There was a thick mist hanging over the forest when the bugle rang out
the _reveille_, and, some eagerly, some thinking rest the better thing,
all the hunting-party began to gather outside their tents, where the
best apologies for tubs and baths were provided for the officers.
No sooner, however, did the Malays see this than they laughingly led the
way to a little river, evidently a tributary of the Parang, and setting
the example plunged into its deep, clear, cool waters, showing
themselves to be adepts at swimming, and laughing to scorn, the idea of
there being any crocodiles there.
The water was deliciously cool, and one and all the officers gladly
availed themselves of the jungle bath, emerging fresh, and their nerves
toned up ready for any work that was to fall to their lot that day.
By the time they returned to the camp an _al fresco_ breakfast was
ready, half English, half Malay. There were tea and coffee, potted
meats and sardines, and side by side with them, delicious Malay curries,
made with fresh cocoa-nut, sambals of the most piquant nature, and fresh
fish and blachang--that favourite preparation of putrid shrimps. Fruits
were in abundance--plantains of various kinds, mangosteens, lychees, and
durians smelling strong enough to drive away a dozen Tom Longs, had they
been there. In short, the sultan had given orders that his cooks should
do their best; similar instructions had been given by Captain Horton and
Major Sandars; and the result was a breakfast fit for a prince--who
could put up with a picnic and a camp-stool, beneath an umbrageous tree.
"Whatever you gentlemen do," said Doctor Bolter, "pray restrain your
appetites. You see," he said, taking his seat cross-legged, like the
Malays, in front of a dish of blachang, and its neighbour a delicious
chicken curry, "you will to-day be exposed a good deal to the heat of
the sun; you will exert yourselves, no doubt; and therefore it is
advisable that you should be very moderate in what you eat and drink.
Thanks, yes, major, I will take a glass of claret before my coffee.
What a thing it is that we can get no milk."
So saying, the doctor set to work, "feeding ferociously," so Captain
Horton said, with a laugh, and partaking of everything that took his
fancy, finishing off with a cigarette.
The sultan smiled his satisfaction as he sat at the head of the table,
eating little himself, but giving instructions from time to time to his
slaves that they should hand fruit and other delicacies to the guests
that were near him.
The various officers followed the doctor's example, telling one another
that they could not be far wrong if they imitated their medical guide.
The only one who did not seem to enjoy his meal was Mr Linton, who felt
worried, he hardly knew why, about their position.
Now that he was away from the residency, an undefined sense of trouble
had come upon him, and he could not help feeling how helpless they must
be if the Malays turned against them. Certainly they were all
well-armed, and could make a brave fight, perhaps win their way back;
but if they did, he felt sure that something would have gone wrong at
the island.
The preparations for the fresh start chased away his forebodings, and
the packing having been rapidly performed, soldier, sailor, and Malay
were soon in motion, the long train winding its way through the dense
jungle, with the rattan panniers and howdahs of the elephants brushing
the lush verdure on either side.
The morning was deliciously cool, and as they went on and on through the
forest shades, where at every turn something bright and beautiful met
their gaze, the whole party were in the highest spirits; and the
discipline only being kept tight, as to the order in which they marched,
the men laughed and talked, sang and smoked, and seemed to be thoroughly
enjoying themselves.
And certainly it would have moved the spirit of the most cankered
denizen of a city to see the beauty of the parasites that clustered and
hung from tree to tree. The orchids were of the most brilliant colours;
and now and then they passed a lake or pool in the depths of the jungle
which would be covered in places with the flower of the lotus, while in
every sunny opening the great clusters of nepenthes--the pitcher plant--
brightened the scene.
These latter delighted the Jacks amazingly, and not being allowed to
break their ranks, they sent the Malays near them to pick anything that
took their fancy. These "monkey cups," as they called them, were
constantly picked ostensibly for the purpose of supplying the sailors
with a drink, for each contained more or less water; but it was never
drunk, for in each there were generally the remains of some unfortunate
flies, who had gone down into the treacherous vegetable cavern, and
being unable to clamber out had miserably perished.
During the heat of the day there was a halt once more, the Malays
staring at the sailors and soldiers sitting about under the trees for a
quiet smoke and watching the elephants, which, being relieved of their
pads and howdahs, walked straight into a great pool near to which they
were halted, and then cooled themselves by drawing their trunks full of
water and squirting it all over their sides.
"I'm blest," said one of the Jacks, "if they ain't the rummest beggars I
ever see. Just look at that one, Bill. Lor' if he ain't just like a
bit o' annymated hingy rubber."
"Ah?" said his mate, "you might fit a pair o' blacksmith's bellows on to
the muzzle o' that trunk of his, and then blow him out into a balloon."
"When are we going to begin to hunt tigers?" said another. "Oh, we
ain't going to hunt them at all, only keep 'em from coming by us, and
driving 'em up to where the orficers are."
"I say," said another sailor, "this here's all very well, but suppose
some time or another, when these Malay chaps have got us out into the
middle of these woods, they turn upon us, and whip out their krises--
what then?"
"What then?" said a soldier, who heard him; "why then we should have to
go through the bayonet exercise in real earnest; but it won't come to
that."
Two more days were spent in the journey, and then, upon his guests
beginning to manifest some impatience, the sultan announced that they
were now on the borders of the tiger country; and that afternoon there
were preparations for a beat when a couple of tigers were seen, but they
managed to escape.
The sultan smilingly told his guests that at the end of another march
the game would be more plentiful; and once more there was a steady tramp
along one of the narrow jungle-paths, into a country wilder than ever--
for they were away from the rivers now, and no traces of cultivation had
been seen.
There was no dissatisfaction, though, for if the officers shot no tigers
they found plenty of jungle-fowl and snipe, upon which they tried their
powers with the gun, and made goodly bags of delicious little birds to
add to the daily bill of fare.
Another day, and still another, in which the expedition penetrated
farther and farther into the forest wild. The officers were delighted,
and Doctor Bolter in raptures. He had obtained specimens of the atlas
moth, a large flap-winged insect, as large across as a moderate dish; he
had shot sun-birds, azure kingfishers, gapers, chatterers, parroquets;
and his last achievement had been to kill a boa-constrictor twenty-four
feet long.
It was no dangerous monster, but a great sluggish brute, that had hissed
at him viciously and then tried to escape. But the doctor had for
attendant a very plucky little Malay, appointed by the sultan, and this
man was delighted with his task, following the doctor anywhere. Upon
this occasion he had come upon the serpent lying coiled up, evidently
sleeping off a repast of a heavy kind.
The boy shouted to the doctor, who was trying to stalk a lizard in an
open place; and this roused the serpent, which began to uncoil, one fold
gliding over the other, while its head was raised and its curious eyes
sparkled in the sun.
The boy waited his opportunity, and then darting in cleverly avoided the
reptile's teeth, and caught it by the tail, dragging the creature out
nearly straight as he called to his master to fire.
The serpent was apparently puzzled by this proceeding, and threw itself
round a tree, hissing furiously as it menaced its assailant. Then
sending a wave along the free part of its body to the tail, the Malay
was driven flying on to his back amidst the canes.
The retreat of the reptile was cut off, though, for this interruption
gave the doctor time to come up with his little double fowling-piece,
from which a quick shot sent the menacing, quivering head down upon the
earth; and then going up, a second shot placed the writhing monster
_hors de combat_.
There was no little mirth in the camp as, faint and perspiring
profusely, the doctor and his Malay boy came in, slowly dragging the
long quivering body of the serpent, which the former at once set to work
to skin before it should become offensive. Then the skin was laid raw
side upwards, and dressed over with arsenical soap, a dose of which the
Malay boy nearly succeeded in swallowing, being attracted by its
pleasant aromatic odour.
"Laugh away," said the doctor, "but I mean to have that skin set up and
sent to the British Museum, presented by Doctor Bolter," he said
importantly.
"Well," said Captain Horton, "for my part I would rather encounter a
fierce Malay than one of these writhing creatures. Take care of
yourself, doctor, or you'll be constricted."
"Yes," said Major Sandars, entering into the joke, "I'll give orders
that every swollen serpent is to be bayonetted and opened if the doctor
is missing."
"Laugh away," said the doctor; "I don't mind."
"That's right," said Captain Horton; "but for goodness' sake, man, wash
your hands well before you come to dinner."
"All right," said the doctor; and that evening, after dinner, he took
the Malay boy into his confidence.
"Look here," he said, "I want to shoot an Argus pheasant. There must be
some about here."
"Argus pheasant?" said the Malay boy, staring, and then shaking his
head.
"Yes, I heard one last night."
Still the boy shook his head. He had never heard of such a bird.
"Oh, yes, you know what I mean," said the doctor; "they keep in the
shelter of the jungle, and are very rarely shot; but I must have one."
The boy shook his head.
"Don't I tell you I heard one last night, after we had camped down? It
calls out _Coo-ai_."
"No, no! no, no!" cried the boy; "_Coo-ow, Coo-ow_."
"Yes, that's it," cried the doctor. "You know the bird."
"Yes, know the big spot bird; all eyes," said the boy. "Sees all over
himself; like a peacock. Hunter no shoot him, see too much far."
"But I must shoot one," said the doctor.
"Yes, you shoot one," said the boy. "I take you to-night." The doctor
rubbed his hands and was delighted; and after the dinner, when the
officers and chiefs were sitting smoking and sipping their coffee by the
light of the stars, he rose and took his gun, for the Malay boy was
waiting.
"Off again, doctor?" cried the major.
"Yes," said the little man, importantly. "I am going, sir, to add to my
collection a specimen of the celebrated Argus pheasant--_Phasianus
Giganteus_."
"No, no, doctor; no Latin names after dinner," cried several voices.
"As you please, gentlemen," he said.
"The sultan says, shall he send a score of his men to protect you?"
cried Captain Horton.
"For goodness' sake no!" cried the doctor in dismay. "My dear sir, this
bird is only to be shot by approaching it most cautiously at night, or
by laying patiently near its haunts."
"Laying what, doctor--eggs?" said a young officer.
"No, sir; a stick about the back of impertinent puppies," cried the
doctor, angrily. "I said lying--lying in wait near the bird's haunts."
"Oh, I beg your pardon," said the young officer; and the doctor went off
in dudgeon.
"I say, Thompson," said the major, "don't you be poorly, whatever you
do, until the doctor has got over it, or he'll give you such a dose."
"I'll take care, sir," said the young man; and they went on chatting
about other things.