A tremor of excitement seemed to run through the attacking party; men
hurried here and there; the bearers of the dammar-torches paused
irresolute, and it was evident to the besieged that contrary orders were
being given.
It was also evident to them that the danger signal they were flying was
plainly understood upon the steamer, for the noise of the engine had not
been heard a minute before there was the heavy report of one of the
guns, and almost simultaneously the crash of a shell, which burst over
the heads of the thronging Malays, about fifty yards in front of the
fort.
No one seemed to be injured, but this dire instrument of warfare caused
a complete scare amidst the attacking party: men running in all
directions, and then seeming to go over the same ground once again, as a
second shell burst with its harsh tearing metallic-sounding crack.
Again came the report of a gun, and the shell burst where the Malays
were thickest, sending them scurrying like wild rabbits to the nearest
cover, while the steamer now glided slowly down, closer and closer in
shore, till at last she covered the river-face of the fort like an
outwork, and a cheer rose from the little garrison, and was answered
from the "Startler" as the forces, so to speak, combined, ready to act
together for their mutual defence.
As the steamer was rapidly moored in her new position, men being sent
ashore with cables from head and stern to make fast to the great trees a
few yards from the bank, a rush at them was made by the Malays, but a
few well-directed shots from the marines' rifles were sufficient to keep
them at bay till the task was done; and the little garrison now joined
hands with the steamer's crew in clearing the space between them.
The first step taken by Captain Smithers was to regain possession of the
outworks--the portion he had given up from being so short of defenders.
This was accomplished without bloodshed; for upon the Malays gathering
in force to withstand his efforts, they were scattered by a shell from
the steamer, which cleared the way at once. This being done, and a
meeting effected full of hearty congratulations, both soldiers and
sailors set to work, armed with spades, to throw up a trench from the
outworks of the fort to the river, the ditch being so arranged that it
took in for safety the trees to which the steamer was moored, and this
latter now became as it were the river-face of the fort.
Night had fallen long before the work was left, and this rendered it
necessary for a retreat to fort and steamer, for the hours intervening
till daybreak, when, no interruption having occurred, the digging was
resumed, every man toiling with his rifle at his side till the task was
done.
The next question was whether it would not be safer for all to take
possession of the steamer, even though the extra defences had been made.
Lieutenant Johnson argued that this would be the better plan, as then
they could at any time effect a retreat down the river, and make for
Singapore or Penang.
But Captain Smithers refused to listen to this proposal.
"No," he said, "it was quite open to the ladies to take up their abode
on board, and probably they would be more secure there than on shore;
but so far," he said, "all was surmise about the expeditionary party.
For all they knew, Captain Horton, Major Sandars, and their men, might
have met with the best of treatment, and at the end of a few days they
might return, to find the station abandoned by those left in charge."
"I only hope they may," said the lieutenant. "For my part, I feel
certain that the whole of the people hereabouts are under the influence
of the rajah, sultan included. But I will not oppose you, Captain
Smithers, until matters come to such an extremity that it seems to me
that we are uselessly risking life, then I must insist on an evacuation
of the fort."
"I will not oppose you then," said Captain Smithers; "but you see that
now it is as if I asked you to resign your ship."
Lieutenant Johnson nodded; and it having been resolved to hold out to
the last, hoping the while that the expedition might return, the next
proceeding seemed to be that of sending out a trustworthy spy or two,
into the country and amongst the people.
Both Bob Roberts and Tom Long were present at what the latter had
importantly called the council of war, but nothing definite was decided
upon; and, soon after, the two friends were sitting beneath the shade of
one of the trees, the Malays having withdrawn to a distance, and
hostilities being for the present suspended.
"I think," said Tom Long, importantly, "that the ladies are quite right
in declining to leave the fort. They are much safer there."
Bob Roberts laughed, gazed in his companion's face, and laughed again
heartily; to the very great disgust of Tom Long.
"Yes," he said, gruffly, "I dare say it is very funny, and anybody can
laugh like a buffoon about such an arrangement; but how are they going
to be safe on board a vessel whose officers cannot keep her from running
aground."
"Well that's a facer, certainly," said Bob, rather warmly; "but if you
come to that, where would you have been if we hadn't come to your help--
burnt out by this time, with your precious fort."
"Bob Roberts," said Tom Long, solemnly, "or rather I suppose I ought to
say _Mr_ Roberts--you are about the most quarrelsome fellow I ever
met."
"You couldn't meet yourself," said Bob, "or you would run against one
ten times as quarrelsome."
"If you want to fall out," said the ensign, "you might do it in a
gentlemanly way."
"If you want me to punch your head, Tom Long, just say so," cried Bob,
hotly.
"I repeat my words," said Tom Long, with hauteur. "If you wish to
quarrel, sir, you might do it in a gentlemanly manner."
"Gentlemanly be hanged!" cried Bob. "There's nothing gentlemanly in
quarrelling or fighting."
"And refer the matter to friends," continued the young military officer.
Bob's face was red as that of a turkey-cock the moment before, but at
these words the anger seemed to pass away like a cloud from before the
sun, and he burst into a hearty fit of laughter.
"Oh!" he said, "that's what you mean is it? Swords, or pistols, and
seconds, early in the morning, with a doctor on the ground. Oh, I say,
Tom Long, this is too delicious."
"Sir!" exclaimed Tom Long.
"I say it's too delicious. Duelling be hanged; it's fools' work; and
I'm not quite fool enough to let a friend make a hole, or try to make a
hole, in my precious carcase."
"Sir, none but a coward would speak as you are speaking," cried Tom
Long, indignantly.
"Oh, wouldn't he?" said Bob. "Well, then, I suppose I'm a coward, for
hang me if we don't get running risks enough from these coffee-coloured
fellows, without trying it on among ourselves."
"I thought you more of a gentleman," said Tom Long, contemptuously.
"Oh, you did, did you?" said Bob; "and I'm a coward, am I? Well, look
here, my lad, it's too hot now, but if you like to come on board
to-night, or to-morrow morning, and take off your jacket like a man,
I'll have it out with you in the gun-room, and old Dick to see fair, and
you can bring Private Gray or Sergeant Lund."
"What do you mean?" said Tom Long, haughtily; "swords or pistols, sir?"
"Do I mean swords or pistols, sir?" said Bob, imitating the other's
pompous way; "no, sir, I don't mean either. I reserve those lethal
weapons, sir, for Her Majesty's enemies, sir, as an officer and a
gentleman should; and when I fall out with a friend, I punch his head
with my fist--like a man."
"Like a man!" said Tom Long, in tones of disgust; "like a schoolboy or a
blackguard."
"No, sir," said Bob, still mimicking his companion; "the schoolboy or
man who uses his fists is to my mind not half such a blackguard as the
_gentleman_ who tries to kill a fellow in cold blood, and calls it on
account of his honour."
"The old contemptible argument," said Tom Long, sneering. "No one but a
coward would take refuge behind such excuses."
"Then I'm a coward!" said Bob, cocking his heels up on a chair, and
sticking his hands in his pockets. "All right: I'm a coward; and as we
used to say at school, `give me the coward's blow,' and if you do, Tom
Long, you see if I don't punch your head."
Tom Long rose, and came at him menacingly, and Bob laughed in his face.
"I say, Long, old man," he said, "what a jolly pair of fools we are to
quarrel about nothing at all."
"I never want to quarrel," said Tom Long, stiffly, for the other's mirth
took him aback, "but when a fellow behaves like a coward--"
"In the face of the enemy," interposed Bob, "kick him out of the
service, military or naval, eh? Look here, Tommy."
"For goodness' sake, sir, don't call me by that objectionably childish
name," cried the ensign. "How should you like to be called Bobby?"
"Not much, old boy," said the middy; "but I don't much care. Never
mind, shake hands. No, don't. Let's do it mentally. Here's old Ali
coming, looking as black as a civilian's hat. Hallo, Ali, old chap,
ain't you precious proud of your dear fellow-countrymen?"
"Poor fellows; poor fellows!" said Ali, sadly, as he looked from one to
the other.
"Poor fellows!" said Long.
"They're a jolly set of sharks, with stings in their tails, that's what
they are," said Bob.
"The poor fellows have been crushed down by cruel governments, and made
the slaves of piratical rajahs and cowardly sultans," cried Ali,
indignantly. "They are a brave set of fellows, and they are only
fighting against you because they are set on by their leaders."
"Then all I can say is," said Bob, "that I should like to have a pop at
their leaders. But cheer up, old chap, you needn't look so
down-hearted."
"Not look down-hearted," cried Ali, passionately, "how can I look
otherwise? Where is my father? Where are our friends? What is my
position here? Do you think it gives me pleasure to see the poor brave
men who are fighting against you shot down by your guns? It makes me
wretched."
"Well, never mind," cried Bob, kindly, as he rose and clapped the young
chief on the shoulder. "It will all come right in the end."
"I hope so," said Ali; "but tell me, what have you decided to do?"
"Well, that's announcing the secrets of the council of war," said Bob.
"Shall I tell him, Long?"
"Oh, yes, we can trust him," replied the ensign. "We are going to stay
and fight it out."
"Of course, of course," said Ali, nodding. "You could not give up. You
must not give up."
"But we want to get some news of the expedition party, by sending a
trustworthy spy," said Bob. "Can you get us a man whom you can trust?"
Ali stood thinking for a few moments, and then shook his head sadly.
"They would all say the risk is too great. They would lose their lives
if discovered."
"Then what is to be done?" cried Bob.
Ali stood thinking for a few moments in silence, and then he looked
frankly from one to the other.
"I will go myself," he said.
The two young men stared at him.
"You?" they exclaimed in one breath. "Why, just now you said the risk
was too great."
"That the men would lose their lives!" cried Bob Roberts.
"If they were discovered!" exclaimed Tom Long.
"Yes," said Ali, quietly, and he smiled back in their astonished faces.
"And yet you would run that risk?" said Bob Roberts.
"Yes: why not?"
"But for us?"
"Is one's life to be devoted to oneself?" said Ali calmly. "I am not as
you are. You are Christians. I am a follower of the prophet. We call
you dogs and giaours. You look upon us with contempt. But men are but
men, the whole world over, and it seems to me that one's life cannot be
better spent than in trying to do good to one's friends."
"But," said Tom Long, "you would be fighting against your friends, the
Malays."
"No," said Ali, mournfully. "I should be fighting for them in doing
anything that would free them from the rule of idle sensualists and
pirates."
"I tell you what," cried Bob Roberts, enthusiastically, "we'll whop old
Hamet and Rajah Gantang out of their skins, and you shall be sultan
instead, or your father first and you afterwards."
Ali's eyes flashed as he turned them upon the speaker.
"You could be chief banjo, you know," said Bob.
"Chief--banjo?" said Ali, wonderingly.
"No, no; I mean gong--Tumongong," cried Bob.
"Oh, yes," said Ali, smiling. "But no, no: that is a dream. Let us be
serious. One of your people could not go, it would be impossible; but I
am a Malay, and if I dress myself as a common man--a slave--I could
follow where the hunting-party went, and find out all you want to know."
"No, no," cried Bob, earnestly, "I should not like that."
"Like what, Mr Roberts?" said a voice that made them start; and turning
sharply, they saw Captain Smithers standing by them, with Lieutenant
Johnson.
"Mr Ali here wants to dress up as a common Malay, sir, and go as a spy
to get news of the hunting-party."
"It would be excellent," cried the lieutenant. "Mr Ali, you would
confer a lasting favour upon us."
"But have you thought of the risk?" said Captain Smithers.
"I have thought of everything," said the young man, quietly.
They all sat down together under the shade of the great tree where they
were, and the matter was talked over, it being decided that from time to
time Ali was to send messengers with news of his progress, if he could
find any trustworthy enough; and all being arranged, he left them, to
make preparations for his departure, shaking hands warmly with all, and
then going towards the barracks, but only to return directly.
"As you may suppose," he said, "my success depends upon my not being
apparently known to you; so if a strange Malay is seen leaving your
lines, don't let him be fired at."
"Of course not: I see," exclaimed Captain Smithers. "But shall we see
you again?"
"Not to speak to," replied Ali, smiling; and as soon as he had gone,
Captain Smithers walked across the ground to give orders about a strange
Malay being allowed to leave.
Lieutenant Johnson returned on board the steamer with Bob Roberts; and
Tom Long, after seating himself comfortably in one chair with his legs
in another, went off fast asleep.
Half an hour after, when all was very still in the burning heat of the
sun, when not a breath of air rippled the river or rustled through the
trees; when Englishman and Malay were resting, and the very sentries had
hard work to keep from going to sleep at their posts, there was a soft
rustling noise in the tree beneath which Tom Long was sleeping; and
after this had been repeated several times a lithe Malay softly
descended till he was within six or eight feet of the ground, when he
slipped and fell, but regained his feet instantly, as Tom Long started
into wakefulness and clapped his hand to his sword, upon seeing the
strange Malay just before him.
The Malay, however, raised one hand deprecatingly, and smiled a very
significant smile as he turned to go.
"Here, stop! surrender! Why--Oh! I say, Ali; that's capital," he said,
as the Malay still smiled at him. "You quite took me in."
The Malay smiled and nodded, and walked straight off to where a sentry
was watching them both; and the man, seeing the Malay come straight from
his officer, made way, saluted, and the dark figure passed from the
fortified lines and walked away towards where the enemy lay amongst the
trees.
"That's a brave thing to do," muttered Tom Long, and resuming his seat
he took another sleep, and was awakened the next time by Captain
Smithers laying his hand upon his shoulder.
"Ali has gone," he said.
"Yes, I know," said Tom Long. "He quite took me in. It was a splendid
disguise."
"Capital!" said Captain Smithers. "The very sentries were puzzled."
"Yes, of course they would be," replied Tom Long; and the captain walked
away.
"The sentries must have been puzzled before he came to me," said Tom
Long to himself. "That man yonder, though, seemed to take it as a
matter of course. I shall be very glad, though, when all this hiding
and dodging is over, and the hunting-party are back, for I am not going
to believe that they are in danger after all."
And yet Tom Long did believe it, and was as uneasy as the rest; but it
was his way of trying to put a good face upon matters.