure you I look at it in that light myself, Parkhurst, and

I am looking forward to paying him a visit, as, under his protection,

I should get opportunities of collecting which I could never have

in the ordinary way; for, unless they are greatly maligned, one

could not trust one's self among the Malays without some special

protection."

"But they are not savages, Doctor. Hassan is a perfect gentleman

in manner, and in that silk jacket of his and handsome sarong he

really looks like a prince. I could not help thinking that all of

us looked poor creatures by his side."

"They certainly cannot be called savages, though from our point of

view many of their customs are of a very savage nature. Piracy is

very general among those living on the seacoast or on the great

rivers; but it must be remembered that it is not so very many

centuries ago that a toll was demanded of all passersby by the

barons having castles on the Rhine and other navigable rivers; the

crews of wrecked ships were plundered on every coast of Europe, our

own included, not so very long ago; and in the days of Elizabeth,

Drake and Hawkins were regarded by the Spaniards as pirates of

the worst class, and I fear that there was a good deal of justice

in the accusation. But the Malays are people with a history; they

believe themselves that they were the original inhabitants of

the island of Sumatra; however, it is certain that in the twelfth

century they had extended their rule over the whole of that island

and many of its neighbors, and in the thirteenth had established

themselves on this peninsula and had founded an empire extending

over the greater part of the islands down to the coast of Australia.

They had by this time acquired the civilization of India, and their

sultans were powerful monarchs. They carried on a great trade with

China, Hindoostan, and Siam, and their maritime code was regulated

and confirmed, as early as 1276, by Mohammed Shah."

"How is it that they have come to such grief, Doctor?"

"Principally by the fact that they had the feudal, or you may call

it the tribal, system. Each petty chief and his followers made

war on his neighbors if he was strong enough; and as some tribes

conquered others, the empire became split up into an indefinite

number of clans, whose chiefs paid but a very nominal allegiance

to the sultan. So islands broke off from the empire until it had

practically ceased to exist, and the Malays were a people united

only by similar customs and language, but in no other respect, and

were, therefore, able to offer but slight resistance on the arrival

of the Dutch and Portuguese in these regions. Still, the upper

classes preserve the memory of their former greatness. The people

are intelligent, and most of the trade in this part of the world

is carried on by them. They are enterprising, and ready to emigrate

if they see a chance of improving their fortunes. You know we saw

many of them at the Cape when we touched there. Nominally they

are Mohammedans in religion; but they do not strictly observe the

ordinances of the Koran, and their Mohammedanism is mixed up with

traces of their original religion."

"Ah, that explains why the chief's name was Hassan. I wondered

that a Malay should have a Mohammedan name. They are not much like

Arabs in figure. Of course, Hassan is a very fine looking man, and

some of the other chiefs we saw at Penang were so; but most of them

are shorter than we are, and very ugly."

"Yes, in figure and some other points they much resemble the Burmese,

who are probably blood relations of theirs. The chiefs are finer

men, as you will always find in the case in savage or semi savage

peoples, for, of course, they have the pick of the women, and

naturally choose the best looking. Their food, too, is better and

their work less rough than that of the people at large.

"The sons and daughters of the chiefs naturally intermarry, and

the result is that in most cases you will find the upper classes

taller, better formed, lighter in color, and of greater intelligence

than the rest of the people. This would be specially the case in a

trading people like the Malays; their ships would bring over girls

purchased in India, just as the ruling classes in Turkey used to

obtain their wives from Circassia; and this, no doubt, has helped

to modify the original Malay type."

"Thank you, Doctor; I think I shall like the Malays now I know

something about them. Is it true that they are so treacherous?"

"I don't know, Parkhurst; doubtless they are treacherous in their

wars; that is to say that they consider any means fair to deceive

an enemy; but I do not think that they are so, beyond that. The

Dutch have never had any very great difficulty with them, nor have

we in the portion of the peninsula where we have established our

rule. Of course, I know little about them myself, as I have only

been out here a few months; but I am told that as traders they can

be trusted, and that the word of a Malay chief can be taken with

absolute confidence. Of course, among the majority of the people of

the peninsula we are regarded with jealousy and hostility--they

dread that we should extend our dominion over them, and it is not

surprising that they should by every means in their power strive

to prevent our coming far inland. The chiefs on the rivers are, as

a rule, specially hostile.

"In the first place, because their towns and villages are

more accessible to us, and they know more of our power than those

dwelling in the hill country; and, secondly, because they depend

largely upon the revenue that they derive from taxing all goods

passing up and down, and which they not unreasonably think they

might lose if we were to become paramount. No doubt there is much

that Hassan said of Sehi that is true and is applicable to other

chiefs who have placed themselves under our protection--namely,

that they have so injured trade by their exactions as to incur the

hostility of their neighbors. Of course, I am not speaking of such

men as the Rajahs of Johore and Perac, who are enlightened men,

and have seen the benefits to be derived from intercourse with us.

Their people are agriculturists, and they are really on a par with

the protected states in India.

"There is a great future before the country; gold is found in many

of the rivers, tin is probably more abundant than in any other

part of the world, and the exports are now very large; there are

immense quantities of valuable timber, such as teak, sandalwood,

and ebony. The climate is, except on the low land near the rivers,

very healthy; nutmegs, cloves, and other spices can be grown there,

and indigo, chocolate, pepper, opium, the sugarcane, coffee, and

cotton, are all successfully cultivated. Some day, probably, the

whole peninsula will fall under our protection, and when the constant

tribal feuds are put a stop to, the forests cleared, and the ground

cultivated, as is the case in our own settlement of Malacca, it will

be found one of the most valuable of our possessions. Any amount

of labor can be obtained from China, and it is probable that the

races who inhabit the mountainous districts, who are said to be

industrious and peaceable, will also readily adapt themselves to

the changed conditions. They are not Malays like the people of the

lowlands, but are a black race with curly wool, like the natives

of Africa, and probably inhabited the whole peninsula before the

arrival of the Malays."

"How funny that there should be niggers here," Harry said.

"They are not exactly negroes, but one of the races known

as negritos, having, of course, many negro characteristics, but

differing from the African negroes in some important particulars.

To them our supremacy would be an unmixed blessing; their products

would reach the coast untaxed, and they would obtain all European

goods at vastly cheaper rates. A minor benefit to be obtained by our

supremacy is that our sportsmen would certainly speedily diminish

the number of wild beasts that at 'present are a scourge to

cultivators; the tigers would be killed down, the elephants captured

and utilized, and the poor people would not see their plantations

ravaged, but would be able to travel through their forests without

the constant danger of being carried off by tigers and panthers,

and possibly be able to cross their rivers without the risk of

being snapped up by alligators; though, doubtless, it would take

some time before this would be brought about."

"And when do you think that we shall be going up the river, Doctor?"

"That I cannot say. The Captain has been expecting orders ever since

we came here, six weeks ago; but possibly something may have been

learned of Sehi's characteristics, and there may be doubts as to

the expediency of taking under our protection a chief whose conduct

appears to be anything but satisfactory. On the other hand, it

may be considered that by so doing we may establish some sort of

influence over the surrounding tribes, and so make a step towards

promoting trade and putting a stop to these tribal wars, that are

the curse of the country."

"It would be an awful sell if they were to change their minds,"

Harry exclaimed.

"I should be sorry myself, Parkhurst, for you know I am a collector.

But I can tell you that you won't find it all sport and pleasure.

You will have no cool sea breezes; there will be occasion for

continual watchfulness, and perhaps long boat expeditions up sluggish

streams, in an atmosphere laden with moisture and miasma."

"One expects some drawbacks, Doctor."

"You will find a good many, I can tell you, youngster. Still, I

hope we shall go up; and I think that we shall do so, for it will

be the Captain's report that will help the authorities to decide

whether to appoint a Resident there or not."

A fortnight later a small dispatch boat steamed in and the news

soon spread through the ship that the Serpent was to ascend the

river on the following day. All was at once bustle and animation.

Sailors like anything for a change, and all were impatient at the

long delay that had occurred.

CHAPTER III.

The gunboat was a large one, and carried two midshipmen besides

Parkhurst and Balderson, who were, however, their seniors. The mess

consisted of the four lads, a master's mate, the doctor's assistant,

and the paymaster's clerk. In the gun room were the three lieutenants,

the doctor, the lieutenant of the marines, and the chief engineer.

The crew consisted of a hundred and fifty seamen and forty marines;

the Serpent having a somewhat strong complement. She had been sent

out specially for service in the rivers, being of lighter draught

than usual, with unusually airy and spacious decks, and so was well

fitted for the work. The conversation in the junior mess of the

Serpent was very lively that evening. The vessel since her arrival

on the station had made two runs between Singapore and Penang,

but those on board had seen but little of the country, and were

delighted at the thought of a possibility of active service, and

the talk was all of boat expeditions, attacks from piratical prahus,

of the merits of the bayonet and rifle opposed to kris and spear,

and of sporting expeditions in which elephants, tigers, and other

wild beasts were to fall victims of their prowess.

"You will find that you won't get much of that," the mate, who was

president of the mess, said, after listening to their anticipations

of sport. "I have been on the west coast of Africa and know what

it is poking about in muddy creeks in boats, tramping through the

jungle, knee deep in mud, half the crew down with fever, and the

rest worn out with work and heat. I can tell you it is not all fun,

as you youngsters seem to think, but downright hard work."

"Ah, well! any amount of work is better than standing here

doing nothing," Dick said cheerfully, for the mate was known as a

proverbial grumbler. He had been unfortunate, and, as is usually

the case, his misfortunes were in some degree due to himself, for

he was fond of liquor, and although, when on board, he took no more

than his share, he was often somewhat unsteady in his speech when

he returned from a run ashore; and although the matter was not

grave enough for his captains to report altogether unfavorably of

him, it was sufficiently so for them to shrink from recommending

him for promotion, and in consequence he had seen scores of younger

men raised over his head. He had been for some time unemployed

before he had joined the Serpent, and had been appointed to her

only because Captain Forest, who was a friend of his family, had

used his interest on his behalf. He had, however, when he joined,

spoken frankly to him.

"I have asked for you, Morrison," he said, "simply for the sake

of your father; but I tell you frankly, that unless my report is a

thoroughly favorable one, you are not likely to be again employed.

I was told that there was nothing special against you, but that in

no case since you passed have you been warmly spoken of. It has been

said that you know your duty well; but they had privately learned

that you were fond of liquor; and although no charge of absolute

drunkenness had been brought against you, it was considered that

you would not make a desirable officer in a higher rank. Now your

future depends upon yourself; if you have the resolution to give

up the habit, you may yet retrieve yourself. If I find that you do

so, I shall certainly take the opportunity of giving you a chance

to distinguish yourself, and shall strongly urge your claim to

promotion. If I am not able to do this, you must make up your mind

to be permanently put upon the shelf."

The admonition had not been in vain, and since joining the Serpent

Morrison had made a successful effort to break himself of the

habit. He had very seldom gone ashore, and when he did so, never

went alone, and always returned at an early hour, and without

having taken more than he would have done in the ordinary way on

board. He had not, however, given up his habit of grumbling, and

his messmates were so accustomed to his taking a somber view of

everything that his prognostication as to the nature of their work

up the river had but little effect upon them.

"What do you think, Sandy?" Harry Parkhurst asked the Scotch

assistant surgeon.

"I know nothing about it, except what I have read. They say that

the country is healthy; but it stands to reason that this cannot

be so while you have got rivers with swamps and jungles and such

heat as this. However, we have a good supply of quinine on board,

and with that and our allowance of spirits, I hope that we shan't,

as Morrison says, have half the ship's company down with the fever.

It is all in our favor that we have only just come out, for they

say that newcomers can resist the effects of these tropical rivers

much better than those whose constitution has been weakened by

a residence in the country. As to the sport, I have no desire to

kill any animal that does not meddle with me. My business is all

the other way, and if any of you get mauled, I will do my best to

help the doctor to pull you through; but I am very well on board

the ship, and have no desire to go tramping about among the swamps,

whether it be to hunt animals or fight Malays."

"You think that everyone should stick to his last, Sandy," Dick

said with a laugh. "Well, I only wish there were more on board of

your opinion, for that would give more chances to us who like to

stretch our legs ashore for a change."

"I can stretch my legs here if I want to," the Scotchman said

quietly, "and am not anxious to do more. I suppose, if there are

expeditions against the Malays, I shall have to go with them; but

the fewer of them there are the better I shall be pleased."

The talk was more serious aft, where the doctor and first lieutenant

were dining with the captain. It ended by the latter saying, "Well,

Doctor, if what your friend Hassan said be true, we are likely

enough to have our hands pretty full, and shall have to watch this

fellow Sehi as sharply as we do his neighbors. He is not under

our protection yet, and if he sends his prahus down the river to

plunder on the coast, as Hassan says, he is not the sort of character

likely to do us credit, and the position of a British Resident with

him would be the reverse of a pleasant one. However, we must hope

that he is not as black as he is painted. He has evidently put the

other chiefs' backs up, and we must receive their reports of him

with some doubt. However, I have no doubt that, if he turns out

badly, we shall be able to give him a lesson that will be of benefit

to him."

The first day's voyage up the river by no means came up to the

anticipations of the midshipmen as to the country through which

they were to pass. The width of the river varied from a quarter of

a mile to three hundred yards; the banks on each side were lined

with mangroves, presenting a dreary and monotonous aspect. Progress

was slow, the steam launch going ahead and sounding the depth of

water, the captain having but little faith in the assertion of the

native pilot that he was perfectly acquainted with every bank and

shallow. Being now the dry season, the tops of many of these shoals

were dry, and numbers of alligators were lying half in and half

out of the water, basking in the sun.

Several of the officers who possessed rifles amused themselves

by shooting at these creatures, but it was very rarely that any

attention was paid to their firing, the balls glancing off the scaly

armor without the alligators appearing to be conscious of anything

unusual. There was more amusement in watching how, when the swell

of the steamer rushed through the shallow water and broke on the

shoals, the reptiles turned and scrambled back into the river,

evidently alarmed at this, to them, strange phenomenon.

"I should not care about bathing here, Davis," Harry Parkhurst

remarked to the old sailor.

"You are right, sir; I would rather have a stand up fight with the

Malays than trust myself for two minutes in this muddy water. Why,

they are worse than sharks, sir; a shark does hoist his fin as

a signal that he is cruising about, but these chaps come sneaking

along underneath the water, and the first you know about them is

that they have got you by the leg."

"Which is the worse, Davis, a bite from an alligator or a shark?"

"Well, as far as the bite goes, Mr. Parkhurst, the shark is the

worst. He will take your leg off, or a big 'un will bite a man in

two halves. The alligator don't go to work that way: he gets hold

of your leg, and no doubt he mangles it a bit; but he don't bite

right through the bone; he just takes hold of you and drags you

down to the bottom of the river, and keeps you there until you are

drowned; then he polishes you off at his leisure."

"The brutes!" Harry exclaimed, with deep emphasis. "See, the first

lieutenant has hit that big fellow there in the eye or the soft

skin behind the leg; anyhow, he has got it hard; look how he is

roaring and lashing his tail."

"What is the best way of killing them?" Dick asked.

"I have heard, sir, that in Africa the natives bait a big hook with

a lump of pork, or something of that sort; then, when an alligator

has swallowed it, they haul him up, holus bolus. I should say a

good plan to kill them would be with 'tricity. The last ship I was

in, we had an officer of the Marine Artillery who knew about such

things, and he put a big cartridge into a lump of pork, with two

wires, and as soon as the shark had swallowed it he would touch

a spring or something, and there would be an explosion. There was

not as much fun in it as having a hook, but it was quicker, and he

did not do it for sport, but because he hated the sharks. I heard

say that he had had a young brother killed by one of them. He would

sit there on the taffrail for hours on the lookout for them, with

three or four loaded lumps of pork. Why, I have known him kill as

many as a dozen in a day. I expect the best part of his pay must

have gone in dynamite.

"He had a narrow escape one day; somehow the thing went wrong, and

in trying to set it right he fell over the taffrail. The shark had

bolted the bait, but this was not enough for his appetite, and he

went straight at the officer. He had had a young ensign sitting

beside him, who had often watched his work, and knew how the thing

went. I was standing near at the time, and he began twisting some

screws and things as cool as a cucumber, though I could see as

his hand shook a bit. Well, he got it right just in time, for the

shark was not half a length away from the captain, and was turning

himself over for a bite, when the thing went off, and there was

an end of the shark. The captain was a bit shaken up, but he made

a grab at the rope, and held on to it till we lowered a boat and

picked him up. He had to be got up on deck in a chair, and it was

two or three days before he was himself again. When he got round

he set to work again more earnestly than ever; and I believe that

if we had stopped in the West Indies long enough, there would not

have been a shark left in those waters."

"It was a capital plan, Davis, and if we ever take possession of

these rivers, we shall have to do something of that sort to get

rid of the brutes. Are the Malays afraid of them?"

"I don't know, Mr. Parkhurst, but I think they are. I had a chat

with a mate I met in the Myrtle, which went home the day after we

relieved them here. He had been up some of the rivers, and told me

that every village had a bathing place palisaded off so that the

alligators could not get at the bathers."

"Well, there is one thing--we shall have to be very careful when

we are out in boats, for if we were to run upon a sunken log and

knock a hole in the boat's bottom, there would not be much chance

of our ever reaching the shore."

"You are about right there, sir. I aint afraid of Malays, but it

gives me the creeps down my back when I think of one of them chaps

getting hold of me by the leg. Bob Pearson told me that the only

chance you have is to send your knife, or if you can't get at

that, your thumbs, into the creature's eyes. But it would require

a mighty cool hand to find the eyes, with the brute's teeth in

one's leg, and the water so thick with mud that you could not see

an inch beyond your nose."

"Well, I will make a note of that, anyhow, Davis, and I will take

a good look at the next alligator I see dead, so as to know exactly

where to feel for its eyes."

On the second day the scenery changed. In place of the mangroves a

dense forest lined the river. Birds of lovely plumage occasionally

flew across it, and after they had anchored in the evening, the air

became full of strange noises; great beasts rose and snorted near

the banks; sounds of roaring and growling were heard in the wood;

and the lads, who had been so eager before to take part in a hunt

on shore, listened with something like awe to the various strange

and often mysterious noises.

"What in the world does it all mean, Doctor?" Dick Balderson asked,

as the surgeon came up to the spot where the four midshipmen were

leaning on the rail.

"It means that there is a good deal of life in the woods. That

splashing sound you hear with deep grunts and snorts, is probably

made by a hippopotamus wallowing in shallow water; but it may be

a rhinoceros, or even a buffalo. That roar is either a tiger or a

panther, and that snarling sound on the other bank is, no doubt,

made by smaller animals of the same family, indulging in a domestic

quarrel. Some of the other sounds are made by night birds of some

kind or other and perhaps by monkeys, and I fancy that distant

vibrating sound that goes on without intermission is a concert of

a party of frogs."

"What is that?" as a shrill cry, as from a child, followed by a

confused outburst of cries, chattering, and, as it seemed to them,

a barking sound, followed.

"I fancy that is the death cry of a monkey. Probably some python or

other snake has seized it in its sleep; and the other noise is the

outcry of its companions heaping abuse upon the snake, but unable

to do anything to rescue their friend."

"I don't think, Doctor," Harry Parkhurst said, in a tone that was

half in earnest, "that I feel so anxious as I did for sport in the

forest; and certainly I should decline to take part in it after

nightfall."

"I can quite understand that, lad. At night all the sounds of a

tropical forest seem mysterious and weird, but in the broad daylight

the bush will be comparatively still. The nocturnal animals will

slink away to their lairs, and there will seem nothing strange to

you in the songs and calls of the birds. I should recommend you all

to take a sound dose of quinine tonight; I have a two and a half

gallon keg of the stuff mixed, and any officer or man can go and

take a glass whenever he feels he wants it. It would be good for

your nerves, as well as neutralize the effect of the damp rising

from the river. I should advise you who are not on the watch to

turn in early; it is of no use your exposing yourselves more than

is necessary to the miasma."

The next day progress was more rapid, for the captain found that

the assurance of the pilot that there was amply sufficient water

for the Serpent had been verified, and he therefore steamed forward

at half speed, without sending the launch on ahead to take soundings.

Several villages were passed by the way, but though the inhabitants

assembled on the banks and watched the steamer, no boats were put

out, nor were any attempts made to barter their products with the

strangers.

"It does not look as if we were popular, Mr. Ferguson," the captain

said to the first lieutenant. "It may be that they object to our

presence altogether, or it may be because they believe that we are

going to the assistance of this Rajah Sehi. It certainly does not

look well for the future."

"Not at all, sir. However, we shall be at the rajah's place tomorrow

morning, and shall then have a better opportunity of seeing how

things are likely to go. At any rate, he is sure to be civil for

a time, and we shall be likely to procure fruit and vegetables,

which, as the doctor says, are absolute necessities if the men are

to be kept in good health."

The next morning they anchored about ten o'clock opposite the

campong of the rajah. It was a good deal larger than any that they

had passed on the way up, but the houses were mere huts, with the

exception of a large wooden structure, which they at once concluded

was the residence of the rajah. As soon as the Serpent turned the

last bend of the river before reaching the place, the sound of drums

and gongs was heard, and a large boat, manned by eighteen rowers,

shot out from the bank as the anchor was dropped. The two officials

on board at once mounted the accommodation ladder, and on reaching

the deck were received by the first lieutenant, behind whom stood

a guard of honor of the marines.

Upon stating that they came to express, on behalf of the rajah,

the pleasure he felt at their arrival, they were conducted to the

captain's cabin. Compliments were exchanged through the medium

of the interpreter, and a bottle of champagne was opened, and its

contents appeared to gratify the visitors. They announced that the

rajah would receive the captain that afternoon at his palace.

CHAPTER IV.

Neither of the midshipmen was present at the interview between the

captain and the rajah. The second lieutenant, the captain of the

marines, and the doctor alone accompanied him, with an escort of

twenty bluejackets and as many marines. A large crowd of people had

collected to see them pass along to the palace, which was a bare,

barn-like structure, but they looked on sullenly and silently as

the party passed through them on their way. They were kept waiting

some little time outside the building, then entered through a

doorway which led them into a large, unfurnished room, at the end

of which the rajah was seated. He rose when the officers entered,

and received them with an appearance of great cordiality, his chiefs

standing behind him.

The conversation was wholly of a complimentary character; the

subject of the business on which the British ship had come was not

even touched upon; refreshments, consisting of native sweets and

palm wine, were then passed round, and the captain, seeing that

all business talk was to be deferred, took his leave.

The doctor, who was fond of the two midshipmen, was always ready

to chat freely with them.

"What did you think of our ally, Dr. Horsley?" Dick asked him, when,

having changed his full uniform for a suit of undress, he came up

on deck.

"Between you and me, Balderson, I have seldom seen a more unmitigated

looking ruffian in my life; even for a Malay, he is ugly. Soh Hay

tells me that in his young days he was a great fighter, and his

face and shoulders are seamed with scars. I asked how he came to

be rajah; for he does not look at all the type of the better class

of people. Soh told me that, in the first place, he took to the

jungle, owing to his having krised in a quarrel the son of the

chief here. He was joined by other fugitives, set up as a pirate,

and captured by surprise one of the chief's prahus. His force grew

rapidly, and he made a night attack on the chief's campong, killed

him and all the members of his family, and caused himself to be

elected chief of the tribe, which was then a small one. Gradually

he swallowed up one after another of his weaker neighbors, sometimes

by force, sometimes by treachery. I believe he is now confronted by

more powerful chiefs, and that it is only because he is possessed

of some six or eight piratical prahus that he has been able to

maintain his position. No doubt he has become alarmed by a prospect

of a combination against him, and has so invited us to support him.

Such a step will, of course, greatly add to his unpopularity, but

doubtless he thinks that, with our help, he could defy his enemies."

"But. he cannot suppose, Doctor," Harry said indignantly, "that we

are going to fight for such a rascal as he is against the men he

has been plundering."

"I don't expect he does think that we are going to fight for him,

unless he can show us that it is to our interest to do so. I should

imagine that he hopes that the effect of our appearance here will

be to either induce his neighbors to come to some arrangement with

him, or that he will endeavor to make peace with them by offering

to throw us over, and to join with them against us."

"Then, I should say, Doctor, that the best thing would be to hang

the ruffian up at once."

"Well, yes, that might be a good plan, Parkhurst," the doctor said

with a smile, "and might save us a good deal of trouble; but, you

see, we have come up here at his invitation; we have just been eating

his food and drinking his liquor, and it would scarcely place us

in a favorable position in the eyes of the natives in general were

we to commence our alliance with him by hanging him."

Harry laughed. "No, I suppose not, Doctor. Still, what are we to

do?"

"We must wait, lad. We are here to ascertain the precise situation,

and it will be some time before that will be cleared up. Certainly

for the present there will be nothing for us to do but to keep quiet

and see how matters turn out, and to get through the time as best

we may. We shall have fine opportunities for shooting and botanizing,

for whatever the chief's designs may be, it is certain that at

present he will do all in his power to please us. The captain today,

at my suggestion, said that, in order to keep the men in good

health, it would be desirable that they should have every opportunity

of going ashore, and that the officers should make expeditions in

search of game into the interior. He promised at once to afford us

every facility, and to provide us with guides and beaters."

The next day permission was granted to several of the officers

and to twenty sailors and a dozen marines to go on shore. Before

starting, the whole ship's company were drawn up, and the captain

addressed them upon the absolute necessity for good behavior.

"The Malays," he said, "are a fierce race, very proud and independent,

and quick to resent the smallest insult. Each man carries a kris,

and is ready to use it on the slightest provocation. Every man who

goes ashore must remember that not only his own life, but those of

many others, and the success of the mission on which we have come

hither, may be forfeited by any careless act of aggression. Many

of you have served on the coast of Africa, but you must remember

that the Malays are not to be treated in the same free and easy

manner that may go down with negroes. You must comport yourselves

with the same decency of behavior that you would were you in the

port of a friendly European Power. Any breach of these orders will

be most severely punished; and I appeal to every officer and man

to use his utmost efforts to keep on good terms with these people,

and to behave as if the honor and credit of the ship depended upon

him personally. Any man who comes on board in the slightest degree

the worse for liquor will not be allowed to land again, even if we

are stationed here for six months; and if there is any misbehavior

on shore, all leave will be stopped."

Two days later, the captain, with the second lieutenant and doctor,

again paid a visit to the rajah, and this time business matters were

entered upon. The chief began by stating that he rejoiced at the

thought of being under the protection of the great English Queen.

The captain replied that her Majesty was anxious to be on good

terms with all the Malay chiefs; that those rajahs and sultans who

had accepted her protection had greatly benefited by so doing, and

by listening to the advice of the officers whom she sent to reside

at their seat of government; but that, of course, before receiving his

state under her protection it was necessary that her representative,

the Governor of the Straits Settlements, should be thoroughly

satisfied that the rajah intended to be guided by the advice so

given.

He said that it was thoroughly necessary this should be understood,

for that the allegiance offered to the Queen could not be lightly

thrown off. If a chief once owned her as his sovereign, he could

not change his mind afterwards; and should he disobey the advice

and orders of the Resident, he would be liable to be dethroned,

and his government bestowed upon one better fitted for it. He could

not, for instance, be allowed to engage in hostilities against his

neighbors without the consent of the Resident, for it was clear that

the English could not assist him in wars in which they considered

that he was in the wrong. In these matters there must be benefits

on both sides: the chief would obtain protection against warlike

neighbors, would benefit by the presence and advice of a British

officer, and by the trade that would spring up; while, in return

for these benefits, he must acknowledge the Queen as his sovereign,

and must obey the orders of her officers just as her native born

subjects would do.

The chief looked very serious at this. "Cannot," he asked at last,

"a chief obtain the protection of the British, and afterwards remain

as an ally of theirs?"

"Not so," the captain said; "he cannot come to us when he is in

danger and ask us to send ships and men to aid him, and afterwards,

when the danger has passed, wish us good morning, and give us

nothing in return for the benefits he had received."

"What orders would a Resident give?" the rajah asked, after a pause.

"He would give such orders as would be necessary for the good of the

state; without interfering in matters of home government, he would

not allow acts of tyranny and cruelty that would imperil the peace

of the state, and perhaps bring about a rising. He would not suffer

trade passing through the dominions to be hampered and injured by

heavy and unjust exactions; although, doubtless, he would allow

legitimate tolls to be taken. He would not permit expeditions to

be fitted out for attacks upon harmless neighbors. His interference

would always be for the good of the state, and, consequently, for

the good of its prince. The incomes of the various rulers who have

placed themselves under British protection have always been largely

augmented by the prosperity and well doing of the state, the increase

in its population, the extension of its trade and agriculture, all

of which enabled the people to pay a larger amount of taxation.

"You see, Rajah, we force no one to place himself under our

protection; we war with no one unless, by attack upon ourselves

or upon princes under our protection, he compels us to punish

him, and, in extreme cases, to take possession of his dominions.

I am explaining all this to you because I wish you thoroughly to

understand what your position will be if the Queen takes you under

her protection--which she certainly will not do unless it is

found that you are likely, on your part, to carry out faithfully

the obligations you have assumed in return for that protection."

When this had been translated to the rajah by the interpreter,

the chief sat for some time silent. It was evident that he was ill

pleased, and that he had reckoned upon obtaining the British aid

without undertaking any responsibilities whatever.

"And the officer who will come up," he said at last, "would he

reside on shore?"

"Certainly he would. A portion of ground would be allotted for the

Residency; on this a fort would be erected, which would be manned

by a small force for his protection; and he might either reside in

the fort or in a residence erected for him close to it, and under

shelter of its guns. The fort would, of course, be used for the

protection of the town against enemies, as well as for the protection

of the officer against any rising on the part of your people; in

which case you, as well as himself, would find a refuge in it."

"Then I should no longer be a ruler," the rajah said angrily. "I

should not be able to order those who offended me to be punished."

"Not at all," the captain replied quietly. "Your powers as a ruler

would not be interfered with in any way, as long as they were

properly exercised. You would have the power of executing ill doers

in accordance with the custom of your country; but the murder of a

person who had committed no crime whatever is not to be permitted,

and anything like wholesale cruelty and tyranny would be sternly

repressed."

For some time the rajah sat without speaking; then he said, with

an evident effort of self control, "I must think all this over; it

is all new to me."

"By all means do so," the captain replied. "The matter is an important

one, and you will do well to consider it in all lights before you

take a step that, once taken, cannot be undone."

"I don't like the fellow's looks, Doctor," the captain said; "he

intended to use us as a cat's paw against his neighbors."

"I think that he is a thoroughly bad lot, sir; and if he accepted

the terms, I should be very sorry to be appointed Resident, for I

should not feel that my life was worth a day's purchase."

"Well, there is nothing to do but to wait until we get a definite

answer from him; and my instructions are that, if I find that he

is not a desirable man to have to deal with, I am to enter into

negotiations with other rajahs, and to endeavor to do something

to open the trade of the river and to render it safe for merchants

who come up to trade. If Hassan's account of this man's doings is

correct, he is the main cause of the falling off in the trade, and,

moreover, the author of the piracies of which we have had so many

complaints; indeed, it is possible that when the Governor learns

the true state of things, I may get an order to present an ultimatum

to this fellow and to sink his piratical craft. At any rate, we

may make up our minds to be here for some time."

On the following day a message was received from the rajah, saying

that if any of the officers wished to go on excursions for sport,

guides would be placed at their disposal, and that all who wished

to do so could at any time travel through the country without the

slightest fear of molestation. For some time affairs remained in

the same condition. The doctor went daily on shore with butterfly

and beetle nets, tin boxes, and other paraphernalia. He was generally

accompanied by a couple of bluejackets, and always took a native

guide to prevent the risk of being lost in the jungle, and also

because the man was able to take him to places where villages had

stood, and it was in these clearings that insect life, especially

among the lepidoptera, was most abundant. The Malay he first engaged

was a young fellow who proved so intelligent and willing that he

was permanently retained for the service as long as the Serpent

remained on the station.

The officers obtained no sport with big game; for although at night

the forest was full of sounds, showing the number of wild animals

that abounded, these never were met with during the daytime, and it

would have been hopeless endeavoring to penetrate the thick jungle

in search of them. There was, however, an abundance of birds, for

the most part of brilliant plumage, and the doctor was delighted

with the spoils they brought in, while the messes were kept well

supplied with jungle fowl and other edible birds. The natives,

learning from the guide of the doctor's passion for insects, brought

in large numbers for sale, and he was able to purchase a great many

specimens altogether new to science.

The two midshipmen made excursions with their guns whenever they

could get leave. Davis and two other sailors always accompanied

them, as the captain's orders were strict that no officer or man

should go outside the limits of the campong unless accompanied by

two armed seamen.

Sometimes they took a native canoe and went up the river fishing;

but as an abundance of fish could be caught by lines from the

ship's side, they only did this as a change, and often in the cool

of the evening they lay lazily in the canoe, while the fishermen

were employed rowing them up one or other of the numerous streams

which flowed into the river. The doctor's prognostications as

to the health of the crew were only partially verified, for the

precautions taken, if they did not secure a perfect immunity against

fever, at least greatly diminished the number of those who suffered

from it. The abundance of fish either caught from the ship or

purchased from the natives formed a wholesome diet, aided by the

fruit, of which the natives brought off a very large quantity. It

was very varied, and much of it delicious; the mangosteens were

specially appreciated, and those who could overcome their repugnance

to the disgusting odor of the durians found them delicious eating.

Besides these were custard apples, bananas, and many other kinds

of fruit; all were very cheap and, upon the doctor's suggestion, a

supply was purchased daily for the use of the ship's company, and

the sailors, who had no other use for their money, laid out no

small portion of their pay on these luxuries.

The captain had taken every opportunity, when boats passed up the

river, to send messages and presents to the chiefs of the tribes

higher up, with assurances that he had not come up as an enemy,

but that he desired to be on good terms with all, and would gladly

see any of them who would come down to pay him a visit, and would

guarantee their safe return without molestation on the part of

Sehi. No answers had, however, been received to these overtures,

and a proposal he made to the rajah to send some of the ship's boats

up the river to endeavor to bring about an understanding between

him and his neighbors was received with extreme disfavor.

CHAPTER V.

So far, nothing had been seen of the rajah's prahus. When questioned

on the subject, he replied that they were all down on the coast,

trading with the natives; but it was so improbable that they should

have been sent away while the rajah was in fear of an attack by his

neighbors that no credence was given to the assertion. The ship's

boats often went out for long rows on the river, ostensibly--as

the captain told the rajah, who inquired suspiciously as to the

meaning of these excursions--for the sake of giving the crews

active exercise, but principally in order to take soundings of

the river, and to investigate the size and positions of the creeks

running into it. One day the gig and cutter had proceeded farther

than usual; they had started at daybreak, and had turned off into

what seemed a very small creek, that had hitherto been unexplored,

as from the width of its mouth it was supposed to extend but a short

distance into the forest. The master's mate was in command of one

boat, the second lieutenant of the other; Harry Parkhurst accompanied

the latter. After pushing through the screen of foliage that almost

closed the entrance to the creek, the boats rowed on for some

distance. For half a mile the width was but some fifteen yards,

and the trees met in an arch overhead, then it widened considerably.

"This is just the sort of place," the lieutenant said to Harry,

"where the rajah's prahus may be hidden away. We had best go along

as noiselessly as possible. If we were to come upon them suddenly

they might fire upon us, and that would bring on a general row. If

we should catch sight of them, it would be best to take the news

to the captain, and let him act as he thinks fit."

He ordered the men to cease rowing until the gig came alongside.

"Mr. Morrison," he said, "it seems to me that this is a likely

place for the prahus to be hidden. We had better try and discover

if this is the case, without being ourselves seen; therefore have

all the oars, except four, laid in, and let the men muffle those

with their stockings, and be most careful to dip them into the water

without making a splash. Let absolute silence be preserved in the

boat. I will lead the way as before, and if I hold up my hand stop

rowing instantly."

"Aye, aye, sir!" the mate replied.

The same precautions were taken by the cutter, and the boats

proceeded noiselessly. Presently the stream narrowed again, until

it seemed that they were approaching its termination, and the boat

stopped rowing.

"I fancy we have come to the end of it, Mr. Morrison," the lieutenant

said in a low voice.

"I am afraid so too, sir; there is no room for the oars, and we

shall either have to punt the boats, or to drag them by the bushes."

The lieutenant was about to give the order to turn when Harry said,

suddenly, "There is a current, sir. I have had my eye upon that

root, and we have drifted backwards a couple of feet since we lost

way, so there must be a stretch of water above us."

The lieutenant watched the root of the tree to which Harry had

pointed, for a minute in silence, then he said, "You are right, my

lad, there is a current, and, as you say, there must be a stretch

of water above us. Lay in your oars, lads; stand up, and pull her

along by the boughs and bushes, but don't make the slightest sound."

Twenty yards farther the creek widened, and the oars were again

got out.

"Take your place in the bow, Mr. Parkhurst, and hold up your hand

the instant you see anything unusual, and do you, men, be ready to

hold her up the instant I give the order."

They proceeded for a quarter of a mile, the gig following close

behind. Suddenly, at a bend in the stream, a glare of light was

seen ahead. Harry held up his hand, and passed the word down in

a whisper that just ahead the creek widened into a broad sheet of

water. The lieutenant stopped the gig by holding up his hand, passed

the order for the men to lay in their oars noiselessly, and told

the coxswain to keep in well under the bushes on the left hand

side; then he made his way forward, and joined Harry, telling the

men to pull the boat forward by means of the branches overhead

which were well within reach, but to avoid breaking even a twig.

In a minute or two the bow of the boat arrived at the end of the

screen of bushes, and a low exclamation broke from the lieutenant

and Harry simultaneously; they were looking out on to an almost

circular pool some two hundred yards in diameter. In the center

were moored six prahus. Two of them lay broadside on to the creek,

the other four were in a line behind these, and it seemed that their

broadsides were directed to the opposite side of the pool, for the

other two boats were in the way of their firing at the creek. They

were long, low vessels, rowing some twenty oars on each side. Each

carried a number of small brass guns, and they were evidently full

of men, for numbers could be seen on deck, and boats were passing

to and fro between them and a small village at the edge of the

pool. Having taken in all the details of the scene, the lieutenant

passed the word for the mate to leave his own boat and join him.

When he did so, he whispered to him: "I thought it was as well that

you should have a view of these fellows' position too, Morrison, as

it would be of use to you if you have to take a boat in to attack

them."

Two minutes later the boats were drawn back again to the open water

in their rear, and rowed as noiselessly as before down the creek,

no word being spoken until they were half a mile away from the

pool.

"That is a snug hiding place, Mr. Morrison," the lieutenant said.

"It is indeed, sir. Who would have thought the scoundrels were so

close to us, or that they lay up this narrow creek, which I have

passed half a dozen times and never thought worth examining? I

should not have dreamt that one of those craft could have passed

through."

"I doubt whether they did pass through. They hardly could have

done so without breaking down a good many of these branches, and

we must have seen signs of that. I think they must have got into

that pool by some creek coming in on the opposite side. You see

four out of the six boats were anchored in line so as to bring

their broadsides to bear on some point opposite to them, while the

other two guarded them against any attack from this side. Naturally,

they thought it unlikely that any boat would come up here, and

so directed their main attention to the other opening. The next

thing to find out will be where the other stream joins the river,

otherwise, as soon as we make our appearance, they will escape

that way, and there is not the least doubt that they could row away

from our fastest boats. However, it is a great thing that we have

discovered their whereabouts without their having the least notion

that we have done so, and I am sure the captain will be very pleased

when he hears that we have found them. It will give him the whip

hand over that lying rascal Sehi."

Captain Forest smiled grimly when the lieutenant made his report

of the discovery that he had made.

"Thank you, Mr. Hopkins; that is a very valuable discovery. Just

at present matters have not come to a point when we can turn it to

account. The next thing will be to find out where the other passage

comes out. It will be a serious business to attack them in the boats

alone; these prahus carry a tremendous lot of men, and the Malays

will fight desperately. I do not say that we might not succeed, but

we should lose a lot of men in the attempt; it would be hot work

even with the ship, attacked by six of these fellows at once. If

it was in the night, we might fail to see any of them before they

were upon us, and we should have hard work to beat back four or

five hundred of them if they all came swarming on deck together.

However, we can wait, and the first time the rajah shows any signs

of treachery we can pounce upon his fleet. He will not dream that

we have discovered their hiding place, and will therefore let them

hide there without movement. However, we must try to find the ether

end of the entrance to the creek.

"Please impress upon Mr. Morrison and young Parkhurst that it is

of the highest importance no words shall be spoken about it; and

it might be advisable, also, to give notice to the men who were in

the boats, to keep their mouths shut. I have no reason to believe

that the interpreter is not faithful to our interests, but it is

just as well not to trust anyone. Moreover, it may be that some of

these Malays who come on board with fruit may have been for a time

at Singapore or Penang, and picked up a little English, and a chance

word might let them know that we have discovered the prahus."

"I wonder why our friend Hassan has not turned up," Dick Balderson

said to his chum one day, after they had been lying for a month

opposite the town.

"I expect something has occurred to keep him," Harry said. "I am

quite convinced that he would have come if he could. He may be in

trouble himself with some of his neighbors, or he may have tried to

exert himself too soon and done himself damage. I am quite convinced

that he meant what he said. At any rate, till this business here

comes to a head, we are not likely to be able to go up and pay a

visit to him."

"No, I am quite sure that the captain would not let us go now, and

indeed, I would not ask him, even if I were sure he would, for we

may get to blows with the rajah any day; he cannot put off giving

a final answer much longer. I wonder the captain stood his shilly

shallying so long as he has."

It was but two evenings after this that, as the two midshipmen

were leaning against the bulwarks, watching the reflection of the

stars in the sluggish stream, a native sampan stole silently out

from the shadow of the shore and dropped down alongside the Serpent.

So noiseless was the movement that the two men on the lookout in the

bow did not notice it, and the midshipmen thought it was a shadow

of some dark object floating down stream, when it came alongside

and a man stood up.

"Hello!" Harry said, "you must not come alongside like this: what

do you want?"

"Dick, Harry, Doctor; come from Hassan."

"Oh, that is it; all right, come on board," and, leaning over, he

stretched out his hand to the native, who seized it, and in a moment

stood by his side on the deck, holding the head rope of his sampan

in his mouth.

"Davis," Harry said to the sailor who was standing two paces

away, "just go down to the wardroom, and tell the doctor, with my

compliments, that I shall be obliged if he will come on deck at

once. Say that it is something particular."

A minute later the doctor appeared. "I was just in the middle of

a rubber, Dick, and if you have not an uncommonly good reason for

calling me up I will make you smart for it, the first time you get

under my hands. Whom have we got here?"

"He is a messenger from Hassan; he mentioned our names and yours."

"Ah, I am glad of that," the doctor said, rubbing his hands

together; "they have been chaffing me in the wardroom about it,

and prophesying that I should never hear of him again. Well, what

does he say?"

"He has not said anything except our names, Doctor, and that he

comes from Hassan. I don't suppose he knows any more English, and

I thought we had better consult you, whether it would be best to

send for Soh Hay; he may have brought some message of importance."

"Right, lad. I think the most prudent thing will be to tell the

captain first. It may only be a message to say why he has not come,

or it may be a matter of some importance. I will go to him at once."

Two or three minutes later he returned. "You are to bring him to

the captain's cabin. Here, Davis, pass the word forward that the

captain wants to see Soh Hay in his cabin."

Harry touched the native, who had been standing quietly by his

side, and signed him to accompany them, and with Dr. Horsley and

Dick went direct to the cabin.

"So your friend has sent a message at last, lad?" Captain Forest

said. "I am glad of that, for I own that I had doubts whether we

should hear any more of him."

"You come from the chief Hassan?" the captain, who had been working

at the Malay language, with the interpreter, since he had arrived

at the mouth of the river, asked in that tongue. The man's face

brightened.

"Yes, my lord," he said.

"Is he well?"

"The chief is quite well."

"I wish I knew enough to question him without Soh Hay's interference,

but I shall only make a mess of it, and, perhaps, get a wrong

idea altogether of his message. Now, Soh Hay," he broke off as the

interpreter entered, "you will ask this man the questions exactly

as I put them, and tell me his answer word for word. It may be of

importance. Now ask him first what message he brings from his chief

to the officers."

The question was put, and the native, speaking slowly and quietly,

and evidently repeating a lesson that he had learned by heart,

said, "The chief sends his greeting to his three friends, Harry,

Dick, and Doctor, also to Captain. He is well in body; he is cured,

and can throw a spear and lead his men to battle. He has sent

four messengers one after another, but none have returned with an

answer; they have no doubt been krised. Now he sends me."

"Tell him that no messenger has arrived until now," the captain

said, when this was interpreted to him.

The man nodded. "All krised. I travel at night, hide in trees all

day, float down at night in shadow of bushes, and have got through

safe. Chief Hassan says not been able to come down. Other chiefs

very angry because English warship come. Send message to Hassan to

join them. When he say no, they threaten to kill him and destroy

tribe when warship go away. Two of Rajah Sehi's prahus go up and

down river; stop all boats. Sehi send message to all chiefs; say

that English war boat here. English come take his country, and after

they done that take the countries of the others; make themselves

kings of the river. He ask them to join him in killing English,

every man, then he would have no more quarrel with them, no trouble

trade any more; be good friends with all neighbors. Some chiefs say

one thing, some another. Some more afraid of rajah than of English;

some think better have English here than rajah.

"Hassan says must take great care. Sehi very treacherous; attack

when they do not expect it. He thinks his prahus can easily take

English ship; but Hassan says Sehi wants the other chiefs to aid,

so that if the English send up more ships, then, can all join him

in fighting them. Hassan says he will do what he can. He has eight

war canoes, but no good against prahus--they run at canoes, and

cut them in half; but will come to help if English attack. He does

not know where prahus are. Begs Captain to attack these first;

it is they that make Sehi master of the river. If they destroyed,

other chiefs not afraid of Sehi, and he might get some of them to

join against him. Hassan said tell Harry, and Dick, and Doctor he

does not forget their kindness, and will do what he can to watch

over them. Such is Hassan's message."

"Ask him when he is going back to his chief," the captain said.

"He go now," the interpreter said, after asking the question. "He

get as far as he can before morning. He sure many eyes watch ship

night and day to see that no message comes, or any word of what

rajah is doing. He float down stream in sampan some distance, then

paddle to opposite bank, then keep in shadow of bushes up the river,

and hide away till night comes again."

"Very well, then, tell him that he is to thank his master for

sending us warning; that we had already found out that what he told

us before he went away was true, and that Sehi is a very bad man.

Say that we are not afraid of prahus, and will make short work of

them when we get a chance. Tell him we will take great care, and

not let ourselves be surprised, and that when we have finished with

this fellow here, the ship will come as far up the river as she can

go, and show the chiefs that the English have no evil intentions

against them, and will send his three friends with a strong boat

party to pay him a visit. By the way, ask the man if he knows this

part of the country."

"Yes, Captain; he says that he has been since his boyhood a boatman,

and has worked for some years with a trader, who used to go up the

creeks, and trade with the villagers."

"Ask him if he knows a creek that turns off from the river four or

five miles above this; it is a very small one, but it leads into

a pool on which is a large village."

The man nodded at once, when the question was put, then spoke for

a minute or two.

"He says, Captain, that he knows the pool and village; but he has

never been up the small creek that you speak of. Did not know that

a boat could get through. He has been there by a large creek that

runs into the other branch of the river, the one that turns off

twelve miles below this; from that river it is an hour's paddle in

a sampan to the pool."

"How should we know the entrance?" the captain asked.

"Entrance difficult to find," the native replied; "strip of land

runs out from both sides, covered with trees. One goes a little

beyond the other, so that anyone who did not know it would pass the

entrance without noticing it. It is just wide enough for a large

craft to go in and out. There is a village stands a hundred yards

below the entrance; it would be known by a big tree that grows

before a large house close to the bank. The water is deep on that

side. You have only, after passing the village, to keep close in

shore, and you will then see the entrance to the creek. It is called

Alligator Creek, because, more than any place, it swarms with these

creatures."

"Thank you," the captain said. "Will you tell the chief that I say

you have rendered me a valuable service?"

He opened a case in which he kept presents intended for the chiefs,

and took out a brace of handsome pistols, a powder flask, and a

bullet mold.

"Take these," he said, "in token of the service you have rendered.

When I see your chief, you shall be well recompensed for the risk

that you have run in bearing me his message."

The Malay looked longingly at the pistols, and then said, "I came

by order of my chief, and not for reward."

"Quite so. I understand that, and am not offering you a reward

for that service, but for the information that you have given me,

which may be of value if I have trouble with the rajah here."

The man bowed and took the pistols offered. "I will use them against

your enemies," he said warmly; "but all of us know the creek, for

it is that which renders it so difficult for us to fight against

Sehi. He is master of the water, and we cannot attack him without

first crossing that creek. We should have to carry canoes with us,

to do it, for the creek is too full of alligators for anyone to

swim across, and our small canoes would have no chance of passing

the creek when his war boats were there."

The captain nodded when this was translated to him.

"Sehi's place, in fact, stands upon an island formed by the two

branches of the river and this creek. As soon as he became master

of the river, he could hardly be assailed, while at any time he

could sally out and fall upon his enemies. Ask the man if he will

take any refreshment before he goes."

The man declined. He had, he said, sufficient fruit and dried fish

for his journey back. A few minutes later he took his place in the

little canoe and drifted away into the darkness, and was soon lost

to sight.

CHAPTER VI.

"Things are coming to a crisis, Harry," Dick Balderson said, in

a tone of delight, as they left the captain's cabin. "We now know

what we all along suspected--the rajah is a rascal, and we have

not only found out where his prahus are hidden, but have them corked

up in a bottle."

"Nothing could be better, Dick, and I expect we shall have some

pretty hot work. Of course the Serpent cannot get up that creek,

though she can place herself at the entrance and prevent their

getting away; but there still remains the work of capturing or

driving them down the creek, and that is likely to be a very tough

job."

The next morning the second lieutenant, the mate, and Harry Parkhurst

were sent for to the captain's cabin. The first lieutenant was

there. They were each asked their opinion as to whether the prahus

could force their way through the creek by which they had ascended.

"It is a most important point," the captain said: "and indeed,

everything might depend upon it."

"I am sure, sir," Mr. Hopkins said, "that they could not go straight

down it. They might cut their way through, but it would be a work

of considerable time, for with their masts they would have to clear

away the branches to a considerable height. Down near the water

the branches by which we pushed ourselves along were those of the

undergrowth, with many rattans and other creepers varying from the

thickness of one's thumb to that of one's wrist, and these would

take a great deal of chopping before one of their war boats could

be pushed through, but higher up they would probably have much

thicker branches to contend with. It may be that they can lower

their masts; but even if they could do so, I should think that it

would take them over an hour's work, even with the number of hands

they carry, to get a passage through that bit of thick undergrowth,

fifty or sixty yards up the mouth of the creek. There are two or

three other places where some chopping would have to be done, but

that would be comparatively easy work."

The mate and Harry both agreed with the lieutenant.

"Practically, then," the captain said, "the Malays have but one

mode of escape, while we have two of attack. At any rate, if we

send up a boat beforehand, and fasten two or three iron chains from

side to side among the branches, that passage would be securely

sealed.

"Thank you, gentlemen; that is all I have to ask at present. It

is a very difficult nut we have to crack, Mr. Ferguson," he went

on, when he and the first lieutenant were alone. "To attack six

strongly armed prahus with the boats of this ship would be a serious

enterprise indeed, and its success would be very doubtful, while

the loss would certainly be very heavy, especially as, if any of

the boats were sunk, the crews would have but little chance in a

place swarming with alligators. I don't think I should be justified

in risking such an enterprise."

"There is no doubt, sir, the loss would be very heavy indeed; by

all accounts, these Malays fight like demons on the decks of their

own boats, and, for aught we know, they may, after nightfall, trice

up rattans to prevent boarders getting on board. I have heard that

it is their custom when they expect an attack, and that these are

far more formidable obstacles than our boarding nets. Of course

I should be quite ready to lead an attack should you decide upon

making one, but I cannot conceal from myself that it would be a

well nigh desperate undertaking."

"I am glad that you are of that opinion," the captain said. "There

seems to me but one course, and that a difficult one--namely,

to carry a couple of heavy guns through the forest to the edge of

the pool. It would be a serious undertaking, and we should have

to send a strong force to defend them, but if we could succeed in

planting them in position, we should soon drive the Malays out of

the pool."

"That would be a capital plan, Captain, if it could be managed.

I suppose before we attempt it, you will take possession of this

place, and capture the rajah?"

"That of course. I don't suppose we shall capture him. I have no

doubt that we are closely watched night and day, and that the instant

the boats are lowered, and the men get on board, the rajah would

prepare for flight, though he might possibly make some resistance.

However, that would be but trifling; our guns would cover the

landing, and knock the place about his ears; but to penetrate the

jungle would be vastly more difficult an affair. If, as is probable,

he has succeeded in inducing some of his neighbors to join him,

they may have already sent strong contingents, and the forest may

be full of them. In that case it would be quite beyond our power to

rout them out, and I certainly should not be justified in attempting

it. The destruction of his town and the burning of his palace would.

be a serious blow to him, but the destruction of his piratical

fleet would be a very much heavier one. If we can achieve that, we

shall have done good service.

"The first thing to do is to find out whether there is a path either

from this river, or the other branch, to the pool. If so, at dark,

after destroying the town, we will recall all the men on shore,

buoy the anchor and drop it noiselessly, and drift down the river

till we are far enough away to use the engines, then steam down to

the junction of the two streams, and up again to the entrance to

the creek on that side. Then we will at once land a very strong

party, land also two twenty-four pounders, and drag them to the

pool. We might hope to do so without any opposition, for the Malays

would no doubt be gathered at the edge of the forest near the town

to repel any attack we might make from there, and before morning

we might have the guns in position. I should take a hundred empty

sacks. These you would fill with earth when you get near the pool,

and form a battery with them behind the screen of bushes; then,

when you are ready, you will cut down the bushes and open fire."

"I don't see why that should not succeed, sir. Of course the most

difficult part of the operation is dragging the guns. These native

paths are only broad enough for men in single file."

"Yes, that is the difficulty. We could not employ axes to cut down

the trees, and to saw them down would be an interminable work. I

think, Mr. Ferguson, we should have to carry them."

"I doubt if we could carry a twenty-four pounder, sir; but we might

carry an eighteen. They have bamboos of almost any length here,

and if we were to lash an eighteen pounder between two of them,

I should say that ten men each side ought to able to carry them,

while as many more might take the gun carriage."

"We will get some bamboos today, Mr. Ferguson, and try the experiment

of how many men will be required to carry a gun; but now I think

of it, I fancy that it will be still easier to lay the guns down

on a sledge shaped piece of timber--these paths are smooth enough

where the natives tread, and the men could haul the guns along with

ropes."

"That would be better and easier, sir. The difficulty with the

carriages will be greatest, but they might be taken to pieces as

far as possible and slung on bamboos."

"I think that we shall be able to manage all that," the captain said

cheerfully. "The first thing is to find the path. There is almost

sure to be one from the village the Malay spoke of as close to

the mouth of the creek, and the pool, and if we send the boats up

as soon as we arrive at the creek, to row with muffled oars until

they get near the pool, and then land and find the path, it would

diminish very much the distance they would have to go and the work

to be done."

"It would be a great thing to find that out beforehand, sir. If you

like, I will drop down the river this afternoon in the gig; that

will attract no attention, for it will be thought that we are merely

going fishing or shooting. As soon as it is dark we will muffle

the oars, and row up the other branch, find the mouth of the creek

and row up it, first find how far it is to the pool, then drop

down a quarter of a mile and land, strike into the jungle, and look

for the path. I should, of course, choose a point where the creek

bends that way, for as the path no doubt goes straight from the

village to the pool, it would be nearer the creek at a bend than

it would be at any other point. If it is a sharp bend it might go

quite close to it."

"That would be a very good plan, Mr. Ferguson, and as you have

proposed it, you shall take command of the boat; otherwise I should

have sent either the third lieutenant or Morrison. I need not say

that it will be necessary to use the greatest caution, and to avoid

all risks as much as possible, though I fancy that my gig would

run away from any of the ordinary native craft; but, of course, the

great point is to avoid being noticed, for were one of our boats

seen up the other river near the creek, the alarm would be given,

and the prahus might at once shift their position, and make up the

river, where we should have little chance of finding them again."

"I quite understand that, sir, and will be as careful as possible.

I will take one of the midshipmen with me, either Mr. Parkhurst or

Mr. Balderson; if the worst came to the worst and one of the men

were hit, he could man his oar, or, if I were myself badly wounded,

could take the command. I think it is Balderson's turn for boat

duty."

"Either of them will do," the captain said; "they are both strong,

active lads, and as steady as you can expect lads to be."

Accordingly, at four in the afternoon the captain's gig was

lowered. As the rule was that all men on boat duty should go armed

no surprise had been excited when the order was given for the men

to take their muskets and cutlasses, though, when an extra supply

of ammunition and a brace of pistols were served out to each, they

thought that something unusual was in the wind, and there was a

grin on the men's faces when a hamper of provisions was placed in

the bow of the boat. Dick was in a state of high but suppressed

delight when informed by the first lieutenant that he was to

accompany him on a boat expedition, and that he had better take

his cloak with him, as they might be out all night.

"You can take your pistols with you, Mr. Balderson; it is not likely

that they will be wanted, but it is as well to carry them."

Dick borrowed a cutlass from the armorer and ground it down to

a razor edge, for his dirk was an altogether useless weapon if it

came to fighting. He was the more convinced that something more

than usual was intended when he saw the assistant surgeon place a

parcel in the stern sheets.

"Bandages, I expect," he said. "Where do you think we can be going,

Harry?"

"Perhaps you are going up the creek again, Dick. Who's going in

command?"

"I have not heard. Morrison says he has not been told off, so

I suppose it is Hopkins; in fact, if you are going up the creek,

it is sure to be him, as one of us who went up there before would

certainly be in command. It is rum they're taking the captain's

gig. He is very particular about it, and it is very seldom indeed

that even the first luff uses it."

"I suppose they think it possible that you may be chased, and there

is no doubt she is far away the fastest boat on board. She is not

a dockyard boat, but, as you know, is one the captain had specially

built for himself, and for racing if we were at any station where

there were other warships."

When four o'clock came, and the first lieutenant, with his cloak

over his arm, came out and took his place in the boat, there was

a general look of surprise among the sailors leaning on the rail

to see her put off, for it was a very unusual thing for the first

officer to take the command when only a single boat's crew were

going out on any expedition.

"Row easy, men," Mr. Ferguson said, as he sat down on one side of

the coxswain, while Dick took his place on the other. "Drop quietly

down the river. There is my fishing rod by your side, Mr. Balderson;

you may as well begin to put it together at once, so that the

natives on shore may see that we are going on a fishing expedition."

They rowed some ten miles down at a leisurely pace, and then the

boat's grapnel was dropped at a bend of the stream, where the water

was unusually deep, and several baskets of fish had been taken at

various times. A spare rod was brought out from under the seat,

and Mr. Ferguson and Dick began to fish, one on each side of the

boat, while the men lay on their oars, and a look of satisfaction

came over their faces as the lieutenant told them that they could

smoke. Hitherto, Dick had been in ignorance as to the object of

the expedition. He had been much surprised when the order had been

given for the boat to row down the river, and it was therefore

evident that it was not the intention of the first officer to again

explore the creek.

Several fish were caught, but as soon as it became dark the lieutenant

said, "You can throw them overboard again, Mr. Balderson; we don't

want any extra weight in the boat, and these fish must weigh thirty

pounds at least. Now what do you suppose we are going to do?"

"I have no idea, sir. I thought that we might be going up the creek

that Lieutenant Hopkins explored the other day, to have another

look at the prahus; but as we came down the river instead of going

up, of course it is not that."

"No; we are going to explore the creek, but from the other end."

"That will be first rate, sir, but I am afraid that we shan't find

water enough for the Serpent."

"No, I fear that there is little chance of that; still we may obtain

information that will be valuable."

The night was a dark one, and an hour after sunset the grapnel was

got up, and the boat continued its way down the river, the oars

being now muffled, and the strictest silence ordered.

"Keep your eyes open, Mr. Balderson," the lieutenant said. "I think

that it must be another three miles to the point where the river

forks. The other branch comes in on the right, so we will keep

on the left bank. I don't think there is much fear of our missing

the junction of the stream, but if we do, we will row on to a mile

below the point where we think it is, then cross and keep up on

the other side. In that way we cannot miss it."

For the next half hour no word was spoken in the boat. Dick kept his

eyes fixed on the opposite bank. Suddenly he touched the lieutenant.

"There, sir, that must be it. The line of the trees has suddenly

stopped, and I think I can make out a lower line behind it."

"Yes, no doubt that is the junction. We will go two hundred yards

farther down before we cross; it is unlikely in the extreme that

anyone is watching us, still I don't want to run the slightest

risk."

In another five minutes they crossed the river, whose increased

width showed them that they had assuredly passed the junction of

the stream. Then they turned and followed the right hand bank.

"Stretch out a bit now, lads; you have fifteen miles' straight

rowing before you, and the sooner you get to the other end, the

better. We may have a long night's work before us, and I want to

be able to get to the place where we fished before morning."

The men bent to their oars, and the boat sped swiftly along. The

current was very slight, and after two hours' rowing, the lieutenant

judged that they must be but a short distance from the village

Hassan's messenger spoke of. Accordingly, he told the coxswain to

steer across to the other bank, and warned the men that the slightest

splash of their oars might attract attention, and that they were

to row easier for the present. In a quarter of an hour the wall of

forest ceased, and a hundred yards farther they saw houses. Two or

three dim lights were visible, and the sound of voices could be

heard. The boat's head was now turned out somewhat farther into

the stream, so as to be out of sight of anyone who might by chance

come down late to draw water. After rowing a hundred yards they

could dimly make out the outline of a white house. There was a

break just in the center, and the outline of a tree could be seen

above the roof. Dick leant forward and again touched the lieutenant.

"That must be the house, sir," he whispered.

Mr. Ferguson nodded without speaking; and after the boat had gone

another hundred yards, the line of forest could again be seen,

and the boat was rowed into the bank, and two minutes later shot

through a narrow channel and entered a creek some forty yards wide.

"Now you can give way again, lads."

An hour's paddling in a sampan would mean about three miles, and

after twenty minutes' sharp rowing, the men were ordered to row easy

again, and the lieutenant and Dick kept an anxious lookout ahead.

The creek was here little more than fifty yards across, and,

accustomed as their eyes were to darkness, they presently saw that

it widened out suddenly. The word was passed down for the men to

paddle easily, and in two minutes the pool opened before them. They

could not make out the prahus, lying as they did against the shadow

of the trees on the farther side, but they could see a number of

lights, apparently from swinging lanterns, and hear a loud murmur

of voices.

"Easy all," the lieutenant ordered now; "back her very quietly;

now pull bow."

Noiselessly the boat was brought round, and its head directed to

the right hand bank. They had passed a sharp bend nearly half a

mile back, and the lieutenant said, "Look out for a landing place

at the deepest point of the curve, Harris."

"Aye, aye, sir!" the coxswain said, standing up. A minute later he

brought the boat alongside, at a point which was free from bushes,

and where the bank was but two feet above the water's edge.

CHAPTER VII.

"Now, Mr. Balderson, take Harper and Winthorpe, and make your way

through the jungle as noiselessly as possible. It is probable that

the path runs within fifty yards of this point, possibly it is only

half a dozen. When you have found it, send Winthorpe back to me

with the news. Take that long coil of thin rope that is in the bow,

and pay it out as you go along. You might get lost even within two

yards of the stream, and it would be dangerous to call or whistle.

It will enable me to join you. Leave your muskets behind, lads; they

would only be in the way in the jungle, and you have your pistols

and cutlasses. You take the lantern, Winthorpe, and Harper, do you

take the rope. Fasten one end to the thwart before you start, or,

without knowing it, you might drag it after you."

Dick led the way, the others following close behind, but as soon

as they were among the trees, he was obliged to take the lantern,

for the darkness was so intense that he could not see an inch before

him and would have been torn to pieces by the thorny creepers had

he tried to penetrate without a light.

As it was, he received several nasty scratches, and could hear

muttered exclamations from the men behind him. Creeping under some

of the rattans, making detours to avoid others, and cutting some of

the smaller ones in two with his cutlass, he made his way forward,

and was delighted indeed when, after proceeding some twenty yards,

he came upon the edge of what looked like a ditch, but which was,

he knew, the native path.

"Here we are, lads," he exclaimed in a low tone; "thank goodness

we have not had to go farther."

"So say I, sir," one of the men grumbled; "if it had not been for

your lantern I should have been torn to pieces. As it is, I aint

sure whether my eyes aint gone, and my nose and cheeks are scratched

as if I had been fighting with a mad cat."

"Here, Winthorpe, take the lantern and make your way back; darken

it as soon as you get through to the edge of the creek. You cannot

go wrong with the cord to guide you."

Two or three minutes later Dick saw the light approaching again,

and the lieutenant, the coxswain, and two bluejackets joined him,

Winthorpe and another having been left as boat keepers.

"Now, Harris, do you and one of the others go on ahead; we will

follow fifty yards behind you. If you hear anyone coming, give

a low whistle; we will then turn off the light. You can walk on

confidently, for there is no chance of any of these prickly creepers

running across the path. When you see the trees are getting thinner,

or that there is an opening before you, stop and send back word to

us, so that we can shut up the lantern before joining you."

The lieutenant headed the party now, followed by Dick. He held the

lantern close to the ground; the bottom was, like all jungle paths,

worn perfectly smooth by the passage of the barefooted natives.

"Nothing could be better," he said in a low voice to Dick. "We ought

to be able to haul the guns along here at a trot; and the opening

is wide enough on each side for a gun carriage to be carried along

without any difficulty."

In ten minutes one of the men ahead came back.

"We have got to the end of the path, sir; it ends on the bank of

that pool we saw ahead."

The lantern was now extinguished, and the party hurried forward.

On reaching the bank they found that the path ended, as they had

expected, just opposite the village. The prahus lay somewhat to

the right.

"It could not be better," the lieutenant whispered. "Now let us

see whether we can find a suitable place for the guns."

This was much easier than they had expected, for the trees were

cleared, probably to furnish firewood, for a distance of some fifteen

yards from the bank; between this cleared place and the water was

a fringe of thick bushes.

"This will do capitally, lads. Now we will be off at once; we have

found out all that we wanted, and nothing could be more satisfactory."

They retraced their steps rapidly till they came to the coil of

cord looped on a low bough. The coxswain took it down, and they were

soon all on board the boat again. "Now, lads, row as noiselessly

as you can to the mouth of the pool again, then turn, and lay on

your oars, except bow and two, who are to paddle very slowly. Hand

Mr. Balderson that twenty foot bamboo; I want to sound the river

as we come back."

As soon as the boat was again turned, Dick took the pole, and,

standing .up, thrust it down into the water.

"Only about seven feet, sir," he whispered.

"That is bad. It is evident that the ship cannot get up here; still

we may as well go on sounding."

"The water is gradually deepening," Dick said, thrusting the pole

down again; "there are nearly ten feet."

It was not long before he announced fifteen, and at that continued

until they reached the entrance to the creek, where it was only

fourteen feet.

"It would be a touch and go there," the lieutenant said, "but I

dare say she could be pushed through. It is very unfortunate that

there is that shallow bar this side of the pool. And now, lads, you

can lay out for ten minutes, and then we can fasten up to a bough

and see what is in the hamper. We have done our work earlier than

I had expected, and can take it easy."

The steward had provided them with an ample store of food, and

the men ate their hunks of cold meat and bread, and passed round

the pannikins of grog, with great contentment, while the officers

divided a cold chicken and a bottle of claret.

"Now, men," the lieutenant said, when they had finished, "you can

have a quarter of an hour's smoke. You must open the lantern in

the bottom of the boat, and hold a jacket over it to prevent the

light falling on any of you."

When the men had lit their pipes the lantern was passed aft, and

while the coxswain put his jacket over it, the lieutenant lit a

cigar.

"You smoke, don't you, Balderson?"

"Yes, sir, I began when we came up the river; the doctor said it

is a good thing to keep off miasma."

"Very well, then light up; I think that it is a good thing myself.

We have done a very satisfactory night's work, and I think we see

our way now to getting rid of most of those piratical craft, which

will not only be a benefit to traders on the coast of the river,

but will greatly please all the other chiefs, and will enable them

to hold their own against Sehi."

Five minutes were added to the promised quarter, and then the pipes

were laid down, and the boat proceeded at a steady stroke until

they reached the spot where they had fished.

"Somewhere about here, lad?"

"Yes, sir, I think that this is just the place. I noticed that

tall tree rising above the general line just opposite where we were

anchored."

"Then lower the grapnel; in oars."

Another bottle was produced from the hamper; the lieutenant filled

a wine glass full and drank it off, and then passed the glass over

to Dick.

"What is it, sir?"

"It is some grog, with a large dose of quinine. The doctor begged me

to give it an hour or two before daylight. Now, lads, you are each

to take a glass of this; it will protect you against the effect of

the mist on the river. You can show the lantern now; it is just as

well that they should see it if they are on the lookout."

Every man took his glass of the mixture.

"Now wrap yourselves in your blankets, lads, and lie down for a

couple of hours' sleep."

After a minute or two's scuffling while each found a plank to suit

him, all was quiet in the boat. Dick, who felt far too excited

over the events of the night to be sleepy, had volunteered to keep

watch, and, lighting another pipe at the lantern, smoked till it

was broad daylight. Then he roused the crew, and in less than two

hours afterwards they rowed alongside the Serpent. The captain was

greatly pleased with Mr. Ferguson's report.

"It is unlucky about that bar in the creek, otherwise we might have

taken the ship right into the pool, and fought it out with them

there. Still, it may be that this will be the best in the end, for

we could hardly have counted upon sinking the whole of them, and

once past us they would have been off like the wind; and though we

might have followed some of them, the others would have made off,

some one way and some another, whereas, by laying the vessel across

the mouth of the creek, we have a good chance of catching them

all as they come down. There is no doubt a lot more fellows have

arrived to help the rajah; we can see that there are a great many

more about on the shore than there have been before. I think things

will come to a crisis before many hours have passed. We have made

out that men keep coming and going behind that row of six huts

facing the river, and I should not be surprised if they are not

hard at work establishing a battery there."

Presently two Malays, whom they recognized as belonging to the

rajah's council, advanced to the edge of the shore, which was but

some fifty yards away. One of them held a pole to which a white

cloth was attached.

"I have a message from the rajah," he shouted out. The captain sent

for the interpreter, and went to the side of the quarterdeck.

"The rajah says that he does not want to have any more to say to

you. You want to take his country; he will not let you have it,

and if you do not go away in an hour, he will sink your ship."

"Tell him," the captain said, "that it will be the worse for him

if he tries it. I came up here at his invitation, and shall stay

just as long as I please."

The two Malays retired, walking in a quiet and dignified way.

The news soon ran through the ship of the defiance that had been

given, and excited the liveliest satisfaction. The men were shaking

hands, cutting capers, and indulging in much joking and laughter.

Half an hour later there was a sudden uproar in the town, drums were

beaten, horns sounded, and the Malays by the river bank speedily

retired behind the huts.

"You had better get the magazine opened, Mr. Ferguson, and everything

in readiness, but we won't beat to quarters till they begin."

The tumult on shore increased, and soon a few shots were fired from

behind houses and walls, the balls whistling overhead.

"There won't be much of that," the captain said, as he walked up

and down the quarterdeck with the first lieutenant; "we have seen

very few guns among them. I should doubt if there are a hundred

in the town. What there are were, no doubt, captured from trading

vessels the scoundrels have plundered and burned."

A few minutes later the bamboos forming the wall of the six houses

where a bustle had been observed fell outward, the lashings having

been cut by a swarm of Malays, who, as soon as the last fell, ran

back, showing eight brass cannon.

"Beat to quarters, Mr. Ferguson," the Captain Maid quietly, and at

the first tap of the drum the sailors, who had been expecting the

order, ran to their stations. As they gained them the little battery

on shore opened fire. Although the distance was but a hundred yards,

only three of the balls hit the hull, the others passing through

the masts.

"Load with grape," the captain ordered.

"Captain Hugeson," he said to the Marine officer, "will you place

your men on the poop, and tell them to open fire as soon as the

guns send the Malays flying from their battery? I can see that

there are large numbers gathered round it. Mr. Ferguson, will you

see that the guns are all laid on that battery? When they are ready,

fire a broadside that will clear the place out at once."

Two minutes later there was a crash as the whole of the guns on

the starboard side were discharged at the same moment. The effect

was tremendous, and the storm of grape swept away the whole of

the buildings beneath which the guns were standing. Three of these

were dismounted, and not one of the men who had been crowded round

them remained on his feet. Numbers were seen running away in all

directions, and a volley from the marines brought several of these

down.

"There is an end to the attack," the captain said quietly. "Order

the men to load with shell, and to direct their aim in the first

place at the rajah's palace; there is no occasion for rapid firing."

Gun after gun sent its messenger into the palace, and in three or

four minutes flames were seen rising from it. The order was then

given to fire with grape at all the houses facing the water. In

the meantime the men were called from their guns on the port side,

and the boats lowered. The marines and all the sailors, save those

serving the starboard guns, took their places in them, the first

lieutenant taking the command, and on the word being given they

dashed with a cheer towards the shore, and, leaping out, formed

up, and led by their officers ran forward, not a shot being fired

by the Malays as they did so.

The fire of the ship's guns was now directed towards the portion of

the town facing the forest, as it was here that the Malays would

probably be gathered. Port fires had been distributed among the

landing party. As these were lost to sight as they entered the

town, those on board ship watched eagerly for the sound of combat.

Nothing, however, was heard for a minute or two; then came a single

shot, and then a rattle of musketry.

"They are making a stand now," the captain said.

"Mr. Hopkins, will you please go round and tell the gunners to be

very careful in their aim? Let them watch the smoke rising among

the houses, and aim a short distance beyond it. Impress upon them

that it is better to fire too far than to risk hurting our own

men."

The order was obeyed; soon flames were seen to rise beyond the

spot where the fighting was going on, the resistance to the advance

speedily ceased, and a dropping fire took the place of the sustained

roll of musketry which, five minutes later, broke out again at the

edge of the town facing the wood, and the fire of the guns was now

directed against the edge of the forest, to which the Malays had

evidently fled. In a few minutes smoke began to rise all round the

place, showing that the men with port fires were at work, and in

a quarter of an hour the bluejackets and marines were seen issuing

from the houses and coming down to the shore. The place was by this

time a sheet of fire, the lightly built huts, dried in the heat of

the sun, catching like tinder, and blazing up in a fierce flame,

that in a few minutes left no vestige behind it.

The ship's fire had by this time ceased, and the sailors, as they

looked out of the portholes, cheered as the boats came up. Their

appearance was far less orderly than it had been when they put off

from the ship, every man having carted off some sort of loot--

sarongs, spears, krises, and other articles, some obtained from

the huts, others thrown away by the Malays in their flight. There

were, too, some articles of European manufacture, which had been

carried off from the palace before the flames had obtained entire

possession. These were in themselves strong proofs that the rajah's

prahus had been engaged in piratical attacks upon European craft,

for they consisted of bales of silk, chronometers, watches, double

barreled guns, mirrors, and other articles which had evidently

formed a portion of a ship's fittings.

"Any casualties, Mr. Ferguson?" the captain asked, as the lieutenant

stepped on board.

"Half a dozen spear wounds, sir, but only one of a serious nature;

our fire was too hot for them to face."

"What do you suppose their loss has been?"

"As far as I can judge, sir, some eighty or ninety were killed by

our fire, and at least as many must have fallen in the battery; the

place was choked up with dead. I have brought the eight guns off;

they are only four pounders."

"They may be useful for the boats. I see the men have brought off

a good deal of rubbish. You had better give orders that whatever

there is is to be fairly divided among all hands. Any articles

more valuable than the rest had better be put up to auction, and

whatever they fetch also divided among the men. Were the Malays in

force?"

"The place swarmed with them, sir, but they were evidently

demoralized by the fire of the guns, and their attacks were really

feeble. The only trouble we had was that some would shut themselves

up in houses. It looked at first as if they really meant to fight,

but directly the shells began to fall behind them, and fire broke

out, they lost heart altogether, and made a bolt for the forest."

"Well, the work has been thoroughly done, Mr. Ferguson, and Sehi

has had a lesson that he won't forget. Now we have to tackle his

fleet."

"Everything is ready, sir. We have got the sledges made for the two

guns, and a store of long bamboos for the carriages and anything

else we may want to take with us."

"This will be a more serious business by a long way," the captain

said. "The men had better take a hundred rounds of ammunition

with them, and it would be as well to take a few boxes of spare

cartridges; and the men not occupied in dragging the cannon and

carrying the carriages, must take up as many rounds of shell as

possible, and eight or ten rounds of grape for each gun. You have

got the sacks ready for forming the battery; that will be absolutely

necessary for the protection of the men firing. Each of the prahus

has probably got at least half a dozen small guns, and it would be

hardly possible to work our pieces unless the men were protected

from their concentrated fire. Tell the chief engineer that steam

must be got up by six o'clock. In the meantime, let a slow fire

be kept up towards the edge of the forest, just a shot every five

minutes, which will be enough to show them we are still here, and

have not done with them yet. When the place cools down a bit, we

will send a party on shore to keep up a dropping fire against the

forest, and so induce them to believe that we mean to attack them

there."

CHAPTER VIII.

During the rest of the day preparations were actively carried on

for the night's work. The fifty marines and a hundred bluejackets

were to take part in the landing expedition; the ammunition to be

carried was ranged along the deck, and the men told off for the

various work there was to be done, some being allotted to carry

stretchers and surgical requirements for the wounded. The first

lieutenant was to command the party, having with him the third

lieutenant, the master's mate, and the two senior midshipmen;

besides, of course, the marine officers. Dr. Horsley was also to

accompany them. Some cartridges were made up with powder and musket

bullets for two of the brass guns captured, in order that, if the

Malays succeeded in landing, they might meet with a hot reception.

It was decided that no carriages should be taken for them, but that

they should be simply laid on the sandbags.

The party on shore had kept up a fire all day at the forest. The

yells of defiance which at times rose showed that the Malays were

in great force all round its edge. Towards evening all on shore

returned to the ship. As soon as it became absolutely dark, the

anchor chain was unshackled, and a buoy being attached to the end,

it was noiselessly lowered into the water. Then the screw began to

revolve, and the vessel gradually backed down the river. All lights

had been extinguished, and no sound from the forest showed that the

movement had been observed. A mile lower down the ship was turned,

the screw began to revolve more rapidly, and at half speed she ran

down to the junction of the two branches of the river, and steamed

up the other arm until within half a mile or so of the village at

the mouth of the creek. Then a light anchor was let go, the boats

were lowered, and the landing party took their places in them; the

oars were all muffled, and keeping close to the right bank of the

river, they rowed up until past the village, and then crossing,

entered the mouth of the creek, and rowed up it until they reached

the spot where the landing had been effected on the previous night.

Half a dozen men provided with well greased saws first landed under

Dick Balderson's command, and cleared a passage six feet wide to

the path; then the landing began in earnest. The guns were first put

on shore, and carried bodily to the path; the rest of the marines

and the bluejackets then landed, each carrying, in addition to his

arms and ammunition, a gun cartridge, or a box of rifle ammunition,

and a couple of empty sacks. As fast as they landed they proceeded

up the path. Dick Balderson led the way, and the men were directed

to step as closely as they could to each other. As they arrived near

the pool, each deposited his burden, and then went back to assist

to drag up the guns and carriages.

Scarcely a sound was heard during the operation. Their feet fell

noiselessly on the soft earth of the track, and no one a few yards

away would have guessed that a hundred and fifty men were engaged

in laborious toil. There was far more noise than there had been

the night before on board the prahus, an incessant jabber being

maintained, and voices rang high in excitement as the men discussed

the destruction of the town and the orders that had been received

for a portion of them to land on the following morning and take part

in the annihilation of the whites if they entered into the forest.

As soon as the two heavy guns were placed upon their carriages,

just behind the screen of bushes, the greater portion of the men

were sent back as far as the point where they had landed, there to

fill the sacks with earth from the bank of the river, a number of

shovels having been brought for the purpose.

Several large bundles of bamboos, cut into lengths six feet long,

and sharpened at both ends, had been among the articles taken up

to the battery, and while most of the men were engaged filling and

carrying the sacks of earth, some were employed in constructing

chevaux de frise, ten paces on each side of the spot where the

battery was being constructed. The bamboos were set diagonally a

foot and a half into the soft earth, and bound together by being

lashed to strong poles running along them. These fences extended

from the edge of the bushes by the water to the trees. The forest

behind was so thick and entangled with creepers that there was

little fear of an attack being made from that quarter.

Accustomed to work in the darkness, the sailors had no difficulty

in carrying out the operation, and before morning broke the battery

was complete. It was six feet high on the side facing the water,

with two embrasures for the guns, four feet high on the sides

covered by the chevaux de frise. The front face was twenty-five

feet in length, the sides forty. Morning was breaking as the work

was finished, and bread and cold meat were served out, with a

full ration of grog. By the time these were consumed it was broad

daylight; for there is little twilight so near the equator.

"Now for it, Dick," Harry Parkhurst said, as the lieutenant gave

the signal for all to rise and take their places. Filing out of the

battery, the marines lined the bank on one side, and the sailors,

other than those who were to work the guns, on the other. Some of

the sailors climbed over the front wall and with their jackknives

cut away the boughs in front of the guns. There was silence on board

the prahus, where the Malays had dropped off to sleep a couple of

hours before daylight. Mr. Ferguson himself superintended the laying

of the guns, seeing that each was most carefully trained upon the

waterline of a prahu. As the distance was some seventy or eighty

yards, he had little doubt that the two vessels aimed at would be

sunk at once. When he was thoroughly satisfied, he drew back and

gave the order to fire.

The two reports sounded as if one, and were mingled with the explosion

of shells as they struck the prahus exactly on the waterline.

There was a momentary silence, and then a wild hubbub of yells of

surprise and fury, while a loud cheer broke from the British, as

they saw the success of the shots. Almost instantly the two craft

struck began to settle down, and in a minute disappeared, the water

being covered with the heads of the crew, who were swimming to the

other prahus. The guns of these had evidently been kept loaded,

for before the two eighteen pounders were again ready, a fire was

opened by the four craft, one or two balls striking the sandbags,

while the rest went crashing into the forest behind. Every shot from

the British guns struck the prahus, but none effected such damage

as the first two fired.

"They are taking to their boats, Ferguson," the doctor, who was

standing beside him, said.

"Yes, but I fancy they have no thought of giving it up at present;

they are going to make a dash at us. They can still work their guns

and spare any amount of men to attack us."

The next minute, indeed, a dozen boats, crammed with men, shot

round from behind the prahus.

"Grape now," the lieutenant ordered, while, at the same moment,

the marines and seamen, who had hitherto been silent, opened fire

from under the bushes, beneath which they were enabled to obtain

a view of what was going on.

Two of the boats were sunk by the discharge of the grape; but the

others, without checking their course, pushed on.

"Quick, lads, give them another round before it is too late."

The guns were loaded with incredible quickness, and two more of

the boats were shattered, their swarthy occupants striking out for

the shore, making for the most part towards the battery, as did

the boats. Twenty of the sailors and as many marines were at once

called in from the bank to aid in the defense of the battery, and

a desperate conflict was presently raging here and along the bank,

the Malays, swarming up, striving to force their way up through

the embrasures, or to climb the sandbags; but as fast as they did

so, they were cut down or bayoneted by its defenders. Those trying

to land at other points were impeded by the bushes, and numbers

were killed; but they pressed on so furiously that at last Mr.

Ferguson, who had been moving backwards and forwards along the

line, thought it best to call the men in, and in a minute or two

the whole party were collected in the little fort, and ranged along

the sides.

With furious yells the Malays came on, and although swept by volleys

of musketry reached the bamboos, which they strove in vain to pluck

up or climb. In the meantime the eighteen pounders had never ceased

their fire, the sailors working them steadily, regardless of the

fight that was going on on either flank. Here the little brass guns

did good service; each time they were fired the recoil sent them

tumbling from the top of the sandbags, only, however, to be seized,

sponged, and loaded, by the four sailors in charge of each, and then

lifted to their place again, crammed with bullets to the muzzle, in

readiness to check the next charge of the Malays. Suddenly their

yells redoubled, and were answered by similar shouts from the

forest.

"The rajah's troops have come up," the first lieutenant said to

the marine officer; "our position is getting serious. Do you think

that we could make our way back to the boats without great loss?

We have sunk two of their craft, have badly damaged the others,

and inflicted very heavy loss on them."

"It would be a very risky operation; but it might be done, Ferguson.

Listen!"

There was a fresh outburst of shouts, this time on the path by which

they had come. Evidently a number of the newly arrived Malays had

struck into it by some other track from the town.

"That settles it," the lieutenant said shortly; "we must fight it

out here. It is lucky we have a fair stock of ammunition, and can

keep it up for some hours yet. You see, the sailors have not had.

to use their pistols yet, and they will astonish those fellows if

they do manage to scale the sandbags."

For another half hour the fighting continued. Again and again the

Malays fell back, but only to return to the attack with fresh fury,

and the defenders had been obliged to betake themselves more than

once to their pistols. The two heavy guns were now removed from

their position to the sides, for the attack by boats had ceased

entirely, and the destruction of the prahus was of less importance

than the defense of the little fort from the attacks on its flanks.

The operation began just as the Malays made one of their retreats,

and by the time they returned, the guns were placed in their new

position, their muzzles peeping out from among the sandbags, while

the embrasures on the water face had been closed by bags taken from

the upper line. The effect of the fire at such close quarters was

to drive the Malays flying into the forest. Shortly afterwards the

sound of chopping was heard.

"The beggars are trying to cut a path through the jungle to our

rear, Dick," Harry Parkhurst said.

"Obstinate brutes! But I don't think much of that, Harry: they

will get on well enough until they arrive within twenty or thirty

yards of us, when we can pepper them so hotly that they will soon

get sick of it."

At this moment there was the report of a heavy gun, and a shell

crashed through the forest fifty yards in the rear of the fort.

Loud yells of rage and alarm rose from the Malays, while a hearty

cheer broke from the defenders of the fort. Closely following, came

the sound of another gun, and then a rain of grape, some of which

whistled over the fort.

"Keep yourselves well down behind the sandbags, men," Lieutenant

Ferguson shouted; "the captain knows that we have shelter, and will

sweep the Malays out of the forest round us. That shot must have

done great execution among the Malays on the path between us and

the boats."

The guns of the ship kept up a heavy fire, searching the wood for

some distance round with shell, and pouring volleys of grape into

the trees near the battery. Presently the fire ceased.

"I fancy they have all bolted, Dick," his comrade said; "after the

first five minutes we have not heard a sound. I wonder what the

prahus are doing?"

A minute later the lieutenant said, "Mr. Morrison, take a dozen

men and make your way along the path until you get to the boats.

I hope they have escaped. If they are within hail go on board, and

report to the captain that we have sunk two of the prahus, and that

for the present the Malays who have been attacking us have made

off. Say that large numbers of them have gone on board the four

prahus, and that I am about to open fire upon them again."

As soon as the mate had left, parties of men were set to work to

shift the guns to their old positions, and fire was again opened

upon the piratical prahus, who replied, as before, with their little

guns. A very few minutes later a shell flew overhead, and fell in

the water near where the craft were anchored. Another and another

followed quickly. Intense excitement was manifest on board the

prahus, and almost immediately their cables were cut, oars got out,

and at a great rate they started down the creek.

"The place has got too hot for them altogether, Harry; they think

it better to run the gauntlet of the ship's guns than to be sunk

at their moorings."

Scarcely had the prahus issued from the pool, than the guns of the

ship were heard.

"I am afraid that some of them will get away, Harry. The beggars

row so fast that there won't be time to give them more than one

broadside as they pass. If the ship is aground, which is likely

enough, for the captain pushed up farther than we thought possible,

they will be pretty safe when they have once got past her."

Presently the guns were heard to fire in rapid succession. Loud

yells and cries followed; then came shouts of triumph and defiance;

then all was still, save that a few cannon shot were discharged at

regular intervals.

"They have got one of the guns round to fire over the stern, Dick.

There, it has stopped now; evidently the prahus have got round the

next corner. It is a pity that any of them should have escaped,

and they would not have done so if the Serpent had remained at the

mouth of the creek; but I suppose the captain became anxious at

the continuation of the heavy firing here, and so came up to our

help. It is lucky he did so, for, though we might have beaten them

off, they were in such tremendous force that I fancy it would have

gone hard with us in the long run. I was beginning to think so

myself, Harry."

Dr. Horsley had been busy enough from the time that the fighting

began in earnest. Ten men had been killed by balls that had passed

through the embrasures, or by kris or lance wounds, and twenty-eight

others had been more or less severely wounded. A quarter of an hour

after the firing ceased, Captain Forrest himself, with the mate,

rowed into the pool in one of the cutters, and landed at the end

of the path close to the battery.

"I congratulate you on your success, Mr. Ferguson," he said, shaking

hands with the first lieutenant; "it has been a very hot affair,

and by Mr. Morrison's report it was just as well that I decided to

change my plan and come up to your aid, though it has resulted in

two of the prahus getting away."

"Then you sank two of them, sir?"

"No, indeed, we only sank one; the third went down just after we saw

her come out from the pool. Certainly we had not hit her, so that

the honor of accounting for three out of six of the craft falls to

you and your party. Well, Doctor, what is your report? I am afraid

it is a bad one."

"Serious, indeed," he went on, after he had received the figures.

"Still it is much less than might have been expected from attacking

such a host of pirates. I am glad to hear that none of the officers

are dangerously wounded."

"Parkhurst had his forearm laid open with a cut from a kris, and

Balderson had one of their spears through his ear. Dr. Horsley said

if it had been half an inch more to the left, it would probably

have killed him. Lieutenant Somers of the marines is more badly

hurt, a spear having gone through the thigh. It cut an artery.

Luckily the doctor was close to him at the moment, and clapped on

a tourniquet, and then cut down to the artery and tied it. As he

says, 'A delay of two minutes, and it would have been all up with

the young fellow.' Are the boats safe, sir?"

"Yes, the boat keepers pushed off a little way when the firing

began in the forest, and when they heard the shouts of a large party

of the enemy coming along the path, they went out almost into the

middle of the creek; and it was well they did, for many of the

Malays came down through the path you cut, and would have riddled

them with their spears had they been within reach. The boat keepers

acted very wisely; all of them got into the gig and towed the other

boats astern, so that if the Malays came along, either in their

prahus or in their boats, they could have cut them adrift and made

a race of it down to the ship.

"Well, I think that there is nothing more to be done here. The men

may as well have a tot of grog served out, and then the sailors

can march down to the landing place and bring up the boats and take

the guns and what ammunition you have left, on board. Mr. Morrison

will go back with me to the ship; he has one of his arms broken by

a ball from the prahus."

"I did not know that he was wounded, sir; he did not report it. I

should not have sent him if I had known it."

"It is just as well as it is, Ferguson; it will give me an opportunity

of specially recommending him for promotion in my report. The

assistant surgeon temporarily bandaged his arm when he reached the

ship."

"Is she afloat, sir?"

"No; I want you back as soon as possible. We shall have to get out

the anchors and heave on them. We put on a full head of steam and

drove her two or three hundred yards through the mud before she

finally brought up. I wanted to get as near to you as possible, in

order to clear the woods round you."

By two o'clock the whole ship's company were on board again, and

set to work to get her off; but it was not until after some hours'

exertion that the Serpent was again afloat. She was at once turned

round, steamed down to the mouth of the creek, and cast anchor

opposite the village.

CHAPTER IX.

The party landed at the village the next morning, but found it

entirely deserted.

"It is most important that we should take a prisoner, Ferguson," the

captain said, as he and the first lieutenant paced up and down the

quarterdeck; "we must catch the two prahus if we can. At present

we don't know whether they have gone up or down the river, and it

would be absolutely useless for us to wait until we get some clew

to their whereabouts. After we have finished with them, we will

go up the other branch, and try to find the two we know to be up

there. I should not like to leave our work unfinished."

"Certainly not, sir. I am afraid, though, it is of no use landing

to try to get hold of a prisoner. No doubt the woods are full of

them. There are the townspeople and those who came to help them;

and though many of those who tried to swim ashore from the sunken

boats may have been taken by the alligators, still the greater

portion must have landed all right."

"I should think, Mr. Ferguson, that it would be a good plan to send

a party of twenty men on shore after nightfall and to distribute

them, two Men to a hut. Possibly two or three of the Malays may

come down to the village before morning, either to fetch valuables

they may have left behind, or to see whether we are still here.

They may come tonight, or they may come some time tomorrow, crawling

through the plantations behind the houses. At any rate, I will wait

here a day or two on the chance."

"Whom shall I send with the men, sir?"

"You had better send Parkhurst and Balderson; they will have more

authority among the men than the younger midshipmen. The men better

take three days' cooked provisions on shore and ten small kegs of

water, one for each hut. I will give Parkhurst his instructions

before he lands."

"Now, Mr. Parkhurst," he said, when the boat was lowered soon

after dark, "you must bear in mind that the greatest vigilance will

be necessary. Choose ten huts close together. One man in each hut

must be always awake; there must be no talking above a whisper;

and during the daytime no one must leave his hut on any account

whatever. After nightfall you and Mr. Balderson will move from hut

to hut, to see that a vigilant watch is kept. You must, of course,

take watch and watch, night and day. You must remember that not

only is it most important that a native should be captured, but

you must be on your guard against an attack on yourselves. It is

quite conceivable that a party may come down to see if there are

any of us in the village.

"In case of attack, you must gather in one hut, and fire three shots

as a signal to us; a musket shot will be fired in return. When you

hear it, every man must throw himself down, for the guns will be

already loaded with grape, and I shall fire a broadside towards

the spot where I have heard your signal.

"As soon as the broadside is fired, make down to the shore, occupy

a house close to the water, and keep the Malays off till the boats

come ashore to fetch you off. Your crew has been very carefully

picked. I have consulted the warrant officers, and they have selected

the most taciturn men in the ship. There is to be no smoking;

of course the men can chew as much as they like; but the smell of

tobacco smoke would at once deter any native from entering a hut.

If a Malay should come in and try to escape, he must be fired on

as he runs away; but the men are to aim at his legs."

The instructions were carried out. A small hole was bored in the

back of each of the huts, so that a constant watch could be kept

up unseen by the closest observer in the forest, a hundred yards

behind. The night passed off quietly, as did the next day. The men

slept and watched by turns. On the afternoon of the second day, a

native was seen moving cautiously from tree to tree along the edge

of the forest. As soon as it was dark, Dick, whose watch it was,

crawled cautiously from hut to hut.

"That fellow we saw today may come at any moment," he said. "If

one of you see him coming, the other must place himself close to

the door, and if he enters, throw himself upon him and hold his

arms tightly till the others come up to help. Keep your rope handy

to twist round him, and remember these fellows are as slippery as

eels."

Having made the round, he returned to the hut in the center of the

others that he and Harry occupied. Half an hour later, they heard

a sudden outcry from the hut next to them, and rushing in, found

the two men there struggling with a Malay. With their aid he was

speedily bound; then the men were called from the other huts, and

the whole party ran down to the water's edge, where Harry hailed

the ship. A boat put off at once, and they were taken on board.

The prisoner was led to the captain's cabin, and there examined

through the medium of the interpreter. He refused to answer any

questions until, by the captain's orders, he was taken on deck

again and a noose placed round his neck, and the interpreter told

him that, unless he spoke, he was to be hauled up to the yard's

arm. The man was still silent.

"Tighten the strain very gradually," the captain said to the sailors

holding the other end of the rope. "Raise him two or three feet

above the deck, and then, when the doctor holds up his hand, lower

him at once again."

This was done. The man, though half strangled, was still conscious,

and on the noose being loosened, and Soh Hay saying that, unless

he spoke, he would be again run up, he said, as soon as he got his

breath, that he would answer any question. On being taken to the

cabin, he said that the prahus had gone down the river, and had

ascended the other arm. They had only gone a few miles above the

town, for one had been so injured that there had been difficulty

in keeping her afloat, and it was necessary to run her into a creek

in order to repair her before going up farther.

Half an hour later steam was up, and before morning the Serpent

lay off the mouth of the creek which the Malay pointed out as the

one that the prahu had entered. The second officer was this time

placed in command of the boats, he himself going in the launch,

the third officer took the first cutter, the two midshipmen the

second. No time was lost in making preparations, for it was desirable

to capture the prahu before she was aware that the Serpent had

left her position in the other river. For a mile the boats rowed up

the creek, which narrowed until they were obliged to go in single

file. It widened suddenly, and as the launch dashed through, a shower

of balls tore up the water round her; while at the same moment a

great tree fell across the creek, completely barring their retreat,

and narrowly shaving the stern of the midshipmen's boat, which was

the last in the line. Fortunately the launch had escaped serious

injury, and with a shout of "Treachery," Lieutenant Hopkins drew

his pistol to put a ball through the head of their guide, but as

he did so, the man sprang overboard and dived towards the shore.

"Row, men; we have all our work cut out for us. There are three

prahus ahead; steer for the center one, coxswain."

With a cheer the men bent to their oars, and dashed at the .prahu

which, as was evident by patches of plank freshly fastened to her

side, was one of those that had before escaped them.

"Follow me," the lieutenant shouted to the boat behind; "we must

take them one by one." The three boats dashed at the pirate craft,

which was crowded with men, regardless of the fire from the other

two vessels. The launch steered for her stem, the first cutter

for her bow, while the midshipmen swept round her, and boarded her

on the opposite side. A furious contest took place on her deck,

the Malays being so confused by being assailed at three points

simultaneously that the midshipmen's party were enabled to gain a

footing with but very slight resistance. The shouts of the Malays

near them brought many running from the other points, and the

parties there gained a footing with comparatively little loss. Then

a desperate struggle began; but the Malays were unable to withstand

the furious attack of the British, and ere long began to leap

overboard and swim to the other craft, which were both coming to

their aid.

The launch's gun had not been fired, and, calling to Dick, Harry

leaped down into the boat. The two midshipmen trained the gun upon

the nearest prahu, and aiming at the waterline, fired it when the

craft was within twenty feet of them. A moment later its impetus

brought it against the side of the launch, which was crushed like

an eggshell between it and the captured prahu, the two midshipmen

springing on board just in time. It was the Malays' turn to board

now, that of the British to prevent them; the musketry of the

sailors and marines for a time kept the enemy off, but they strove

desperately to gain a footing on board, until a loud cry was heard,

and the craft into which the midshipmen had fired sank suddenly,

and a loud cheer broke from the British.

The two midshipmen were engaged with the other pirate, from whom

a cry of dismay arose at seeing the disappearance of their friends.

"Now, lads, follow me," Harry shouted as the Malays strove to push

their craft away. Followed by a dozen sailors, they leaped on to

her deck; but the efforts of the Malays succeeded in thrusting the

vessels apart. In vain the midshipmen and their followers fought

desperately. Harry was felled by a blow with a war club, Dick cut

down with a kris; half the seamen were killed, the others jumped

overboard and swam back to their vessel. Lieutenant Hopkins shouted

to the men to take to the boats, and the two cutters were speedily

manned. One, however, was in a sinking condition; but Lieutenant

Hopkins with the other started in pursuit of the prahu, whose crew

had already got their oars out, and in spite of the efforts of the

sailors, soon left them behind. Pursuit was evidently hopeless, and

reluctantly the lieutenant ordered the men to row back. On returning

to the scene of combat, they saw sunk near the bank the fourth

of the prahus. "The spy was so far right," the second lieutenant

muttered--"this fellow did sink; now we must see that she does

no more mischief." He brought the captured prahu alongside the

others, whose decks were but a foot or two below the water, and

fired several shots through their bottoms. Then he set the captured

craft on fire and took to the boats, which with great difficulty

forced their way under the fallen tree and rowed back to the ship.

The third lieutenant had been shot dead, twelve men had been killed,

ten of the midshipmen's party were missing, and of the rest but

few had escaped without wounds more or less serious.

Harry was the first to recover his senses, being roughly brought

to by a bucket of water being dashed over him. He looked round the

deck. Of those who had sprung on board with him, none were visible

save Dick Balderson, who was lying near him, with a cloth tightly

bound round his shoulder.

As he rose into a sitting position a murmur of satisfaction broke

from some Malays standing near. It was some time before he could

rally his senses.

"I suppose," he thought at last, "they are either keeping us for

torture or as hostages. The rajah may have given orders that any

officers captured were to be spared and brought to him. I don't

know what his expectations are," he muttered to himself; "but if

he expects to be reinstated as rajah, and perhaps compensated for

the loss of his palace, he is likely to be mistaken; and in that

case it will go mighty hard with us, for there is no shadow of

doubt that he is a savage and cruel brute."

He had now shaken off the numbness caused by the blow that he had

received, and he managed to stagger to where Dick was lying, and

knelt beside him and begged the Malays to bring water. They had

evidently received orders to do all they could to revive the two

young officers, and one at once brought half a gourd full. Harry

had already assured himself that his friend's heart still beat. He

began by pouring some water between his lips. It was not necessary

to pour any over his head, for he had already received the same

treatment as himself.

"Dick, old chap," he said sharply and earnestly.

The sound was evidently heard and understood, for Dick started

slightly, opened his eyes and murmured, "It's not time to turn out

yet?"

"You are not in your hammock, Dick; you have been wounded, and

we are both prisoners in the hands of these Malays. Try and pull

yourself together, but don't move; they have .put a sort of bandage

round your shoulder, and I am going to try and improve it."

"What is the matter with my shoulder?" Dick murmured.

"Chopped with a kris, old man. Now I am going to turn you on your

side, and then cut the sleeve off the jacket. Take another drink

of water; then we will set about it."

Dick did as he was ordered, and was evidently coming back to

consciousness, for he looked round, and then said, "Where are the

other fellows?"

"I don't know what has become of them. I think I went down before

you did. However, here we are alone. Now I am going to begin."

He cut off the sleeve of the jacket and shirt at the shoulder,

ripped open the seam to the neck, first taking off the rough bandage.

"It's a nasty cut, old man," he said, "but nothing dangerous, I

should say. I fancy it has gone clean through the shoulder bone,

and there is no doubt that it will knit again, as Hassan's did, if

they do but give you time."

He rolled the shirt sleeve into a pad, saturated it with water,

and laid it on the wound.

"You see I know all about it, Dick," he said cheerily, "from having

watched the doctor at work on Hassan. Now I will tear this cloth

into strips."

He first placed a strip of the cloth over the shoulder, crossed

it under the arm, and then took the ends of the bandage across the

chest and back, and tied them under his other arm. He repeated this

process with half a dozen other strips; then he placed Dick's hand

upon his chest, tied some of the other strips together, and bound

them tightly round the arm and body, so that no movement of the

limb was possible. One of the Malay's knelt down and gave him his

assistance, and nodded approvingly when he had finished; then he

helped Harry raise him into a sitting position against the bulwark.

"That is better," Dick said, "as far as it goes. How was it these

fellows did not kill us at once?"

"I expect the rajah has ordered that all officers who may fall

into their hands are to be kept as hostages, so that he can open

negotiations with the skipper. If he gets what he wants, he hands

us back; if not, there is no manner of doubt that he will put us

out of the way without compunction."

The men were still working at the oars, and for four hours rowed

without intermission through a labyrinth of creeks. At last they

stopped before a small village, tied the prahu up to a tree, and

then the man who seemed to be the captain went ashore with two or

three others. The lads heard a loud outburst of anger, and a voice

which they recognized as that of the rajah storming and raging for

some time; then the hubbub ceased. An hour later the rajah himself

came on board with two or three attendants, and a man whom they

recognized as speaking a certain amount of English. The rajah scowled

at them, and from the manner in which he kept fingering his kris

they saw that it needed a great effort on his part to abstain from

killing them at once. He spoke for some time in his own language,

and the interpreter translated it.

"You are dogs--you and all your countrymen. The rajah is sending

a message to your captain to tell him that he must build up his

palace again, pay him for the warships that he has destroyed, and

provide him with a guard against his enemies until a fresh fleet

has been built. If he refuses to do this, you will both be killed."

"Tell him," Harry said, "that if we are dogs, anyhow we have shown

him that we can bite. As to what he says, it is for the captain

to answer; but I do not think that he will grant the terms, though

possibly he may consent to spare the rajah's life, and to go away

with his ship, if we are sent back to him without injury."

The rajah uttered a scornful exclamation. "I have six thousand men,"

he said, "and I do not need to beg my life; for were there twenty

ships instead of one they could never find me, and not a man who

landed and tried to come through the country would return alive. I

have given your captain the chance. If, at the end of three days,

an answer does not come granting my command, you will be krised.

Keep a strict watch upon them, Captain, and kill them at once if

they try to escape."

"I will guard them safely, Rajah," the captain, who, from the rich

materials of his sarong and jacket, was evidently himself a chief,

said quietly; "but as to escape, where could they go? They could

but wander in the jungle until they died."

By night both lads felt more themselves. They had been well supplied

with food, and though Harry's head ached until, as he said, it

was splitting, and Dick's wound smarted severely, they were able

to discuss their position. They at once agreed that escape was

impossible, and would be even were they well and strong and could

manage to obtain possession of a sampan, for they would but lose

themselves in the labyrinth of creeks, and would, moreover, be

certain to be overtaken by the native boats that would be sent off

in all directions after them.

"There is nothing to do but to wait for the captain's answer," Dick

said at last.

"We know what that will be," Harry said. "He will tell the chief

that it would be impossible for him to grant his commands, but

that he is ready to pay a certain sum for our release; that if harm

comes to us, he will make peace with the chiefs who have assisted

Sehi against us, on condition of their hunting him down and sending

him alive or dead to the ships. But the rascal knows that he could

hide himself in these swamps for a month, and he will proceed to

chop off our heads without a moment's delay. We must keep our eyes

open tomorrow, and endeavor to get hold of a couple of weapons.

It is a deal better to die fighting than it is to have our throats

cut like sheep."

CHAPTER X.

The next two days passed quietly. The lads were both a great deal

better, and agreed that if--which would almost certainly not be

the case--a means of escape should present itself, they would

seize the chance, however hopeless it might be, for that at worst

they could but be cut down in attempting it. No chance, however,

presented itself. Two Malays always squatted near them, and their

eyes followed every movement.

"Some time tomorrow the messenger will return," Harry said. "It

is clear to me that our only chance is to escape before morning.

Those fellows will be watchful till the night is nearly over. Now,

I propose that, just before the first gleam of daylight, we throw

ourselves upon them suddenly, seize their krises, and cut them

down, then leap on shore, and dash into the jungle. The night will

be as dark as pitch, what with there being no moon and with the

mist from the swamps. At any rate, we might get out of sight before

the Malays knew what had happened. We could either go straight into

the jungle and crawl into the thick bushes, and lie there until

morning, and then make our start, or, what would, I think, be even

better, take to the water, wade along under the bank till we reach

one of those sampans fifty yards away, get in, and manage to paddle

it noiselessly across to the opposite side, lift the craft out of

the water, and hide it among the bushes, and then be off."

"The worst of it is the alligators, Harry."

"Yes, but we must risk that. We shall have the krises, and if they

seize either of us, the other must go down and try and jab his

kris into the beast's eyes. I know it is a frightfully dangerous

business, and the chances are one hundred to one against our

succeeding; but there is just a chance, and there is no chance

at all if we leave it until tomorrow. Of course, if we succeed in

getting over to the other side, we must wait close to the water

until daylight. We should tear ourselves to pieces if we tried to

make through the jungle in the dark."

"I tell you what would give us a better chance--we might take

off two or three yards of that bandage of yours, cut the strip in

half, and twist it into a rope; then when those fellows doze off a

little, we might throw the things round their necks, and it would

be all up with them."

"But you see I have only one arm, Harry."

"Bother it! I never thought of that. Well, I might do the securing,

one fellow first, and then the other. You could get close to him,

and if he moves, catch up his kris and cut him down."

"Yes, I could do that. Well, anyhow, Harry, we can but try; anything

is better than waiting here hour after hour for the messenger to

come back with what will be our death warrant."

They agreed to keep awake by turns, and accordingly lay down as soon

as it became dark, the Malays, as usual, squatting at a distance

of a couple of paces each side of them. It was about two o'clock

in the morning when Dick, who was awake, saw, as he supposed, one

of the crew standing up a few yards away; he was not sure, for just

at that moment the figure disappeared.

"What on earth could that fellow want to stand up for and lie down

again? for I can swear he was not there half a minute ago. There

is another farther on." He pinched himself to make sure that he

was awake. Figure after figure seemed to flit along the deck and

disappear. One of the guard rose and stretched his arms; put a

fresh bit of some herb that he was chewing into his mouth; moved

close to the prisoners to see if they were asleep; and then resumed

his former position. During the time that he was on his feet,

Dick noticed that the phenomenon which had so puzzled him ceased.

A quarter of an hour later it began again. He touched Harry, keeping

his hand on his lips as a warning to be silent. Suddenly a wild

yell broke on the still air, and in an instant the deck was alive

with men; and as the two Malay watchers rose to their feet, both

were cut down.

There were sounds of heavy blows, screams and yells, a short and

confused struggle, and the fall of heavy bodies, while from the

little village there were also sounds of conflict. The midshipmen

had started to their feet, half bewildered at the sudden and desperate

struggle, when a hand was laid on each of their shoulders, and a

voice said, "English friends, Hassan has come."

The revulsion of feeling was so great that, for a minute, neither

could speak; then Dick said, "Chief, we thank you with all our

hearts. Tomorrow we should have been killed."

The chief shook hands with them both warmly, having seen that mode

of salutation on board ship.

"Hassan glad," he said. "Hassan watch all time; no let Sehi kill

friends. Friends save Hassan's child; he save them."

Torches were now lighted. The deck was thickly encumbered with

dead; for every one of the crew of the prahu had been killed.

"Sehi killed too," the chief said, "come and see." He swung himself

on shore; the boys followed his example, two of the Malays helping

Dick down. They went to the village, where a number of Malays were

moving about; torches had been brought from the ship, and a score

of these soon lit up the scene. Two of the rajah's men had been

killed outside their huts, but the majority had fallen inside. The

chief asked a question of one of his followers, who pointed to a

hut.

This they entered, and by the light of the torches saw the rajah

lying dead upon the ground. Hassan said something to one of his

men, who, with a single blow, chopped off the rajah's head.

"Send to chiefs," Hassan said. "If not see, not think dead. Much

afraid of him. When know he dead, not fight any more; make peace

quick."

One of the men asked a question, and the lads' limited knowledge

of the language was sufficient to tell them that he was asking

whether they should fire the village. Hassan shook his head. "Many

men," he said, waving his arm to the forest, "see fire; come fight.

Plenty of fight been; no need for more." For a time he stood with

them in front of the pool. A series of splashes in the water told

what was going on. The prahu was being cleared of its load of dead

bodies; then several men filled buckets with water, and handed

them up to the deck. The boys knew that an attempt was being made

to wash away the blood. The process was repeated a dozen times.

While this was going on, the pool was agitated in every direction.

The lads shuddered as they looked, and remembered that they had

proposed to wade along the edge. The place swarmed with alligators,

who scrambled and fought for the bodies thrown over, until the

number was so great that all were satisfied, and the pool became

comparatively quiet, although fresh monsters, guided by the smell

of blood, kept arriving on the scene.

At last the chief said, "Come," and together they returned to the

prahu. The morning was now breaking, and but few signs remained of

the terrible conflict of the night. At the chief's order, a large

basket of wine, that had been found in the rajah's hut, was brought

on board, together with another, full of bananas and other fruit.

"Well," Harry said, laughing, "we little thought, when we saw the

champagne handed over to the rajah, that we were going to have the

serving of it."

Hassan joined them at the meal. He had been given wine regularly by

the doctor, and although he had evinced no partiality for it, but

had taken it simply at the doctor's orders, he now drank a little

to keep the others company. In a short time the whole of the chief's

followers were gathered on deck, and the boys saw that they were

no more numerous than the prahu's crew, and that it was only the

advantage of surprise that had enabled them to overcome so easily

both those on board the prahu and the rajah's followers in the

village. The oars were got out, and the prahu proceeded up the

creek, in the opposite direction to which it had entered it. "Going

to ship?" Harry asked, pointing forward.

Hassan shook his head. "Going home," he said. "Sent messenger sampan

tell captain both safe. Sehi killed, prahu taken. Must go home.

Others angry because Hassan not join. May come and fight Hassan.

Ask captain bring ship up river; messenger show channel, tell how

far can go, then come in boats, hold great meeting, make peace."

The lads were well satisfied. They had a longing to see Hassan's

home, and, perhaps, to do some shooting; and they thought that a

few days' holiday before rejoining would be by no means unpleasant.

They wished, however, that they had known that the sampan was

leaving, so that they could have written a line to the captain,

saying what had taken place, and that they could not rejoin. There

was at first some splashing of the oars, for many of Hassan's men

had had no prior experience except with sampans and large canoes.

However, it was not long before they fell into the swing, and the

boat proceeded at a rapid pace. Several times, as they went, natives

appeared on the bank in considerable numbers, and receiving no

answer to their hails, sent showers of lances. Harry, however, with

the aid of two or three Malays, soon loaded the guns of the prahu.

"No kill," Hassan said. "We want make friends. No good kill."

Accordingly the guns were fired far over the heads of the assailants,

who at once took to the bushes. After three hours' rowing they

entered the river, and continued their course up it until long into

the night, for the rowers were as anxious as was Hassan himself to

reach their village. They were numerous enough to furnish relays

at the oars, and the stroke never flagged until, an hour before

midnight, fires were seen burning ahead, as they turned a bend of

the river. The Malays raised a yell of triumph, which was answered

from the village, and in a few minutes the prahu was brought up to

the bank. A crowd, composed mostly of women and children, received

them with shouts of welcome and gladness. Hassan at once led

the midshipmen to a large hut that had evidently been prepared in

readiness for them. Piles of skins lay in two of the corners, and

the lads, who were utterly worn out, threw themselves down, and

were almost instantly asleep.

The sun was high when the mat at the entrance was drawn aside,

and Hassan entered, followed by four of his followers. One carried

a great water jar and two calabashes, with some cotton cloths and

towels; the other brought fruit of several varieties, eggs, and

sweetmeats, together with a large gourd full of steaming coffee.

"Hassan come again," the chief said, and left the hut with his

followers. The lads poured calabashes of water over each other, and

felt wonderfully refreshed by their wash, which was accomplished

without damage to the floor, which was of bamboos raised two feet

above the ground. When they were dressed they fell to at their

breakfast, and then went out of doors. Hassan had evidently been

watching for them, for he came out of his house, which was next to

that which they occupied, holding his little girl's hand. She at

once ran up to them, saluting them by their names.

"Bahi very glad to see you," she said, "very glad to see good, kind

officers." The child had picked up, during her month on board the

ship, a great deal of English, from her constant communication with

the officers and crew.

"Bad men wound Dick," she went on pitifully. "Wicked men to hurt

him."

"Bahi, will you tell your father how much we are obliged to him

for having come to our rescue. We should have been killed if he

had not come."

The child translated the sentence. The chief smiled.

"Tell them," he said, "that Hassan is glad to have been able to

pay back a little of the obligation he was under to them. Besides,

Sehi Pandash was my enemy. Good thing to help friends and kill enemy

at the same time. Tell them that Hassan does not want thanks; they

did not like him to thank them for saving you."

The child translated this with some difficulty. Then he led the

midshipmen round the village, and showed them the strong palisade

which had evidently just been erected, and explained, through the

child, that it had only been built before he left, as but fifteen

men were available for guarding the place in his absence.

The next four days were spent in shooting expeditions, and although

they met with no wild beasts, they secured a large number of bird

skins for the doctor. On the fifth day a native ran in and said

that boats with white men were coming. The midshipmen ran down to

the bank, and saw the ship's two cutters and a gig approaching.

The captain himself was in the stern of the latter, and the doctor

was sitting beside him. A minute or two later they were shaking

hands with the officers, and saying a few words to the men, who

were evidently delighted to see them again. Just as the greetings

were over, Hassan, in a rich silk sarong and jacket, came down

towards them. He was leading his little daughter, and six Malays

followed them.

"Welcome, Captain," he said gravely. "Hassan very glad to see you.

All come right now."

"Thank you, chief. We have learned from your messenger how gallantly

you have rescued my two officers, and put an end to our troubles

by killing the Rajah Sehi, and capturing the last of the piratical

craft."

This was too much for Hassan, and had to be translated by Soh Hay.

Since the chief's return, a number of his men had been occupied

in constructing bamboo huts for the use of the captain, officers,

and men, also a large hall to be used for councils and meetings;

and to this he now led the captain and his officers. When they

were seated, he made a speech of welcome, saying what gladness it

was to him to see there those who had been so kind to him. Had he

known when they would arrive, food would have been ready for them;

and he assured them that, however long they might stay, they would

be most heartily welcome, and that there should be no lack of

provisions. They had done an immense service to him, and to all

the other chiefs on the river, by breaking up the power of one

who preyed upon all his neighbors, and was a scourge to trade. As

there were still several bottles of the rajah's wine left, champagne

was now handed round.

"It makes my heart glad to see you, Doctor," the chief said. "See,

I am as strong and as well as ever. Had it not been for you, my

arm might now have been useless, and my ribs have grown through

the flesh."

"I don't think it would have been as bad as that," the doctor

replied: "but there is no doubt that it was fortunate that you were

able to receive surgical treatment so soon after the accident. And

it has been fortunate for us, too, especially for our young friends

here."

Conversation became general now, and the interpreter was kept hard

at work, and Bahi divided her attention between the officers and

the men, flitting in and out of the hall, and chattering away to

the sailors and marines who were breakfasting outside on the stores

they had brought up, supplemented by a bountiful supply of fruit,

which grew in abundance round the village. It was not long before

a meal was served to the officers, fowl having been hastily killed

as soon as the boats were seen approaching; several jungle fowl

had been brought in that morning; plaintains and rice were boiled,

and cakes baked. Tea was forthcoming from the boats' stores, and

a hearty meal was eaten.

CHAPTER XI.

After the meal was concluded, the captain said to the chief:

"Now, Hassan, we want to know how it was that you arrived at the

nick of time to save my officers' lives."

"I had been watching for some days," the chief said quietly. "When

I heard that many chiefs had joined Sehi Pandash, I said 'I must

go and help my white brothers,' but I dared not take many men away

from here, and as I had to hide, the fewer there were with me the

better; so I came down into the forest near Sehi's town, and found

the wood full of men. We had come down in sampans, so that I could

send off messengers as might be required. One of these I sent down

to you, to warn you to be prepared for an attack. Other messengers

I had sent before from here; but they must have been caught and

killed, for I had been watched closely when they found that I would

not join against you.

"When my last messenger returned, I was glad; I knew that you would

be on your guard, and would not be caught treacherously. Two of

my men were in the town when they began to fire on the ship, and

I saw the town destroyed, and followed Sehi to the place where

the six prahus were lying, and crossed the creek, and lay down in

the woods near the village on the other side; for I thought that

something might happen. One of my men went down in the night, and

brought me news that the ship was gone. As my messenger had told me

that you had questioned him as to the other entrance to the creek,

I felt sure that you had gone there; so I was not surprised when,

just before daybreak, two guns were fired. We saw the fight, the

sinking of two of their vessels, and the attack by the water pirates,

and by the men of the rajah and the chiefs with him, and I feared

greatly that my friends would be overpowered.

"I sent one of my men down to the mouth of the creek, to tell you

how much aid was wanted; but he saw the ship steaming up as he

went, and so came back to me. Then we heard the ship's great guns

begin to fire, and soon all was quiet where the fight had been

going on. Then I saw the other four boats start. One of them sank

before she was out of sight, and I soon heard that your ship had

sunk another, and that two had got away. It was not for another two

days that I learned where they were, and then I heard that they

had gone into a creek twenty miles away; there one had sunk, and

the other had been joined by the two prahus that had been far up

the river; and I also learned that one of Sehi's men had gone into

the village and let himself be captured, so that he might guide the

ship's boats to the place where, as they thought, they would find

but one prahu, while three would be waiting for them. I was not

sure where the exact place was, for there are many creeks, but, with

one of my men, I rowed in a sampan all night, in hopes to arrive

in time to warn the boats; but it was not till I heard the firing

that I knew exactly where they were.

"When I got there the fighting was over, and but one prahu had

escaped, and I learned from the men who had swum ashore from those

that had been sunk that one of the English boats had been destroyed,

and many men killed, but that two boats had gone down the creek again.

It was also said that the white officers and sailors had boarded

the boat that had escaped, and had been all killed. I thought it

best to follow the prahu, so that I could send word to you where

she was to be found. As there were many passages, it was difficult

to find her, and I should have lost her altogether had I not heard

where Sehi was hiding, and guessed that she would go there. It was

late when I arrived at the village. There one of my men learned that

two young officers, who had been wounded, had been brought there,

and that Sehi was sending word to you that, unless you gave him

the conditions he asked, they would be put to death.

"I did not know whether to send down to you, or to send up the

river for help; but I thought the last was best, for if you came

in boats, then Sehi's men would hear you, and the officers would

be killed; so I sent off my man with the sampan. I told him that

he must not stop until he got here. He must tell them that all

my men, except fifty old ones who were to guard the village, were

to start in their canoes, and paddle their hardest till they came

within half a mile of the village, and he was to come back with them

to guide them, and I was to meet them. As the prahus that had been

up there were destroyed, the river was safe for them to descend.

I said that they must be at the point I named last evening. They

were two hours late, though they had paddled their hardest. As

soon as they disembarked I led them to the spot, and the rest was

easy. I knew that the prisoners who had been taken were my two

friends, for I saw them on the deck of the prahu; and glad indeed

I was to be able to pay my debt to them."

"You have paid it indeed most nobly, Hassan," the captain said,

holding out his hand, and grasping that of the chief, when, sentence

by sentence, the story was translated to him. "Little did we think,

when you were brought on board the Serpent, that your friendship

would turn out of such value to us."

There was now some discussion as to the proposed meeting of

chiefs; and half an hour after, a dozen small canoes started with

invitations to the various chiefs to meet the captain at Hassan's

campong, with assurances that he was ready to overlook their share

in the attack on the ship, and be on friendly terms with them,

and that the safety of each who attended was guaranteed, whether

he was willing to be on good terms with the English or not. Four

days later, the meeting took place in the newly erected hall. Ten

or twelve of the chiefs attended; others, who had taken a leading

part as Sehi's allies, did not venture to come themselves, but sent

messages with assurances of their desire to be on friendly terms.

A good deal of ceremonial was observed. The marines and bluejackets

were drawn up in line before the hall, which was decorated with

green boughs; a Union jack waved from a pole in front of it.

The chiefs were introduced by Hassan to the captain. The former

then addressed them, rehearsing the service that the English had

done to them by destroying the power of the tyrant who had long

been a scourge to his neighbors, and who intended, without doubt,

to become master of the whole district. As a proof of the good will

of the English towards the Malays, he related how the two English

officers had leaped into the water to save his child, and how

kindly he himself had been treated. Then the captain addressed them

through the interpreter. He told them that he had only been sent

up the river by the Governor in accordance with an invitation from

Sehi, of whose conduct he was ignorant, to undertake the protectorate

of his district; and that, on learning his true character, he at

once reported to the Governor that the rajah was not a proper person

to receive protection, as not only did he prevent trade and harass

his neighbors, but was the owner of a number of piratical craft,

that often descended the river and plundered the coast.

"England," he went on, "has no desire whatever to take under her

protection any who do not earnestly desire it, and who are not

willing, in return, to promote trade, and keep peace with their

neighbors; nor can she make separate arrangements with minor

chiefs. It was only because she understood that Sehi ruled over

a considerable extent of territory, and was all powerful in this

part, that his request was listened to.

"I shall shortly return down the river," he said, "and have no

thought or intention of interfering in any way with matters here.

I wish to leave on good terms with you all, and to explain to you

that it is to your interest to do all in your power to further

trade, both by sending down your products to the coast, and by

throwing no hindrance in the way of the products of the highlands

coming down the river, charging, at the utmost, a very small toll

upon each boat that passes up and down. It is the interest of all

of you, of the people of the hills, and of ourselves, that trade

should increase. Now that Sehi is dead and his people altogether

dispersed and all his piratical craft destroyed, with the exception

of the one captured by Hassan, there is no obstruction to trade,

and you are free from the fear that he would one day eat you up.

"Be assured that there is nothing to be feared from us. You all

know how greatly the States protected by us have flourished and how

wealthy their rajahs have become from the increase of cultivation

and the cessation of tribal wars. If in the future all the chiefs

of this district should desire to place themselves under English

protection, their request will be considered; but there is not

the slightest desire on the part of the Governor to assume further

responsibility, and he will be well satisfied indeed to know that

there is peace among the river tribes, security for trade, and a large

increase in the cultivation of the country and in its prosperity."

There was a general expression of satisfaction and relief upon

the face of the chiefs, as, sentence by sentence, the speech was

translated to them; and, one by one, they rose after its conclusion,

and expressed their hearty concurrence with what had been said.

"We know," one of them said, "that these wars do much harm; but if

we quarrel, or if one ill treats another, or encourages his slaves

to leave him, or ravages his plantations, what are we to do?"

"That I have thought of," the captain said. "I have spoken with the

chief Hassan, and he has agreed to remove with his people to the

spot where Sehi's town stood. There, doubtless, he will be joined

by Sehi's former subjects, who cannot but be well pleased at being

rid of a tyrant who had forcibly taken them under his rule. He

will retain the prahu that he has taken, and will use it to keep

the two rivers free of robbers, but in no other respect will he

interfere with his neighbors. His desire is to cultivate the land,

clear away the forest, and encourage his people to raise products

that he can send down the river to trade with us. He will occupy

the territory only as far as the creek that runs between the two

rivers. I propose that all of you shall come to an agreement to

submit any disputes that may arise between you to his decision,

swearing to accept his judgment, whichever way it may go. This

is the way in which the disputes are settled in our country. Both

sides go before a judge, and he hears their statements and those of

their witnesses, and then decides the case; and even the government

of the country is bound by his decision. I don't wish you to give

me any reply as to this. I make the suggestion solely for your own

good, and it is for you to talk it over among yourselves, and see

if you cannot all come to an agreement that will put a stop to the

senseless wars, and enable your people to cultivate the land in

peace, and to obtain all the comforts that arise from trade."

A boat had been sent down to the ship, and this returned with a

number of the articles that had been put on board her as presents

for Sehi and other chiefs. These were now distributed. A feast was

then held, and the next morning the chiefs started for their homes,

highly gratified with the result of the meeting. On the following

day, the British boats also took their way down the river, followed

by the prahu, with a considerable number of Hassan's men, who were

to clear away the ruins of Sehi's campong, to bury the dead still

lying among them, and to erect huts for the whole community.

The Serpent remained for a week opposite the town; a considerable

quantity of flour, sugar, and other useful stores being landed for

the use of Hassan's people. Dr. Horsley was gladdened by Hassan's

promise that his people should be instructed to search for specimens

of birds, butterflies, and other insects, and that these should

be treated according to his instructions, and should be from time

to time, as occasion offered, sent down to him in large cases to

Singapore. To the two midshipmen the chief gave krises of the finest

temper.

"I have no presents to give you worthy of your acceptance," he

said; "but you know that I shall never forget you, and always regard

you as brothers. I intend to send twelve of my young men down to

Penang, there to live for three years and learn useful trades from

your people. The doctor has advised me also to send Bahi, and has

promised to find a comfortable home for her, where she will learn

to read and write your language and many other useful things. It

is hard to part with her; but it is for her good and that of her

people. If you will write to me sometimes, she will read the letters

to me and write letters to you in return, so that, though we are

away from each other, we may know that neither of us has forgotten

the other."

Bahi and twelve young Malays were taken to Penang in the Serpent,

where the doctor found a comfortable home for her with some friends

of his, to whom payment for her board and schooling was to be paid

by Hassan in blocks of tin, which he would obtain from boats coming

down from the hills in exchange for other articles of trade. The

Malays were placed with men of their own race belonging to the

protected States, and settled as carpenters, smiths, and other

tradesmen in Penang. Three years later, they and Bahi were all

taken back in the Serpent to their home.

The river was acquiring considerable importance from the great

increase of trade. They found Hassan's town far more extensive and

flourishing than it had been in the time of its predecessor. The

forest had been cleared for a considerable distance round it, the

former inhabitants had returned, tobacco, sugar canes, cotton,

pepper, and other crops whose products were useful for trade

purposes, were largely cultivated, while orchards of fruit trees

had been extensively planted. Hassan reported that tribal wars had

almost ceased, and that disputes were in almost all cases brought

for his arbitration. Owing to the abolition of all oppressive tolls,

trade from the interior had very largely increased, a great deal

of tin, together with spices and other products, now finding its

way down by the river. Hassan was delighted with the progress Bahi

had made, and ordered that three or four boys should at once be

placed for instruction under each of the men who had learned trades

at Penang.

There was much regret on both sides when the Serpent again started

down the river; for it was known that she would not return, as in a

few months she would be sent to a Chinese station, and from there

would go direct to England. The composition of her crew was already

somewhat changed. Lieutenant Ferguson had received his promotion

for the fight with the prahus, and had been appointed to the command

of a gunboat whose captain had been invalided home. Lieutenant

Hopkins was now the Serpent's first lieutenant, and Morrison was

second. Harry Parkhurst was third lieutenant, Dick Balderson, to the

regret of both, having left the ship on his promotion, and having

been transferred as third lieutenant to Captain Ferguson's craft.

Both have since kept up a correspondence with Bahi, who has married

a neighboring chief, and who tells them that the river is prospering

greatly, and that, although he assumes no authority, her father is

everywhere regarded as the paramount chief of the district. From

time to time each receives chests filled with spices, silks, and

other Malay products, and sends back in return European articles

of utility to the rajah, for such is the rank that Hassan has now

acquired on the river.

BEARS AND DACOITS A TALE OF THE GHAUTS

CHAPTER I

A merry party were sitting in the veranda of one of the largest and

handsomest bungalows of Poonah. It belonged to Colonel Hastings,

colonel of a native regiment stationed there, and at present, in

virtue of seniority, commanding a brigade. Tiffin was on, and three

or four officers and four ladies had taken their seats in the

comfortable cane lounging chairs which form the invariable furniture

of the veranda of a well ordered bungalow. Permission had been

duly asked, and granted by Mrs. Hastings, and the cheroots had just

begun to draw, when Miss Hastings, a niece of the colonel, who had

only arrived the previous week from England, said: "Uncle, I am

quite disappointed. Mrs. Lyons showed me the bear she has got tied

up in their compound, and it is the most wretched little thing, not

bigger than Rover, papa's retriever, and it's full grown. I thought

bears were great fierce creatures, and this poor little thing seemed

so restless and unhappy that I thought it quite a shame not to let

it go."

Colonel Hastings smiled rather grimly.

"And yet, small and insignificant as that bear is, my dear, it is

a question whether he is not as dangerous an animal to meddle with

as a man eating tiger."

"What, that wretched little bear, uncle?"

"Yes, that wretched little bear. Any experienced sportsman will

tell you that hunting those little bears is as dangerous a sport

as tiger hunting on foot, to say nothing of tiger hunting from an

elephant's back, in which there is scarcely any danger whatever.

I can speak feelingly about it, for my career was pretty nearly

brought to an end by a bear, just after I entered the army, some

thirty years ago, at a spot within a few miles from here. I have

got the scars on my shoulder and arm still."

"Oh, do tell me all about it," Miss Hastings said; and the request

being seconded by the rest of the party, none of whom, with the

exception of Mrs. Hastings, had ever heard the story before--for

the colonel was somewhat chary of relating this special experience

--he waited till they had all drawn up their chairs as close as

possible, and then giving two or three vigorous puffs at his cheroot,

began as follows:

"Thirty years ago, in 1855, things were not so settled in the Deccan

as they are now. There was no idea of insurrection on a large scale,

but we were going through one of those outbreaks of Dacoity which

have several times proved so troublesome. Bands of marauders kept

the country in confusion, pouring down on a village, now carrying

off three or four of the Bombay money lenders, who were then, as

now, the curse of the country; sometimes making an onslaught upon

a body of traders; and occasionally venturing to attack small

detachments of troops or isolated parties of police. They were not

very formidable, but they were very troublesome, and most difficult

to catch, for the peasantry regarded them as patriots, and aided

and shielded them in every way. The headquarters of these gangs

of Dacoits were the Ghauts. In the thick bush and deep valleys and

gorges there they could always take refuge, while sometimes the more

daring chiefs converted these detached peaks and masses of rock,

numbers of which you can see as you come up the Ghaut by railway,

into almost impregnable fortresses. Many of these masses of rock rise

as sheer up from the hillside as walls of masonry, and look at a

short distance like ruined castles. Some are absolutely inaccessible;

others can only be scaled by experienced climbers; and, although

possible for the natives with their bare feet, are impracticable

to European troops. Many of these rock fortresses were at various

times the headquarters of famous Dacoit leaders, and unless the

summits happened to be commanded from some higher ground within

gunshot range they were all but impregnable, except by starvation.

When driven to bay, these fellows would fight well.

"Well, about the time I joined, the Dacoits were unusually troublesome;

the police had a hard time of it, and almost lived in the saddle,

and the cavalry were constantly called up to help them, while

detachments of infantry from the station were under canvas at several

places along the top of the Ghauts to cut the bands off from their

strongholds, and to aid, if necessary, in turning them out of

their rock fortresses. The natives in the valleys at the foot of

the Ghauts, who have always been a semi-independent race, ready to

rob whenever they saw a chance, were great friends with the Dacoits

and supplied them with provisions whenever the hunt on the Deccan

was too hot to make raids in that direction.

"This is a long introduction, you will say, and does not seem

to have much to do with bears; but it is really necessary, as you

will see. I had joined about six months when three companies of the

regiment were ordered to relieve a wing of the 15th, who had been

under canvas at a village some four miles to the north of the point

where the line crosses the top of the Ghauts. There were three

white officers, and little enough to do, except when a party was

sent off to assist the police. We had one or two brushes with the

Dacoits, but I was not out on either occasion. However, there was

plenty of shooting, and a good many pigs about, so we had very

good fun. Of course, as a raw hand, I was very hot for it, and as

the others had both passed the enthusiastic age, except for pig

sticking and big game, I could always get away. I was supposed not

to go far from camp, because in the first place, I might be wanted;

and, in the second, because of the Dacoits; and Norworthy, who was

in command, used to impress upon me that I ought not to go beyond

the sound of a bugle. Of course we both knew that if I intended to

get any sport I must go further afoot than this; but I merely used

to say 'All right, sir, I will keep an ear to the camp,' and he on

his part never considered it necessary to ask where the game which

appeared on the table came from. But in point of fact, I never went

very far, and my servant always had instructions which way to send

for me if I was wanted; while, as to the Dacoits, I did not believe

in their having the impudence to come in broad daylight within a

mile or two of our camp. I did not often go down the face of the

Ghauts. The shooting was good, and there were plenty of bears in

those days, but it needed a long day for such an expedition, and

in view of the Dacoits who might be scattered about, was not the

sort of thing to be undertaken except with a strong party. Norworthy

had not given any precise orders about it, but I must admit that

he said one day:

"'Of course you won't be fool enough to think of going down the

Ghauts, Hastings?' But I did not look at that as equivalent to a

direct order--whatever I should do now," the colonel put in, on

seeing a furtive smile on the faces of his male listeners.

"However, I never meant to go down, though I used to stand on the

edge and look longingly down into the bush and fancy I saw bears

moving about in scores. But I don't think I should have gone into

their country if they had not come into mine. One day the fellow

who always carried my spare gun or flask, and who was a sort of

shikaree in a small way, told me he had heard that a farmer whose

house stood near the edge of the Ghauts, some two miles away, had

been seriously annoyed by his fruit and corn being stolen by bears.

"' I'll go and have a look at the place tomorrow,' I said; 'there

is no parade, and I can start early. You may as well tell the mess

cook to put up a basket with some tiffin and a bottle of claret,

and get a boy to carry it over.'

"'The bears not come in day,' Rahman said.

"'Of course not,' I replied; 'still I may like to find out which

way they come. Just do as you are told.'

"The next morning, at seven o'clock, I was at the farmer's spoken

of, and there was no mistake as to the bears. A patch of Indian corn

had been ruined by them, and two dogs had been killed. The native

was in a terrible state of rage and alarm. He said that on moonlight

nights he had seen eight of them, and they came and sniffed around

the door of the cottage.

"'Why don't you fire through the window at them?' I asked scornfully,

for I had seen a score of tame bears in captivity, and, like you,

Mary, was inclined to despise them, though there was far less

excuse for me; for I had heard stories which should have convinced

me that, small as he is, the Indian bear is not a beast to be attacked

with impunity. Upon walking to the edge of the Ghauts there was no

difficulty in discovering the route by which the bears came up to

the farm. For a mile to the right and left the ground fell away as

if cut with a knife, leaving a precipice of over a hundred feet

sheer down; but close by where I was standing was the head of

a water course, which in time had gradually worn a sort of cleft

in the wall, up or down which it was not difficult to make one's

way. Further down this little gorge widened out and became a deep

ravine, and further still a wide valley, where it opened upon the

flats far below us. About half a mile down, where the ravine was

deepest and darkest, was a thick clump of trees and jungle.

"'That's where the bears are?' I asked Rahman. He nodded. It

seemed no distance. I could get down and back in time for tiffin,

and perhaps bag a couple of bears. For a young sportsman the

temptation was great. 'How long would it take us to go down and

have a shot or two at them?'

"'No good go down. Master come here at night, shoot bears when they

come up.'

"I had thought of that; but, in the first place, it did not seem

much sport to shoot the beasts from cover when they were quietly

eating, and, in the next place, I knew that Norworthy could not,

even if he were willing, give me leave to go out of camp at night.

I waited, hesitating for a few minutes, and then I said to myself,

'It is of no use waiting. I could go down and get a bear and be

back again while I am thinking of it;' then to Rahman, 'No, come

along; we will have a look through that wood anyhow.'

"Rahman evidently did not like it. 'Not easy to find bear, sahib.

He very cunning.'

"'Well, very likely we shan't find them,' I said, 'but we can try

anyhow. Bring that bottle with you; the tiffin basket can wait here

till we come back.' In another five minutes I had begun to climb

down the watercourse--the shikaree following me. I took the double

barreled rifle and handed him the shotgun, having first dropped a

bullet down each barrel over the charge. The ravine was steep, but

there were bushes to hold on by, and although it was hot work and

took a good deal longer than I expected, we at last got down to

the place which I had fixed upon as likely to be the bears' home.

"'Sahib, climb up top,' Rahman said; 'come down through wood; no

good fire at bear when he above.'

"I had heard that before; but I was hot, the sun was pouring down,

there was not a breath of wind, and it looked a long way up to the

top of the wood.

"'Give me the claret. It would take too long to search the wood

regularly. We will sit down here for a bit, and if we can see

anything moving up in the wood, well and good; if not, we will come

back again another day with some beaters and dogs.' So saying, I

sat down with my back against a rock, at a spot where I could look

up among the trees for a long way through a natural vista. I had a

drink of claret, and then I sat and watched till gradually I dropped

off to sleep. I don't know how long I slept, but it was some time,

and I woke up with a sudden start. Rahman, who had, I fancy, been

asleep too, also started up.

"The noise which had aroused us was made by a rolling stone striking

a rock: and looking up I saw some fifty yards away, not in the

wood, but on the rocky hillside on our side of the ravine, a bear

standing, as though unconscious of our presence, snuffing the

air. As was natural, I seized my rifle, cocked it, and took aim,

unheeding a cry of 'No, no, sahib,' from Rahman. However, I was

not going to miss such a chance as this, and I let fly. The beast

had been standing sideways to me, and as I saw him fall I felt

sure I had hit him in the heart. I gave a shout of triumph, and

was about to climb up, when, from behind the rock on which the bear

had stood, appeared another, growling fiercely; on seeing me, it

at once prepared to come down. Stupidly, being taken by surprise,

and being new at it, I fired at once at its head. The bear gave

a spring, and then--it seemed instantaneous--down it came at

me. Whether it rolled down, or slipped down, or ran down, I don't

know, but it came almost as if it had jumped straight at me.

"'My gun, Rahman,' I shouted, holding out my hand. There was no

answer. I glanced round and found that the scoundrel had bolted.

I had time, and only just time, to take a step backwards, and to

club my rifle, when the brute was upon me. I got one fair blow at

the side of its head, a blow that would have smashed the skull of

any civilized beast into pieces, and which did fortunately break the

brute's jaw; then in an instant he was upon me, and I was fighting

for life. My hunting knife was out, and with my left hand I had the

beast by the throat; while with my right I tried to drive my knife

into its ribs. My bullet had gone through his chest. The impetus

of his charge bad knocked me over, and we rolled on the ground,

he tearing with his claws at my shoulder and arm, I stabbing and

struggling; my great effort being to keep my knees up so as to

protect my body with them from his bind claws. After the first blow

with his paw which laid my shoulder open, I do not think I felt any

special pain whatever. There was a strange faint sensation, and my

whole energy seemed centered in the two ideas--to strike and to

keep my knees up. I knew that I was getting faint, but I was dimly

conscious that his efforts, too, were relaxing. His weight on me

seemed to increase enormously, and the last idea that flashed across

me was that it was a drawn fight.

"The next idea of which I was conscious was that I was being

carried. I seemed to be swinging about, and I thought I was at sea.

Then there was a little jolt and a sense of pain. 'A collision,'

I muttered, and opened my eyes. Beyond the fact that I seemed in

a yellow world--a bright orange yellow--my eyes did not help

me, and I lay vaguely wondering about it all, till the rocking

ceased. There was another bump, and then the yellow world seemed to

come to an end; and as the daylight streamed in upon me I fainted

again. This time, when I awoke to consciousness, things were clearer.

I was stretched by a little stream. A native woman was sprinkling

my face and washing the blood from my wounds; while another, who had

with my own knife cut off my coat and shirt, was tearing the latter

into strips to bandage my wounds. The yellow world was explained.

I was lying on the yellow robe of one of the women. They had tied

the ends together, placed a long stick through them, and carried

me in the bag-like hammock. They nodded to me when they saw I was

conscious, and brought water in a large leaf, and poured it into

my mouth. Then one went away for some time, and came back with some

leaves and bark. These they chewed and put on my wounds, bound them

up with strips of my shirt, and then again knotted the ends of the

cloth, and lifting me up, went on as before.

"I was sure that we were much lower down the Ghaut than we had been

when I was watching for the bears, and we were now going still lower.

However, I knew very little Hindustani, nothing of the language

the women spoke. I was too weak to stand, too weak even to think

much; and I dozed and woke, and dozed again until, after what seemed

to me many hours of travel, we stopped again, this time before

a tent. Two or three old women and four or five men came out, and

there was great talking between them and the young women--for they

were young--who had carried me down. Some of the party appeared

angry; but at last things quieted down, and I was carried into

the tent. I had fever, and was, I suppose, delirious for days.

I afterwards found that for fully a fortnight I had lost all

consciousness; but a good constitution and the nursing of the women

pulled me round. When once the fever had gone, I began to mend

rapidly. I tried to explain to the women that if they would go up

to the camp and tell them where I was they would be well rewarded;

but although I was sure they understood, they shook their heads,

and by the fact that as I became stronger two or three armed men

always hung about the tent, I came to the conclusion that I was a

sort of prisoner. This was annoying, but did not seem serious. If

these people were Dacoits, or, as was more likely, allies of the

Dacoits, I could be kept only for ransom or exchange. Moreover,

I felt sure of my ability to escape when I got strong, especially

as I believed that in the young women who had saved my life, both

by bringing me down and by their careful nursing, I should find

friends."

"Were they pretty, uncle?" Mary Hastings broke in.

"Never mind whether they were pretty, Mary; they were better than

pretty."

"No; but we should like to know, uncle."

"Well, except for the soft, dark eyes, common to the race, and

the good temper and lightheartedness, also so general among Hindu

girls, and the tenderness which women feel towards a creature whose

life they have saved, whether it is a wounded bird or a drowning

puppy, I suppose they were nothing remarkable in the way of beauty,

but at the time I know that I thought them charming."

CHAPTER II

"Just as I was getting strong enough to walk, and was beginning to

think of making my escape, a band of five or six fellows, armed to

the teeth, came in, and made signs that I was to go with them. It

was evidently an arranged thing, the girls only were surprised,

but they were at once turned out, and as we started I could see two

crouching figures in the shade with their cloths over their heads.

I had a native garment thrown over my shoulders, and in five minutes

after the arrival of the fellows found myself on my way. It took us

some six hours before we reached our destination, which was one of

those natural rock citadels. Had I been in my usual health I could

have done the distance in an hour and a half, but I had to rest

constantly, and was finally carried rather than helped up. I had

gone not unwillingly, for the men were clearly, by their dress,

Dacoits of the Deccan, and I had no doubt that it was intended

either to ransom or exchange me.

"At the foot of this natural castle were same twenty or thirty

more robbers, and I was led to a rough sort of arbor in which was

lying, on a pile of maize straw, a man who was evidently their

chief. He rose and we exchanged salaams.

"'What is your name, sahib?' he asked in Mahratta.

"'Hastings--Lieutenant Hastings,' I said. 'And yours?'

"'Sivajee Punt!' he said.

"This was bad. I had fallen into the hands of the most troublesome,

most ruthless, and most famous of the Dacoit leaders. Over and

over again he had been hotly chased, but had always managed to get

away; and when I last heard anything of what was going on four or

five troops of native police were scouring the country after him.

He gave an order which I did not understand, and a wretched Bombay

writer, I suppose a clerk of some moneylender, was dragged forward.

Sivajee Punt spoke to him for some time, and the fellow then told

me in English that I was to write at once to the officer commanding

the troops, telling him that I was in his hands, and should be put

to death directly he was attacked.

"'Ask him,' I said, 'if he will take any sum of money to let me

go?'

"Sivajee shook his head very decidedly.

"A piece of paper was put before me, and a pen and ink, and I

wrote as I had been ordered, adding however, in French, that I had

brought myself into my present position by my own folly, and would

take my chance, for I well knew the importance which government

attached to Sivajee's capture. I read out loud all that I had written

in English, and the interpreter translated it. Then the paper was

folded and I addressed it, 'The Officer Commanding,' and I was

given some chupattis and a drink of water, and allowed to sleep.

The Dacoits had apparently no fear of any immediate attack.

"It was still dark, although morning was just breaking, when I was

awakened, and was got up to the citadel. I was hoisted rather than

climbed, two men standing above with a rope, tied round my body,

so that I was half hauled, half pushed up the difficult places,

which would have taxed all my climbing powers had I been in health.

"The height of this mass of rock was about a hundred feet; the

top was fairly flat, with some depressions and risings, and about

eighty feet long by fifty wide. It had evidently been used as a

fortress in ages past. Along the side facing the hill were the remains

of a rough wall. In the center of a depression was a cistern, some

four feet square, lined with stone work, and in another depression a

gallery had been cut, leading to a subterranean storeroom or chamber.

"This natural fortress rose from the face of the hill at a distance

of a thousand yards or so from the edge of the plateau, which was

fully two hundred feet higher than the top of the rock. In the

old days it would have been impregnable, and even at that time it

was an awkward place to take, for the troops were armed only with

Brown Bess, and rifled cannon were not thought of. Looking round,

I could see that I was some four miles from the point where I had

descended. The camp was gone; but running my eye along the edge of

the plateau I could see the tops of tents a mile to my right, and

again two miles to my left; turning round, and looking down into

the wide valley, I saw a regimental camp.

"It was evident that a vigorous effort was being made to surround

and capture the Dacoits, since troops had been brought up from

Bombay. In addition to the troops above and below, there would

probably be a strong police force, acting on the face of the hill.

I did not see all these things at the time, for I was, as soon as

I got to the top, ordered to sit down behind the parapet, a fellow

armed to the teeth squatting down by me, and signifying that if

I showed my head above the stones he would cut my throat without

hesitation. There were, however, sufficient gaps between the stones

to allow me to have a view of the crest of the Ghaut, while below

my view extended down to the hills behind Bombay. It was evident to

me now why the Dacoits did not climb up into the fortress. There

were dozens of similar crags on the face of the Ghauts, and the

troops did not as yet know their whereabouts. It was a sort of

blockade of the whole face of the hills which was being kept up,

and there were, probably enough, several other bands of Dacoits

lurking in the jungle.

"There were only two guards and myself on the rock plateau. I

discussed with myself the chances of my overpowering them and holding

the top of the rock till help came; but I was greatly weakened, and

was not a match for a boy, much less for the two stalwart Mahrattas;

besides, I was by no means sure that the way I had been brought up

was the only possible path to the top. The day passed off quietly.

The heat on the bare rock was frightful, but one of the men,

seeing how weak and ill I really was, fetched a thick rug from

the storehouse, and with the aid of a stick made a sort of lean-to

against the wall, under which I lay sheltered from the sun.

"Once or twice during the day I heard a few distant musket shots,

and once a sharp, heavy outburst of firing. It must have been three

or four miles away, but it was on the side of the Ghaut, and showed

that the troops or police were at work. My guards looked anxiously

in that direction, and uttered sundry curses. When it was dusk,

Sivajee and eight of the Dacoits came up. From what they said, I

gathered that the rest of the band had dispersed, trusting either

to get through the line of their pursuers, or, if caught, to escape

with slight punishment, the men who remained being too deeply

concerned in murderous outrages to hope for mercy. Sivajee himself

handed me a letter, which the man who had taken my note had brought

back in reply. Major Knapp, the writer, who was the second in

command, said that he could not engage the Government, but that if

Lieutenant Hastings was given up the act would certainly dispose

the Government to take the most merciful view possible; but that

if, on the contrary, any harm was suffered by Lieutenant Hastings,

every man taken would be at once hung. Sivajee did not appear put

out about it. I do not think he expected any other answer, and

imagine that his real object in writing was simply to let them know

that I was a prisoner, and so enable him the better to paralyze

the attack upon a position which he no doubt considered all but

impregnable.

"I was given food, and was then allowed to walk as I chose upon

the little plateau, two of the Dacoits taking post as sentries at

the steepest part of the path, while the rest gathered, chatting

and smoking, in the depression in front of the storehouse. It was

still light enough for me to see for some distance down the face

of the rock, and I strained my eyes to see if I could discern any

other spot at which an ascent or descent was possible. The prospect

was not encouraging. At some places the face fell sheer away from

the edge, and so evident was the impracticability of escape that

the only place which I glanced at twice was the western side, that

is the one away from the hill. Here it sloped gradually for a few

feet. I took off my shoes and went down to the edge. Below, some

ten feet, was a ledge, on to which with care I could get down,

but below that was a sheer fall of some fifty feet. As a means of

escape it was hopeless, but it struck me that if an attack was made

I might slip away and get on to the ledge. Once there I could not

be seen except by a person standing where I now was, just on the

edge of the slope, a spot to which it was very unlikely that anyone

would come.

"The thought gave me a shadow of hope, and, returning to the upper

end of the platform, I lay down, and in spite of the hardness of

the rock, was soon asleep. The pain of my aching bones woke me up

several times, and once, just as the first tinge of dawn was coming,

I thought I could hear movements in the jungle. I raised myself

somewhat, and I saw that the sounds had been heard by the Dacoits,

for they were standing listening, and some of them were bringing

spare firearms from the storehouse, in evident preparation for

attack.

"As I afterwards learned, the police had caught one of the Dacoits

trying to effect his escape, and by means of a little of the ingenious

torture to which the Indian police then frequently resorted, when

their white officers were absent, they obtained from him the exact

position of Sivajee's band, and learned the side from which the

ascent must be made. That the Dacoit and his band were still upon

the slopes of the Ghauts they knew, and were gradually narrowing

their circle, but there were so many rocks and hiding places that

the process of searching was a slow one, and the intelligence was

so important that the news was off at once to the colonel, who gave

orders for the police to surround the rock at daylight and to storm

it if possible. The garrison was so small that the police were

alone ample for the work, supposing that the natural difficulties

were not altogether insuperable.

"Just at daybreak there was a distant noise of men moving in the

jungle, and the Dacoit halfway down the path fired his gun. He was

answered by a shout and a volley. The Dacoits hurried out from the

chamber, and lay down on the edge, where, sheltered by a parapet,

they commanded the path. They paid no attention to me, and I kept

as far away as possible. The fire began--a quiet, steady fire,

a shot at a time and in strong contrast to the rattle kept up from

the surrounding jungle; but every shot must have told, as man after

man who strove to climb that steep path fell. It lasted only ten

minutes, and then all was quiet again.

"The attack had failed, as I knew it must do, for two men could

have held the place against an army; a quarter of an hour later

a gun from the crest above spoke out, and a round shot whistled

above our heads. Beyond annoyance, an artillery fire could do no

harm, for the party could be absolutely safe in the store cave. The

instant the shot flew overhead, however, Sivajee Punt beckoned to

me, and motioned me to take my seat on the wall facing the guns.

Hesitation was useless, and I took my seat with my back to the

Dacoits and my face to the hill. One of the Dacoits, as I did so,

pulled off the native cloth which covered my shoulders, in order

that I might be clearly seen.

"Just as I took my place another round shot hummed by; but then

there was a long interval of silence. With a field glass every

feature must have been distinguishable to the gunners, and I had

no doubt that they were waiting for orders as to what to do next.

"I glanced round and saw that, with the exception of one fellow

squatted behind the parapet some half dozen yards away, clearly

as a sentry to keep me in place, all the others had disappeared.

Some, no doubt, were on sentry down the path, the others were in

the store beneath me. After half an hour's silence the guns spoke

out again. Evidently the gunners were told to be as careful as

they could, for some of the shots went wide on the left, others on

the right. A few struck the rock below me. The situation was not

pleasant, but I thought that at a thousand yards they ought not to

hit me, and I tried to distract my attention by thinking out what

I should do under every possible contingency.

"Presently I felt a crash and a shock, and fell backwards to the

ground. I was not hurt, and picking myself up saw that the ball had

struck the parapet to the left, just where my guard was sitting,

and he lay covered with its fragments. His turban lay some yards

behind him. Whether he was dead or not I neither knew nor cared.

"I pushed down some of the parapet where I had been sitting,

dropped my cap on the edge outside, so as to make it appear that

I had fallen over, and then, picking up the man's turban, ran to

the other end of the platform and scrambled down to the ledge. Then

I began to wave my arms about--I had nothing on above the waist

--and in a moment I saw a face with a uniform cap peer out through

the jungle; and a hand was waved. I made signs to him to make his

way to the foot of the perpendicular wall of rock beneath me. I then

unwound the turban, whose length was, I knew, amply sufficient to

reach to the bottom, and then looked round for something to write

on. I had my pencil still in my trousers pocket, but not a scrap

of paper.

"I picked up a flattish piece of rock and wrote on it, 'Get a rope

ladder quickly, I can haul it up. Ten men in garrison. They are

all under cover. Keep on firing to distract their attention.'

"I tied the stone to the end of the turban, and looked over. A

noncommissioned officer of the police was already standing below. I

lowered the stone; he took it, waved his hand to me, and was gone.

"An hour passed: it seemed an age. The round shots still rang overhead,

and the fire was now much more heavy and sustained than before.

Presently I again saw a movement in the jungle, and Norworthy's

face appeared, and he waved his arm in greeting.

"Five minutes more and a party were gathered at the foot of the

rock, and a strong rope was tied to the cloth. I pulled it up. A

rope ladder was attached to it, and the top rung was in a minute

or two in my hands. To it was tied a piece of paper with the words:

'Can you fasten the ladder?' I wrote on the paper: 'No; but I can

hold it for a light weight.'

"I put the paper with a stone in the end of the cloth, and lowered

it again. Then I sat down, tied the rope round my waist, got my

feet against two projections, and waited. There was a jerk, and

then I felt someone was coming up the rope ladder. The strain was

far less than I expected, but the native policeman who came up

first did not weigh half so much as an average Englishman. There

were now two of us to hold. The officer in command of the police

came up next, then Norworthy, then a dozen more police. I explained

the situation, and we mounted to the upper level. Not a soul was

to be seen. Quickly we advanced and took up a position to command

the door of the underground chamber; while one of the police waved

a white cloth from his bayonet as a signal to the gunners to cease

firing. Then the officer hailed the party within the cave.

"'Sivajee Punt! you may as well come out and give yourself up! We

are in possession, and resistance is useless!'

"A yell of rage and surprise was heard, and the Dacoits, all

desperate men, came bounding out, firing as they did so. Half of

their number were shot down at once and the rest, after a short,

sharp struggle, were bound hand and foot.

"That is pretty well all of the story, I think. Sivajee Punt was

one of the killed. The prisoners were all either hung or imprisoned

for life. I escaped my blowing up for having gone down the Ghauts

after the bear, because, after all, Sivajee Punt might have defied

their force for months had I not done so.

"It seemed that that scoundrel Rahman had taken back word that I

was killed. Norworthy had sent down a strong party, who found the

two dead bears, and who, having searched everywhere without finding

any signs of my body, came to the conclusion that I had been found

and carried away, especially as they ascertained that natives used

that path. They had offered rewards, but nothing was heard of me

till my note saying I was in Sivajee's hands arrived."

"And did you ever see the women who carried you off?"

"No, Mary, I never saw them again. I did, however, after immense

trouble, succeed in finding out where it was that I had been taken

to. I went down at once, but found the village deserted. Then

after much inquiry I found where the people had moved to, and sent

messages to the women to come up to the camp, but they never came;

and I was reduced at last to sending them down two sets of silver

bracelets, necklaces, and bangles, which must have rendered them

the envy of all the women on the Ghauts. They sent back a message

of grateful thanks, and I never heard of them afterwards. No doubt

their relatives, who knew that their connection with the Dacoits

was now known, would not let them come. However, I had done all I

could and I have no doubt the women were perfectly satisfied. So

you see, my dear, that the Indian bear, small as he is, is an animal

which it is as well to leave alone, at any rate when he happens to

be up on the side of a hill while you are at the foot."

THE PATERNOSTERS

"And do you really mean that we are to cross by the steamer,

Mr. Virtue, while you go over in the Seabird? I do not approve of

that at all. Fanny, why do you not rebel, and say we won't be put

ashore? I call it horrid, after a fortnight on board this dear little

yacht, to have to get on to a crowded steamer, with no accommodation

and lots of seasick women, perhaps, and crying children. You surely

cannot be in earnest?"

"I do not like it any more than you do, Minnie; but, as Tom says

we had better do it, and my husband agrees with him, I am afraid

we must submit. Do you really think it is quite necessary, Mr.

Virtue? Minnie and I are both good sailors, you know; and we would

much rather have a little extra tossing about on board the Seabird

than the discomforts of a steamer."

"I certainly think that it will be best, Mrs. Grantham. You know

very well we would rather have you on board, and that we shall

suffer from your loss more than you will by going the other way;

but there's no doubt the wind is getting up, and though we don't

feel it much here, it must be blowing pretty hard outside. The

Seabird is as good a seaboat as anything of her size that floats;

but you don't know what it is to be out in anything like a heavy

sea in a thirty tonner. It would be impossible for you to stay on

deck, and we should have our hands full, and should not be able to

give you the benefit of our society. Personally, I should not mind

being out in the Seabird in any weather, but I would certainly

rather not have ladies on board."

"You don't think we should scream, or do anything foolish, Mr.

Virtue?" Minnie Graham said indignantly.

"Not at all, Miss Graham. Still, I repeat, the knowledge that there

are women on board, delightful at other times, does not tend to

comfort in bad weather. Of course, if you prefer it, we can put

off our start till this puff of wind has blown itself out. It may

have dropped before morning. It may last some little time. I don't

think myself that it will drop, for the glass has fallen, and I am

afraid we may have a spell of broken weather."

"Oh, no; don't put it off," Mrs. Grantham said; "we have only another

fortnight before James must be back again in London, and it would

be a great pity to lose three or four days perhaps; and we have

been looking forward to cruising about among the Channel Islands,

and to St. Mao, and all those places. Oh, no; I think the other is

much the better plan--that is if you won't take us with you."

"It would be bad manners to say that I won't, Mrs. Grantham; but

I must say I would rather not. It will be a very short separation.

Grantham will take you on shore at once, and as soon as the boat

comes back I shall be off. You will start in the steamer this evening,

and get into Jersey at nine or ten o'clock tomorrow morning; and

if I am not there before you, I shall not be many hours after you."

"Well, if it must be it must," Mrs. Grantham said, with an air of

resignation. "Come, Minnie, let us put a few things into a handbag

for tonight. You see the skipper is not to be moved by our pleadings."

"That is the worst of you married women, Fanny," Miss Graham said,

with a little pout. "You get into the way of doing as you are

ordered. I call it too bad. Here have we been cruising about for

the last fortnight, with scarcely a breath of wind, and longing

for a good brisk breeze and a little change and excitement, and now

it comes at last, we are to be packed off in a steamer. I call it

horrid of you, Mr. Virtue. You may laugh, but I do."

Tom Virtue laughed, but he showed no signs of giving way, and ten

minutes later Mr. and Mrs. Grantham and Miss Graham took their places

in the gig, and were rowed into Southampton Harbor, off which the

Seabird was lying.

The last fortnight had been a very pleasant one, and it had cost

the owner of the Seabird as much as his guests to come to the

conclusion that it was better to break up the party for a few hours.

Tom Virtue had, up to the age of five-and-twenty, been possessed

of a sufficient income for his wants. He had entered at the bar,

not that he felt any particular vocation in that direction, but

because he thought it incumbent upon him to do something. Then,

at the death of an uncle, he had come into a considerable fortune,

and was able to indulge his taste for yachting, which was the sole

amusement for which he really cared, to the fullest.

He sold the little five tonner he had formerly possessed, and

purchased the Seabird. He could well have afforded a much larger

craft, but he knew that there was far more real enjoyment in sailing

to be obtained from a small craft than a large one, for in the

latter he would be obliged to have a regular skipper, and would be

little more than a passenger, whereas on board the Seabird, although

his first hand was dignified by the name of skipper, he was himself

the absolute master. The boat carried the aforesaid skipper,

three hands, and a steward, and with them he had twice been up the

Mediterranean, across to Norway, and had several times made the

circuit of the British Isles.

He had unlimited confidence in his boat, and cared not what weather

he was out in her. This was the first time since his ownership

of her that the Seabird had carried lady passengers. His friend

Grantham, an old school and college chum, was a hard working barrister,

and Virtue had proposed to him to take a month's holiday on board

the Seabird.

"Put aside your books, old man," he said. "You look fagged and

overworked; a month's blow will do you all the good in the world."

"Thank you, Tom; I have made up my mind for a month's holiday, but

I can't accept your invitation, though I should enjoy it of all

things. But it would not be fair to my wife; she doesn't get very

much of my society, and she has been looking forward to our having

a run together. So I must decline."

Virtue hesitated a moment. He was not very fond of ladies' society,

and thought them especially in the way on board a yacht; but he

had a great liking for his friend's wife, and was almost as much

at home in his house as in his own chambers.

"Why not bring the wife with you?" he said, as soon as his mind

was made up. "It will be a nice change for her too; and I have

heard her say that she is a good sailor. The accommodation is not

extensive, but the after cabin is a pretty good size, and I would

do all I could to make her comfortable. Perhaps she would like

another lady with her; if so by all means bring one. They could

have the after cabin, you could have the little stateroom, and I

could sleep in the saloon."

"It is very good of you, Tom, especially as I know that it will put

you out frightfully; but the offer is a very tempting one. I will

speak to Fanny, and let you have an answer in the morning."

"That will be delightful, James," Mrs. Grantham said, when the

invitation was repeated to her. "I should like it of all things;

and I am sure the rest and quiet and the sea air will be just the

thing for you. It is wonderful, Tom Virtue making the offer; and

I take it as a great personal compliment, for he certainly is not

what is generally called a lady's man. It is very nice, too, of him

to think of my having another lady on board. Whom shall we ask? Oh,

I know," she said suddenly; "that will be the thing of all others.

We will ask my cousin Minnie; she is full of fun and life, and will

make a charming wife for Tom!"

James Grantham laughed.

"What schemers you all are, Fanny! Now I should call it downright

treachery to take anyone on board the Seabird with the idea of

capturing its master."

"Nonsense, treachery!" Mrs. Grantham said indignantly; "Minnie

is the nicest girl I know, and it would do Tom a world of good to

have a wife to look after him. Why, he is thirty now, and will be

settling down into a confirmed old bachelor before long. It's the

greatest kindness we could do him, to take Minnie on board; and

I am sure he is the sort of man any girl might fall in love with

when she gets to know him. The fact is, he's shy! He never had any

sisters, and spends all his time in winter at that horrid club; so

that really he has never had any women's society, and even with us

he will never come unless he knows we are alone. I call it a great

pity, for I don't know a pleasanter fellow than he is. I think it

will be doing him a real service in asking Minnie; so that's settled.

I will sit down and write him a note."

"In for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose," was Tom Virtue's comment

when he received Mrs. Grantham's letter, thanking him warmly for

the invitation, and saying that she would bring her cousin, Miss

Graham, with her, if that young lady was disengaged.

As a matter of self defense he at once invited Jack Harvey, who

was a mutual friend of himself and Grantham, to be of the party.

"Jack can help Grantham to amuse the women," he said to himself;

"that will be more in his line than mine. I will run down to Cowes

tomorrow and have a chat with Johnson; we shall want a different

sort of stores altogether from those we generally carry, and I

suppose we must do her up a bit below."

Having made up his mind to the infliction of female passengers,

Tom Virtue did it handsomely, and when the party came on board at

Ryde they were delighted with the aspect of the yacht below. She

had been repainted, the saloon and ladies' cabin were decorated in

delicate shades of gray, picked out with gold; and the upholsterer,

into whose hands the owner of the Seabird had placed her, had done

his work with taste and judgment, and the ladies' cabin resembled

a little boudoir.

"Why, Tom, I should have hardly known her!" Grantham, who had often

spent a day on board the Seabird, said.

"I hardly know her myself," Tom said, rather ruefully; "but I hope

she's all right, Mrs. Grantham, and that you and Miss Graham will

find everything you want."

"It is charming!" Mrs. Grantham said enthusiastically. "It's

awfully good of you, Tom, and we appreciate it; don't we, Minnie?

It is such a surprise, too; for James said that while I should find

everything very comfortable, I must not expect that a small yacht

would be got up like a palace."

So a fortnight had passed; they had cruised along the coast as far

as Plymouth, anchoring at night at the various ports on the way.

Then they had returned to Southampton, and it had been settled

that as none of the party, with the exception of Virtue himself,

had been to the Channel Islands, the last fortnight of the trip

should be spent there. The weather had been delightful, save that

there had been some deficiency in wind, and throughout the cruise

the Seabird had been under all the sail she could spread. But when

the gentlemen came on deck early in the morning a considerable

change had taken place; the sky was gray and the clouds flying fast

overhead.

"We are going to have dirty weather," Tom Virtue said at once. "I

don't think it's going to be a gale, but there will be more sea on

than will be pleasant for ladies. I tell you what, Grantham; the

best thing will be for you to go on shore with the two ladies, and

cross by the boat tonight. If you don't mind going directly after

breakfast I will start at once, and shall be at St. Helier's as

soon as you are."

And so it had been agreed, but not, as has been seen, without

opposition and protest on the part of the ladies.

Mrs. Grantham's chief reason for objecting had not been given. The

little scheme on which she had set her mind seemed to be working

satisfactorily. From the first day Tom Virtue had exerted himself

to play the part of host satisfactorily, and had ere long shaken

off any shyness he may have felt towards the one stranger of the

party, and he and Miss Graham had speedily got on friendly terms.

So things were going on as well as Mrs. Grantham could have expected.

No sooner had his guests left the side of the yacht than her owner

began to make his preparations for a start.

"What do you think of the weather, Watkins?" he asked his skipper.

"It's going to blow hard, sir; that's my view of it, and if I was

you I shouldn't up anchor today. Still, it's just as you likes; the

Seabird won't mind it if we don't. She has had a rough time of it

before now; still, it will be a case of wet jackets, and no mistake."

"Yes, I expect we shall have a rough time of it, Watkins, but I

want to get across. We don't often let ourselves be weather bound,

and I am not going to begin it today. We had better house the

topmast at once, and get two reefs in the mainsail. We can get the

other down when we get clear of the island. Get number three jib

up, and the leg of mutton mizzen; put two reefs in the foresail."

Tom and his friend Harvey, who was a good sailor, assisted the

crew in reefing down the sails, and a few minutes after the gig

had returned and been hoisted in, the yawl was running rapidly down

Southampton waters.

"We need hardly have reefed quite so closely," Jack Harvey said,

as he puffed away at his pipe.

"Not yet, Jack; but you will see she has as much as she can carry

before long. It's all the better to make all snug before starting;

it saves a lot of trouble afterwards, and the extra canvas would

not have made ten minutes' difference to us at the outside. We

shall have pretty nearly a dead beat down the Solent. Fortunately

the tide will be running strong with us, but there will be a nasty

kick up there. You will see we shall feel the short choppy seas

there more than we shall when we get outside. She is a grand boat

in a really heavy sea, but in short waves she puts her nose into

it with a will. Now, if you will take my advice, you will do as I

am going to do; put on a pair of fisherman's boots and oilskin and

sou'wester. There are several sets for you to choose from below."

As her owner had predicted, the Seabird put her bowsprit under

pretty frequently in the Solent; the wind was blowing half a gale,

and as it met the tide it knocked up a short, angry sea, crested

with white heads, and Jack Harvey agreed that she had quite as

much sail on her as she wanted. The cabin doors were bolted, and

all made snug to prevent the water getting below before they got

to the race off Hurst Castle; and it was well that they did so,

for she was as much under water as she was above.

"I think if I had given way to the ladies and brought them with us

they would have changed their minds by this time, Jack," Tom Virtue

said, with a laugh.

"I should think so," his friend agreed; "this is not a day for a

fair weather sailor. Look what a sea is breaking on the shingles!"

"Yes, five minutes there would knock her into matchwood. Another

ten minutes and we shall be fairly out; and I shan't be sorry;

one feels as if one was playing football, only just at present the

Seabird is the ball and the waves the kickers."

Another quarter of an hour and they had passed the Needles.

"That is more pleasant, Jack," as the short, chopping motion was

exchanged for a regular rise and fall; "this is what I enjoy--a

steady wind and a regular sea. The Seabird goes over it like one

of her namesakes; she is not taking a teacupful now over her bows.

"Watkins, you may as well take the helm for a spell, while we go

down to lunch. I am not sorry to give it up for a bit, for it has

been jerking like the kick of a horse.

"That's right, Jack, hang up your oilskin there. Johnson, give us

a couple of towels; we have been pretty well smothered up there on

deck. Now what have you got for us?"

"There is some soup ready, sir, and that cold pie you had for dinner

yesterday."

"That will do; open a couple of bottles of stout."

Lunch over, they went on deck again.

"She likes a good blow as well as we do," Virtue said enthusiastically,

as the yawl rose lightly over each wave. "What do you think of it,

Watkins? Is the wind going to lull a bit as the sun goes down?"

"I think not, sir. It seems to me it's blowing harder than it was."

"Then we will prepare for the worst, Watkins; get the trysail up

on deck. When you are ready we will bring her up into the wind and

set it. That's the comfort of a yawl, Jack; one can always lie to

without any bother, and one hasn't got such a tremendous boom to

handle."

The trysail was soon on deck, and then the Seabird was brought up

into the wind, the weather foresheet hauled aft, the mizzen sheeted

almost fore and aft, and the Seabird lay, head to wind, rising and

falling with a gentle motion, in strong contrast to her impetuous

rushes when under sail.

"She would ride out anything like that," her owner said. "Last time

we came through the Bay on our way from Gib. we were caught in a

gale strong enough to blow the hair off one's head, and we lay to

for nearly three days, and didn't ship a bucket of water all the

time. Now let us lend a hand to get the mainsail stowed."

Ten minutes' work and it was securely fastened and its cover on;

two reefs were put in the trysail. Two hands went to each of the

halliards, while, as the sail rose, Tom Virtue fastened the toggles

round the mast.

"All ready, Watkins?"

"All ready, sir."

"Slack off the weather foresheet, then, and haul aft the leeward.

Slack out the mizzen sheet a little, Jack. That's it; now she's

off again, like a duck."

The Seabird felt the relief from the pressure of the heavy boom to

leeward and rose easily and lightly over the waves.

"She certainly is a splendid seaboat, Tom; I don't wonder you are

ready to go anywhere in her. I thought we were rather fools for

starting this morning, although I enjoy a good blow; but now I

don't care how hard it comes on."

By night it was blowing a downright gale.

"We will lie to till morning, Watkins. So that we get in by daylight

tomorrow evening, that is all we want. See our side lights are

burning well, and you had better get up a couple of blue lights,

in case anything comes running up Channel and don't see our lights.

We had better divide into two watches; I will keep one with Matthews

and Dawson, Mr. Harvey will go in your watch with Nicholls. We

had better get the trysail down altogether, and lie to under the

foresail and mizzen, but don't put many lashings on the trysail,

one will be enough, and have it ready to cast off in a moment, in

case we want to hoist the sail in a hurry. I will go down and have

a glass of hot grog first, and then I will take my watch to begin

with. Let the two hands with me go down; the steward will serve

them out a tot each. Jack, you had better turn in at once."

Virtue was soon on deck again, muffled up in his oilskins.

"Now, Watkins, you can go below and turn in."

"I shan't go below tonight, sir--not to lie down. There's nothing

much to do here, but I couldn't sleep, if I did lie down."

"Very well; you had better go below and get a glass of grog; tell

the steward to give you a big pipe with a cover like this, out of

the locker; and there's plenty of chewing tobacco, if the men are

short."

"I will take that instead of a pipe," Watkins said; "there's nothing

like a quid in weather like this, it aint never in your way, and

it lasts. Even with a cover a pipe would soon be out."

"Please yourself, Watkins; tell the two hands forward to keep a

bright lookout for lights."

The night passed slowly. Occasionally a sea heavier than usual

came on board, curling over the bow and falling with a heavy thud

on the deck, but for the most part the Seabird breasted the waves

easily; the bowsprit had been reefed in to its fullest, thereby

adding to the lightness and buoyancy of the boat. Tom Virtue did

not go below when his friend came up to relieve him at the change

of watch, but sat smoking and doing much talking in the short

intervals between the gusts.

The morning broke gray and misty, driving sleet came along on the

wind, and the horizon was closed in as by a dull curtain.

"How far can we see, do you think, Watkins?"

"Perhaps a couple of miles, sir."

"That will be enough. I think we both know the position of every

reef to within a hundred yards, so we will shape our course for

Guernsey. If we happen to hit it off, we can hold on to St. Helier,

but if when we think we ought to be within sight of Guernsey we

see nothing of it, we must lie to again, till the storm has blown

itself out or the clouds lift. It would never do to go groping our

way along with such currents as run among the islands. Put the last

reef in the trysail before you hoist it. I think you had better

get the foresail down altogether, and run up the spitfire jib."

The Seabird was soon under way again.

"Now, Watkins, you take the helm; we will go down and have a cup

of hot coffee, and I will see that the steward has a good supply

for you and the hands; but first, do you take the helm, Jack, whilst

Watkins and I have a look at the chart, and try and work out where

we are, and the course we had better lie for Guernsey."

Five minutes were spent over the chart, then Watkins went above

and Jack Harvey came below.

"You have got the coffee ready, I hope, Johnson?"

"Yes, sir, coffee and chocolate. I didn't know which you would

like."

"Chocolate, by all means. Jack, I recommend the chocolate. Bring

two full sized bowls, Johnson, and put that cold pie on the table,

and a couple of knives and forks; never mind about a cloth; but

first of all bring a couple of basins of hot water, we shall enjoy

our food more after a wash."

The early breakfast was eaten, dry coats and mufflers put on, pipes

lighted, and they then went up upon deck. Tom took the helm.

"What time do you calculate we ought to make Guernsey, Tom?"

"About twelve. The wind is freer than it was, and we are walking

along at a good pace. Matthews, cast the log, and let's see what

we are doing. About seven knots, I should say."

"Seven and a quarter, sir," the man said, when he checked the line.

"Not a bad guess, Tom; it's always difficult to judge pace in a

heavy sea."

At eleven o'clock the mist ceased.

"That's fortunate," Tom Virtue said; "I shouldn't be surprised if

we get a glimpse of the sun between the clouds presently. Will you

get my sextant and the chronometer up, Jack, and put them handy?"

Jack Harvey did as he was asked, but there was no occasion to use

the instruments, for ten minutes later, Watkins, who was standing

near the bow gazing fixedly ahead, shouted:

"There's Guernsey, sir, on her lee bow, about six miles away, I

should say."

"That's it, sure enough," Tom agreed, as he gazed in the direction

in which Watkins was pointing. "There's a gleam of sunshine on it,

or we shouldn't have seen it yet. Yes, I think you are about right

as to the distance. Now let us take its bearings, we may lose it

again directly."

Having taken the bearings of the island they went below, and marked

off their position on the chart, and they shaped their course for

Cape Grosnez, the northwestern point of Jersey. The gleam of sunshine

was transient--the clouds closed in again overhead, darker and

grayer than before. Soon the drops of rain came flying before the

wind, the horizon closed in, and they could not see half a mile

away, but, though the sea was heavy, the Seabird was making capital

weather of it, and the two friends agreed that, after all, the

excitement of a sail like this was worth a month of pottering about

in calms.

"We must keep a bright lookout presently," the skipper said; "there

are some nasty rocks off the coast of Jersey. We must give them

a wide berth. We had best make round to the south of the island,

and lay to there till we can pick up a pilot to take us into St.

Helier. I don't think it will be worth while trying to get into

St. Aubyn's Bay by ourselves."

"I think so, too, Watkins, but we will see what it is like before

it gets dark; if we can pick up a pilot all the better; if not,

we will lie to till morning, if the weather keeps thick; but if it

clears so that we can make out all the lights we ought to be able

to get into the bay anyhow."

An hour later the rain ceased and the sky appeared somewhat clearer.

Suddenly Watkins exclaimed, "There is a wreck, sir! There, three

miles away to leeward. She is on the Paternosters."

"Good Heavens! she is a steamer," Tom exclaimed, as he caught sight

of her the next time the Seabird lifted on a wave. "Can she be the

Southampton boat, do you think?"

"Like enough, sir, she may have had it thicker than we had, and

may not have calculated enough for the current."

"Up helm, Jack, and bear away towards her. Shall we shake out a

reef, Watkins?"

"I wouldn't, sir; she has got as much as she can carry on her

now. We must mind what we are doing, sir; the currents run like

a millstream, and if we get that reef under our lee, and the wind

and current both setting us on to it, it will be all up with us in

no time."

"Yes, I know that, Watkins. Jack, take the helm a minute while we

run down and look at the chart.

"Our only chance, Watkins, is to work up behind the reef, and try

and get so that they can either fasten a line to a buoy and let it

float down to us, or get into a boat, if they have one left, and

drift to us."

"They are an awful group of rocks," Watkins said, as they examined

the chart; "you see some of them show merely at high tide, and a

lot of them are above at low water. It will be an awful business

to get among them rocks, sir, just about as near certain death as

a thing can be."

"Well, it's got to be done, Watkins," Tom said firmly. "I see the

danger as well as you do, but whatever the risk it must be tried.

Mr. Grantham and the two ladies went on board by my persuasion, and

I should never forgive myself if anything happened to them. But I

will speak to the men."

He went on deck again and called the men to him. "Look here, lads;

you see that steamer ashore on the Paternosters. In such a sea as

this she may go to pieces in half an hour. I am determined to make

an effort to save the lives of those on board. As you can see for

yourselves there is no lying to weather of her, with the current

and wind driving us on to the reef; we must beat up from behind.

Now, lads, the sea there is full of rocks, and the chances are

ten to one we strike on to them and go to pieces; but, anyhow, I

am going to try; but I won't take you unless you are willing. The

boat is a good one, and the zinc chambers will keep her afloat if

she fills; well managed, you ought to be able to make the coast of

Jersey in her. Mr. Harvey, Watkins, and I can handle the yacht, so

you can take the boat if you like."

The men replied that they would stick to the yacht wherever Mr.

Virtue chose to take her, and muttered something about the ladies,

for the pleasant faces of Mrs. Grantham and Miss Graham had, during

the fortnight they had been on board, won the men's hearts.

"Very well, lads, I am glad to find you will stick by me; if we

pull safely through it I will give each of you three months' wages.

Now set to work with a will and get the gig out. We will tow her

after us, and take to her if we make a smash of it."

They were now near enough to see the white breakers, in the middle

of which the ship was lying. She was fast breaking up. The jagged

outline showed that the stern had been beaten in. The masts and

funnel were gone, and the waves seemed to make a clean breach over

her, almost hiding her from sight in a white cloud of spray.

"Wood and iron can't stand that much longer," Jack Harvey said;

"another hour and I should say there won't be two planks left

together."

"It is awful, Jack; I would give all I have in the world if I had

not persuaded them to go on board. Keep her off a little more,

Watkins."

The Seabird passed within a cable's length of the breakers at the

northern end of the reef.

"Now, lads, take your places at the sheets, ready to haul or let

go as I give the word." So saying, Tom Virtue took his place in

the bow, holding on by the forestay.

The wind was full on the Seabird's beam as she entered the broken

water. Here and there the dark heads of the rocks showed above the

water. These were easy enough to avoid, the danger lay in those

hidden beneath its surface, and whose position was indicated only

by the occasional break of a sea as it passed over them. Every

time the Seabird sank on a wave those on board involuntarily held

their breath, but the water here was comparatively smooth, the sea

having spent its first force upon the outer reef. With a wave of

his hand Tom directed the helmsman as to his course, and the little

yacht was admirably handled through the dangers.

"I begin to think we shall do it," Tom said to Jack Harvey, who

was standing close to him. "Another five minutes and we shall be

within reach of her."

It could be seen now that there was a group of people clustered

in the bow of the wreck. Two or three light lines were coiled in

readiness for throwing.

"Now, Watkins," Tom said, going aft, "make straight for the wreck.

I see no broken water between us and them, and possibly there may

be deep water under their bow."

It was an anxious moment, as, with the sails flattened in, the

yawl forged up nearly in the eye of the wind towards the wreck.

Her progress was slow, for she was now stemming the current.

Tom stood with a coil of line in his hand in the bow.

"You get ready to throw, Jack, if I miss."

Nearer and nearer the yacht approached the wreck, until the bowsprit

of the latter seemed to stand almost over her. Then Tom threw the

line. It fell over the bowsprit, and a cheer broke from those on

board the wreck and from the sailors of the Seabird. A stronger line

was at once fastened to that thrown, and to this a strong hawser

was attached.

"Down with the helm, Watkins. Now, lads, lower away the trysail as

fast as you can. Now, one of you, clear that hawser as they haul

on it. Now out with the anchors."

These had been got into readiness; it was not thought that they

would get any hold on the rocky bottom, still they might catch on

a projecting ledge, and at any rate their weight and that of the

chain cable would relieve the strain upon the hawser.

Two sailors had run out on the bowsprit of the wreck as soon as

the line was thrown, and the end of the hawser was now on board

the steamer.

"Thank God, there's Grantham!" Jack Harvey exclaimed; "do you see

him waving his hand?"

"I see him," Tom said, "but I don't see the ladies."

"They are there, no doubt," Jack said confidently; "crouching down,

I expect. He would not be there if they weren't, you may be sure.

Yes, there they are; those two muffled up figures. There, one of

them has thrown back her cloak and is waving her arm."

The two young men waved their caps.

"Are the anchors holding, Watkins? There's a tremendous strain on

that hawser."

"I think so, sir; they are both tight."

"Put them round the windlass, and give a turn or two, we must

relieve the strain on that hawser."

Since they had first seen the wreck the waves had made great progress

in the work of destruction, and the steamer had broken in two just

aft of the engines.

"Get over the spare spars, Watkins, and fasten them to float in

front of her bows like a triangle. Matthews, catch hold of that

boat hook and try to fend off any piece of timber that comes along.

You get hold of the sweeps, lads, and do the same. They would stave

her in like a nutshell if they struck her."

"Thank God, here comes the first of them!"

Those on board the steamer had not been idle. As soon as the yawl

was seen approaching slings were prepared, and no sooner was the

hawser securely fixed, than the slings were attached to it and a

woman placed in them. The hawser was tight and the descent sharp,

and without a check the figure ran down to the deck of the Seabird.

She was lifted out of the slings by Tom and Jack Harvey, who found

she was an old woman and had entirely lost consciousness.

"Two of you carry her down below; tell Johnson to pour a little

brandy down her throat. Give her some hot soup as soon as she comes

to."

Another woman was lowered and helped below. The next to descend

was Mrs. Grantham.

"Thank God, you are rescued!" Tom said, as he helped her out of

the sling.

"Thank God, indeed," Mrs. Grantham said, "and thank you all!

Oh, Tom, we have had a terrible time of it, and had lost all hope

till we saw your sail, and even then the captain said that he was

afraid nothing could be done. Minnie was the first to make out it

was you, and then we began to hope. She has been so brave, dear

girl. Ah! here she comes."

But Minnie's firmness came to an end now that she felt the need

for it was over. She was unable to stand when she was lifted from

the slings, and Tom carried her below.

"Are there any more women, Mrs. Grantham?"

"No; there was only one other lady passenger and the stewardess."

"Then you had better take possession of your own cabin. I ordered

Johnson to spread a couple more mattresses and some bedding on the

floor, so you will all four be able to turn in. There's plenty of

hot coffee and soup. I should advise soup with two or three spoonfuls

of brandy in it. Now, excuse me; I must go upon deck."

Twelve men descended by the hawser, one of them with both legs

broken by the fall of the mizzen. The last to come was the captain.

"Is that all?" Tom asked.

"That is all," the captain said. "Six men were swept overboard when

she first struck, and two were killed by the fall of the funnel.

Fortunately we had only three gentlemen passengers and three ladies

on board. The weather looked so wild when we started that no one

else cared about making the passage. God bless you, sir, for what

you have done! Another half hour and it would have been all over

with us. But it seems like a miracle your getting safe through the

rocks to us."

"It was fortunate indeed that we came along," Tom said; "three

of the passengers are dear friends of mine; and as it was by my

persuasion that they came across in the steamer instead of in the

yacht, I should never have forgiven myself if they had been lost.

Take all your men below, captain; you will find plenty of hot soup

there. Now, Watkins, let us be off; that steamer won't hold together

many minutes longer, so there's no time to lose. We will go back

as we came. Give me a hatchet. Now, lads, two of you stand at the

chain cables; knock out the shackles the moment I cut the hawser.

Watkins, you take the helm and let her head pay off till the

jib fills. Jack, you lend a hand to the other two, and get up the

trysail again as soon as we are free."

In a moment all were at their stations. The helm was put on the

yacht, and she payed off on the opposite tack to that on which she

had before been sailing. As soon as the jib filled, Tom gave two

vigorous blows with his hatchet on the hawser, and, as he lifted

his hand for a third, it parted. Then came the sharp rattle of the

chains as they ran round the hawser holes. The trysail was hoisted

and sheeted home, and the Seabird was under way again. Tom, as

before, conned the ship from the bow. Several times she was in close

proximity to the rocks, but each time she avoided them. A shout

of gladness rose from all on deck as she passed the last patch of

white water. Then she tacked and bore away for Jersey.

Tom had now time to go down below and look after his passengers.

They consisted of the captain and two sailors--the sole survivors

of those who had been on deck when the vessel struck--three male

passengers, and six engineers and stokers.

"I have not had time to shake you by the hand before, Tom," Grantham

said, as Tom Virtue entered; "and I thought you would not want me

on deck at present. God bless you, old fellow! we ail owe you our

lives."

"How did it happen, captain?" Tom asked, as the captain also came

up to him.

"It was the currents, I suppose," the captain said; "it was so thick

we could not see a quarter of a mile any way. The weather was so

wild I would not put into Guernsey, and passed the island without

seeing it. I steered my usual course, but the gale must have altered

the currents, for I thought I was three miles away from the reef,

when we saw it on our beam, not a hundred yards away. It was too

late to avoid it then, and in another minute we ran upon it, and

the waves were sweeping over us. Everyone behaved well. I got all,

except those who had been swept overboard or crushed by the funnel,

up into the bow of the ship, and there we waited. There was nothing

to be done. No boat would live for a moment in the sea on that reef,

and all I could advise was that when she went to pieces everyone

should try to get hold of a floating fragment; but I doubt whether

a man would have been alive a quarter of an hour after she went to

pieces."

"Perhaps, captain, you will come on deck with me and give me the

benefit of your advice. My skipper and I know the islands pretty

well, but no doubt you know them a good deal better, and I don't

want another mishap."

But the Seabird avoided all further dangers, and as it became dark

the lights of St. Helier's were in sight, and an hour later the

yacht brought up in the port and landed her involuntary passengers.

A fortnight afterwards the Seabird returned to England, and two

months later Mrs. Grantham had the satisfaction of being present

at the ceremony which was the successful consummation of her little

scheme in inviting Minnie Graham to be her companion on board the

Seabird.

"Well, my dear," her husband said, when she indulged in a little

natural triumph, "I do not say that it has not turned out well,

and I am heartily glad for both Tom and Minnie's sake it has so;

but you must allow that it very nearly had a disastrous ending, and

I think if I were you I should leave matters to take their natural

course in future. I have accepted Tom's invitation for the same party

to take a cruise in the Seabird next summer, but I have bargained

that next time a storm is brewing up we shall stop quietly in port."

"That's all very well, James," Mrs. Grantham said saucily; "but

you must remember that Tom Virtue will only be first mate of the

Seabird in future."

"That I shall be able to tell you better, my dear, after our next

cruise. All husbands are not as docile and easily led as I am."

A PIPE OF MYSTERY

A jovial party were gathered round a blazing fire in an old grange

near Warwick. The hour was getting late; the very little ones had,

after dancing round the Christmas tree, enjoying the snapdragon,

and playing a variety of games, gone off to bed; and the elder

boys and girls now gathered round their uncle, Colonel Harley, and

asked him for a story--above all, a ghost story.

"But I have never seen any ghosts," the colonel said, laughing;

"and, moreover, I don't believe in them one bit. I have traveled

pretty well all over the world, I have slept in houses said to be

haunted, but nothing have I seen--no noises that could not be

accounted for by rats or the wind have I ever heard. I have never

"--and here he paused--"never but once met with any circumstances

or occurrence that could not be accounted for by the light of

reason, and I know you prefer hearing stories of my own adventures

to mere invention."

"Yes, uncle. But what was the 'once' when circumstances happened

that you could not explain?"

"It's rather a long story," the colonel said, "and it's getting

late."

"Oh! no, no, uncle; it does not matter a bit how late we sit up

on Christmas Eve, and the longer the story is, the better; and if

you don't believe in ghosts how can it be a story of something you

could not account for by the light of nature?"

"You will see when I have done," the colonel said. "It is rather

a story of what the Scotch call second sight, than one of ghosts.

As to accounting for it, you shall form your own opinion when you

have heard me to the end.

"I landed in India in '50, and after going through the regular

drill work marched with a detachment up country to join my regiment,

which was stationed at Jubbalpore, in the very heart of India.

It has become an important place since; the railroad across India

passes through it and no end of changes have taken place; but at

that time it was one of the most out of the way stations in India,

and, I may say, one of the most pleasant. It lay high, there was

capital boating on the Nerbudda, and, above all, it was a grand

place for sport, for it lay at the foot of the hill country, an

immense district, then but little known, covered with forests and

jungle, and abounding with big game of all kinds.

"My great friend there was a man named Simmonds. He was just of

my own standing; we had come out in the same ship, had marched up

the country together, and were almost like brothers. He was an old

Etonian, I an old Westminster, and we were both fond of boating,

and, indeed, of sport of all kinds. But I am not going to tell you

of that now. The people in these hills are called Gonds, a true

hill tribe--that is to say, aborigines, somewhat of the negro

type. The chiefs are of mixed blood, but the people are almost

black. They are supposed to accept the religion of the Hindus, but

are in reality deplorably ignorant and superstitious. Their priests

are a sort of compound of a Brahmin priest and a negro fetish man,

and among their principal duties is that of charming away tigers

from the villages by means of incantations. There, as in other

parts of India, were a few wandering fakirs, who enjoyed an immense

reputation for holiness and wisdom. The people would go to them

from great distances for charms or predictions, and believed in

their power with implicit faith.

"At the time when we were at Jubbalpore there was one of these

fellows whose reputation altogether eclipsed that of his rivals,

and nothing could be done until his permission had been asked and

his blessing obtained. All sorts of marvelous stories were constantly

coming to our ears of the unerring foresight with which he predicted

the termination of diseases, both in men and animals; and so

generally was he believed in that the colonel ordered that no one

connected with the regiment should consult him, for these predictions

very frequently brought about their own fulfillment; for those who

were told that an illness would terminate fatally, lost all hope,

and literally lay down to die.

"However, many of the stories that we heard could not be explained

on these grounds, and the fakir and his doings were often talked

over at mess, some of the officers scoffing at the whole business,

others maintaining that some of these fakirs had, in some way

or another, the power of foretelling the future, citing many well

authenticated anecdotes upon the subject.

"The older officers were the believers, we young fellows were the

scoffers. But for the well known fact that it is very seldom indeed

that these fakirs will utter any of their predictions to Europeans,

some of us would have gone to him to test his powers. As it was,

none of us had ever seen him.

"He lived in an old ruined temple, in the middle of a large patch

of jungle at the foot of the hills, some ten or twelve miles away.

"I had been at Jubbalpore about a year, when I was woke up one

night by a native, who came in to say that at about eight o'clock

a tiger had killed a man in his village, and had dragged off the

body.

"Simmonds and I were constantly out after tigers, and the people

in all the villages within twenty miles knew that we were always

ready to pay for early information. This tiger had been doing great

damage, and had carried off about thirty men, women, and children.

So great was the fear of him, indeed, that the people in the

neighborhood he frequented scarcely dared stir out of doors, except

in parties of five or six. We had had several hunts after him, but,

like all man eaters, he was old and awfully crafty; and although

we got several snap shots at him, he had always managed to save

his skin.

"In a quarter of an hour after the receipt of the message Charley

Simmonds and I were on the back of an elephant which was our joint

property; our shikaree, a capital fellow, was on foot beside us,

and with the native trotting on ahead as guide we went off at the

best pace of old Begaum, for that was the elephant's name. The village

was fifteen miles away, but we got there soon after daybreak, and

were received with delight by the population. In half an hour the

hunt was organized; all the male population turned out as beaters,

with sticks, guns, tom-toms, and other instruments for making a

noise.

"The trail was not difficult to find. A broad path, with occasional

smears of blood, showed where be had dragged his victim through

the long grass to a cluster of trees a couple of hundred yards from

the village.

"We scarcely expected to find him there, but the villagers held

back, while we went forward with cocked rifles. We found, however,

nothing but a few bones and a quantity of blood. The tiger had made

off at the approach of daylight into the jungle, which was about

two miles distant. We traced him easily enough, and found that he

had entered a large ravine, from which several smaller ones branched

off.

"It was an awkward place, as it was next to impossible to surround

it with the number of people at our command. We posted them at last

all along the upper ground, and told them to make up in noise what

they wanted in numbers. At last all was ready, and we gave the

signal. However, I am not telling you a hunting story, and need only

say that we could neither find nor disturb him. In vain we pushed

Begaum through the thickest of the jungle which clothed the sides and

bottom of the ravine, while the men shouted, beat their tom-toms,

and showered imprecations against the tiger himself and his ancestors

up to the remotest generations.

"The day was tremendously hot, and, after three hours' march, we

gave it up for a time, and lay down in the shade, while the shikarees

made a long examination of the ground all round the hillside, to

be sure that he had not left the ravine. They came back with the

news that no traces could be discovered, and that, beyond a doubt,

he was still there. A tiger will crouch up in an exceedingly small

clump of grass or bush, and will sometimes almost allow himself

to be trodden on before moving. However, we determined to have one

more search, and if that should prove unsuccessful, to send off

to Jubbalpore for some more of the men to come out with elephants,

while we kept up a circle of fires, and of noises of all descriptions,

so as to keep him a prisoner until the arrival of the reinforcements.

Our next search was no more successful than our first had been; and

having, as we imagined, examined every clump and crevice in which

he could have been concealed, we had just reached the upper end of

the ravine, when we heard a tremendous roar, followed by a perfect

babel of yells and screams from the natives.

"The outburst came from the mouth of the ravine, and we felt at once

that he had escaped. We hurried back to find, as we had expected,

that the tiger was gone. He had burst out suddenly from his hiding

place, had seized a native, torn him horribly, and had made across

the open plain.

"This was terribly provoking, but we had nothing to do but follow

him. This was easy enough, and we traced him to a detached patch

of wood and jungle, two miles distant. This wood was four or five

hundred yards across, and the exclamations of the people at once

told us that it was the one in which stood the ruined temple of

the fakir of whom I have been telling you. I forgot to say that as

the tiger broke out one of the village shikarees had fired at and,

he declared, wounded him.

"It was already getting late in the afternoon, and it was hopeless

to attempt to beat the jungle that night. We therefore sent off

a runner with a note to the colonel, asking him to send the work

elephants, and to allow a party of volunteers to march over at

night, to help surround the jungle when we commenced beating it in

the morning.

"We based our request upon the fact that the tiger was a notorious

man eater, and had been doing immense damage. We then had a talk

with our shikaree, sent a man off to bring provisions for the

people out with us, and then set them to work cutting dry sticks

and grass to make a circle of fires.

"We both felt much uneasiness respecting the fakir, who might be

seized at any moment by the enraged tiger. The natives would not

allow that there was any cause for fear, as the tiger would not

dare to touch so holy a man. Our belief in the respect of the tiger

for sanctity was by no means strong, and we determined to go in

and warn him of the presence of the brute in the wood. It was a

mission which we could not intrust to anyone else, for no native

would have entered the jungle for untold gold; so we mounted the

Begaum again, and started. The path leading towards the temple

was pretty wide, and as we went along almost noiselessly, for the

elephant was too well trained to tread upon fallen sticks, it was

just possible we might come upon the tiger suddenly, so we kept

our rifles in readiness in our hands.

"Presently we came in sight of the ruins. No one was at first visible;

but at that very moment the fakir came out from the temple. He

could not see or hear us, for we were rather behind him and still

among the trees, but at once proceeded in a high voice to break

into a singsong prayer. He had not said two words before his voice

was drowned in a terrific roar, and in an instant the tiger had

sprung upon him, struck him to the ground, seized him as a cat would

a mouse, and started off with him at a trot. The brute evidently

had not detected our presence, for he came right towards us. We

halted the Begaum, and, with our fingers on the triggers, awaited

the favorable moment. He was a hundred yards from us when he struck

down his victim; he was not more than fifty when he caught sight

of us. He stopped for an instant in surprise. Charley muttered,

'Both barrels, Harley,' and as the beast turned to plunge into the

jungle, and so showed us his side, we sent four bullets crashing

into him, and he rolled over lifeless.

"We went up to the spot, made the Begaum give him a kick, to be

sure that he was dead, and then got down to examine the unfortunate

fakir. The tiger had seized him by the shoulder, which was terribly

torn, and the bone broken. He was still perfectly conscious.

"We at once fired three shots, our usual signal that the tiger was

dead, and in a few minutes were surrounded by the villagers, who

hardly knew whether to be delighted at the death of their enemy,

or to grieve over the injury to the fakir. We proposed taking the

latter to our hospital at Jubbalpore, but this he positively refused

to listen to. However, we finally persuaded him to allow his arm to

be set and the wounds dressed in the first place by our regimental

surgeon, after which he could go to one of the native villages and

have his arm dressed in accordance with his own notions. A litter

was soon improvised, and away we went to Jubbalpore, which we

reached about eight in the evening.

"The fakir refused to enter the hospital, so we brought out a

couple of trestles, laid the litter upon them, and the surgeon set

his arm and dressed his wounds by torchlight, when he was lifted

into a dhoolie, and his bearers again prepared to start for the

village.

"Hitherto he had only spoken a few words; but he now briefly

expressed his deep gratitude to Simmonds and myself. We told him

that we would ride over to see him shortly, and hoped to find him

getting on rapidly. Another minute and he was gone.

"It happened that we had three or four fellows away on leave or on

staff duty, and several others laid up with fever just about this

time, so that the duty fell very heavily upon the rest of us, and

it was over a month before we had time to ride over to see the

fakir.

"We had heard he was going on well; but we were surprised, on

reaching the village, to find that he had already returned to his

old abode in the jungle. However, we had made up our minds to see

him, especially as we had agreed that we would endeavor to persuade

him to do a prediction for us; so we turned our horses' heads

towards the jungle. We found the fakir sitting on a rock in front

of the temple, just where he had been seized by the tiger. He rose

as we rode up.

"'I knew that you would come today, sahibs, and was joyful in the

thought of seeing those who have preserved my life.'

"'We are glad to see you looking pretty strong again, though your

arm is still in a sling,' I said, for Simmonds was not strong in

Hindustani.

"'How did you know that we were coming?' I asked, when we had tied

up our horses.

"'Siva has given to his servant to know many things,' he said

quietly.

"'Did you know beforehand that the tiger was going to seize you?'

I asked.

"'I knew that a great danger threatened, and that Siva would not

let me die before my time had come.'

"'Could you see into our future?' I asked.

"The fakir hesitated, looked at me for a moment earnestly to see

if I was speaking in mockery, and then said:

"'The sahibs do not believe in the power of Siva or of his servants..

They call his messengers imposters, and scoff at them when they

speak of the events of the future.'

"'No indeed,' I said. 'My friend and I have no idea of scoffing.

We have heard of so many of your predictions coming true, that we

are really anxious that you should tell us something of the future.'

"The fakir nodded his head, went into the temple, and returned in

a minute or two with two small pipes used by the natives for opium

smoking, and a brazier of burning charcoal. The pipes were already

charged. He made signs to us to sit down, and took his place in

front of us. Then he began singing in a low voice, rocking himself

to and fro, and waving a staff which he held in his hand. Gradually

his voice rose, and his gesticulations and actions became more

violent. So far as I could make out, it was a prayer to Siva that

he would give some glimpse of the future which might benefit the

sahibs who had saved the life of his servant. Presently he darted

forward, gave us each a pipe, took two pieces of red hot charcoal

from the brazier in his fingers, without seeming to know that they

were warm, and placed them in the pipes; then he recommenced his

singing and gesticulations.

"A glance at Charley, to see if, like myself, he was ready to carry

the thing through, and then I put the pipe to my lips. I felt at

once that it was opium, of which I had before made experiment, but

mixed with some other substance, which was, I imagine, hasheesh, a

preparation of hemp. A few puffs, and I felt a drowsiness creeping

over me. I saw, as through a mist, the fakir swaying himself

backwards and forwards, his arms waving and his face distorted.

Another minute, and the pipe slipped from my fingers, and I fell

back insensible.

"How long I lay there I do not know. I woke with a strange and

not unpleasant sensation, and presently became conscious that the

fakir was gently pressing, with a sort of shampooing action, my

temples and head. When he saw that I opened my eyes he left me, and

performed the same process upon Charley. In a few minutes he rose

from his stooping position, waved his hand in token of adieu, and

walked slowly back into the temple.

"As he disappeared I sat up; Charley did the same.

"We stared at each other for a minute without speaking, and then

Charley said:

"'This is a rum go, and no mistake, old man.'

"'You're right, Charley. My opinion is, we've made fools of ourselves.

Let's be off out of this.'

"We staggered to our feet, for we both felt like drunken men, made

our way to our horses, poured a mussuk of water over our heads,

took a drink of brandy from our flasks, and then, feeling more like

ourselves, mounted and rode out of the jungle.

"'Well, Harley, if the glimpse of futurity which I had is true,

all I can say is that it was extremely unpleasant.'

"'That was just my case, Charley.'

"'My dream, or whatever you like to call it, was about a mutiny of

the men.'

"'You don't say so, Charley; so was mine. This is monstrously

strange, to say the least of it. However, you tell your story first,

and then I will tell mine.'

"'It was very short,' Charley said. 'We were at mess--not in our

present mess room--we were dining with the fellows of some other

regiment. Suddenly, without any warning, the windows were filled

with a crowd of Sepoys, who opened fire right and left into us. Half

the fellows were shot down at once; the rest of us made a rush to

our swords just as the niggers came swarming into the room. There

was a desperate fight for a moment. I remember that Subadar Piran

--one of the best native officers in the regiment, by the way--

made a rush at me, and I shot him through the head with a revolver.

At the same moment a ball hit me, and down I went. At the moment a

Sepoy fell dead across me, hiding me partly from sight. The fight

lasted a minute or two longer. I fancy a few fellows escaped, for

I heard shots outside. Then the place became quiet. In another

minute I heard a crackling, and saw that the devils had set the

mess room on fire. One of our men, who was lying close by me, got

up and crawled to the window, but he was shot down the moment he

showed himself. I was hesitating whether to do the same or to lie

still and be smothered, when suddenly I rolled the dead Sepoy off,

crawled into the anteroom half suffocated by smoke, raised the

lid of a very heavy trapdoor, and stumbled down some steps into a

place, half storehouse half cellar, under the mess room. How I knew

about it being there I don't know. The trap closed over my head

with a bang. That is all I remember.'

"'Well, Charley, curiously enough my dream was also about

an extraordinary escape from danger, lasting, like yours, only a

minute or two. The first thing I remember--there seems to have

been some thing before, but what, I don't know--I was on horseback,

holding a very pretty but awfully pale girl in front of me. We were

pursued by a whole troop of Sepoy cavalry, who were firing pistol

shots at us. We were not more than seventy or eighty yards in front,

and they were gaining fast, just as I rode into a large deserted

temple. In the center was a huge stone figure. I jumped off my

horse with the lady, and as I did so she said, 'blow out my brains,

Edward; don't let me fall into their hands.'

"Instead of answering, I hurried her round behind the idol, pushed

against one of the leaves of a flower in the carving, and the stone

swung back, and showed a hole just large enough to get through,

with a stone staircase inside the body of the idol, made, no doubt,

for the priest to go up and give responses through the mouth. I

hurried the girl through, crept in after her, and closed the stone,

just as our pursuers came clattering into the courtyard. That is

all I remember.'

"'Well, it is monstrously rum,' Charley said after a pause. 'Did

you understand what the old fellow was singing about before he gave

us the pipes?'

"'Yes; I caught the general drift. It was an entreaty to Siva to

give us some glimpse of futurity which might benefit us.'

"We lit our cheroots and rode for some miles at a brisk canter

without remark. When we were within a short distance of home we

reined up.

"'I feel ever so much better,' Charley said. 'We have got that

opium out of our heads now. How do you account for it all, Harley?'

"'I account for it in this way, Charley. The opium naturally had

the effect of making us both dream, and as we took similar doses

of the same mixture, under similar circumstances, it is scarcely

extraordinary that it should have effected the same portion of the

brain, and caused a certain similarity in our dreams. In all nightmares

something terrible happens, or is on the point of happening; and so

it was here. Not unnaturally in both our cases our thoughts turned

to soldiers. If you remember, there was a talk at mess some little

time since as to what would happen in the extremely unlikely event

of the Sepoys mutinying in a body. I have no doubt that was the

foundation of both our dreams. It is all natural enough when we

come to think it over calmly. I think, by the way, we had better

agree to say nothing at all about it in the regiment.'

"' I should think not,' Charley said. 'We should never hear the

end of it; they would chaff us out of our lives.'

"We kept our secret, and came at last to laugh over it heartily

when we were together. Then the subject dropped, and by the end of

a year had as much escaped our minds as any other dream would have

done. Three months after the affair the regiment was ordered down

to Allahabad, and the change of place no doubt helped to erase all

memory of the dream. Four years after we had left Jubbalpore we

went to Beerapore. The time is very marked in my memory, because,

the very week we arrived there, your aunt, then Miss Gardiner,

came out from England, to her father, our colonel. The instant I

saw her I was impressed with the idea that I knew her intimately.

I recollected her face, her figure, and the very tone of her voice,

but wherever I had met her I could not conceive. Upon the occasion

of my first introduction to her I could not help telling her that

I was convinced that we had met, and asking her if she did not

remember it. No, she did not remember, but very likely she might

have done so, and she suggested the names of several people at whose

houses we might have met. I did not know any of them. Presently

she asked how long I had been out in India?

"'Six years,' I said.

"'And how old, Mr. Harley,' she said, 'do you take me to be?'

"I saw in one instant my stupidity, and was stammering out an

apology, when she went on:

"'I am very little over eighteen, Mr. Harley, although I evidently

look ever so many years older; but papa can certify to my age; so

I was only twelve when you left England.'

"I tried in vain to clear matters up. Your aunt would insist that

I took her to be forty, and the fun that my blunder made rather

drew us together, and gave me a start over the other fellows at

the station, half of whom fell straightway in love with her. Some

months went on, and when the mutiny broke out we were engaged to

be married. It is a proof of how completely the opium dreams had

passed out of the minds of both Simmonds and myself, that even

when rumors of general disaffection among the Sepoys began to be

current, they never once recurred to us; and even when the news

of the actual mutiny reached us we were just as confident as were

the others of the fidelity of our own regiment. It was the old

story, foolish confidence and black treachery. As at very many other

stations, the mutiny broke out when we were at mess. Our regiment

was dining with the 34th Bengalees. Suddenly, just as dinner was

over, the window was opened, and a tremendous fire poured in. Four

or five men fell dead at once, and the poor colonel, who was next

to me, was shot right through the head. Everyone rushed to his sword

and drew his pistol--for we had been ordered to carry pistols as

part of our uniform. I was next to Charley Simmonds as the Sepoys

of both regiments, headed by Subadar Piran, poured in at the windows.

"'I have it now,' Charley said; 'it is the scene I dreamed.'

"As he spoke he fired his revolver at the subadar, who fell dead

in his tracks.

"A Sepoy close by leveled his musket and fired. Charley fell, and

the fellow rushed forward to bayonet him. As he did so I sent a

bullet through his head, and he fell across Charley. It was a wild

fight for a minute or two, and then a few of us made a sudden rush

together, cut our way through the mutineers, and darted through an

open window on to the parade. There were shouts, shots, and screams

from the officers' bungalows, and in several places flames were

already rising. What became of the other men I knew not; I made as

hard as I could tear for the colonel's bungalow. Suddenly I came

upon a sowar sitting on his horse watching the rising flames. Before

he saw me I was on him, and ran him through. I leapt on his horse

and galloped down to Gardiner's compound. I saw lots of Sepoys in

and around the bungalow, all engaged in looting. I dashed into the

compound.

"'May! May!' I shouted. 'Where are you?'

"I had scarcely spoken before a dark figure rushed out of a clump

of bushes close by with a scream of delight.

"In an instant she was on the horse before me, and, shooting down

a couple of fellows who made a rush at my reins, I dashed out again.

Stray shots were fired after us. But fortunately the Sepoys were

all busy looting, most of them had laid down their muskets, and

no one really took up the pursuit. I turned off from the parade

ground, dashed down between the hedges of two compounds, and in

another minute we were in the open country.

"Fortunately, the cavalry were all down looting their own lines,

or we must have been overtaken at once. May happily had fainted as

I lifted her on to my horse--happily, because the fearful screams

that we heard from the various bungalows almost drove me mad, and

would probably have killed her, for the poor ladies were all her

intimate friends.

"I rode on for some hours, till I felt quite safe from any immediate

pursuit, and then we halted in the shelter of a clump of trees.

"By this time I had heard May's story. She had felt uneasy at being

alone, but had laughed at herself for being so, until upon her

speaking to one of the servants he had answered in a tone of gross

insolence, which had astonished her. She at once guessed that there

was danger, and the moment that she was alone caught up a large,

dark carriage rug, wrapped it round her so as to conceal her white

dress, and stole out into the veranda. The night was dark, and

scarcely had she left the house than she heard a burst of firing

across at the mess house. She at once ran in among the bushes and

crouched there, as she heard the rush of men into the room she had

just left. She heard them searching for her, but they were looking

for a white dress, and her dark rug saved her. What she must have

suffered in the five minutes between the firing of the first shots

and my arrival, she only knows. May had spoken but very little

since we started. I believe that she was certain that her father

was dead, although I had given an evasive answer when she asked me;

and her terrible sense of loss, added to the horror of that time

of suspense in the garden, had completely stunned her. We waited

in the tope until the afternoon, and then set out again.

"We had gone but a short distance when we saw a body of the rebel

cavalry in pursuit. They had no doubt been scouring the country

generally, and the discovery was accidental. For a short time we

kept away from them, but this could not be for long, as our horse

was carrying double. I made for a sort of ruin I saw at the foot of

a hill half a mile away. I did so with no idea of the possibility

of concealment. My intention was simply to get my back to a rock

and to sell my life as dearly as I could, keeping the last two

barrels of the revolver for ourselves. Certainly no remembrance

of my dream influenced me in any way, and in the wild whirl of

excitement I had not given a second thought to Charley Simmonds'

exclamation. As we rode up to the ruins only a hundred yards ahead

of us, May said:

"'Blow out my brains, Edward; don't let me fall alive into their

hands.'

"A shock of remembrance shot across me. The chase, her pale face,

the words, the temple--all my dream rushed into my mind.

"'We are saved,' I cried, to her amazement, as we rode into the

courtyard, in whose center a great figure was sitting.

"I leapt from the horse, snatched the mussuk of water from the

saddle, and then hurried May round the idol, between which and the

rock behind there was but just room to get along.

"Not a doubt entered my mind but that I should find the spring as

I had dreamed. Sure enough there was the carving, fresh upon my

memory as if I had seen it but the day before. I placed my hand on

the leaflet without hesitation, a solid stone moved back, I hurried

my amazed companion in, and shut to the stone. I found, and shot to

a massive bolt, evidently placed to prevent the door being opened

by accident or design when anyone was in the idol.

"At first it seemed quite dark, but a faint light streamed in from

above; we made our way up the stairs, and found that the light came

through a number of small holes pierced in the upper part of the

head, and through still smaller holes lower down, not much larger

than a good sized knitting needle could pass through. These holes,

we afterwards found, were in the ornaments round the idol's neck.

The holes enlarged inside, and enabled us to have a view all round.

"The mutineers were furious at our disappearance, and for hours

searched about. Then, saying that we must be hidden somewhere, and

that they would wait till we came out, they proceeded to bivouac

in the courtyard of the temple.

"We passed four terrible days, but on the morning of the fifth a

scout came in to tell the rebels that a column of British troops

marching on Delhi would pass close by the temple. They therefore

hastily mounted and galloped off.

"Three quarters of an hour later we were safe among our own people. A

fortnight afterwards your aunt and I were married. It was no time

for ceremony then; there were no means of sending her away; no

place where she could have waited until the time for her mourning

for her father was over. So we were married quietly by one of the

chaplains of the troops, and, as your storybooks say, have lived

very happily ever after."

"And how about Mr. Simmonds, uncle? Did he get safe off too?"

"Yes, his dream came as vividly to his mind as mine had done. He

crawled to the place where he knew the trapdoor would be, and got

into the cellar. Fortunately for him there were plenty of eatables

there, and he lived there in concealment for a fortnight. After

that he crawled out, and found the mutineers had marched for Delhi.

He went through a lot, but at last joined us before that city. We

often talked over our dreams together, and there was no question

that we owed our lives to them. Even then we did not talk much to

other people about them, for there would have been a lot of talk,

and inquiry, and questions, and you know fellows hate that sort of

thing. So we held our tongues. Poor Charley's silence was sealed

a year later at Lucknow, for on the advance with Lord Clyde he was

killed.

"And now, boys and girls, you must run off to bed. Five minutes

more and it will be Christmas Day.

"So you see, Frank, that although I don't believe in ghosts, I have

yet met with a circumstance which I cannot account for."

"It is very curious anyhow, uncle, and beats ghost stories into

fits."

"I like it better, certainly," one of the girls said, "for we can

go to bed without being afraid of dreaming about it."

"Well, you must not talk any more now. Off to bed, off to bed,"

Colonel Harley said, "or I shall get into terrible disgrace with

your fathers and mothers, who have been looking very gravely at me

for the last three quarters of an hour."

WHITE FACED DICK: A STORY OF PINE TREE GULCH

How Pine Tree Gulch got its name no one knew, for in the early

days every ravine and hillside was thickly covered with pines. It

may be that a tree of exceptional size caught the eye of the first

explorer, that he camped under it, and named the place in its

honor; or, maybe, some fallen giant lay in the bottom and hindered

the work of the first prospectors. At any rate, Pine Tree Gulch

it was, and the name was as good as any other. The pine trees were

gone now. Cut up for firing, or for the erection of huts, or the

construction of sluices, but the hillside was ragged with their

stumps.

The principal camp was at the mouth of the Gulch, where the little

stream, which scarce afforded water sufficient for the cradles in

the dry season, but which was a rushing torrent in winter, joined

the Yuba. The best ground was at the junction of the streams, and

lay, indeed, in the Yuba Valley rather than in the Gulch. At first

most gold had been found higher up, but there was here comparatively

little depth down to the bedrock, and as the ground became exhausted

the miners moved down towards the mouth of the Gulch. They were

doing well, as a whole, how well no one knew, for miners are chary

of giving information as to what they are making; still, it was

certain they were doing well, for the bars were doing a roaring

trade, and the storekeepers never refused credit--a proof in

itself that the prospects were good.

The flat at the mouth of the Gulch was a busy scene, every foot was

good paying stuff, for in the eddy, where the torrents in winter

rushed down into the Yuba, the gold had settled down and lay thick

among the gravel. But most of the parties were sinking, and it was

a long way down to the bedrock; for the hills on both sides sloped

steeply, and the Yuba must here at one time have rushed through a

narrow gorge, until, in some wild freak, it brought down millions

of tons of gravel, and resumed its course seventy feet above its

former level.

A quarter of a mile higher up a ledge of rock ran across the

valley, and over it in the old time the Yuba had poured in a cascade

seventy feet deep into the ravine. But the rock now was level with

the gravel, only showing its jagged points here and there above

it. This ledge had been invaluable to the diggers: without it they

could only have sunk their shafts with the greatest difficulty,

for the gravel would have been full of water, and even with the

greatest pains in puddling and timber work the pumps would scarcely

have sufficed to keep it down as it rose in the bottom of the

shafts. But the miners had made common cause together, and giving

each so many ounces of gold or so many days' work had erected a

dam thirty feet high along the ledge of rock, and had cut a channel

for the Yuba along the lower slopes of the valley. Of course, when

the rain set in, as everybody knew, the dam would go, and the river

diggings must be abandoned till the water subsided and a fresh dam

was made; but there were two months before them yet, and everyone

hoped to be down to the bedrock before the water interrupted their

work.

The hillside, both in the Yuba Valley and for some distance along

Pine Tree Gulch, was dotted by shanties and tents; the former

constructed for the most part of logs roughly squared, the walls

being some three feet in height, on which the sharp sloping roof

was placed, thatched in the first place with boughs, and made all

snug, perhaps, with an old sail stretched over all. The camp was

quiet enough during the day. The few women were away with their

washing at the pools, a quarter of a mile up the Gulch, and the

only persons to be seen about were the men told off for cooking

for their respective parties.

But in the evening the camp was lively. Groups of men in red shirts

and corded trousers tied at the knee, in high boots, sat round

blazing fires, and talked of their prospects or discussed the news

of the luck at other camps. The sound of music came from two or

three plank erections which rose conspicuously above the huts of

the diggers, and were bright externally with the glories of white

and colored paints. To and from these men were always sauntering,

and it needed not the clink of glasses and the sound of music to

tell that they were the bars of the camp.

Here, standing at the counter, or seated at numerous small tables,

men were drinking villainous liquor, smoking and talking, and paying

but scant attention to the strains of the fiddle or the accordion,

save when some well known air was played, when all would join in

a boisterous chorus. Some were always passing in or out of a door

which led into a room behind. Here there was comparative quiet,

for men were gambling, and gambling high.

Going backwards and forwards with liquors into the gambling room of

the Imperial Saloon, which stood just where Pine Tree Gulch opened

into Yuba Valley, was a lad, whose appearance had earned for him

the name of White Faced Dick.

White Faced Dick was not one of those who had done well at Pine

Tree Gulch; he had come across the plains with his father, who had

died when halfway over, and Dick had been thrown on the world to

shift for himself. Nature had not intended him for the work, for

he was a delicate, timid lad; what spirits he originally had having

been years before beaten out of him by a brutal father. So far,

indeed, Dick was the better rather than the worse for the event

which had left him an orphan.

They had been traveling with a large party for mutual security

against Indians and Mormons, and so long as the journey lasted Dick

had got on fairly well. He was always ready to do odd jobs, and as

the draught cattle were growing weaker and weaker, and every pound

of weight was of importance, no one grudged him his rations in

return for his services; but when the company began to descend the

slopes of the Sierra Nevada they began to break up, going off by

twos and threes to the diggings of which they heard such glowing

accounts. Some, however, kept straight on to Sacramento, determining

there to obtain news as to the doings at all the different places,

and then to choose that which seemed to them to offer the surest

prospects of success.

Dick proceeded with them to the town, and there found himself

alone. His companions were absorbed in the busy rush of population,

and each had so much to provide and arrange for, that none gave a

thought to the solitary boy. However, at that time no one who had

a pair of hands, however feeble, to work need starve in Sacramento,

and for some weeks Dick hung around the town doing odd jobs, and

then having saved a few dollars, determined to try his luck at the

diggings, and started on foot with a shovel on his shoulders and

a few days' provisions slung across it.

Arrived at his destination, the lad soon discovered that gold digging

was hard work for brawny and seasoned men, and after a few feeble

attempts in spots abandoned as worthless he gave up the effort,

and again began to drift; and even in Pine Tree Gulch it was not

difficult to get a living. At first he tried rocking cradles, but

the work was far harder than it appeared. He was standing ankle

deep in water from morning till night, and his cheeks grew paler,

and his strength, instead of increasing, seemed to fade away. Still,

there were jobs within his strength. He could keep a fire alight

and watch a cooking pot, he could carry up buckets of water or wash

a flannel shirt, and so he struggled on, until at last some kind

hearted man suggested to him that he should try to get a place at

the new saloon which was about to be opened.

"You are not fit for this work, young 'un, and you ought to be

at home with your mother; if you like I will go up with you this

evening to Jeffries. I knew him down on the flats, and I dare say

he will take you on. I don't say as a saloon is a good place for a

boy, still you will always get your bellyful of victuals and a dry

place to sleep in, if it's only under a table. What do you say?"

Dick thankfully accepted the offer, and on Red George's recommendation

was that evening engaged. His work was not hard now, for till the

miners knocked off there was little doing in the saloon; a few men

would come in for a drink at dinnertime, but it was not until the

lamps were lit that business began in earnest, and then for four

or five hours Dick was busy.

A rougher or healthier lad would not have minded the work, but

to Dick it was torture; every nerve in his body thrilled whenever

rough miners cursed him for not carrying out their orders more

quickly, or for bringing them the wrong liquors, which, as his brain

was in a whirl with the noise, the shouting, and the multiplicity

of orders, happened frequently. He might have fared worse had not

Red George always stood his friend, and Red George was an authority

in Pine Tree Gulch--powerful in frame, reckless in bearing and

temper, he had been in a score of fights and had come off them,

if not unscathed, at least victorious. He was notoriously a lucky

digger, but his earnings went as fast as they were made, and he was

always ready to open his belt and give a bountiful pinch of dust

to any mate down on his luck.

One evening Dick was more helpless and confused than usual. The

saloon was full, and he had been shouted at and badgered and cursed

until he scarcely knew what he was doing. High play was going on

in the saloon, and a good many men were clustered round the table,

Red George was having a run of luck, and there was a big pile

of gold dust on the table before him. One of the gamblers who was

losing had ordered old rye, and instead of bringing it to him, Dick

brought a tumbler of hot liquor which someone else had called for.

With an oath the man took it up and threw it in his face.

"You cowardly hound!" Red George exclaimed. "Are you man enough to

do that to a man?"

"You bet," the gambler, who was a new arrival at Pine Tree Gulch,

replied; and picking up an empty glass, he hurled it at Red George.

The bystanders sprang aside, and in a moment the two men were

facing each other with outstretched pistols. The two reports rung

out simultaneously: Red George sat down unconcernedly with a streak

of blood flowing down his face, where the bullet had cut a furrow

in his cheek; the stranger fell back with a bullet hole in the

center of his forehead.

The body was carried outside, and the play continued as if no interruption

had taken place. They were accustomed to such occurrences in Pine

Tree Gulch, and the piece of ground at the top of the hill, that

had been set aside as a burial place, was already dotted thickly

with graves, filled in almost every instance by men who had died,

in the local phraseology, "with their boots on."

Neither then nor afterwards did Red George allude to the subject

to Dick, whose life after this signal instance of his championship

was easier than it had hitherto been, for there were few in Pine

Tree Gulch who cared to excite Red George's anger; and strangers

going to the place were sure to receive a friendly warning that it

was best for their health to keep their tempers over any shortcomings

on the part of White Faced Dick.

Grateful as he was for Red George's interference on his behalf,

Dick felt the circumstance which had ensued more than anyone else

in the camp. With others it was the subject of five minutes' talk,

but Dick could not get out of his head the thought of the dead man's

face as he fell back. He had seen many such frays before, but he

was too full of his own troubles for them to make much impression

upon him. But in the present case he felt as if he himself was

responsible for the death of the gambler; if he had not blundered

this would not have happened.

He wondered whether the dead man had a wife and children, and, if

so, were they expecting his return? Would they ever hear where he

had died, and how?

But this feeling, which, tired out as he was when the time came

for closing the bar, often prevented him from sleeping for hours,

in no way lessened his gratitude and devotion towards Red George,

and he felt that he could die willingly if his life would benefit

his champion. Sometimes he thought, too, that his life would not

be much to give, for, in spite of shelter and food, the cough which

he had caught while working in the water still clung to him, and

as his employer said to him angrily one day:

"Your victuals don't do you no good, Dick; you get thinner and

thinner, and folks will think as I starve you. Darned if you aint

a disgrace to the establishment."

The wind was whistling down the gorges, and the clouds hung among

the pine woods which still clothed the upper slopes of the hills, and

the diggers, as they turned out one morning, looked up apprehensively.

"But it could not be," they assured each other. Everyone knew that

the rains were not due for another month yet; it could only be a

passing shower if it rained at all.

But as the morning went on, men came in from camps higher up

the river, and reports were current that it had been raining for

the last two days among the upper hills; while those who took the

trouble to walk across to the new channel could see for themselves

at noon that it was filled very nigh to the brim, the water rushing

along with thick and turbid current. But those who repeated the

rumors, or who reported that the channel was full, were summarily

put down. Men would not believe that such a calamity as a flood

and the destruction of all their season's work could be impending.

There had been some showers, no doubt, as there had often been before,

but it was ridiculous to talk of anything like rain a month before

its time. Still, in spite of these assertions, there was uneasiness

at Pine Tree Gulch, and men looked at the driving clouds above

and shook their heads before they went down to the shafts to work

after dinner.

When the last customer had left and the bar was closed, Dick had

nothing to do till evening, and he wandered outside and sat down

on a stump, at first looking at the work going on in the valley,

then so absorbed in his own thoughts that he noticed nothing, not

even the driving mist which presently set in. He was calculating

that he had, with his savings from his wages and what had been

given him by the miners, laid by eighty dollars. When he got another

hundred and twenty he would go; he would make his way down to San

Francisco, and then by ship to Panama and up to New York, and then

west again to the village where he was born. There would be people

there who would know him, and who would give him work for his mother's

sake. He did not care what it was; anything would be better than

this. Then his thoughts came back to Pine Tree Gulch, and he started

to his feet. Could he be mistaken? Were his eyes deceiving him?

No; among the stones and boulders of the old bed of the Yuba there

was the gleam of water, and even as he watched it he could see it

widening out. He started to run down the hill to give the alarm,

but before he was halfway he paused, for there were loud shouts,

and a scene of bustle and confusion instantly arose.

The cradles were deserted, and the men working on the surface

loaded themselves with their tools and made for the high ground,

while those at the windlasses worked their hardest to draw up their

comrades below. A man coming down from above stopped close to Dick,

with a low cry, and stood gazing with a white scared face. Dick

had worked with him; he was one of the company to which Red George

belonged.

"What is it, Saunders?"

"My God! they are lost!" the man replied. "I was at the windlass

when they shouted up to me to go up and fetch them a bottle of rum.

They had just struck it rich, and wanted a drink on the strength

of it."

Dick understood at once. Red George and his mates were still in the

bottom of the shaft, ignorant of the danger which was threatening

them.

"Come on," he cried; "we shall be in time yet," and at the top of

his speed dashed down the hill, followed by Saunders.

"What is it, what is it?" asked parties of men mounting the hill.

"Red George's gang are still below."

Dick's eyes were fixed on the water. There was a broad band now of

yellow with a white edge down the center of the stony flat, and it

was widening with terrible rapidity. It was scarce ten yards from

the windlass at the top of Red George's shaft when Dick, followed

closely by Saunders, reached it.

"Come up, mates; quick, for your lives! The river is rising; you

will be flooded out directly. Everyone else has gone!"

As he spoke he pulled at the rope by which the bucket was hanging,

and the handles of the windlass flew round rapidly as it descended.

When it had run out Dick and he grasped the handles.

"All right below?"

An answering call came up, and the two began their work, throwing

their whole strength into it. Quickly as the windlass revolved

it seemed an endless time to Dick before the bucket came up, and

the first man stepped out. It was not Red George. Dick had hardly

expected it would be. Red George would be sure to see his two

mates up before him, and the man uttered a cry of alarm as he saw

the water, now within a few feet of the mouth of the shaft.

It was a torrent now, for not only was it coming through the dam,

but it was rushing down in cascades from the new channel. Without

a word the miner placed himself facing Dick, and the moment the

bucket was again down, the three grasped the handles. But quickly

as they worked, the edge of the water was within a few inches of the

shaft when the next man reached the surface; but again the bucket

descended before the rope tightened. However, the water had begun

to run over the lip--at first, in a mere trickle, and then, almost

instantaneously, in a cascade, which grew larger and larger.

The bucket was halfway up when a sound like thunder was heard, the

ground seemed to tremble under their feet, and then at the turn of

the valley above, a great wave of yellow water, crested with foam,

was seen tearing along at the speed of a race horse.

"The dam has burst!" Saunders shouted. "Run for your lives, or we

are all lost!"

The three men dropped the handles and ran at full speed towards the

shore, while loud shouts to Dick to follow came from the crowd of

men standing on the slope. But the boy grasped the handles, and with

lips tightly closed, still toiled on. Slowly the bucket ascended,

for Red George was a heavy man; then suddenly the weight slackened,

and the handle went round faster. The shaft was filling, the water

had reached the bucket, and had risen to Red George's neck, so that

his weight was no longer on the rope. So fast did the water pour

in, that it was not half a minute before the bucket reached the

surface, and Red George sprang out. There was but time for one

exclamation, and then the great wave struck them. Red George was

whirled like a straw in the current; but he was a strong swimmer,

and at a point where the valley widened out, half a mile lower, he

struggled to shore.

Two days later the news reached Pine Tree Gulch that a boy's body

had been washed ashore twenty miles down, and ten men, headed by

Red George, went and brought it solemnly back to Pine Tree Gulch.

There among the stumps of pine trees a grave was dug, and there, in

the presence of the whole camp, White Faced Dick was laid to rest.

Pine Tree Gulch is a solitude now, the trees are growing again,

and none would dream that it was once a busy scene of industry;

but if the traveler searches among the pine trees he will find a

stone with the words:

"Here lies White Faced Dick, who died to save Red George. 'What

can a man do more than give his life for a friend?'"

The text was the suggestion of an ex-clergyman working as a miner

in Pine Tree Gulch.

Red George worked no more at the diggings, but, after seeing the

stone laid in its place, went east, and with what little money

came to him when the common fund of the company was divided after

the flood on the Yuba, bought a small farm, and settled down there;

but to the end of his life he was never weary of telling those who

would listen to it the story of Pine Tree Gulch.

A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE

It was early in December that H. M. S. Perseus was cruising off

the mouth of the Canton River. War had been declared with China in

consequence of her continued evasions of the treaty she had made

with us, and it was expected that a strong naval force would soon

gather to bring her to reason. In the meantime the ships on the

station had a busy time of it, chasing the enemy's junks when they

ventured to show themselves beyond the reach of the guns of their

forts, and occasionally having a brush with the piratical boats

which took advantage of the general confusion to plunder friend as

well as foe.

The Perseus had that afternoon chased two government junks up

a creek. The sun had already set when they took refuge there, and

the captain did not care to send his boats after them in the dark,

as many of the creeks ran up for miles into the flat country; and as

they not unfrequently had many arms or branches, the boats might,

in the dark, miss the junk altogether. Orders were issued that four

boats should be ready for starting at daybreak the next morning.

The Perseus anchored off the mouth of the creek, and two boats were

ordered to row backwards and forwards off its mouth all night to

insure that the enemy did not slip out in the darkness.

Jack Fothergill, the senior midshipman, was commanding the gig, and

two of the other midshipmen were going in the pinnace and launch,

commanded respectively by the first lieutenant and the master. The

three other midshipmen of the Perseus were loud in their lamentations

that they were not to take share in the fun.

"You can't all go, you know," Fothergill said, "and it's no use

making a row about it; the captain has been very good to let three

of us go."

"It's all very well for you, Jack," Percy Adcock, the youngest of

the lads, replied, "because you are one of those chosen; and it is

not so hard for Simmons and Linthorpe, because they went the other

day in the boat that chased those junks under shelter of the guns

of their battery, but I haven't had a chance for ever so long."

"What fun was there in chasing the junks?" Simmons said. "We never

got near the brutes till they were close to their battery, and then

just as the first shot came singing from their guns, and we thought

that we were going to have some excitement, the first lieutenant

sung out 'Easy all,' and there was nothing for it but to turn round

and to row for the ship, and a nice hot row it was--two hours

and a half in a broiling sun. Of course I am not blaming Oliphant,

for the captain's orders were strict that we were not to try to cut

the junks out if they got under the guns of any of their batteries.

Still it was horribly annoying, and I do think the captain might

have remembered what beastly luck we had last time, and given us

a chance tomorrow."

"It is clear we could not all go," Fothergill said, "and naturally

enough the captain chose the three seniors. Besides, if you did

have bad luck last time, you had your chance, and I don't suppose

we shall have anything more exciting now; these fellows always set

fire to their junks and row for the shore directly they see us,

after firing a shot or two wildly in our direction."

"Well, Jack, if you don't expect any fun," Simmons replied, "perhaps

you wouldn't mind telling the first lieutenant you do not care for

going, and that I am very anxious to take your place. Perhaps he

will be good enough to allow me to relieve you."

"A likely thing that!" Fothergill laughed. "No, Tom, I am sorry

you are not going, but you must make the best of it till another

chance comes."

"Don't you think, Jack," Percy Adcock said to his senior in a coaxing

tone later on, "you could manage to smuggle me into the boat with

you?"

"Not I, Percy. Suppose you got hurt, what would the captain say

then? And firing as wildly as the Chinese do, a shot is just as

likely to hit your little carcass as to lodge in one of the sailors.

No, you must just make the best of it, Percy, and I promise you

that next time there is a boat expedition, if you are not put in,

I will say a good word to the first luff for you."

"That promise is better than nothing," the boy said; "but I would

a deal rather go this time and take my chance next."

"But you see you can't, Percy, and there's no use talking any more

about it. I really do not expect there will be any fighting. Two

junks would hardly make any opposition to the boats of the ship,

and I expect we shall be back by nine o'clock with the news that

they were well on fire before we came up."

Percy Adcock, however, was determined, if possible, to go. He was

a favorite among the men, and when he spoke to the bow oar of the

gig the latter promised to do anything he could to aid him to carry

out his wishes.

"We are to start at daybreak, Tom, so that it will be quite dark

when the boats are lowered. I will creep into the gig before that

and hide myself as well as I can under your thwart, and all you

have got to do is to take no notice of me. When the boat is lowered

I think they will hardly make me out from the deck, especially as

you will be standing up in the bow holding on with the boat hook

till the rest get on board."

"Well, sir, I will do my best; but if you are caught you must not

let out that I knew anything about it."

"I won't do that," Percy said. "I don't think there is much chance

of my being noticed until we get on board the junks, and then they

won't know which boat I came off in, and the first lieutenant will

be too busy to blow me up. Of course I shall get it when I am on

board again, but I don't mind that so that I see the fun. Besides,

I want to send home some things to my sister, and she will like

them all the better if I can tell her I captured them on board some

junks we seized and burnt."

The next morning the crews mustered before daybreak. Percy had

already taken his place under the bow thwart of the gig. The davits

were swung overboard, and two men took their places in her as she

was lowered down by the falls. As soon as she touched the water

the rest of the crew clambered down by the ladder and took their

places; then Fothergill took his seat in the stern, and the boat

pushed off and lay a few lengths away from the ship until the

heavier boats put off. As soon as they were under way Percy crawled

out from his hiding place and placed himself in the bow, where he

was sheltered by the body of the oarsmen from Fothergill's sight.

Day was just breaking now, but it was still dark on the water, and

the boat rowed very slowly until it became lighter. Percy could

just make out the shores of the creek on both sides; they were but

two or three feet above the level of the water, and were evidently

submerged at high tide. The creek was about a hundred yards wide,

and the lad could not see far ahead, for it was full of sharp

windings and turnings. Here and there branches joined it, but the

boats were evidently following the main channel. After another half

hour's rowing the first lieutenant suddenly gave the order "Easy

all," and the men, looking over their shoulders, saw a village

a quarter of a mile ahead, with the two junks they had chased the

night before lying in front of it. Almost at the same moment a

sudden uproar was heard--drums were beaten and gongs sounded.

"They are on the lookout for us," the first lieutenant said. "Mr.

Mason, do you keep with me and attack the junk highest up the

river; Mr. Bellew and Mr. Fothergill, do you take the one lower

down. Row on, men." The oars all touched the water together and

the four boats leaped forward. In a minute a scattering fire of

gingals and matchlocks was opened from the junks and the bullets

pattered on the water round the boats. Percy was kneeling up in

the bow now. As they passed a branch channel three or four hundred

yards from the village, he started and leaped to his feet.

"There are four or five junks in that passage, Fothergill; they

are poling out."

The first lieutenant heard the words.

"Row on, men; let us finish with these craft ahead before the others

get out. This must be that piratical village we have heard about,

Mr. Mason, as lying up one of these creeks; that accounts for those

two junks not going higher up. I was surprised at seeing them here,

for they might guess that we should try to get them this morning.

Evidently they calculated on catching us in a trap."

Percy was delighted at finding that, in the excitement caused by

his news, the first lieutenant had forgotten to take any notice of

his being there without orders, and he returned a defiant nod to

the threat conveyed by Fothergill shaking his fist at him. As they

neared the junks the fire of those on board redoubled, and was

aided by that of many villagers gathered on the bank of the creek.

Suddenly from a bank of rushes four cannons were fired. A ball

struck the pinnace, smashing in her side. The other boats gathered

hastily round and took her crew on board, and then dashed at the

junks, which were but a hundred yards distant. The valor of the

Chinese evaporated as they saw the boats approaching, and scores

of them leaped overboard and swam for shore.

In another minute the boats were alongside and the crews scrambling

up the sides of the junks. A few Chinamen only attempted to oppose

them. These were speedily overcome, and the British had now time

to look round, and saw that six junks crowded with men had issued

from the side creek and were making towards them.

"Let the boats tow astern," the lieutenant ordered. "We should have

to run the gantlet of that battery on shore if we were to attack

them, and might lose another boat before we reached their side. We

will fight them here."

The junks approached, those on board firing their guns, yelling

and shouting, while the drums and gongs were furiously beaten.

"They will find themselves mistaken, Percy, if they think they

are going to frighten us with all that row," Fothergill said. "You

young rascal, how did you get on board the boat without being seen?

The captain will be sure to suspect I had a hand in concealing

you."

The tars were now at work firing the gingals attached to the

bulwarks and the matchlocks with which the deck was strewn, at the

approaching junks. As they took steady aim, leaning their pieces

on the bulwarks, they did considerable execution among the Chinamen

crowded on board the junks, while the shot of the Chinese, for the

most part, whistled far overhead; but the guns of the shore battery,

which had now slewed round to bear upon them, opened with a better

aim, and several shots came crashing into the sides of the two

captured junks.

"Get ready to board, lads!" Lieutenant Oliphant shouted. "Don't

wait for them to board you, but the moment they come alongside lash

their rigging to ours and spring on board them."

The leading junk was now about twenty yards away, and presently

grated alongside. Half a dozen sailors at once sprang into her

rigging with ropes, and after lashing the junks together leaped

down upon her deck, where Fothergill was leading the gig's crew

and some of those rescued from the pinnace, while Mr. Bellew, with

another party, had boarded her at the stern. Several of the Chinese

fought stoutly, but the greater part lost heart at seeing themselves

attacked by the "white devils," instead of, as they expected,

overwhelming them by their superior numbers. Many began at once

to jump overboard, and after two or three minutes' sharp fighting

the rest either followed their example or were beaten below.

Fothergill looked round. The other junk had been attacked by two of

the enemy, one on each side, and the little body of sailors were

gathered in her waist, and were defending themselves against an

overwhelming number of the enemy. The other three piratical junks

had been carried somewhat up the creek by the tide that was sweeping

inward, and could not for the moment take part in the fight.

"Mr. Oliphant is hard pressed, sir." He asked the master: "Shall

we take to the boats?"

"That will be the best plan," Mr. Bellew replied.

"Quick, lads, get the boats alongside and tumble in; there is not

a moment to be lost."

The crew at once sprang to the boats and rowed to the other junk,

which was but some thirty yards away.

The Chinese, absorbed in their contest with the crew of the pinnace,

did not perceive the newcomers until they gained the deck, and with

a shout fell furiously upon them. In their surprise and consternation

the pirates did not pause to note that they were still five to

one superior in number, but made a precipitate rush for their own

vessels. The English at once took the offensive. The first lieutenant

with his party boarded one, while the newcomers leaped on to the

deck of the other. The panic which had seized the Chinese was so

complete that they attempted no resistance whatever, but sprang

overboard in great numbers and swam to the shore, which was but

twenty yards away, and in three minutes the English were in undisputed

possession of both vessels.

"Back again, Mr. Fothergill, or you will lose the craft you captured,"

Lieutenant Oliphant said; "they have already cut her free."

The Chinese, indeed, who had been beaten below by the boarding

party, had soon perceived the sudden departure of their captors,

and gaining the deck again had cut the lashings which fastened them

to the other junk, and were proceeding to hoist their sails. They

were too late, however. Almost before the craft had way on her

Fothergill and his crew were alongside. The Chinese did not wait

for the attack, but at once sprang overboard and made for the shore.

The other three junks, seeing the capture of their comrades, had

already hoisted their sails and were making up the creek. Fothergill

dropped an anchor, left four of his men in charge, and rowed back

to Mr. Oliphant.

"What shall we do next, sir?"

"We will give those fellows on shore a lesson, and silence their

battery. Two men have been killed since you left. We must let the

other junks go for the present. Four of my men were killed and

eleven wounded before Mr. Bellew and you came to our assistance.

The Chinese were fighting pluckily up to that time, and it would

have gone very hard with us if you had not been at hand; the beggars

will fight when they think they have got it all their own way. But

before we land we will set fire to the five junks we have taken.

Do you return and see that the two astern are well lighted, Mr.

Fothergill; Mr. Mason will see to these three. When you have done

your work take to your boat and lay off till I join you; keep the

junks between you and the shore, to protect you from the fire of

the rascals."

"I cannot come with you, I suppose, Fothergill?" Percy Adcock said,

as the midshipman was about to descend into his boat again.

"Yes, come along, Percy. It doesn't matter what you do now. The

captain will be so pleased when he hears that we have captured and

burnt five junks, that you will get off with a very light wigging,

I imagine."

"That's just what I was thinking, Jack. Has it not been fun?"

"You wouldn't have thought it fun if you had got one of those

matchlock balls in your body. There are a good many of our poor

fellows just at the present moment who do not see anything funny

in the affair at all. Here we are; clamber up."

The crew soon set to work under Fothergill's orders. The sails

were cut off the masts and thrown down into the hold; bamboos, of

which there were an abundance down there, were heaped over them,

a barrel of oil was poured over the mass, and the fire then applied.

"That will do, lads. Now take to your boats and let's make a bonfire

of the other junk."

In ten minutes both vessels were a sheet of flame, and the boat was

lying a short distance from them waiting for further operations.

The inhabitants of the village, furious at the failure of the plan

which had been laid for the destruction of the "white devils," kept

up a constant fusillade, which, however, did no harm, for the gig

was completely sheltered by the burning junks close to her from

their missiles.

"There go the others!" Percy exclaimed after a minute or two, as

three columns of smoke arose simultaneously from the other junks,

and the sailors were seen dropping into their boats alongside.

The killed and wounded were placed in the other gig with four

sailors in charge. They were directed to keep under shelter of the

junks until rejoined by the pinnace and Fothergill's gig, after

these had done their work on shore.

When all was ready the first lieutenant raised his hand as a signal,

and the two boats dashed between the burning junks and rowed for

the shore. Such of the natives as had their weapons charged fired

a hasty volley, and then, as the sailors leapt from their boats,

took to their heels.

"Mr. Fothergill, take your party into the village and set fire to

the houses; shoot down every man you see. This place is a nest of

pirates. I will capture that battery and then join you."

Fothergill and his sailors at once entered the village. The men had

already fled; the women were turned out of the houses, and these

were immediately set on fire. The tars regarded the whole affair

as a glorious joke, and raced from house to house, making a hasty

search in each for concealed valuables before setting it on fire.

In a short time the whole village was in a blaze.

"There is a house there, standing in that little grove a hundred

yards away," Percy said.

"It looks like a temple," Fothergill replied. "However, we will

have a look at it." And calling two sailors to accompany him, he

started at a run towards it, Percy keeping by his side.

"It is a temple," Fothergill said when they approached it. "Still,

we will have a look at it, but we won't burn it; it will be as well

to respect the religion, even of a set of piratical scoundrels like

these."

At the head of his men he rushed in at the entrance. There was

a blaze of fire as half a dozen muskets were discharged in their

faces. One of the sailors dropped dead, and before the others had

time to realize what had happened they were beaten to the ground

by a storm of blows from swords and other weapons.

A heavy blow crashed down on Percy's head, and he fell insensible

even before he realized what had occurred.

When he recovered, his first sensation was that of a vague wonder

as to what had happened to him. He seemed to be in darkness and

unable to move hand or foot. He was compressed in some way that he

could not at first understand, and was being bumped and jolted in

an extraordinary manner. It was some little time before he could

understand the situation. He first remembered the fight with the

junks, then he recalled the landing and burning the village; then,

as his brain cleared, came the recollection of his start with

Fothergill for the temple among the trees, his arrival there, and

a loud report and flash of fire.

"I must have been knocked down and stunned," he said to himself,

"and I suppose I am a prisoner now to these brutes, and one of them

must be carrying me on his back."

Yes, he could understand it all now. His hands and his feet were

tied, ropes were passed round his body in every direction, and he

was fastened back to back upon the shoulders of a Chinaman. Percy

remembered the tales he had heard of the imprisonment and torture

of those who fell into the hands of the Chinese, and he bitterly

regretted that he had not been killed instead of stunned in the

surprise of the temple.

"It would have been just the same feeling," he said to himself,

"and there would have been an end of it. Now there is no saying

what is going to happen. I wonder whether Jack was killed, and the

sailors."

Presently there was a jabber of voices; the motion ceased. Percy

could feel that the cords were being unwound, and he was dropped

on to his feet; then the cloth was removed from his head, and he

could look around.

A dozen Chinese, armed with matchlocks and bristling with swords

and daggers, stood around, and among them, bound like himself and

gagged by a piece of bamboo forced lengthways across his mouth and

kept there with a string going round the back of the head, stood

Fothergill. He was bleeding from several cuts in the head. Percy's

heart gave a bound of joy at finding that he was not alone; then

he tried to feel sorry that Jack had not escaped, but failed to

do so, although he told himself that his comrade's presence would

not in any way alleviate the fate which was certain to befall

him. Still the thought of companionship, even in wretchedness, and

perhaps a vague hope that Jack, with his energy and spirit, might

contrive some way for their escape, cheered him up.

As Percy, too, was gagged, no word could be exchanged by the

midshipmen, but they nodded to each other. They were now put side

by side and made to walk in the center of their captors. On the

way they passed through several villages, whose inhabitants poured

out to gaze at the captives, but the men in charge of them were

evidently not disposed to delay, as they passed through without a

stop. At last they halted before two cottages standing by themselves,

thrust the prisoners into a small room, removed their gags, and

left them entirely to themselves.

"Well, Percy, my boy, so they caught you too? I am awfully sorry.

It was my fault for going with only two men into that temple, but

as the village had been deserted and scarcely a man was found there,

it never entered my mind that there might be a party in the temple."

"Of course not, Jack; it was a surprise altogether. I don't know

anything about it, for I was knocked down, I suppose, just as we

went in, and the first thing I knew about it was that I was being

carried on the back of one of those fellows. I thought it was awful

at first, but I don't seem to mind so much now you are with me."

"It is a comfort to have someone to speak to," Jack said, "yet

I wish you were not here, Percy; I can't do you any good, and I

shall never cease blaming myself for having brought you into this

scrape. I don't know much more about the affair than you do. The

guns were fired so close to us that my face was scorched with one

of them, and almost at the same instant I got a lick across my

cheek with a sword. I had just time to hit at one of them, and then

almost at the same moment I got two or three other blows, and down

I went; they threw themselves on the top of me and tied and gagged

me in no time. Then I was tied to a long bamboo, and two fellows

put the ends on their shoulders and went off with me through the

fields. Of course I was face downwards, and did not know you were

with us till they stopped and loosed me from the bamboo and set me

on my feet."

"But what are they going to do with us, do you think, Jack?"

"I should say they are going to take us to Canton and claim a

reward for our capture, and there I suppose they will cut off our

heads or saw us in two, or put us to some other unpleasant kind

of death. I expect they are discussing it now; do you hear what a

jabber they are kicking up?"

Voices were indeed heard raised in angry altercation in the next

room. After a time the din subsided and the conversation appeared

to take a more amiable turn.

"I suppose they have settled it as far as they are concerned," Jack

said; "anyhow, you may be quite sure they mean to make something

out of us. If they hadn't they would have finished us at once, for

they must have been furious at the destruction of their junks and

village. As to the idea that mercy has anything to do with it, we

may as well put it out of our minds. The Chinaman, at the best of

times, has no feeling of pity in his nature, and after their defeat

it is certain they would have killed us at once had they not hoped

to do better by us. If they had been Indians I should have said

they had carried us off to enjoy the satisfaction of torturing us,

but I don't suppose it is that with them."

"Do you think there is any chance of our getting away?" Percy asked,

after a pause.

"I should say not the least in the world, Percy. My hands are

fastened so tight now that the ropes seem cutting into my wrists,

and after they had set me on my feet and cut the cords of my legs

I could scarcely stand at first, my feet were so numbed by the

pressure. However, we must keep up our pluck. Possibly they may

keep us at Canton for a bit, and if they do the squadron may arrive

and fight its way past the forts and take the city before they have

quite made up their minds as to what kind of death will be most

appropriate to the occasion. I wonder what they are doing now? They

seem to be chopping sticks."

"I wish they would give us some water," Percy said. "I am frightfully

thirsty."

"And so am I, Percy; there is one comfort, they won't let us die

of thirst, they could get no satisfaction out of our deaths now."

Two hours later some of the Chinese re-entered the room and led

the captives outside, and the lads then saw what was the meaning of

the noise they had heard. A cage had been manufactured of strong

bamboos. It was about four and a half feet long, four feet wide, and

less than three feet high; above it was fastened two long bamboos.

Two or three of the bars of the cage had been left open.

"My goodness! they never intend to put us in there," Percy exclaimed.

"That they do," Jack said. "They are going to carry us the rest of

the way."

The cords which bound the prisoners' hands were now cut, and they

were motioned to crawl into the cage. This they did; the bars were

then put in their places and securely lashed. Four men went to the

ends of the poles and lifted the cage upon their shoulders; two

others took their places beside it, and one man, apparently the

leader of the party, walked on ahead; the rest remained behind.

"I never quite realized what a fowl felt in a coop before," Jack

said, "but if its sensations are at all like mine they must be

decidedly unpleasant. It isn't high enough to sit upright in, it

is nothing like long enough to lie down, and as to getting out one

might as well think of flying. Do you know, Percy, I don't think

they mean taking us to Canton at all. I did not think of it before,

but from the direction of the sun I feel sure that we cannot have

been going that way. What they are up to I can't imagine."

In an hour they came to a large village. Here the cage was set down

and the villagers closed round. They were, however, kept a short

distance from the cage by the men in charge of it. Then a wooden

platter was placed on the ground, and persons throwing a few copper

coins into this were allowed to come near the cage.

"They are making a show of us!" Fothergill exclaimed. "That's what

they are up to, you see if it isn't; they are going to travel up

country to show the 'white devils' whom their valor has captured."

This was, indeed, the purpose of the pirates. At that time Europeans

seldom ventured beyond the limits assigned to them in the two or

three towns where they were permitted to trade, and few, indeed, of

the country people had ever obtained a sight of the white barbarians

of whose doings they had so frequently heard. Consequently a small

crowd soon gathered round the cage, eyeing the captives with the

same interest they would have felt as to unknown and dangerous

beasts; they laughed and joked, passed remarks upon them, and even

poked them with sticks. Fothergill, furious at this treatment,

caught one of the sticks, and wrenching it from the hands of the

Chinaman tried to strike at him through the bars, a proceeding

which excited shouts of laughter from the bystanders.

"I think, Jack," Percy said, "it will be best to try and keep our

tempers and not to seem to mind what they do to us, then if they find

they can't get any fun out of us they will soon leave us alone."

"Of course, that's the best plan," Fothergill agreed, "but it's not

so easy to follow. That fellow very nearly poked out my eye with

his stick, and no one's going to stand that if he can help it."

It was some hours before the curiosity of the village was satisfied.

When all had paid who were likely to do so, the guards broke up

their circle, and leaving two of their number at the cage to see

that no actual harm was caused to their prisoners, the rest went

off to a refreshment house. The place of the elders was now taken

by the boys and children of the village, who crowded round the

cage, prodded the prisoners with sticks, and, putting their hands

through the bars, pulled their ears and hair. This amusement,

however, was brought to an abrupt conclusion by Fothergill suddenly

seizing the wrist of a big boy and pulling his arm through the cage

until his face was against the bars; then he proceeded to punch

him until the guard, coming to his rescue, poked Fothergill with

his stick until he released his hold.

The punishment of their comrade excited neither anger nor resentment

among the other boys, who yelled with delight at his discomfiture,

but it made them more careful in approaching the cage, and though

they continued to poke the prisoners with sticks they did not venture

again to thrust a hand through the bars. At sunset the guards again

came round, lifted the cage and carried it into a shed. A platter

of dirty rice and a jug of water were put into the cage; two of

the men lighted their long pipes and sat down on guard beside it,

and, the doors being closed, the captives were left in peace.

"If this sort of thing is to go on, as I suppose it is," Fothergill

said, "the sooner they cut off our heads the better."

"It is very bad, Jack. I am sore all over with those probes from

their sharp sticks."

"I don't care for the pain, Percy, so much as the humiliation of

the thing. To be stared at and poked at as if we were wild beasts

by these curs, when with half a dozen of our men we could send a

hundred of them scampering, I feel as if I could choke with rage."

"You had better try and eat some of this rice, Jack. It is beastly,

but I dare say we shall get no more until tomorrow night, and we

must keep up our strength if we can. At any rate, the water is not

bad, that's a comfort."

"No thanks to them," Jack growled. "If there had been any bad water

in the neighborhood they would have given it to us."

For two weeks the sufferings of the prisoners continued. Their

captors avoided towns where the authorities would probably at once

have taken the prisoners out of their hands. No one would have

recognized the two captives as the midshipmen of the Perseus; their

clothes were in rags--torn to pieces by the thrusts of the sharp

pointed bamboos, to which they had daily been subjected--the

bad food, the cramped position, and the misery which they suffered

had worn both lads to skeletons; their hair was matted with filth,

their faces begrimed with dirt. Percy was so weak that he felt

he could not stand. Fothergill, being three years older, was less

exhausted, but he knew that he, too, could not support his sufferings

for many days longer. Their bodies were covered with sores, and try

as they would they were able to catch only a few minutes' sleep at

a time so much did the bamboo bars hurt their wasted limbs.

They seldom exchanged a word during the daytime, suffering in

silence the persecutions to which they were exposed, but at night

they talked over their homes and friends in England, and their

comrades on board ship, seldom saying a word as to their present

position. They were now in a hilly country, but had not the least

idea of the direction in which it lay from Canton or its distance

from the coast.

One evening Jack said to his companion, "I think it's nearly all

over now, Percy. The last two days we have made longer journeys, and

have not stopped at any of the smaller villages we passed through.

I fancy our guards must see that we can't last much longer, and

are taking us down to some town to hand us over to the authorities

and get their reward for us."

"I hope it is so, Jack; the sooner the better. Not that it makes

much difference now to me, for I do not think I can stand many more

days of it."

"I am afraid I am tougher than you, Percy, and shall take longer

to kill, so I hope with all my heart that I may be right, and that

they may be going to give us up to the authorities."

The next evening they stopped at a large place, and were subjected

to the usual persecution; this, however, was now less prolonged

than during the early days of their captivity, for they had now

no longer strength or spirits to resent their treatment, and as no

fun was to be obtained from passive victims, even the village boys

soon ceased to find any amusement in tormenting them.

When most of their visitors had left them, an elderly Chinaman

approached the side of the cage. He spoke to their guard and looked

at them attentively for some minutes, then he said in pigeon English,

"You officer men?"

"Yes!" Jack exclaimed, starting at the sound of the English words,

the first they had heard spoken since their captivity. "Yes, we

are officers of the Perseus."

"Me speeke English velly well," the Chinaman said; "me pilot man

many years on Canton River. How you get here?"

"We were attacking some piratical junks, and landed to destroy the

village where the people were firing on us. We entered a place full

of pirates, and were knocked down and taken prisoners and carried

away up the country; that is six weeks ago, and you see what we

are now."

"Pirate men velly bad," the Chinaman said; "plunder many junk on

river and kill crew. Me muchee hate them."

"Can you do anything for us?" Jack asked. "You will be well rewarded

if you could manage to get us free."

The man shook his head.

"Me no see what can do, me stranger here; come to stay with wifey;

people no do what me ask them. English ships attack Canton, much

fight and take town, people all hate English. Bad country dis.

People in one village fight against another. Velly bad men here."

"How far is Canton away?" Jack asked. "Could you not send down to

tell the English we are here?"

"Fourteen days' journey off," the man said; "no see how can do

anything."

"Well," Jack said, "when you get back again to Canton let our people

know what has been the end of us; we shall not last much longer."

"All light," the man said; "will see what me can do. Muchee think

tonight!"

And after saying a few words to the guards, who had been regarding

this conversation with an air of surprise, the Chinaman retired.

The guards had for some time abandoned the precaution of sitting up

at night by the cage, convinced that their captives had no longer

strength to attempt to break through its fastenings or to drag

themselves many yards away if they could do so. They therefore left

it standing in the open, and, wrapping themselves in their thickly

wadded coats, for the nights were cold, lay down by the side of

the cage.

The coolness of the nights had, indeed, assisted to keep the two

prisoners alive. During the day the sun was excessively hot, and

the crowd of visitors round the cage impeded the circulation of

the air and added to their sufferings. It was true that the cold

at night frequently prevented them from sleeping, but it acted as

a tonic and braced them up.

"What did he mean about the villages attacking each other?" Percy

asked.

"I have heard," Jack replied, "that in some parts of China things

are very much the same as they used to be in the highlands of

Scotland. There is no law or order. The different villages are like

clans, and wage war on each other. Sometimes the government sends

a number of troops, who put the thing down for a time, chop off

a good many heads, and then march away, and the whole work begins

again as soon as their backs are turned."

That night the uneasy slumber of the lads was disturbed by a sudden

firing; shouts and yells were heard, and the firing redoubled. "The

village is attacked," Jack said. "I noticed that, like some other

places we have come into lately, there is a strong earthen wall

round it, with gates. Well, there is one comfort--it does not

make much difference to us which side wins."

The guards at the first alarm leaped to their feet, caught up their

matchlocks, and ran to aid in the defense of the wall. Two minutes

later a man ran up to the cage.

"All lightee," he said; "just what me hopee."

With his knife he cut the tough withes that held the bamboos in

their places, and pulled out three of the bars.

"Come along," he said; "no time to lose."

Jack scrambled out, but in trying to stand upright gave a sharp

exclamation of pain. Percy crawled out more slowly; he tried to

stand up, but could not. The Chinaman caught him up and threw him

on his shoulder.

"Come along quickee," he said to Jack; "if takee village, kill

evely one." He set off at a run. Jack followed as fast as he could,

groaning at every step from the pain the movement caused to his

bruised body.

They went to the side of the village opposite to that at which the

attack was going on. They met no one on the way, the inhabitants

having all rushed to the other side to repel the attack. They stopped

at a small gate in the wall, the Chinaman drew back the bolts and

opened it, and they passed out into the country. For an hour they

kept on. By the end of that time Jack could scarcely drag his limbs

along. The Chinaman halted at length in a clump of trees surrounded

by a thick undergrowth.

"Allee safee here," he said, "no searchee so far; here food," and

he produced from a wallet a cold chicken and some boiled rice, and

unslung from his shoulder a gourd filled with cold tea.

"Me go back now, see what happen. Tomollow nightee come again--

bringee more food." And without another word went off at a rapid

pace.

Jack moistened his lips with the tea, and then turned to his

companion. Percy had not spoken a word since he had been released

from the cage, and had been insensible during the greater part of

his journey. Jack poured some cold tea between his lips.

"Cheer up, Percy, old boy, we are free now, and with luck and that

good fellow's help we will work our way down to Canton yet."

"I shall never get down there; you may," Percy said feebly.

"Oh, nonsense, you will pick up strength like a steam engine now.

Here, let me prop you against this tree. That's better. Now drink

a drop of this tea; it's like nectar after that filthy water we

have been drinking. Now you will feel better. Now you must try and

eat a little of this chicken and rice. Oh, nonsense, you have got

to do it. I am not going to let you give way when our trouble is

just over. Think of your people at home, Percy, and make an effort

for their sakes. Good Heavens! now I think of it, it must be

Christmas morning. We were caught on the 2d and we have been just

twenty-two days on show. I am sure that it must be past twelve

o'clock, and it is Christmas Day. It is a good omen, Percy. This

food isn't like roast beef and plum pudding, but it's not to be

despised. I can tell you. Come, fire away, that's a good fellow."

Percy made an effort and ate a few mouthfuls of rice and chicken,

then he took another draught of tea, and lay down, and was almost

immediately asleep.

Jack ate his food slowly and contentedly till he finished half

the supply, then he, too, lay down, and after a short but hearty

thanksgiving for his escape from a slow and lingering death, he too,

fell off to sleep. The sun was rising when he woke, being aroused

by a slight movement on the part of Percy; he opened his eyes and

sat up.

"Well, Percy, how do you feel this morning?" he asked cheerily.

"I feel too weak to move," Percy replied languidly.

"Oh, you will be all right when you have sat up and eaten breakfast,"

Jack said. "Here you are; here is a wing for you, and this rice is

as white as snow, and the tea is first rate. I thought last night

after I lay down that I heard a murmur of water, so after we have

had breakfast I will look about and see if I can find it. We should

feel like new men after a wash. You look awful, and I am sure I am

just as bad."

The thought of a wash inspirited Percy far more than that of eating,

and he sat up and made a great effort to do justice to breakfast.

He succeeded much better than he had done the night before, and

Jack, although he pretended to grumble, was satisfied with his

companion's progress, and finished off the rest of the food. Then

he set out to search for water. He had not very far to go; a tiny

stream, two feet wide and several inches deep, ran through the wood

from the higher ground. After throwing himself down and taking a

drink, he hurried back to Percy.

"It is all right, Percy, I have found it. We can wash to our hearts'

content; think of that, lad."

Percy could hardly stand, but he made an effort, and Jack half

carried him to the streamlet. There the lads spent two hours. First

they bathed their heads and hands, and then, stripping, lay down

in the stream and allowed it to flow over them, then they rubbed

themselves with handfuls of leaves dipped in the water, and when

they at last put on their rags again felt like new men. Percy was

able to walk back to the spot they had quitted with the assistance

only of Jack's arm. The latter, feeling that his breakfast had by

no means appeased his hunger, now started for a search through the

wood, and presently returned to Percy laden with nuts and berries.

"The nuts are sure to be all right; I expect the berries are too.

I have certainly seen some like them in native markets, and I think

it will be quite safe to risk it."

The rest of the day was spent in picking nuts and eating them. Then

they sat down and waited for the arrival of their friend. He came

two hours after nightfall with a wallet stored with provisions, and

told them that he had regained the village unobserved. The attack

had been repulsed, but with severe loss to the defenders as well

as the assailants; two of their guards had been among the killed.

The others had made a great clamor over the escape of the prisoners,

and had made a close search throughout the village and immediately

round it, for they were convinced that their captives had not had

the strength to go any distance. He thought, however, that although

they had professed the greatest indignation, and had offered many

threats as to the vengeance that government would take upon the

village, one of whose inhabitants, at least, must have aided in

the evasion of the prisoners, they would not trouble themselves

any further in the matter. They had already reaped a rich harvest

from the exhibition, and would divide among themselves the share

of their late comrades; nor was it at all improbable that if they

were to report the matter to the authorities they would themselves

get into serious trouble for not having handed over the prisoners

immediately after their capture.

For a fortnight the pilot nursed and fed the two midshipmen. He

had already provided them with native clothes, so that if by chance

any villagers should catch sight of them they would not recognize

them as the escaped white men. At the end of that time both the

lads had almost recovered from the effects of their sufferings.

Jack, indeed, had picked up from the first, but Percy for some days

continued so weak and ill that Jack had feared that he was going

to have an attack of fever of some kind. His companion's cheery and

hopeful chat did as much good for Percy as the nourishing food with

which their friend supplied them, and at the end of the fortnight

he declared that he felt sufficiently strong to attempt to make

his way down to the coast.

The pilot acted as their guide. When they inquired about his wife,

he told them carelessly that she would remain with her kinsfolk,

and would travel on to Canton and join him there when she found an

opportunity. The journey was accomplished at night, by very short

stages at first, but by increasing distances as Percy gained

strength. During the daytime the lads lay hid in woods or jungles,

while their companion went into the village and purchased food.

They struck the river many miles above Canton, and the pilot, going

down first to a village on its banks, bargained for a boat to take

him and two women down to the city.

The lads went on board at night and took their places in the little

cabin formed of bamboos and covered with mats in the stern of the

boat, and remained thus sheltered not only from the view of people

in boats passing up or down the stream, but from the eyes of their

own boatmen.

After two days' journey down the river without incident, they

arrived off Canton, where the British fleet was still lying while

negotiations for peace were being carried on with the authorities

at Pekin. Peeping out between the mats, the lads caught sight of

the English warships, and, knowing that there was now no danger,

they dashed out of the cabin, to the surprise of the native boatmen,

and shouted and waved their arms to the distant ships.

In ten minutes they were alongside the Perseus, when they were

hailed as if restored from the dead. The pilot was very handsomely

rewarded by the English authorities for his kindness to the prisoners,

and was highly satisfied with the result of his proceedings, which

more than doubled the little capital with which he had retired from

business. Jack Fothergill and Percy Adcock declare that they have

never since eaten chicken without thinking of their Christmas fare

on the morning of their escape from the hands of the Chinese pirates.

THE END.

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