Touch and Go
It was densely dark beneath the trees where the three walked, so dark,
in fact, that Owen, who was leading, struck his forehead heavily against
the trunk of a tree, and staggered back, dropping his end of the stick
as he did so.
"Let us change the order, sahib," said Mulha, when his master had
recovered from the blow, which had been a severe one. "I am used to
finding my way at night, and should have seen or felt that tree. Take
this end of the stick, and let Jack Sahib cling to your sleeve."
Had it been possible they would have kept clear of the wood, but it
happened that at this part a collection of palm-trees struggled right
down to the line of the sea, their trunks being moistened by the spray
cast by the surf. And these were sufficient to delay them, so that many
minutes had elapsed before the party came upon a narrow inlet, cutting
zigzag in from the sea, into which the water ran smoothly. It was
situated round a rocky bend, and had been invisible from the position
they had occupied earlier, overlooking the bay.
"Here we shall find their skiff," exclaimed Owen, in tones of
satisfaction, "and very soon we shall be under way. One moment. Isn't
that the boat?"
"It is a boulder, sahib," answered the native without hesitation, his
eyes seeming to be able to pierce the darkness with ease. "The boat for
which we are searching is higher up. I think I see it already. It is
pulled up on to the mud."
It turned out to be as he had declared, for as the party turned inland,
their onward progress being barred by the inlet, they came upon the
craft some hundred feet higher up, stranded on the mud, with paddles
laid carelessly in the bottom.
"All in readiness, in fact," exclaimed Owen with a chuckle. "This is a
good omen, Jack. All is smooth at first, and the rest is what we care to
make it. Those aboard the native craft will hardly be expecting us. If
we don't manage to drive them overboard within a minute, well, my name's
not Owen!"
"Nor mine Jack. Any special orders before we embark?"
"None. We have our badges, by which we shall know each other. We have
only to clamber aboard and go for them."
"And supposing they should suspect?" asked the native suddenly. "Would
it not be wise, sahibs, in a case like that to approach them
differently? For instance, if they think that we are enemies I could
slip into the water as we came close, and while they follow the
movements of the boat I would clamber aboard. Then, as I fell upon
them, you two might rush in and board the vessel."
"Bravo! A good suggestion, and you shall carry it out," answered Owen
readily. "Is there anything else?"
No one answered. They had done all that was possible by way of
preparation, and could think of nothing more.
"Then dump this load aboard and let us shove her out. Mulha, can you
paddle a boat?"
"I have been at sea for many years, sahib," was the quiet answer.
"Then you will paddle us to the ship. I will take on the task if you
have to slip overboard. Down she goes! Now, into her, Jack."
They placed their load and their guns carefully in the bottom of the
native skiff, and then lifted her clear of the mud, for she was very
light, and carried her bodily into the water. Jack stepped gingerly in
and took his seat in the bows, Owen followed, picking up a paddle as he
did so, while the native placed himself in the stern and plunged his
paddle into the water. They were afloat, and at the very first stroke
the little craft shot out into the centre of the inlet.
"Trim her as well as you can, sahibs," whispered Mulha, "and depend on
me entirely. The surf is not very rough at the entrance, but any unusual
movement might lead to a capsize. I will paddle her gently through, and
then strike to the left. That is where the vessel lies, and all eyes
must search for her."
His paddle dipped regularly now, and the little craft shot down the
inlet. Indeed, it was abundantly clear by the pace she attained that a
stream fell into the bay at this point, and that the current helped the
efforts of the paddler. And before any could have believed it they had
reached the coast-line, and were in the surf, here a gentle swell only,
for had it been like that which broke upon the beach higher up, the boat
would have foundered. She was of far too light a build to have lived
there for a moment. As it was she rocked, till Owen and Jack were forced
to hold to the gunwale, while they bent their bodies as low down as
possible. Meanwhile Mulha seemed to take little heed of the commotion;
but his piercing eyes watched every wave, and the strokes of his paddle
came now at irregular moments, sometimes strong, and sometimes just a
gentle touch which turned the boat's head aside to avoid some breaker.
Spray blew over the three and drenched them, but they hardly heeded it.
All had their thoughts fixed upon the pirates' ship, and upon the coming
struggle.
"I wonder what it will be like," Owen said to himself. "I have fired a
gun and pistols at a target many a time, but till to-day I have never
killed anything. It was all right, of course, to kill those pigs and the
deer; that was sport; while the killing of the rhinos was a matter of
self-preservation. But these natives are different. They are human
beings, and I hesitate even to strike them with the cudgels which we
have prepared."
"There she is! I saw her against the stars," suddenly exclaimed Jack,
interrupting Owen's train of thought. "We shall be alongside in a
quarter of an hour. Then there'll be a tussle. Owen, these beggars would
kill us without a scruple and without mercy, wouldn't they?"
Our hero stared in the direction in which Jack pointed, for his comrade
caught his arm and turned it out to sea to the left, so that the
darkness could lead to no mistakes. And there, without any doubt, was
the pirate vessel, looming large and formidable against the starlight,
and rocking gently on the swell.
"Wouldn't they? They'd cut our throats without hesitation!"
Then his friend had been thinking of the same thing. It was all very
well to fight wild beasts, but when it came to an endeavour to kill
their own fellows, dark-skinned pirates though they were, it was a very
different matter.
"I would not trust my life in their hands for an instant," was his
answer. "Look here, Jack. It's a question of self-preservation all over
again. Those rhinos wanted to kill us, and we were forced to shoot them.
It's the same here. While there are bad men in the world there will be
murders and hangings. Lives will be taken, and robberies and violence
committed, till those who desire to lead a quiet life rebel. Finding
that words and warnings are insufficient they will take to killing the
bad men simply for the reason that if they did not do so the latter
would become too strong in time, and would do pretty well as they liked
with other people's lives and property. That's the way with these
pirates. They wanted to capture the ship, and they would like to take
us, just to revenge their defeat. I object. I want to get to India. I
will hit as hard as possible, and if a man attempts to stand up to me,
well, the better of the two shall survive."
He gripped the stout cudgel which Mulha had cut for him, and balanced it
nicely in his hand. Then his eyes went across to the native boat again,
and he watched to see whether there were any figures on her deck. But
she was still too far away, and, in fact, only her spars were visible,
showing up against the bright stars. Mulha paddled on without a pause
and without a sound. Those in the skiff could just hear the dip, dip of
his blade, but that was all. There was not sufficient noise there to
attract the attention of the pirates, and it was hardly likely that the
latter would be listening.
"Most likely they have turned in by now," said Owen to himself, as he
listened for any other sound than that of the paddle. "With a little
luck we should be able to get alongside without discovery."
He crouched in the bottom of the skiff for some ten minutes, staring
out across the water. And as the seconds passed his hopes rose higher
and higher, while the uncertainty of their position, the inevitable
struggle, and the fact that it would be the very first in which he had
ever taken part, helped to increase his excitement. He could hear and
feel his heart beating. His teeth were clenched, while his hand gripped
the cudgel with a purpose. Owen Jones had forgotten his thoughts of a
few moments ago. He no longer had scruples. There was to be a
rough-and-tumble struggle, and his side was to succeed.
[Illustration: REACHING UP TO HIS FULL HEIGHT HE STRUCK THE MAN ON THE
BREAST
_Page 107_]
"Halloo! Aboard the boat there!"
The hail, in a foreign tongue which none of the three could understand,
came from the shore from the exact point where they had put off, and was
followed by the flash of a pistol and by a sharp report. Then came
confused noises, shouts, and cries of anger, answered within a few
seconds from the very ship for which Mulha was steering.
"The game has been discovered," said Owen hastily, as the truth dawned
upon him. "We have been too slow, and those fellows who landed and
passed us must have slipped back to find their own craft gone. Push on!
Rush them! Get ready, Jack!"
"Steer out beyond the boat," suddenly whispered Mulha. "Hush, sahibs. We
are not discovered yet. They will know aboard the ship that we have
stolen from the shore, and they will scarcely guess our object. Swing to
the right, for they will be looking perhaps to the spot well to our
left. We will slide up beside them and make a rush. I will slip
overboard if we are discovered."
It was not a time for words, and at once Owen dropped his cudgel and
thrust his paddle deep into the water. But dark though the night was
they could hardly hope to avoid detection, and within a minute they knew
that the pirates aboard the ship for which they were aiming had their
eyes upon them. Shouts answered the fierce cries from the shore, and
some one suddenly appeared on the rail of the vessel, a stick in his
hand, and at its extremity, held well aloft, a mass of flaming material,
which acted as a flare and lit up the scene. In a minute, in fact, the
tables were turned, and all the plans and hopes of the three were
shattered utterly.
"Charge!" shouted Jack, turning upon his friends. "Charge! We're done
for if we don't. They will pick us off easily."
"And shoot us like birds. There goes their first weapon. Paddle, Mulha!"
Owen backed his friend up with a will, and seeing in the space of a
second that to remain there, within the circle of light, was to court
death, and that to attempt to escape would in all probability prove
equally fatal, for it would be a little while before they could withdraw
out of the light, and even did they do so, there were enemies between
them and the Indiaman, and ruffians ashore waiting for them to land, he
plunged his paddle in with a will, and, helped by the native, sent the
skiff surging on through the water. A weapon exploded a few feet from
them, and our hero experienced the curious sensation of being hit. He
felt as if some one had taken a hammer and struck him a violent blow on
the thigh. The shock was followed by a burning sensation, and then--they
were close alongside. A burly, naked individual leaned over the rail and
threw something into the skiff, knocking her bottom boards to pieces and
almost sinking her. She was leaking badly, and looked as if she would
founder.
Then another of the pirates leaned over, following the example of his
leader, and would have repeated the process of shattering the boat. But
Owen was too quick for him. Suddenly rising to his feet he swung his
cudgel round his head, and reaching up to his full height struck the man
on the breast. The thud could be heard all over the ship, and was
followed by a shriek of anger and pain.
"Now at them!" he called out at the top of his voice. "Come along, Jack.
Charge them!"
Fortunately the sides of the small native craft which they were
attacking were not very lofty, and thanks to the diversion which his
sudden blow had caused, Owen was able to grip the rail and clamber
aboard. Jack followed as quickly as possible, gaining the deck as three
men, armed with sword or knife, threw themselves upon him. Owen did not
wait for them. Dashing forward he struck out blindly with his stick,
while Jack followed him up swiftly. But the odds were against them. They
had counted on finding perhaps six men aboard, whereas the flare which
was still held aloft disclosed the presence of at least nine pirates,
all scantily dressed, and every one wearing an expression which boded
ill for the attackers. More than that, they were dumfounded at the
audacity of the white men, and as Owen beat them back, and the two
parties halted for a moment to stare at one another, the pirates could
hardly believe their eyes. Then the huge ruffian who had tossed a weight
into the skiff pushed his way to the front of the others and began to
laugh.
"Did ever game walk into the net so nicely?" he asked in the Malay
tongue. "In which way shall we kill them?"
For a moment it seemed as if he would choose a summary method, for he
dragged a huge bell-mouthed pistol from his belt and aimed at Owen. Then
another thought struck him and he turned to consult with his men.
Meanwhile Owen and Jack stood still; petrified at finding such
unexpected numbers. They looked round for Mulha, but he was nowhere to
be seen. They were alone, and had but themselves to depend upon.
"Then we'll go for them," said Owen hastily. "Strike at their shins.
Remember that. Guard their blows and whack them across the legs. A
nigger cannot stand that. I've been told so by men who have been out in
the East. Take that chap on the right. I'm going for the big man in the
centre."
Without another word, but with a shout to encourage one another, they
charged down the deck, swinging their clubs. And as they came the enemy
prepared to meet them. The big man swept a clear patch about him, and
drew a dagger, while the others lined across the deck, some armed with
daggers, and others with native swords. Two had guns which they fired as
the two white men approached, missing them narrowly.
Owen kept his club aloft till he was close to the big man. Then all of a
sudden he ducked his head and shoulders, and as the man lifted his
knife, thinking to ward off a blow made at his head, our hero's cudgel
came with terrific force against his shins and knees. There was a howl
of pain, and the man dropped like an ox which has been felled; then he
crawled away, rubbing his limbs and evidently suffering considerably.
The sudden fall of their leader disconcerted the crowd for a few
seconds, and they drew back. Then one of them raised a sudden shout, and
those in rear turned round. Owen grasped the meaning of their action
instantly.
"Mulha has carried out his plan," he shouted. "At them, Jack. Strike as
hard as you can."
There followed a desperate struggle, during which sticks rose and fell,
while the gleaming blades held by the pirates darted this way and that.
But the length of the cudgels proved an enormous advantage, and when to
that was added the sudden appearance of Mulha, and the need for
defending themselves in front and rear, it was not wonderful that the
rascals aboard gave way. In a few moments four of them lay stretched
senseless on the deck, while beneath the rail grovelled the huge ruffian
whom Owen had brought down, still hugging his shins, for one was broken.
Numbers were more evenly divided now, and the efforts of all three soon
ended the matter. Mulha lifted his club as a man dashed in upon him, and
leaping aside to avoid the blow, brought the heavy stake with a terrific
crash down on the pirate's back, breaking it instantly. Then Jack and
Owen rushed at the others, their clubs whirling, and, struck with terror
at the lot which had fallen to their comrades, these remaining pirates
raced away for their lives and leaped over the side.
"Dowse that flare," commanded Owen instantly. "But wait. Look at these
fellows, Mulha."
"This man is dead, sahib. I hit with all my might, and struck him on the
broad of the back. He is no further use to us or to his own comrades. He
shall join those who have just left us."
Very calmly Mulha stood over the native and carefully inspected him, to
make sure that he was dead. Then as Jack picked up the flare, which had
fallen to the deck and lay there spluttering, he gripped the body with
both hands and tossed it overboard; for this native was a powerful
fellow, tall and supple, with wiry limbs which would have tired the
muscles of many a man of finer development.
"The others are alive, but helpless for the moment, sahib," he went on,
turning to Owen. "Shall they follow? In the sea they will be out of
harm's way, and if we take them they will surely be hanged."
"Leave them. Perhaps the information to be obtained from them will prove
valuable. Now, dowse the light."
Mulha took the stick upon which it was supported and tossed it over the
side. Then for one second he disappeared, swarming over the rail, to
reappear within a minute.
"The boat may still be required, sahibs," he said, with a grave smile.
"There is water in the bottom, but not sufficient to matter. The sea is
calm, and therefore I have only made the rope fast. She can tow as we
sail. Shall we hoist the sails?"
It was the only possible course for them to take, and fortunately on
this craft there was no great difficulty; for she carried but one huge
triangular sheet, the strangely shaped stretch of canvas with which so
many Eastern boats are provided, and on this occasion the canvas had not
been lowered but had been furled about the yard, the latter being left
in position. Mulha went swarming up to it with the agility of a cat, and
soon the folds were trailing near the deck. Owen took hold of the
tiller, leaning heavily upon it, for his leg was strangely weak. As for
Jack, he stood aside, leaving the sail to Mulha, well knowing that he
himself would be in the way. And in a very short space of time, when the
active Mulha had severed the hawser, they were moving, the wind had
caught the sail, and the boat had listed to one side.
"Better get ready for the bombardment," laughed Jack some minutes later,
as they stole silently through the water. "I'll load, and then if any of
those beggars fire at us we shall be able to answer. I suppose she does
not carry a cannon?"
He went off along the deck, while the thoughtful Mulha dived down below,
returning shortly with some muskets, which, following Jack's example, he
commenced to load. Then he went to the unconscious figures lying on the
deck and dragged them to the foot of the mast.
"What if that big fellow with the broken shins chooses to give a shout?"
asked Owen suddenly. "Of course, the pirates on shore and those at sea
know or guess what has happened. That flare will have made everything as
plain as possible. They'll be cruising up and down to catch us, and if
that fellow cared he could bring them alongside."
"I will speak to him, Sahib," answered Mulha grimly. "He shall
understand. Give me one of the guns."
He took the weapon from Jack, who stood near at hand. Then he went to
the side of the wounded man and grasped him roughly by the shoulder.
There was just sufficient light to see him, and out here on the water,
where they were well away from overhanging trees, they could see far
better than when on the land. As he stared at the two, Jack saw Mulha
shake the man, and then raise his finger to his lips, at which the
wounded pirate ceased his groans. Then very deliberately Mulha raised
the musket, thrust the cold muzzle into the man's ear, causing him to
sit transfixed with terror, and then lifted up a warning finger again.
It was enough. The fellow groveled in the scuppers, and from that moment
not a sound escaped him. As for the others, they showed as yet no signs
of returning consciousness, so well and truly had the blows fallen.
"In an hour and a half we shall be clear of the bay," said Owen, who
still clung to the tiller, for he had little fears of his powers of
being able to sail the vessel. The wind happened to be in the right
quarter, and he had handled a tiller before in Old England.
"What if some of those other craft get alongside and blaze at us?" he
asked.
"We'll give them something back," answered Jack defiantly. "Run us in
close to them, and Mulha and I will pepper them with the muskets."
"If we are not meanwhile blown to pieces with their guns," laughed Owen.
"Keep a bright look-out, that's the best course, and run as far from
them as possible. How's the time, do you think?"
"Couldn't say," responded his friend. "We might have put off hours ago.
I've lost count of the time altogether."
So much had happened that it was not wonderful that it seemed to all
three that they had left the shore some long while ago. But, as a matter
of fact, it still wanted quite a little while before the moon would
rise. And meanwhile they steered on their course, their bows pointed to
the wide opening of the bay, and all eyes engaged in watching for the
enemy. And presently the creak of a yard was heard, and some distance to
their right, and nearer in shore, a huge indefinite shape swirled by and
was gone, the creak, creak of the yard melting into silence as she
increased her distance and ran on into the night. An hour passed, while
the little vessel pressed on, the water churned to froth at her bows.
"We are in the open sea, or just at the mouth of the bay, Sahib," said
Mulha. "I am sure of that, for there is a little roll, and in the bay
there was none, only the wind listed us to one side. We must be very
careful. At any moment we may run into the enemy. Then the moon will be
up before very long."
A few minutes later, indeed, she came up from behind the high lands
running parallel with the coast, and flooded bay and open sea. Almost
instantly there was a shout from the three who manned the stolen vessel,
a shout answered by a loud hail not far away. It was the Indiaman,
under sail, and standing silently and very slowly across the mouth of
the bay. They could see her very plainly, for the rays fell full upon
her, and she was within an easy shot. At the shout they saw men rushing
down the deck, and figures, strangely ghost-like in the silvery light,
appeared from her hatches. Then a dull red flash spurted from her side,
a puff of smoke belched into the night, and a ball, directed by no
unskilled hand, hurtled across the water and hulled the little craft
which was standing out of the bay. It was a fine shot, and brought a
wild cheer from the deck of the Indiaman; but it had disastrous
consequences, for it knocked a wide hole in the planks of the native
vessel, through which the water poured in torrents.
"Ahoy! You're firing at friends! Ahoy there!"
Owen clambered with difficulty into the rigging, till he reached a spot
where his figure stood sharply silhouetted against the moon behind. And
there he waved his arms, while he hailed at the top of his voice. And
evidently those aboard the Indiaman were not slow to discover their
mistake. Another cheer rose from her deck, and a stout figure leapt on
to the rail, and ascending a few rungs of the ladder hailed back in
stentorian tones. Then came the splash of a boat, and within five
minutes the ship's gig was pulling towards them.
"It will be touch and go yet," said Owen. "We'd better get aboard the
skiff. These poor fellows here must take their chance. Give me a hand,
Mulha."
A few minutes before he had been able to clamber into the rigging with
wonderful agility, considering his wound; but now that the danger was
passed, and help and friends were at hand, Owen collapsed utterly. He
held out his hand to Mulha, and then fell on his face on the deck. And
in this unconscious condition he was lifted aboard the skiff, which was
half full of water, and from her was transferred to the gig. A quarter
of an hour later the Indiaman was standing out of the bay, while her
deck hands were hoisting the gig back to the davits. Owen lay pale and
motionless in the sick-bay, while Jack was closeted with the captain. As
for the native craft, she had sunk beneath the water, the five wounded
pirates who had been upon her being barely rescued by the gig. It was a
tragic ending to a day's hunting, but it provided the garrulous Jack
Simpson with a theme, and at that moment he was breathlessly detailing
all that had happened. And had there been any doubt as to the truth of
their meeting with the rhinos, there was the head of the beast, and a
portion of a deer, now brought aboard, indisputable evidence of their
prowess.