There was a good deal of communication now between the sultan and the
resident, and rumours began flying about that the former proposed paying
a visit to the residency; but the days glided by, and it did not take
place. The men who had been wounded were rapidly recovering; and after
several attempts to find the missing prahus, it was announced one
evening, in a quiet way, that there was to be another expedition down
the river, for information had been brought in by a Malay boatman, who
had been employed to act as a scout, that the two vessels were lying-up
in a creek on the left bank of the river. It would therefore be quite
easy for the steamer to float down stream off where they lay, and either
send in boats to the attack or to shatter them by sweeping the mangroves
with the steamer's great guns, for the prahus lay behind a thick grove
of these trees some twenty or thirty yards across, quite sufficient for
a screen, but worse than useless as a protection if the heavy guns were
once brought to bear.
Messages had come again and again from the sultan, urging that the power
of the rajah should be thoroughly crushed; in fact, his requests almost
took the tone of a command.
There was a disposition to resent this, but it was felt better to
temporise, and word was sent to the sultan by a trusty messenger that
something would be done.
The result of this was another visit from the leading chiefs, who rather
startled the resident by the message they brought, which was to the
effect that their master thought it would be better that his marriage to
the two Englishwomen should take place at once; and what did Mr Linton
think of the next day?
Mr Linton thought, but he did not tell the sultan's ambassadors so,
that he would consult Major Sandars and Captain Horton; and this he did
while the messengers waited.
Major Sandars blew his nose very loudly, and said he should like to kick
the villain.
Captain Horton said that nothing would give him greater pleasure than to
have this Mr Hamet tied up and to give him six dozen.
"This is all very well, gentlemen," said Mr Linton, smiling; "but it
does not help me out of my difficulty. What am I to say so as not to
offend this man?"
"Oh, you must offend him," said the major. "I can see nothing for it,
but to send him word that the English ladies are greatly honoured by the
sultan's proposal, but that they cannot accept it."
Captain Horton nodded approval, and the resident agreed that they could
do nothing better; so the message was delivered to the sultan's
ambassadors, who looked exceedingly depressed upon hearing it, and as if
they would have gladly exchanged places with somebody else.
"Those fellows expect to get into trouble," said the major, as he
noticed the change.
He was quite right, for the two chiefs took their departure, looking as
if they expected to be introduced by their wrathful ruler to the
execution kris as soon as they returned.
The troops had been expecting orders for a trip down the river in search
of the two prahus, but the command came upon them, as such matters
usually do, just when it was least expected. One company, under Captain
Smithers, was ordered to embark, but to Tom Long's great disgust, he
found he was not included.
He hurried to the doctor's quarters, and found that gentleman busy with
a case of instruments, open before him.
"Look here, Long," he said; "did you ever see such a wretched country as
this? Everything rusts; look at my instruments."
"Yes, sir, it is terrible; such fine steel too."
"Fine steel? There isn't a better case in the army. I could do
anything with these tools."
Tom Long shuddered as he glanced at the long, fearfully keen knives, and
the saw--so horribly suggestive of taking off arms and legs.
Doctor Bolter saw it, and smiled to himself.
"Come to say good-bye, Long?" he said, as he stuffed some lint into a
pouch, with some bandages. "I'm not a lighting man, and don't mean to
be killed."
"No, sir. I came to ask you to let me go--to give me a certificate,
saying I am quite well enough."
"But you are not, my dear boy. You are too weak."
"Weak, sir? No, I feel as strong as a lion. Let me go, doctor."
"What nonsense, my dear lad! I'm not the commandant. Ask the major."
"No, sir," said Tom Long. "You are not the commandant by name, but from
the major downwards you do just as you like with us. Hang me if I'd
have drunk such filthy stuff as you gave me, by the major's orders. I'd
sooner have lost my commission."
"Ha, ha, ha!--Ha, ha, ha!" laughed the doctor. "That's very good, Long,
very good indeed. I suppose I do get the better of all of you in turn.
Ha, ha, ha! But look here, my dear boy, I don't think you are well
enough yet."
"Do let me go, doctor," pleaded Tom. "There, I don't want to _fight_,
but let me go with you and help you. This dreadful do-nothing sort of
life seems to make me worse."
"Idleness is bad for any man," said the doctor.
Tom Long felt flattered at being called a man, but still looked
pleadingly at the doctor.
"I could take care of your instruments, sir, and hand you what you
wanted if there were any of our fellows hurt."
"Humph! yes, you could do that," said the doctor. "But look here," he
said, gazing searchingly into the youth's face; "did you take your
medicine to-day?"
"Yes, sir, three times," cried Tom, eagerly; for, after neglecting it
for two days previously, he had taken it that day by way of a salve to
his conscience.
"Then you shall go," said the doctor. "Be quick. Get your great-coat--
and mind, you are to be my assistant."
Tom Long ran back to his quarters, and doctor's assistant or no, he
buckled on his sword, and stuck his revolver in its case, before putting
on his grey great-coat; meeting the detachment on its way down to the
boat.
"Hallo, Long, what are you doing here?" said Captain Smithers. "You are
not detailed for duty."
"No," said the doctor, sharply, "he is coming on hospital service."
There was no time for argument, so they marched on down to the
"Startler's" boats, which were waiting, and at once put off silently,
the swift stream bearing them quickly to the steamer's side, as she lay
there with her steam up, but not a light visible to tell those upon the
shore of the projected expedition. There was the low dull hiss and
snort of the escaping steam; and one versed in such matters would have
noticed that the steamer had let go her moorings at the stem, and swung
round in the stream, holding on hard by the stern, ready to slip the
cable and start.
But Captain Horton felt pretty secure of getting away unobserved; and
trusting to the keen eyes of a couple of Malay boatmen, he calculated
upon getting the steamer just abreast of the mangrove creek where the
prahus lay, and then dealing with them and their crews as he pleased.
The distance down was about ten miles; and the stream was so swift, that
in a couple of hours the steamer would have run down without the aid of
her screw; but it was proposed to steam for about two-thirds of the
distance, and then drift in silence, with a turn of the screw now and
then to keep her head right.
The river was so deep, and clear of obstruction, that there was nothing
to fear in their journey down, while fortunately the night, though not
illuminated by the moon, was tolerably light.
The arrangements were soon made, and directly the boats were hoisted up
the cable was slipped from the great buoy, and the steamer drifted down
stream, the steam power being kept in abeyance until they were some
distance below the campong.
In his character of doctor's assistant, Tom Long did not mix with the
officers in command of the little detachment, and was standing aloof
leaning over the bulwarks, and gazing at the fire-flies on the shore,
when he heard a familiar voice close by.
"Think those Malay chaps will be able to see the creek on a night like
this, Dick?"
"See it, Master Roberts, sir? Why, I could see it myself if I tried,
and knowed where to look for it. Bless yer 'art, they Malay chaps have
got eyes like cats, and can see in the dark."
"Oh yes, I dare say," said Bob. "Well, all I can say is, I hope we
shall knock the prahus into splinters. I do owe those fellows a grudge
for being chucked overboard as I was. It makes me feel wet now to think
of it."
"Yes, that 'ere war a rum 'un, Master Roberts, sir," said Dick,
solemnly. "Now, look here, sir, you being a boy like, and not wanted,
if I was you, I'd just go down below, get on my perch, and tuck myself
up and go to roost where I should be quite safe."
"Thank you, Dick," said Bob, quietly; "I'm going to stop on deck, and
then go with the party ashore. We'll leave the old men and old women on
board to take charge of the ship till we come back."
"That's as good as saying I'm a reg'lar old woman, Master Roberts, sir,"
said Dick, grinning.
Bob did not condescend to reply, but walked aft a little way, to where
he could see a dark figure half-leaning, half-sitting in the darkness
upon a gun, and looking over the bulwarks.
"Here, you sir," he said sharply, "come away from that gun. Why are you
not with the detachment forward there?"
"Oh, you be hanged!" said a familiar voice.
"What? Tom Long?"
"That's my name, Mr Roberts," said the dark figure.
"Why, I thought you were in hospital yet."
"I'm on hospital service," replied Tom. "I got the doctor to bring me."
"I say--I am glad," said Bob. "Eh?"
He stopped short, for Tom Long had pinched his arm.
"Isn't that a long low vessel moored there under the bank?" said Tom.
Bob looked long and attentively.
"I think so--two of them," he said. "I'll tell the officer of the
watch."
He turned aft and pointed out the dimly seen objects.
"Yes, I think they are prahus moored to the trees," he said, examining
them through the glass.
The officer reported what he had seen to the captain, who also inspected
them through a night-glass.
"Yes, coasting boats, I think. We'll overhaul them as we come back, we
must not stop now."
The vessel was now steaming steadily down stream, not quickly, for there
were too many turns, but sufficiently fast to bring them rapidly near
their goal.
"Let's see; I want to have a talk to you, Tom Long, about a trip
ashore--shooting," said Bob.
"Silence there, young gentleman," said the officer of the watch sternly,
and then Bob was called suddenly away, so that he had no opportunity for
a quiet chat with the young ensign.
Meanwhile the heavy throb throb of the steamer was the only noise heard
save some weird cry of animal or bird in the dense jungle on either
side. But every now and then as the waves and wash of the steamer
rolled ashore, churning up the mud, they startled the dull, heavy
alligators into activity, sending them scurrying off the muddy banks
into deep water, to await the passing of the, to them, large water
monster, whose great bulk dwarfed them into insignificance the most
extreme.
Lower and lower down stream went the steamer with the dense black line
of jungle on either side, till at the suggestion of the Malay pilots the
steam was turned off, a couple of boats lowered, and the position of the
vessel being reversed, she was allowed to float down head to stream, for
quite another half-hour, when the word having been given, a small anchor
that had been hanging down in the water was let go, without so much as a
plash, the stout hemp cable ran quietly out, and the vessel was checked
just off the narrow mouth of a creek, which seemed to run up amidst the
palms and undergrowth, for there were no mangroves till the tidal waters
were reached.
There was a little rapid passing to and fro here, and a couple of boats
were silently lowered down, to go a quarter of a mile below to watch the
other entrance to the creek, for the Malays were too fox-like not to
have a hole for exit as well as one for entry. But everything was done
in the most noiseless manner, so that when three more boats full of
soldiers, marines, and sailors rowed off for the creek, no one would
have imagined that they had slipped off on a deadly errand, or that the
steamer was cleared for action, the guns shotted and every man ready to
let loose a deadly hail that should cut down the jungle like a scythe
amidst the corn.
But the British officers had yet to learn that the Malays were more than
their equals in cunning. No sooner had the steamer passed on into the
bank of mist and darkness that overhung the river, than there was a
rustle, a splash, the rattling noise of large oars being thrust out, and
in a couple of minutes the two long snaky prahus they had passed crammed
with fighting men were gliding up stream towards the residency, where
certainly there were sentries on guard, but no dread of an enemy at
hand.
The boats then had pushed off from the steamer, which lay ready to help
them, and rowing out of the swift waters of the river they began to
ascend the dark and muddy creek, when Bob Roberts, who was with the
lieutenant and part of the soldiers in the same boat suddenly
whispered--
"Hark! wasn't that distant firing?"
They listened, but could hear nothing, and the lieutenant was about to
order the men to pull more sharply, when Bob touched his arm again.
"I'm sure that's firing, sir," he said.
"Nonsense, Roberts! absurd! Sit still and be silent. What firing could
it be? We are ten miles from the residency."
"I can't help it, sir, if we are twenty," said Bob, sharply. "I'm sure
it was firing, and there it goes again."
"Silence, sir," said the lieutenant, angrily. "Give way, my lads, give
way."
The ship's boats glided on over the smooth water, the men rowing with
muffled oars; and so steadily that the blades seemed to be dipping in
without making a splash.
The creek grew narrower, so that they had to keep right in the middle to
avoid letting the oar blades brush the reeds, and so they rowed on, but
without seeing anything resembling a prahu.
As to their direction, that they could not tell, but the shape of the
creek they believed to be that of a bow--at least so the Malays had
described it; and as the two ends of the bow must rest upon the river,
they were sure, unless they struck up some narrow tortuous way, to come
out at the other mouth and join the boats.
They went on very cautiously, with the midshipman anxious to talk to Tom
Long, who sat beside him, but forbidden now to utter so much as a
whisper. The oars dipped and rose, dipped and rose, without a sound,
and sometimes a reed or water plant rustled slightly as it brushed the
sides of the boats.
That in which the lieutenant was in command led the weird procession,
Captain Smithers being in the next, while the third, nearly full of
marines, every man with his loaded rifle between his knees, was close
behind.
Still there was no sign of the prahus, and to the lieutenant's great
annoyance, he found that in the darkness they must have turned up the
sluggish stream that flowed into the creek, and missed the continuation,
which was probably masked with reeds.
He felt ready to stamp with vexation, but controlling himself he passed
the word, and the boats backed down the stream, that in which the
officer in command was seated, naturally being the last of the three.
"Wouldn't it have been better to have brought the Malays, sir?" said
Bob.
"Yes, of course; but the cowards were afraid to come, my good lad," said
the lieutenant.
"There, sir," whispered Bob again, "isn't that firing?"
"If you say another word to me about your confounded firing," said the
lieutenant sharply, "I'll have you gagged, sir."
"I don't want to talk about it, sir," grumbled Bob, "but I'm sure
there's something wrong up yonder."
"And I'm sure there's something wrong here, Mr Roberts," said the
lieutenant, "and that's enough for me to attend to."
They went back in silence for some time, and then Tom Long, whose eyes
were unusually good, pointed to a part of the reed-bed on the right.
"Is not that the continuation of the creek, sir?"
"Yes, to be sure, so it is," said the lieutenant. "We can see it coming
this way. It's masked by those trees the other way. Steady, my lads;
steady. Let us go first."
The creek was wider here, so the boats turned, and retook their former
positions; but still there was no sign of the prahus.
"Those scoundrels must have led us wrong," muttered the lieutenant;
"there's nothing here. Why, yonder's the open river, isn't it; or is it
a wider space? Yes, thank goodness; there are the prahus after all."
He waited till the other boats closed up, and then whispered his final
orders, appointing two boats to attack one of the prahus while he made
for the other alone.
"Now then," he whispered, "are you all ready? A bold dash, my lads, and
they are ours."
"Please, sir," said old Dick.
"What is it?" cried the lieutenant, angrily.
"Them's our own two boats. I'd swear to 'em."
"And I'm sure that's _firing_," cried Bob, aloud.
"Yes," said Tom Long, speaking excitedly; "those were the two prahus we
passed on the way down."
"And they are attacking the residency," cried Bob.
Even as he spoke there was a shot fired from the steamer to recall the
boats, and the men bent to their stout ashen oars with all their might,
the lieutenant as he leaped on board being met by Captain Horton with--
"These Malay tigers are a little too cunning for us, Johnson. Those
were the prahus we passed on the way down."
"Yes, sir, another slip; but we may have them yet."