Outward Bound
The few days preceding the sailing of the _Mongolia_ passed very
quickly; Wentworth, accompanied by Armstrong, spent most of the time at
Mrs. Wentworth's home in Lincolnshire. Strangely enough, Bob's mother
did not, in any way, try to dissuade them from their journey.
"You have the roving instinct of your father, Robert," she said, with
pensive calmness. "I have expected this, and can only pray that you may
be kept safe in the guiding care of the All Wise Providence which
watches over the wanderer on land as on sea."
But his sister had not the same restraint, and it made Armstrong's
tender heart sore to witness the grief of the girl.
"You may be killed--you may both be killed," she sobbed.
"There is no fear of that, Lucy," laughed Bob.
"I'll take care of him, Miss Lucy," said Jack, hesitatingly, almost
equally affected.
"Why, you are just a boy," she exclaimed, smiling at him through her
tears.
"I'm only a year younger than Bob," he protested stoutly, drawing
himself up to his full height of five feet seven and a half inches, and
looking at her reproachfully; at which, to Jack's dismay, she gave way
again to her emotion, her beautiful brown hair falling over her face
like a glorious mantle.
"It's for you, too," she murmured brokenly. "Oh, Jack, you are Bob's
chum, and I shall miss you too." Whereupon the usually light-hearted boy
seemed to become a man at once.
"I have no other friends," he said quietly; then he stammered, "I did
not think any one could miss me," he concluded, with just a trace of
pathos in his voice. And at that moment his friendship for Bob seemed to
be riveted afresh, so keenly did the kindly word of sympathy from the
girl appeal to his generous nature.
Prompt to the advertised hour, the P. and O. _Mongolia_ cast off her
moorings and steamed out of Tilbury Docks, and on the upper deck of the
splendid vessel, among the assembled crowd of passengers, stood Mackay
and the two youthful adventurers. They had arrived in London the night
before, and had spent a very pleasant evening listening to a classic
concert in the Queen's Hall which Mackay had insisted on them hearing.
Bob thought their patron and friend was once more sacrificing himself to
what he imagined was their particular taste; but, to his surprise, that
worthy individual had taken a strong interest in the entire programme,
and especially applauded the young soprano who sang so magnificently a
very difficult Italian aria.
"It's no because I'm a singer mysel'," he explained apologetically, "and
I dinna understan' a word o' the song, but I'm a wonderfu' lover o' guid
music all the same. I think it's sort o' soothing to my mental
faculties."
Jack grinned and looked incredulous, but at that moment the young lady
reappeared in answer to the vociferous demand for an encore, and soon
the haunting strains of "Home, Sweet Home!" filled the vast hall. Again
the doubting youngster looked at his stalwart neighbour, and lo! the
eyes of the ex-bushman were wet.
Now all three watched the receding shores of England with somewhat sad
eyes, and when at last night had fallen, and the vessel was cautiously
feeling her way towards the Bay of Biscay through a murky fog, they
descended to their cabin and began to arrange their baggage and make
preparations for dinner. The next three days were uneventful, though
Jack insisted that his sufferings in the dreaded Bay were severe enough
to warrant mention in the ship's log. He only of the trio was affected
by the rolling and pitching of the ship, though he had goodly company
among the rest of the passengers. As for Bob and Mackay, they walked the
deck through it all. But even sea-sickness comes to an end, and before
the _Mongolia_ reached Gibraltar Jack was feeling himself again, and his
boisterous spirits did much to infuse a sympathetic cheerfulness among
the rest of the passengers, whose reserve was beginning to break away as
they entered the sunny waters of the blue Mediterranean. Bob had found
endless interest in watching the various headlands sighted on the
Portuguese and Spanish coasts, and when the frowning Rock of Gibraltar
was in sight, his eagerness became intense. To him history became almost
a living thing when he gazed at the grim monuments of a glorious past.
And Mackay was ever near to instruct and to interest by the narration
of more or less personal experiences of his own in the various ports
visited. Indeed, Mackay's knowledge was little short of marvellous, and
the boys saw many phases of his character during their first week at
sea. The general passengers too soon became interesting to them. The
_Mongolia_ had on board a very representative community. Some were going
to India, not a few to China and Japan, while the remainder comprised
principally Australians from the different states of the Commonwealth
returning home after a visit to the Old Country. Before Aden had been
reached, owing to the genial influence of the captain, a feeling of good
fellowship pervaded the ship, and the entire company became as one huge
family. Deck sports were a daily occurrence, and concerts and dances
took place every other evening. The sea was calm as glass, flying fish
rose in scattering clouds from the surging wavelets created by the
ship's bows, and porpoises played merrily around the vessel as it dashed
on its unerring course. But on the upper deck the double awning scarcely
obscured the penetrating rays of the scorching sun, and the close
sweltering heat in the cabins below was almost unbearable. At Aden all
the India bound passengers disembarked and changed into an awaiting
vessel which connected with Bombay, and the time allowed before the
_Mongolia_ resumed her course was amply sufficient to permit of Mackay
and his _protégés_ going ashore.
There is not much to attract at this port. It is simply a military
barracks and coaling-station, with an enormous importance, of course, as
a British naval base. Mackay explained this at length to Jack, who was
always eager for information.
"It's the key o' the Red Sea," he announced, "just in the same degree
as Gib. is the key o' the Mediterranean."
"But the Red Sea is not of very much interest to Britain, is it?" said
Bob, questioningly.
"Maybe no, though I canna allow that any part o' His Majesty's ocean is
without its due importance; but, ye see, Aden protects India by watching
the ships that come through the Red Sea, and forby there's no vessel o'
war belonging to another nation could steam past withoot comin' in for
coal----" This in a burst of patriotic fervour. "Why, when the German
Emperor's brother went oot to China, a year or so back, in his big
gunboat, he touched at nothing but British ports all the way." Mackay
chuckled with amusement at the recollection. "There used to be a tree
growing at Aden," he said again, when they recovered themselves, "but
some one that doesn't believe in oddities has evidently cut it down."
Nothing but sand and bare rocks could be seen all around, so his surmise
was probably quite accurate.
"Aren't there some huge tanks near here?" asked Bob. "I heard that they
were the only sight worth seeing in Aden."
"You're quite richt; they're no exactly in Aden, being about five miles
back in the hills. But we have just time to visit them."
He called a waiting garry at once, and directing the Somali driver, they
set out to view the giant reservoirs which date their origin away back
in the mists of antiquity. Bob and Jack looked very different
individuals from what they were a few weeks before. Dressed in whites,
and wearing sun-helmets, they seemed already to be quite accustomed to
the heat; the old tired look had vanished from their faces, and the
light of awakening interest was in their eyes. As for Mackay, under his
big, umbrella-shaped head-covering, the same kindly face was visible,
perhaps a little redder than it was before, but, as he said himself, it
was regaining its natural tan.
"I believe in harmony o' colour," he gravely said, "and there should be
nae contrast between my moustache and its surrounding beauties."
When they reached the tanks, which in appearance were as huge caverns
graven out of the solid rock, the engineering training of the boys was
at once evident by their remarks.
"What a mighty work it must have been," mused Bob.
"King Solomon's Tanks," announced Mackay, taking upon himself the onus
of dispensing knowledge, "were built, or rather excavated, about three
thousand years ago. You will observe that they are so situated as to
catch the natural drainage o' the surrounding country, and when rain
fell, which was seldom, the tanks got filled, and--and when it didna
fall--of course, they remained empty!"
"Of course," agreed they both, promptly.
Mackay looked pained.
"Ye shouldna concur wi' my statements so sudden like," said he. Then he
endeavoured to get on to the rails again. "They got silted up wi' the
sand after long disuse," he continued, "and they were only discovered
and re-excavated some years back; but they are of service to show what
an old civilization could do, and to prove that the climate was
different then, for now ye could hardly droon a mosquito in a' the water
they collect." He ceased, then murmured blandly, "This country is too
hot for me to wax eloquent wi' ony modicum o' pleasure, or I wad go into
geo-logical details concerning it."
"Is there anything you don't know, Mr. Mackay?" inquired Bob, with a
smile.
"No' a thing. I'm a walkin' Encyclopædia--just burstin' wi' knowledge.
No, I'm wrang; there's ane or twa metapheesical matters that beat me.
I'll own to that frankly."
Then they returned to the ship, and amused themselves watching the dusky
patriarchal vendors of ostrich feathers who had come on board,
endeavouring to sell their wares. It particularly interested them to
notice how cheerfully these dealers accepted finally less than a half of
their first demands. The Somali diving boys with the strange yellow hair
and the glistening teeth also attracted their attention. These
youngsters, some of them maimed in horrible fashion, appealed to the
sympathy of the passengers by singing in raucous chorus an aged and once
popular London song. The authorities by this time had forbidden their
wonted occupation owing to the multitudes of sharks infesting the
exposed harbour. Early in the evening the _Mongolia_ once more got under
way, and, with her reduced passenger-list, headed for Colombo, the port
of the spicy Isle of Ceylon.
Among the passengers bound for Australia was a middle-aged, wiry-looking
personage named Carew, whose deeply browned face bore the unmistakable
evidence of long years' sojourn in the tropics. Mackay had recognized
him on the day of embarkation, but had studiously avoided him ever
since.
"He's a famous New Guinea explorer," he informed Bob and Jack, "but he's
a terrible talker, and I'm no vera willin' to be afflicted wi' his
remarks."
Several times, nevertheless, the boys noticed that Carew always gazed
doubtfully at Mackay when they chanced to meet on deck, and on each
occasion that individual would reply with a stare of studied
nonchalance. However, after leaving Aden, the passengers were so much
reduced that they were all thrown into daily contact with each other,
and occasionally Mackay found himself on the same side as Carew in the
course of a cricket-match. But it was after they had left the Island of
Socotra two days astern that any definite conversation passed between
them. A match had just been concluded between the "Weary Wayfarers" and
"The New Chums," two delightfully named opposing teams made up from the
greatest travellers on board and the more or less untravelled community,
and the "Weary Wayfarers" had been summarily defeated. Bob and Jack were
shining lights at such contests, and Bob's bowling had on this occasion
been mainly responsible for the downfall of the Wayfarers, while Jack on
his part had made the top score of his side. Carew and Mackay were
making a straight course for the smoke-room when the former gentleman
broke out abruptly--
"I've been trying a long time to remember, Mackay, where I met you
before, and now I've got it. There couldn't be another phiz like yours
in the whole of this wretched planet."
"I ken my personal adornments are a rare gift," placidly returned the
Scot, "and, to return the compliment, I may say I've never been
surprised at your many marvellous escapes from the New Guinean
cannibals."
"And why so?" queried Carew, much pleased.
"Because a sicht o' your figure-head would destroy any nigger's
appetite, an'----"
"I give you best, Mackay; I give you best," hastily interposed the
other. "But weren't you with Bentley's Expedition in New Guinea four
years ago? Oh, I'm sure of you now. Where did you leave Bentley?"
By this time they were snugly ensconced in a corner of the smoke-room.
Mackay solemnly rang the bell.
"He went under on the last expedition in the West," he said grimly, when
the steward had attended to their requests,--"I was the only one that
escaped."
Carew gave a cry of genuine pain. "Poor Bentley," he muttered brokenly,
"another one gone in that accursed country, and I never knew. We
pioneers don't get much of an obituary notice, Mackay."
Mackay silently agreed. "Don't speak about it before these youngsters of
mine," he said. "They're going out to the West with me, and I don't want
them to be discouraged."
He rose to go, but just then Bob appeared. "There's a small island on
the port bow, Mackay," he announced. "Can you tell me anything about it?
I can't find it on the chart."
"It's the coral isle called Minacoy," volunteered Carew, looking out.
"It's the most southerly atoll of the Laccadive group of islands, and
when the sea is rough it is almost invisible."
They all went out to have a look. The _Mongolia_ passed quite close to
the coral beach, and though the sea was calm the roar of the surge
beating on the shallows was plainly heard. A tall lighthouse with a
background of palms was observable, and a solitary watcher came out
while they gazed and waved a friendly greeting.
"What a lonely life the lighthouse keeper's must be!" said Jack, and he
expressed the sentiments of all.
The next day the _Mongolia_ arrived at Colombo, and here the boys saw
much to interest them. The spacious harbour with its huge artificial
breakwater was in itself a great attraction, and they watched the clouds
of spray that dashed full fifty feet into the air all along the guarding
barrier with keen delight. But on shore the rickshaw rides surpassed all
other forms of amusement. They visited the far-famed Cinnamon gardens in
these strange vehicles, they tried races along the Galle Face road, and
lastly rickshawed with Mackay to Mount Lavinia some five miles distant
from the town. The Cingalese gem merchants who swarmed everywhere were a
source of wonder to them. They marvelled how so many seemingly needy
individuals possessed such stores of rubies, diamonds, sapphires, and
pearls, and which, according to their demands, were worth a prince's
ransom. Mackay only laughed when Jack mentioned his surprise at their
apparent affluence.
"You want to develop your powers o' observation, my laddie," said he,
enigmatically; and Jack, not quite understanding the rebuke, was in no
wise edified. Bob, too, was rather impressed by the courtesy of the same
fraternity.
"Master," an odd-looking personage in flowing garb and with plaited hair
would say, "Master, you buy goodie ruby from me?" and at once a string
of somewhat similarly attired merchants would gather round and watch the
expected process of bargaining silently. But they were not quite as
innocent and free from guile as they looked.
"What do you think of this, Bob?" cried Jack, holding up a huge crystal,
which a smiling Cingalee with a strange little basket for a cap had
proffered him for sale. They were sitting under the revolving fans in
the Hotel Bristol, watching the gay panorama of colour that constantly
flitted before them. Mackay had left them to their own devices for an
hour or so, and they were now awaiting his return.
Bob examined the gaudy crystal with pretended keenness.
"No good; it's only glass," he said shortly, never dreaming that his
idle statement was correct.
"No glass! no glass!" earnestly asserted the Cingalee. "White sapphire,
goodie stone. You try," he added, as a final proof of his honesty; "you
tramp so." He placed the stone under his slippered foot, and pressed
ever so lightly. "You try," he implored, handing the stone to Bob, whom
he now regarded as the one obstacle to the sale of his treasure. "If
glass it break."
"The poor beggar seems honest," said Jack, feeling quite sorry for the
man. "How much?" he asked.
"Five pounds, master."
"I don't want the stone," said Jack, "and anyhow I haven't got five
pounds in my pocket. I'll give you one pound for it," he concluded
jokingly. Before he had fully realized it the gem was his, and the late
owner was exhorting him to secrecy concerning the sacrificial price it
had commanded. "Other men no like me selling so cheap," he explained,
then vanished hurriedly as Mackay entered.
"And so you've bought a sapphire," he said with a chuckle, when Jack
proudly displayed his purchase. "How much did ye gie for it? Sixpence?"
"Isn't it genuine?" asked Bob. "I said it was glass; but he asked me to
stamp on it."
"Ay, ay, that's an old trick; he chanced ye no' takin' him at his
word." He placed the doubtful stone beneath the toe of his shoe, and in
an instant nothing remained but powdered glass. Jack's dismay was great,
and noting it, Mackay patted the boy cheerily on the back. "It's a grand
thing to have faith in human nature," he said kindly. "And I'd rather
see you mak' a mistake that way than the other way. A' the same when you
go oot into the world it's surprising how much deceit you see."
After a stay of a day and a half the _Mongolia_ entered upon the longest
phase of her journey across the equator and down by the north-western
coast of Australia to Fremantle. Several more passengers had been left
at Colombo including those bound for the farther East, who continued
their journey by connecting boat, so that the ship's party was now very
small indeed. To the boys' surprise the heat experienced when crossing
the line was nothing compared with that already felt in the Red Sea; but
Mackay was not wanting with his explanation.
"The desert sands on both sides o' the Red Sea absorb the heat and
intensify it," explained he, "so that the winds that blow from either
east or west are like blasts oot o' a furnace, while here the winds are
tempered by passing over hundreds o' miles o' sea."
"In any case," added Carew, who was standing near, "there are no sandy
stretches in this part of the world, and the prevailing breezes blow in
from the sweet-scented islands of Java and New Guinea."
"I was o' the opinion," began Mackay, after some thought, severely
eyeing the last speaker, "that this information bureau was my funeral. I
was aboot to send oot twa or three chunks o' knowledge when you
interrupted, and noo my inspiration's vanished."
Carew laughed good-naturedly. "Never mind, Mackay," said he; "I will
relieve you for a bit, and entertain Wentworth and Armstrong by spinning
them a true yarn. Get your deck-chairs all, and prepare for something
thrilling."
By the time Carew was ready to start nearly every passenger on board was
clustered round him in eager expectation.
"Two years ago," he began, in reminiscent tones, "I was camped on a
tributary of the Fly River in New Guinea, which was a most unhealthy
district to camp in, owing to the fact that two rival cannibal tribes
had their quarters close handy. However, I wanted to prospect for gold
and gems in the surrounding country, and so decided to take all risks.
But in order to minimize these risks as much as possible, I paid a visit
to the chief or Mamoose of what I imagined to be the more powerful of
the two tribes, and presented him with the only article in my camp I had
no use for--an alarm clock. The old boy was quite delighted with it, and
promptly insisted on wearing it hung from a chain around his neck; not
only that, but when I showed him how to wind it up and ring the alarm,
he immediately informed his warriors that it was a charm which would
ensure success in all battles. Indeed, he wanted to start right then and
march against the Tugeris, his warlike neighbours, but while I was
arguing the point with him--I didn't want any circus in the vicinity at
that time--the 'Che-ep! Che-ep!' of these wretched Tugeris sounded
through the trees. They had evidently anticipated attack at this period
and so were taking time by the forelock. On they came, shouting that
peculiar battle-cry of theirs which gets on one's nerves so quickly. The
old Mamoose, with the clock anchored firmly round his neck, sailed in to
meet them at the head of his warriors, and I made lightning tracks in
the opposite direction. All next day I waited down the river with my
canoe in readiness. If the clock Mamoose won, I was safe as a house; if
he didn't I was as good as cold meat if I didn't get out lively. I was
getting mighty nervous, and couldn't quite see how I was to know which
side won, when, all of a sudden, a huge crocodile hove out of the water
close beside me, and at that instant the noise of an alarm clock going
off sounded out of his gaping mouth like a piano prelude through a
gramophone trumpet. That fixed it, gentlemen. I won't go into my
theories as to how the clock got there. They were strong enough for me,
and I scooted, and a good job too, for when I was at Port Moresby some
weeks later I was told that the Tugeris had fairly swept the country."
"Ye certainly had a maist providential warning," spoke Mackay, dryly,
breaking the dubious silence that followed.
"Come on, Mackay," said Carew, leading the way to the smoke-room.
"Right you are," retorted the other; and they departed arm in arm, much
to the amusement of the assembly.
Three days later they sighted the Cocos group of islands on the horizon,
and in a very short time were passing quite close to the largest of
them. Nothing but a forest of palms could be seen at first, then a
slight indentation on the coast line revealed a schooner and several
smaller craft lying at anchor in front of a row of native dwellings.
"The first king of these islands," Mackay informed the lads, "was a
Glasgow Scotsman. Old King Ross did a wonderful amount o' pioneering
work in these seas, and hoisted the British flag here without the
assistance of a gunboat. He was a strange man, and knew well how to
handle the natives."
"But what do they do?" asked Jack.
"They grow cocoanuts and make copra, my lad; they find a good market for
it in Colombo and Singapore."
"Are all the islands in this part of the Indian Ocean of coral
formation?" asked Bob, looking at the white low-lying shores with
interest.
"Oh no," laughed Mackay, "there's Christmas Island, for instance, about
five hundred odd miles east of these, and it is nothing short of a
mountain, and its shores go down into the water almost as steep as the
side of a house----"
"I say, Mackay," interrupted Carew, petulantly, "how do you know
anything about Christmas Island? It's the most ungetatable place on the
face of the earth, and I've heard that very few white men have ever been
there."
"I'm one of the few," imperturbably answered Mackay. "I sailed there
from North Australia in a pearling lugger," he condescended to explain.
"And do they grow copra there too?" inquired an interested bystander.
"Oh no; it's a guano island and belongs to the Christmas Island
syndicate. A very fine paying concern it is too, though the island is
not more than twenty miles or so in circumference."
"I didn't think guano islands were much good to any one," hazarded Bob.
"Didn't you? Well, that's no' surprisin', seein' that we don't hear
much about them; but I know a man who has a steam yacht, and he keeps
constantly explorin' the ocean for guano islands. It's a good payin'
business right enough, though I wouldna care much aboot diggin'
phosphates mysel', gold bein' more my attraction."
To the boys the idea of unknown islands in these latitudes was
distinctly pleasing. The world to them was taking on a less crowded
aspect. The smiling sea still held her unknown Crusoe islands. The
romance had not all gone from the earth. The days were passing very
quickly now, soon Fremantle would be reached, and then--who knew what
good fortune might speedily be theirs? Bob and Jack looked into the
future with unhesitating eyes. Theirs had been no boyish whim, and as
they neared Australia's coast their pulses quickened, the sense of
freedom was in their blood, the spirit of conquest surged through their
hearts; and Mackay, noting their steady courage, felt strangely cheered.
On the evening before the _Mongolia_ was expected to reach Fremantle a
concert was held in the saloon, in order to bring together for the last
time the entire assembly, for quite a number were disembarking at
Fremantle; and Bob and Jack were singled out for special adulation by
the chairman--none other than Mr. Carew--who warmly wished them Godspeed
in the new country they were entering upon.
"They, like us all," he said in his laudatory address, "seek their
Eldorado. To them it is something real, tangible; to us who have chased
the elusive phantom it has somewhat lost its zest. But youth and courage
shall conquer where the weary wanderer must fail, and I fully expect our
boys to attain their ambition by sheer manly grit before they have time
to grow weary of the pioneer's life. They are especially fortunate," he
continued, looking towards Mackay, "in having the guiding care of an old
and experienced traveller--one whose deeds always speak louder than his
words, but whose speech when occasion demands is forcible and
conclusive. Only an explorer can fully appreciate a brother explorer's
work; I take off my hat to you, Mackay----" his hat was already off, but
that didn't matter--"and when we meet again, I trust it may be in some
cheerful spot in this little planet and not in the wilds of an unknown
land."