In physics, as in morals, a storm is frequently the precursor of a dead
calm.
Much to the monkey's joy, to say nothing of the men, the sun ere long
asserted its equatorial power, and, clearing away the clouds, allowed
the celestial blue to smile on the turmoil below. The first result of
that smile was that the wind retired to its secret chambers, leaving the
ships of men to flap their idle sails. Then the ocean ceased to fume,
though its agitated bosom still continued for some time to heave.
Gradually the swell went down and soon the unruffled surface reflected a
dimpling smile to the sky.
When this happy stage had been reached our voyagers lowered and stowed
the canoe-sails, and continued to advance under paddles.
"We get along wonderfully fast, Van der Kemp," said Nigel, while resting
after a pretty long spell; "but it seems to me, nevertheless, that we
shall take a considerable time to reach Borneo at this rate, seeing that
it must be over two hundred miles away, and if we have much bad weather
or contrary wind, we shan't be able to reach it for weeks--if at all."
"I have been thrown somewhat out of my reckoning," returned the hermit,
"by having to fly from the party on the islet, where I meant to remain
till a steamer, owned by a friend of mine, should pass and pick us up,
canoe and all. The steamer is a short-voyage craft, and usually so
punctual that I can count on it to a day. But it may have passed us in
the gale. If so, I shall take advantage of the first vessel that will
agree to lend us a hand."
"How!--Do you get them to tow you?"
"Nay, that were impossible. A jerk from the tow-rope of a steamer at
full speed would tear us asunder. Have you observed these two strong
ropes running all round our gunwale, and the bridles across with
ring-bolts in them?"
"I have, and did not ask their use, as I thought they were merely meant
to strengthen the canoe."
"So they are," continued the hermit, "but they have other uses
besides--"
"Massa," cried Moses, at this point. "You'll 'scuse me for 'truptin'
you, but it's my opinion dat Spinkie's sufferin' jus' now from a empty
stummik!"
The hermit smiled and Nigel laughed. Laying down his paddle the former
said--
"I understand, Moses. That speech means that you are suffering from the
same complaint. Well--get out the biscuit."
"Jus' de way ob de wurld," muttered the negro with a bland smile. "If a
poor man obsarves an feels for de sorrows ob anoder, he allers gits
credit for t'inkin' ob his-self. Neber mind, I's used to it!"
Evidently the unjust insinuation did not weigh heavily on the negro's
spirit, for he soon began to eat with the appetite of a healthy
alligator.
While he was thus engaged, he chanced to raise his eyes towards the
south-western horizon, and there saw something which caused him to
splutter, for his mouth was too full to speak, but his speaking eyes and
pointing finger caused his companions to turn their faces quickly to the
quarter indicated.
"A steamer!" exclaimed the hermit and Nigel in the same breath.
The vessel in question was coming straight towards them, and a very
short time enabled Van der Kemp to recognise with satisfaction the
steamer owned by his friend.
"Look here, run that to the mast-head," said Van der Kemp, handing a red
flag to Nigel. "We lie so low in the water that they might pass quite
close without observing us if we showed no signal."
An immediate, though slight, change in the course of the steamer showed
that the signal had been seen. Hereupon the hermit and Moses performed
an operation on the canoe which still farther aroused Nigel's surprise
and curiosity. He resolved to ask no questions, however, but to await
the issue of events.
From the marvellous hold of the canoe, which seemed to be a magazine for
the supply of every human need, Moses drew a short but strong rope or
cable, with a ring in the middle of it, and a hook at each end. He
passed one end along to his master who hooked it to the bridle-rope at
the bow before referred to. The other end was hooked to the bridle in
the stern, so that the ring in the centre came close to Nigel's elbow.
This arrangement had barely been completed when the steamer was within
hail, but no hail was given, for the captain knew what was expected of
him. He reduced speed as the vessel approached the canoe, and finally
came almost to a stop as he ranged alongside.
"What cheer, Van der Kemp? D'ye want a lift to-day?" shouted the
skipper, looking over the side.
A nod and a wave of the hand was the hermit's reply.
"Heave a rope, boys--bow and stern--and lower away the tackle," was the
skipper's order.
A coil was flung to Van der Kemp, who deftly caught it and held on
tight. Another was flung to Moses, who also caught it and held on--
slack. At the same moment, Nigel saw a large block with a hook attached
descending towards his head.
"Catch it, Nigel, and hook it to the ring at your elbow," said the
hermit.
Our hero obeyed, still in surprise, though a glimmer of what was to
follow began to dawn.
"Haul away!" shouted the skipper, and next moment the canoe was swinging
in the air, kept in position by the lines in the hands of Van der Kemp
and Moses. At the same time another order was given, and the steamer
went ahead full speed.
It was all so suddenly done, and seemed such a reckless proceeding, that
Nigel found himself on the steamer's deck, with the canoe reposing
beside him, before he had recovered from his surprise sufficiently to
acknowledge in suitable terms the welcome greeting of the hospitable
skipper.
"You see, Nigel," said Van der Kemp that night, as the two friends paced
the deck together after supper, "I have other means, besides paddles and
sails, of getting quickly about in the Java seas. Many of the traders
and skippers here know me, and give me a lift in this way when I require
it."
"Very kind of them, and very convenient," returned Nigel. He felt
inclined to add: "But why all this moving about?" for it was quite
evident that trade was not the hermit's object, but the question, as
usual, died on his lips, and he somewhat suddenly changed the subject.
"D'ye know, Van der Kemp, that I feel as if I must have seen you
somewhere or other before now, for your features seem strangely familiar
to me. Have you ever been in England?"
"Never. As I have told you, I was born in Java, and was educated in
Hong Kong at an English School. But a fancy of this sort is not very
uncommon. I myself once met a perfect stranger who bore so strong a
resemblance to an old friend, that I spoke to him as such, and only
found out from his voice that I was mistaken."
The captain of the steamer came on deck at that moment and cut short the
conversation.
"Are you engaged, Van der Kemp?" he asked.
"No--I am at your service."
"Come below then, I want to have a talk with you."
Thus left alone, and overhearing a loud burst of laughter at the fore
part of the steamer, Nigel went forward to see what was going on. He
found a group of sailors round his comrade Moses, apparently engaged in
good-natured "chaff."
"Come, now, blackey," said one; "be a good fellow for once in your life
an' tell us what makes your master live on a desert island like Robinson
Crusoe, an' go about the ocean in a canoe."
"Look 'ere now, whitey," returned Moses, "what you take me for?"
"A nigger, of course."
"Ob course, an' you're right for once, which is such an unusual t'ing
dat I 'dvise you go an' ax de cappen to make a note ob it in de log.
I's a nigger, an a nigger's so much more 'cute dan a white man dat you
shouldn't ought to expect him to blab his massa's secrets."
"Right you are, Moses. Come, then, if you won't reveal secrets, give us
a song."
"Couldn't t'ink ob such a t'ing," said the negro, with a solemn,
remonstrant shake of the head.
"Why not?"
"'Cause I neber sing a song widout a moral, an' I don't like to hurt
your feelin's by singin' a moral dat would be sure to waken up _some_ o'
your consciences."
"Never mind that, darkey. Our consciences are pretty tough. Heave
ahead."
"But dere's a chorus," said Moses, looking round doubtfully.
"What o' that? We'll do our best with it--if it ain't too difficult."
"Oh, it's not diffikilt, but if de lazy fellers among you sings de
chorus dey'll be singin' lies, an' I don't 'zackly like to help men to
tell lies. Howseber, here goes. It begins wid de chorus so's you may
know it afore you has to sing it."
So saying, Moses struck two fingers on the capstan after the manner of a
tuning-fork, and, holding them gravely to his ear as if to get the right
pitch, began in a really fine manly voice to chant the following
ditty:--
"Go to Work."
Oh when de sun am shinin' bright, and eberyt'ing am fair,
Clap on de steam an' go to work, an' take your proper share.
De wurld hab got to go ahead, an' dem what's young and strong
Mus' do deir best, wid all de rest, to roll
de wurld along.
De lazy man does all he can to stop its whirlin' round.
If he was king he'd loaf an' sing--and guzzle, I'll be bound,
He always shirk de hardest work, an' t'ink he's awful clebbar,
But boder his head to earn his bread, Oh! no, he'll nebber, nebber.
_Chorus_--Oh when de sun, etcetera.
De selfish man would rader dan put out his hand to work,
Let women toil, an' sweat and moil--as wicked as de Turk.
De cream ob eberyt'ing he wants, let oders hab de skim;
In fact de wurld and all it holds was only made for him.
_Chorus_--Oh when de sun, etcetera.
So keep de ball a-rollin', boys, an' each one do his best
To make de wurld a happy one--for dat's how man is blest.
Do unto oders all around de t'ing what's good and true,
An' oders, 'turning tit for tat, will do do same to you.
_Chorus_--Oh when de sun, etcetera.
The sailors, who were evidently much pleased, took up the chorus
moderately at the second verse, came out strong at the third, and sang
with such genuine fervour at the last that it was quite evident, as
Moses remarked, there was not a lazy man amongst them--at least, if they
all sang conscientiously!
The weather improved every hour, and after a fine run of about
twenty-four hours over that part of the Malay Sea, our three voyagers
were lowered over the steamer's side in their canoe when within sight of
the great island of Borneo.
"I'm sorry," said the captain at parting, "that our courses diverge
here, for I would gladly have had your company a little longer.
Good-bye. I hope we'll come across you some other time when I'm in
these parts."
"Thanks--thanks, my friend," replied Van der Kemp, with a warm grip of
the hand, and a touch of pathos in his tones. "I trust that we shall
meet again. You have done me good service by shortening my voyage
considerably.--Farewell."
"I say, Moses," shouted one of the seamen, as he looked down on the tiny
canoe while they were pushing off.
"Hallo?"
"Keep your heart up, for--we'll try to `do to oders all around de t'ing
what's good an' true!'"
"Das de way, boy--`an' oders, 'turning tit for tat, will do de same to
you!'"
He yelled rather than sang this at the top of his tuneful voice, and
waved his hand as the sharp craft shot away over the sea.
Fortunately the sea was calm, for it was growing dark when they reached
the shores of Borneo and entered the mouth of a small stream, up which
they proceeded to paddle. The banks of the stream were clothed with
mangrove trees. We have said the banks, but in truth the mouth of that
river had no distinguishable banks at all, for it is the nature of the
mangrove to grow in the water--using its roots as legs with which, as it
were, to wade away from shore. When darkness fell suddenly on the
landscape, as it is prone to do in tropical regions, the gnarled roots
of those mangroves assumed the appearance of twining snakes in Nigel's
eyes. Possessing a strongly imaginative mind he could with difficulty
resist the belief that he saw them moving slimily about in the black
water, and, in the dim mysterious light, tree-stems and other objects
assumed the appearance of hideous living forms, so that he was enabled
to indulge the uncomfortable fancy that they were traversing some
terrestrial Styx into one of Dante's regions of horror.
In some respects this was not altogether a fancy, for they were
unwittingly drawing near to a band of human beings whose purposes, if
fully carried out, would render the earth little better than a hell to
many of their countrymen.
It is pretty well-known that there is a class of men in Borneo called
Head Hunters. These men hold the extraordinary and gruesome opinion
that a youth has not attained to respectable manhood until he has taken
the life of some human being.
There are two distinct classes of Dyaks--those who inhabit the hills and
those who dwell on the sea-coast. It is the latter who recruit the
ranks of the pirates of those eastern seas, and it was to the camp of a
band of such villains that our adventurers were, as already said,
unwittingly drawing near.
They came upon them at a bend of the dark river beyond which point the
mangroves gave place to other trees--but what sort of trees they were it
was scarcely light enough to make out very distinctly, except in the
case of the particular tree in front of which the Dyaks were encamped,
the roots of which were strongly illuminated by their camp fire. We say
_roots_ advisedly, for this singular and gigantic tree started its
branches from a complexity of aerial roots which themselves formed a
pyramid some sixty feet high, before the branches proper of the tree
began.
If our voyagers had used oars the sharp ears of the pirates would have
instantly detected them.
As it was, the softly moving paddles and the sharp cutwater of the canoe
made no noise whatever. The instant that Van der Kemp, from his
position in the bow, observed the camp, he dipped his paddle deep, and
noiselessly backed water. There was no need to give any signal to his
servant. Such a thorough understanding existed between them that the
mere action of the hermit was sufficient to induce the negro to support
him by a similar movement on the opposite side, and the canoe glided as
quickly backward as it had previously advanced. When under the deep
shadow of the bank Moses thrust the canoe close in, and his master,
laying hold of the bushes, held fast and made a sign to him to land and
reconnoitre.
Creeping forward to an opening in the bushes close at hand, Moses peeped
through. Then he turned and made facial signals of a kind so
complicated that he could not be understood, as nothing was visible save
the flashing of his teeth and eyes. Van der Kemp therefore recalled him
by a sign, and, stepping ashore, whispered Nigel to land.
Another minute and the three travellers stood on the bank with their
heads close together.
"Wait here for me," said the hermit, in the lowest possible whisper. "I
will go and see who they are."
"Strange," said Nigel, when he was gone; "strange that in so short a
time your master should twice have to stalk strangers in this way.
History repeats itself, they say. It appears to do so rather fast in
these regions! Does he not run a very great risk of being discovered?"
"Not de smallest," replied the negro, with as much emphasis as was
possible in a whisper. "Massa hab ride wid de Vaquieros ob Ameriky an'
hunt wid de Injuns on de Rockies. No more fear ob deir ketchin' him dan
ob ketchin' a streak o' lightnin'. He come back bery soon wid all de
news."
Moses was a true prophet. Within half-an-hour Van der Kemp returned as
noiselessly as he had gone. He did not keep them long in uncertainty.
"I have heard enough," he whispered, "to assure me that a plot, of which
I had already heard a rumour, has nearly been laid. We fell in with the
chief plotters on the islet the other night; the band here is in
connection with them and awaits their arrival before carrying out their
dark designs. There is nothing very mysterious about it. One tribe
plotting to attack another--that is all; but as a friend of mine dwells
just now with the tribe to be secretly attacked, it behoves me to do
what I can to save him. I am perplexed, however. It would seem
sometimes as if we were left in perplexity for wise purposes which are
beyond our knowledge."
"Perhaps to test our willingness to _do right_," suggested Nigel.
"I know not," returned the hermit, as if musing, but never raising his
voice above the softest whisper. "My difficulty lies here; I _must_ go
forward to save the life of my friend. I must _not_ leave you at the
mouth of a mangrove river to die or be captured by pirates, and yet I
have no right to ask you to risk your life on my account!"
"You may dismiss your perplexities then," said Nigel, promptly, "for I
decline to be left to die here or to be caught by pirates, and I am
particularly anxious to assist you in rescuing your friend. Besides, am
I not your hired servant?"
"The risk we run is only at the beginning," said Van der Kemp. "If we
succeed in passing the Dyaks unseen all will be well. If they see us,
they will give chase, and our lives, under God, will depend on the
strength of our arms, for I am known to them and have thwarted their
plans before now. If they catch us, death will be our certain doom.
Are you prepared?"
"Ready!" whispered Nigel.
Without another word the hermit took his place in the bow of the canoe.
Moses stepped into the stern, and our hero sat down in the middle.
Before pushing off, the hermit drew a revolver and a cutlass from his
store-room in the bow and handed them to Nigel, who thrust the first
into his belt and fastened the other to the deck by means of a strap
fixed there on purpose to prevent its being rolled or swept off. This
contrivance, as well as all the other appliances in the canoe, had
previously been pointed out and explained to him. The hermit and negro
having armed themselves in similar way, let go the bushes which held
them close to the bank and floated out into the stream. They let the
canoe drift down a short way so as to be well concealed by the bend in
the river and a mass of bushes. Then they slowly paddled over to the
opposite side, and commenced to creep up as close to the bank as
possible, under the deep shadow of overhanging trees, and so noiselessly
that they appeared in the darkness like a passing phantom.
But the sharp eyes of the pirates were too much accustomed to phantoms
of every kind to be easily deceived. Just as the canoe was about to
pass beyond the line of their vision a stir was heard in their camp.
Then a stern challenge rolled across the river and awoke the slumbering
echoes of the forest--perchance to the surprise and scaring away of some
prowling beast of prey.
"No need for concealment now," said Van der Kemp, quietly; "we must
paddle for life. If you have occasion to use your weapons, Nigel, take
no life needlessly. Moses knows my mind on this point and needs no
warning. Any fool can take away life. Only God can give it."
"I will be careful," replied Nigel, as he dipped his paddle with all the
muscular power at his command. His comrades did the same, and the canoe
shot up the river like an arrow.
A yell from the Dyaks, and the noise of jumping into and pushing off
their boats told that there was no time to lose.
"They are strong men, and plenty of them to relieve each other," said
the hermit, who now spoke in his ordinary tones, "so they have some
chance of overhauling us in the smooth water; but a few miles further up
there is a rapid which will stop them and will only check us. If we can
reach it we shall be safe."
While he was speaking every muscle in his broad back and arms was
strained to the uttermost; so also were the muscles of his companions,
and the canoe seemed to advance by a series of rapid leaps and bounds.
Yet the sound of the pursuers' oars seemed to increase, and soon the
proverb "it is the pace that kills" received illustration, for the speed
of the canoe began to decrease a little--very little at first--while the
pursuers, with fresh hands at the oars, gradually overhauled the
fugitives.
"Put on a spurt!" said the hermit, setting the example.
The pirates heard the words and understood either them or the action
that followed, for they also "put on a spurt," and encouraged each other
with a cheer.
Moses heard the cheer, and at the same time heard the sound of the rapid
to which they were by that time drawing near. He glanced over his
shoulder and could make out the dim form of the leading boat, with a
tall figure standing up in the bow, not thirty yards behind.
"Shall we manage it, Moses?" asked Van der Kemp, in that calm steady
voice which seemed to be unchangeable either by anxiety or peril.
"No, massa. Unpossable--widout _dis_."
The negro drew the revolver from his belt, slewed round, took rapid aim
and fired.
The tall figure in the bow of the boat fell back with a crash and a
hideous yell. Great shouting and confusion followed, and the boat
dropped behind. A few minutes later and the canoe was leaping over the
surges of a shallow rapid. They dashed from eddy to eddy, taking
advantage of every stone that formed a tail of backwater below it, and
gradually worked the light craft upward in a way that the hermit and his
man had learned in the nor'-western rivers of America.
"We are not safe yet," said the former, resting and wiping his brow as
they floated for a few seconds in a calm basin at the head of the rapid.
"Surely they cannot take a boat up such a place as that!"
"Nay, but they can follow up the banks on foot. However, we will soon
baffle them, for the river winds like a serpent just above this, and by
carrying our canoe across one, two, or three spits of land we will gain
a distance in an hour or so that would cost them nearly a day to ascend
in boats. They know that, and will certainly give up the chase. I
think they have given it up already, but it is well to make sure."
"I wonder why they did not fire at us," remarked Nigel.
"Probably because they felt sure of catching us," returned the hermit,
"and when they recovered from the confusion that Moses threw them into
we were lost to them in darkness, besides being pretty well beyond
range. I hope, Moses, that you aimed low."
"Yes, massa--but it's sca'cely fair when life an' def am in de balance
to expect me to hit 'im on de legs on a dark night. Legs is a bad
targit. Bullet's apt to pass between 'em. Howseber, dat feller won't
hop much for some time to come!"
A couple of hours later, having carried the canoe and baggage across the
spits of land above referred to, and thus put at least half-a-day's
journey between themselves and their foes, they came to a halt for the
night.
"It won't be easy to find a suitable place to camp on," remarked Nigel,
glancing at the bank, where the bushes grew so thick that they overhung
the water, brushing the faces of our travellers and rendering the
darkness so intense that they had literally to feel their way as they
glided along.
"We will encamp where we are," returned the hermit. "I'll make fast to
a bush and you may get out the victuals, Moses."
"Das de bery best word you've said dis day, massa," remarked the negro
with a profound sigh. "I's pritty well tired now, an' de bery t'ought
ob grub comforts me!"
"Do you mean that we shall sleep in the canoe?" asked Nigel.
"Ay, why not?" returned the hermit, who could be heard, though not seen,
busying himself with the contents of the fore locker. "You'll find the
canoe a pretty fair bed. You have only to slip down and pull your head
and shoulders through the manhole and go to sleep. You won't want
blankets in this weather, and, see--there is a pillow for you and
another for Moses."
"I cannot _see_, but I can feel," said Nigel, with a soft laugh, as he
passed the pillow aft.
"T'ank ee, Nadgel," said Moses; "here--feel behind you an' you'll find
grub for yourself an' some to pass forid to massa. Mind when you slip
down for go to sleep dat you don't dig your heels into massa's skull.
Dere's no bulkhead to purtect it."
"I'll be careful," said Nigel, beginning his invisible supper with keen
appetite. "But how about _my_ skull, Moses? Is there a bulkhead
between it and _your_ heels?"
"No, but you don't need to mind, for I allers sleeps doubled up, wid my
knees agin my chin. It makes de arms an' legs feel more sociable like."
With this remark Moses ceased to encourage conversation--his mouth being
otherwise engaged.
Thereafter they slipped down into their respective places, laid their
heads on their pillows and fell instantly into sound repose, while the
dark waters flowed sluggishly past, and the only sound that disturbed
the universal stillness was the occasional cry of some creature of the
night or the flap of an alligator's tail.