A Trap for a Trap
That Owen and his companions would indeed have to make the most of the
coming darkness was abundantly clear to all. But how to make the most of
the time, was a question they asked one another. What could they do?
What course could they take? As they lay there beneath the shadow of the
bush, following the movements of the Indiaman and of the four native
craft, the one idea filled their minds--they must escape. They must
leave the shore that very night if ever they were to do so.
"But how? That is the question," blurted out Owen, as if thinking aloud,
as he stared first at Jack Simpson, and then into the thoughtful eyes of
Mulha. "That is what bothers me. There is the boat below, I know,
but----"
"She is heavy, and the labour would be great, sahib," ventured Mulha.
"Still, when it is a matter of life men can do much, even to pulling a
heavy boat far out to sea, for the ship will never dare to lie close in
to the bay."
"And I own that I feel done up. Completely played out," said Jack,
dropping his aching head on his arms. Indeed, a glance at his pale face
showed that he was feeling the effects of the stunning blow which he had
received, and that he told but the truth when he said that he was done
up and of little service where more effort was required.
"Then we shall have to make use of one of the native craft," exclaimed
Owen, some minutes later, having meanwhile fixed his eyes upon the scene
below. "I agree that for three men, one of whom at least is unused to
much pulling, the feat of rowing a heavy boat like that far out to sea
is out of the question, and, besides, one of the two is a youngster."
"With plenty of pluck, Owen. Don't forget to add that," burst in Jack.
"But you wouldn't. I never came across such a modest fellow. You come
aboard, and hide away in odd corners, working like a horse at languages
which are as dry as dust. Every one thinks you are a timid fellow--a bit
of a johnny, you know--and some begin to take advantage of the thought.
You put up with a lot, and then one day you select the very biggest of
your tormentors and give him a jolly good hiding. Afterwards you go on
just the same, still swatting up languages, still unobtrusive, till this
day comes along. And now what sort of a tale have I to tell?"
Jack lifted his pale face from his hands and looked his friend full in
the face, with a quaint little smile on his lips which meant much, which
spoke of the gratitude in his heart, and of more than that--of the faith
he had in Owen, of a regard for him which was fast nearing the point of
genuine admiration.
"You don't reply," he went on earnestly. "But I will tell you. I say
that you have shown pluck, and that I swear you behaved nobly when that
beast charged me. More than that. You have taken up this matter in a
curiously business-like way all your own, and I shall be surprised if
you don't contrive to get us out of this mess. As for the boat. It is
heavy, I know, but if you say that we must row it out till we are in the
open sea, why, we'll do it. I feel better already since I heard the
suggestion."
But his looks belied the words, for he was still very pale, with black
lines beneath his eyes, and a tired look in the latter which told of his
condition.
"We could do it if we set our hands to the job," admitted Owen sturdily.
"But there is another question. Supposing we were followed. We should be
nowhere, for those beggars carry sweeps. Didn't you see them in use as
the boat left the shore below and ran through the surf?"
A nod from Jack showed that he remembered, while Mulha gave an
exclamation of assent.
"The sahib has sharp eyes, which seem to take in everything," he said,
dipping his face into his hands in a salaam, a custom which he had when
addressing Owen. "My master spoke of a native vessel, and perhaps he can
say of which he speaks and how he would use her?"
For a little while there was silence again, all three staring out at
the bay, Jack listlessly and with half-hearted interest, for he felt
thoroughly ill, while his head, as he had said some two hours before,
ached till it seemed to be on the point of bursting. Mulha squatted on
his heels, in the position loved by the native, and viewed the scene
thoughtfully, his eyes every now and again seeking Owen's face as if he
expected to receive help from him. And this in fact was the case. The
native of India often finds a subtle attraction about the white man, and
once he has cause for devotion is never tired of showing his loyalty and
good feeling. It matters not what is the age of the white man, so long
as he displays parts which are attractive to the native and rouse his
admiration. And Owen had already done that in the case of Mulha. He had
honoured the Mahrattan exile by chatting with him every day as if he
were a friend and an equal, thereby bringing many hours of unexpected
happiness. For Mulha's heart was far away in his own country, and he
sighed to be back. Then Owen had undoubtedly shown that he was possessed
of resource and pluck, and that entirely clinched the matter. He was a
born leader, so said Mulha to himself, and to be obeyed and followed
blindly.
"The sahib spoke of a native craft," he ventured again, after a long
pause. "What passed in his mind? To me there is but one way out of this
difficulty, and that even may depart as the darkness falls. There is the
boat, and if it remains we can use it. On the other hand, it may well
happen that the enemy will be before us. In which case----"
"We shall be in a mess," laughed Owen, showing of a sudden unwonted good
spirits. "But I'm hungry. A man fights and struggles better when well
fed than he does when suffering the pangs of hunger. We've plenty of
meat, and fruit is close at hand. What is to prevent our having a meal?
And while it is cooking we can still keep watch. As to the native
craft--I have my eye on it, Mulha, and I fancy that very soon we shall
want to make the acquaintance of those aboard her. No. I have no plan
fixed yet, but this I will say, that I mean to reach the ship to-night
if that is possible. Now, what about the grub?"
"There is the deer, sahib, while for me fruit will be sufficient. If you
will remain where you are I will light a fire behind the bushes, and in
such a way that not even the sharpest eyes shall detect it. Then I will
bring you a steak and some fruit, which should appease your appetite."
He crawled away through the bush, and Owen watched him as he descended
the landward side of the rise and walked towards the forest. But he took
little note of his movements, for his thoughts were on other matters and
other men; and presently his face turned towards the sea once more, and
he stared out at the Indiaman and at the native craft with deeply
furrowed brows, and with every appearance of perplexity. And as he
watched, the firing of guns ceased altogether, while the native craft,
one by one, hauled in their sails and steered back towards the coast.
"Disappointed," he thought. "They must have had information that a big
ship had put in here after the storm, and hoped to come upon her
unawares. Lucky for all of us that they did not arrive when we were
careened. As it is they have failed, and I should fancy that they will
give up all thoughts of further attack. The question is, do they know
that there are still some of the ship's company ashore?"
It was a knotty question to solve, and for a long while he pondered over
it.
"It looks as though they did not suspect our presence," he thought, "for
would they have left the boat otherwise? On the other hand, they must
have asked themselves why there was a boat ashore at all, and with only
three men in her. On second thoughts I believe they know that some one
is ashore, and have left the boat, hoping we shall come down and put out
towards the ship, when they will make an easy capture."
"What on earth are you chattering about, old chap?" suddenly exclaimed
Jack, lifting his head from his arms and staring at his friend. "You've
been talking aloud for the last ten minutes, asking all sorts of
questions, and going on without waiting for a reply. What's it all
about? Look here, I'm lots better. Half an hour ago my head felt as if
it would burst, and I was giddy and almost sick. But the rest has done
me good. What's happening?"
As a matter of fact he had fallen asleep very soon after reaching the
top of the rise, and Mulha and Owen had taken good care to leave him
undisturbed. His face was still pale, but there was a brighter look
about his eyes, the sleep, short though it was, evidently having done
him a world of good.
"I was arguing with myself about those beggars down below. It's a way I
have," responded Owen apologetically. "I've come to the conclusion that
they know that some one is still ashore, and that they left the boat
below to act as a trap. The question arises, then, whether the flies
should walk into the trap and be taken, or whether they should lay a
little trap of their own? But look at the ship!"
"She's hove-to, and that's a signal, I am sure."
Jack was evidently far brighter and more wide awake, for his arm shot
out and he pointed to the Indiaman, lying rocking to and fro some two
miles from the entrance to the bay, and flying a long stream of
brilliant flags, with a Jack at the top, all seen distinctly, even at
that distance, owing to the wonderfully clear atmosphere.
"If we belonged to the navy we might be able to read the message," said
Owen as he stared at the flags, "but as it is, we can't. I fancy we
should do well to sit quietly where we are and take no notice. You see,
they know that we are ashore, for they will have seen the boat attacked
and the men in her killed. They will guess that we have kept out of the
way, and common sense will tell them that we shall make an effort to get
away from Sumatra. That being so, we can safely leave the signal
unanswered. Take note of that little native vessel over there, Jack."
It was his turn to point, and he did so at the very craft which had
left the shore below, her hands having dragged the ship's boat on to the
sand after killing her crew. "She is the one to suit us. She has one
sail, as you can see for yourself, and there are barely a dozen men
aboard her."
Jack sat up on his elbow and stared at his friend as if he could barely
believe his ears. Then he scrambled on to hands and knees and crawled
close up to him.
"What game are you after?" he asked in a whisper, as if he feared that
the enemy below would hear. "You don't intend to make a dash,--by
George! if you do, I'm with you. I don't care if you don't explain. If
you think that that will help us, why, I'm in with you and will help all
I know."
"Dinner," said Owen with a laugh. "Can you eat anything now? I'm as
hungry as a hunter. We'll sit here, and watch the boats as we eat.
That's grand, Mulha."
He smiled in Jack's face, refusing to answer one of his questions, for
as yet his plans were not matured. He had an idea, that was all, and he
meant to ponder on it for a time. The sergeant had taught him to think
where there was time to do so, before taking action, to look, in fact,
before making a leap; and in such a serious position as this was he
determined to do nothing that was rash or would lead to disaster. It
was, therefore, with a light-hearted laugh that he turned to Mulha as
the native came towards them, and eagerly looked at the food he brought
with him. This native seemed to have a thousand virtues, and one of
those was concerned with the art of cooking. He had retired to the
forest, some hundred yards behind the spot where they were lying, and
there, with the aid of flint and steel, he had soon set fire to a
handful of brittle wood. Dried sticks piled on that had soon burst into
flame, and within a few minutes the good fellow had had a couple of fine
steaks, cut from the deer, skewered on his ramrod and frizzling over the
embers. And now he brought the meal, on a fresh palm-leaf, smoking and
hot, and wonderfully appetising. Then he had filled Owen's flask with
water, and had not forgotten to bring a bunch of bananas. Our hero's
mouth watered, for the unwonted exercise, the excitement of their
hunting adventures, and of the scene which they had been watching, had
given him a healthy appetite. Even Jack was so far recovered by the rest
as to declare himself ready. They sat down close together, with a
boulder only intervening, and on this the palm-leaf dish was placed.
Each had a good-sized pocket-knife, and with these they cut up the
slices, transferring the pieces to their mouths with their fingers.
"Made before forks, you know," laughed Jack, looking a comical object as
he sat there in front of his friend, a faint tinge of pink in his cheeks
now, but with his head still swathed in Owen's coloured handkerchief.
"This is a picnic. Who would have thought that we should have had such a
time! But I was forgetting those poor fellows down there. They have had
little cause to bless the pirates."
"And we may have still less," Owen reminded him. "But we're alive, and
we're going to win through. You asked me what I meant when I pointed to
the boat down yonder."
Jack leaned towards him eagerly, while Mulha went down on his heels and
stared into the white youth's face.
"Yes. Go on. What were you thinking of? How could her capture help us?"
Jack asked eagerly.
"There will be a moon late to-night," said Owen thoughtfully. "If we
could get aboard that craft in time, and without much noise, we could
easily make out to sea and so fall in with the ship. I've been
calculating. I had forgotten the moon till a little while ago, and then
I reflected that if we started directly it was dark the chances were
that we should get out of the bay before the light came. I reckon it to
be an eight miles' pull. Well, supposing we reached the edge of the bay
when the moon got up----"
"We might still fall into the hands of the enemy, sahib," interrupted
Mulha. "These robbers below, if they have left the boat to tempt us,
will think, perhaps, that it will take us a little while to gather
courage for the attempt. They will rely upon the moon rising before we
are near our friends. They would pounce down upon us, and then----"
"You need not go on," said Jack with a shudder and a comical grimace;
"we can guess. Cut-throats have many ways of dealing with their enemies,
but they all lead to the same end. I see the drift of Owen Sahib's
argument. The chances are that we should be taken, for the boat is very
heavy and the ship far out now."
"While the attempt to reach her would be a natural one on our part, and
it is more than likely that these rogues will expect us to make it,"
went on Owen. "That being so, a little surprise might help us. There are
three of us, and we are armed. I propose that we cut three stout cudgels
or bludgeons before the light goes, and that we slip down to the boat
the instant it is dark. We will push her into the water as quietly as we
can, and paddle gently towards that craft I have selected. Her consorts
are at least four miles away, and if there is a rumpus the noise may not
be heard. Of course we must beat these fellows and get possession. After
that we'll up anchor and away."
The scheme had much to recommend it, but not a single one of the three,
however sanguine he might be, could hide the fact from himself or his
friends that the enterprise was a desperate one. There were perhaps a
dozen cut-throats aboard the native craft, and they themselves numbered
three.
"But we shall have the advantage of surprise," said Jack, as they
discussed the matter; "and after all, we have no other choice. I follow
your arguments entirely now. The boat is out of the question. We should
nearly certainly be discovered and killed."
They sat down beneath the bush again and watched, while the light waned,
slowly at first and then more rapidly. And meanwhile Mulha slipped away
into the forest, and returned before it was dark with three fine
cudgels. He made a second trip, and came staggering back with their
trophies, which he placed at their feet.
"In case we are detained aboard, sahibs," he said, with a grave smile.
"There is the deer for you, while there are bananas here for me. We will
fill the flask also."
Just before it got dark a movement was noticed aboard the smaller of the
craft, the one which Owen had selected for their expedition. A tiny
skiff dropped from her side, and three men lowered themselves into her,
and taking up the paddles went away out to the three larger craft, which
still stood backwards and forwards some miles from the shore. Then a
second skiff left her side, with four men aboard, who at once rowed for
the shore.
"They have to make farther along the coast," said Owen as he watched
their movements. "They intend to land, and cannot do so here as the surf
is too rough for them. They will come along later to the boat, and if we
have put out they will signal. That is their object, I should say, and
it raises another difficulty. As for the others, I suspect that they
have gone to the captain of these ships to tell him of the plans they
have made. We shall have to be very cunning and very quick if we are to
get out of this mess."
The sight of the second skiff had indeed damped their hopes and
ambitions considerably, for the arrival of men ashore would considerably
upset the plans they had made.
"All depends on the time it takes them to get ashore and along to the
boat," said Jack, with something approaching a groan, for he had had
sufficient dangers and difficulties to contend with that day.
"And also upon the time we take to launch the boat below and get out to
the pirate. If we are there before these beggars send their signal, all
the better, and remember there can be only five or six aboard her now.
If we're still on our way things will not be so prosperous nor nearly so
rosy as we had hoped. Still, our chances will not be spoiled."
"Unless the men ashore hear the noise of the conflict, sahibs," ventured
Mulha. "Then their signals would be sent to the ships, and our task
would be even harder. We should have to run the gauntlet of three
fast-sailing craft, armed with guns. The fourth does not count, for she
lies at anchor, her masts having been shot away."
"Then we'll have to make a small alteration," exclaimed Owen quietly.
"You will both back me up, I know."
"Through thick and thin. Give the order, old chap, and I will certainly
follow."
"And I too, sahib. You can trust in Mulha."
"We'll make a move, then. Pick up the stick, Mulha, and come along down
to the beach. Wait, though; are the guns loaded?"
"Both are fully charged," answered the native.
"Then draw the bullets and powder. This job must be managed silently.
There must be no accidental letting off of guns or intentional shooting.
We'll use our cudgels. If a fellow runs at you, Jack, catch him a crack
across the shins and then give him one over the head. Don't shout. Our
game is to make as little noise as possible."
They waited a few minutes longer while Mulha drew the charges from the
guns. And even then Owen stood still, listening to the boom of the surf
below, and trying vainly to discover the whereabouts of the men who had
last set off from the native craft. But Sumatra was buried in darkness,
which blotted out the forest behind, the ships, and the water. A
thousand stars shone out from the heavens, and their reflections could
be watched in the water. But they gave little light, and in any case
insufficient to show the whereabouts of any of the enemy.
"As good for us as for them," said Owen at last. "But there's just one
other matter that has occurred to me. It will be pitch dark aboard that
boat. How are we to avoid striking one another?"
Mulha made no reply, but as they stood there in the darkness they heard
the sharp sound of ripping linen, and guessed that he was tearing some
part of his clothing. Then he came to each in turn and bound a strip of
white material about the left arm.
"One moment, sahibs, while I step away from you," he said. "It will do
well," he went on, as he returned. "I can see the strips at a few yards,
and that should be amply sufficient. Now, Owen Sahib, I will help with
the load."
They set off for the shore, our hero in advance, and Jack following
closely on the steps of the native. And presently they were trudging
across the sand, here loose and soft, into which they sank almost to
their ankles. Owen had so far kept his face directed to the sea, to the
spot where he imagined the ship's boat to lie. But now that the sand
was reached he turned abruptly to the right and struck off along the
bay. It was a strange manoeuvre, and at once brought low-voiced
exclamations from his companions.
"Are you not leading us far to one side?" whispered Jack, hastening
forward and laying a warning hand on his friend's sleeve. "We should
have marched straight on, to get to the boat."
"And now the sahib will need to turn about and search carefully. I had
marked the exact spot in my mind's eye, but the turn has put me out of
my reckoning."
"And I went this way on purpose," answered Owen, dropping his end of the
stick for the moment "Look here, I've been thinking about this little
business, and I don't like the idea of our leaving being signalled to
the ships by the rascals who have come ashore; for I take it that they
have just about landed by now. I wondered whether it wouldn't be wise to
leave the ship's boat lying where they dragged her and make along up the
coast. Then they'll find her, and will imagine that we have funked it
and are still here."
"But how on earth can that help us?" gasped Jack, his tones lowered to a
whisper. "What are we to do along the coast? We want to reach the ship,
and the boat seems to be the only way of getting there."
"Hardly," replied Owen calmly. "There's another boat. What's to prevent
our making along and letting these gentlemen pass us? They have come
ashore as we did. Their skiff will be lying on the sands. Why shouldn't
we borrow it? It would come in very handy, and then, when we got out to
the native craft we should just be returning friends, you know, not
escaping Englishmen landed from the Indiaman. It strikes me as being a
good idea."
"Good! By George! it's splendid! The very thing for us."
Jack tossed his cap in the air and would have shouted had not Mulha
given vent to a warning word.
"Let us be careful, sahib," he said, betraying little astonishment at
the news of their altered plans. "Remember that these men may now be
near at hand. Let all be silent save Owen Sahib, who only shall give
orders. What next, sahib? The plan reads well. To lay a trap for a trap
is but fair dealing."
"Then forward," said Owen, "and listen. In a little while we will creep
aside into the forest."
Some ten minutes later they crept quietly into the fringe of the forest,
which here grew close down to the water, and threw themselves on their
faces. And presently some stealthy figures crept past, on their way to
the boat, never suspecting that the men for whom they searched were
watching them. Then the trio rose to their feet, and striking out on to
the sandy beach again cut straight along it, their eyes searching the
dull white line, where the surf broke upon the sand, for signs of the
skiff by means of which the enemy had landed.