The two lads made for where they could get a good view of the lugger
swinging by a rope abreast of the starboard gangway, and as they passed
along the quarter-deck, the shrill strident tones of the American's
voice reached them through one of the open cabin skylights, while
directly after, Murray, keen and observant of everything, noted that the
two marines of whom his companion had spoken were standing apparently
simply on duty, but thoroughly upon the alert and ready for anything,
their whole bearing suggesting that they had received the strictest of
orders, and were prepared for anything that might occur.
Roberts gave his companion a nudge with his elbow and a quick glance of
the eye, which produced "Yes, all right; I see," from Murray. "I'm
afraid--I mean I'm glad to see that I was only croaking; but I say,
Dick, have a good quiet look at those fellows and see if you don't find
some excuse for what I thought."
"Bah! Beginning to croak again."
"That I'm not," said Murray. "I only say have a look at them,
especially at that fellow smoking."
"Wait a moment. I have focussed my eye upon that beauty getting his
quid ready--disgusting!"
"Yes, it does look nasty," said Murray, with the corners of his lips
turning up. "The regular Malay fashion. That fellow never came from
these parts."
"Suppose not. Why can't the nasty wretch cut a quid off a bit of black
twist tobacco like an ordinary British sailor?"
"Instead of taking a leaf out of his pouch," continued Murray, "smearing
it with that mess of white lime paste out of his shell--"
"Putting a bit of broken betel nut inside--" said Roberts.
"Rolling it up together--" continued Murray.
"And popping the whole ball into his pretty mouth," said Roberts. "Bah!
Look at his black teeth and the stained corners of his lips. Talk
about a dirty habit! Our jacks are bad enough. Ugh!"
"I say, Dick," whispered Murray, as the Malay occupant of the boat
realised the fact that he was being watched, and rolled his opal
eyeballs round with a peculiar leer up at the two young officers.
"Now then," was the reply, "you promised that you wouldn't croak."
"To be sure. I only wanted to say that fellow looks a beauty."
"Beauty is only skin deep," said Roberts softly.
"And ugliness goes to the bone," whispered Murray, smiling. "Yes, he
looks a nice fellow to be a cultivator of the indiarubber plant."
"Eh? Who said he was?" said Roberts sharply.
"His skipper. That's what they all are. Splendid workers too. Do more
than regular niggers."
"Do more, no doubt," said Roberts thoughtfully. "But they certainly
don't look like agricultural labourers. Why, they're a regular crew of
all sorts."
"Irregular crew, you mean," said Murray. "That one to the left looks
like an Arab."
"Yes, and the one asleep with his mouth open and the flies buzzing about
him looks to me like a Krooboy. Well, upon my word, old Croaker, they
do look--I say, do you see that blackest one?"
"Yes; and I've seen them before, you know."
"But he opened and shut his mouth just now. You didn't see that, did
you?"
"Yes, I saw it; he has had his teeth filed like a saw."
"That's what I meant, and it makes him look like a crocodile when he
gapes."
"Or a shark."
"Well," said Roberts, after a pause, "upon my word, Frank, they do look
about as ugly a set of cut-throat scoundrels as ever I saw in my life."
"Right," said Murray eagerly. "Well, what do you say now?"
"That I should like to point out their peculiarities to the skipper and
old Anderson, and tell them what we think. Go and ask them to come and
look."
"I have already done so to Anderson."
"But you ought to do it to the skipper as well. Look here, go at once
and fetch him here to look."
"While the American is with him? Thank you; I'd rather not."
"Do you mean that?"
"To be sure I do. What would he say to me?"
"Oh, he'd cut up rough, of course; but you wouldn't mind that in the
cause of duty."
Murray laughed softly.
"Why, Dick, I can almost hear what he would say about my impudence to
attempt to teach him his duty. No, thank you, my dear boy; if he and
Anderson think it right to trust the American, why, it must be right.
If you feel that the nature of these fellows ought to be pointed out,
why, you go and do it."
Roberts took another look at the lugger's crew, and then shrugged his
shoulders, just as the captain came on deck, followed by the American
and the first lieutenant.
The American was talking away volubly, and every word of the
conversation came plainly to the ears of the two lads.
"Of course, cyaptain, I'll stop on board your craft if yew like, but I
put it to yew, how am I going to play pilot and lead you in through the
mouth if I stop here? I can sail my lugger easy enough, but I should
get into a tarnation mess if I tried to con your big ship. Better let
me lead in aboard my own craft, and you follow."
"In the darkness of night?" said the captain.
"There ain't no darkness to-night, mister. It'll be full moon, and it's
morning pretty early--just soon enough for you to begin business at
daybreak. I shall lead you right up to where the schooner's lying, and
then you'll be ready to waken the skipper up by giving him a good round
up with your big guns."
"And what about the slaves?"
"Oh, you must fire high, sir, and then yew won't touch them. High
firing's just what yew want so as to cripple his sails and leave him
broken-winged like a shot bird on the water."
The captain nodded, and the two midshipmen, after a glance at the first
lieutenant, to see that he was listening attentively with half-closed
eyes, gazed at the American again.
"Lookye here, mister," he said, "yew must make no mistake over this job.
If yew do, it's going to be pretty bad for me, and instead of me being
rid of a bad neighbour or two, and coming in for a long strip of rich
rubber-growing land, I shall find myself dropped upon for letting on to
him yewr craft; and I tell yew he's a coon, this slave cyaptain, as
won't forgive anything of that kind. He's just this sort of fellow. If
he finds I've done him such an on-neighbourly act, he'll just give his
fellows a nod, and in less time than yew can wink there'll be no
rubber-grower anywhere above ground, for there'll be a fine rich
plantation to sell and no bidders, while this 'ere industrious
enterprising party will be somewhere down the river, put aside into some
hole in the bank to get nice and mellow by one of the crockydiles, who
object to their meat being too fresh."
"Ugh!" shuddered Roberts.
"Oh, that's right enough, young squire," said the man, turning upon him
sharply. "I ain't telling you no travellers' tales. It's all true
enough. Wal, cyaptain, don't you see the sense of what I am saying?"
"Yes, sir. But tell me this; do you guarantee that there are no shoals
anywhere about the mouth of the river?"
"Shoals, no; sands, no, sir. All deep water without any bottom to speak
of. But where you find it all deep mud yew can't take no harm, sir.
The river's made its way right threw the forest, and the bank's cut
right straight down and up perpendicular like, while if _you_ were to go
ashore it would only be to send your jib boom right in among the trees
and your cut-water against the soft muddy bank. Why, it's mostly a
hundred feet deep. Yew trust me, and yew'll find plenty of room; but if
yew don't feel quite comf'table, if I was yew I'd just lie off for a bit
while you send in one of your boats and Squire First Lieutenant there,
to see what it's like, and the sooner the better, for the sun's getting
low, and as I dessay yew know better than I can tell _yew_, it ain't
long after the sun sinks before it's tidy dark. Now then, what do yew
say? I'm ready as soon as yew are."
"How long will it take us to get up to the chief's town?"
"'Bout till daylight to-morrow morn', mister. That's what I'm telling
of yew."
"Then it's quite a big river?"
"Mighty big, sir."
"And the current?"
"None at all hardly, mister. Yew'll just ketch the night wind as blows
off the sea, and that'll take yew up as far as yew want to go. Then
morrow mornin' if yew're done all yew want to do yew'll have the land
wind to take yew out to sea again. Though I'm thinking that yew won't
be able to do all yew want in one day, for there's a lot of black folk
to deal with, and I wouldn't be in too great a hurry. Yew take my
advice, cyaptain; do it well while yew're about it, and yew won't
repent."
"Never fear, sir," said the captain sternly. "I shall do my work
thoroughly. Now then, back into your lugger and show us the way. Mr
Munday, take the second cutter and follow this American gentleman's
lead, and then stay alongside his boat while Mr Anderson comes back to
report to me in the first cutter. You both have your instructions.
Yes, Mr Roberts--Yes, Mr Murray," continued the captain, in response
to a couple of appealing looks; "you can accompany the two armed boats."