The patrol launch belonging to the Bulungan River post, commanded by.
Controleur Opdyke and manned by stalwart Achinese sepoys, sped
swiftly down the northern branch of the mighty river. The controleur
was highly nervous, for this navigation in the early dawn was an
unaccustomed and perilous thing; further, the girl who stood beside
him, and the tall Chinese at her elbow, were continually urging him
to greater speed.
Then came the first gleams of sunrise, and the spattering of shots
from below--and the prim, alert controleur needed no further urging.
At his swift command the speed was increased, and the brown sepoys
stripped the cover from the one-pounder up forward.
Rifles were brought up and loaded.
They burst into full view of the river-mouth just as the smaller boat
came to the islet and poured forth her men and the wild charge
forward was begun. Controleur Opdyke perceived instantly that he
could not get through the surf to the junk. Being a man of distinct
character, he did not hesitate. Two orders passed his lips. At the
first, the gun crew threw in a shell and sighted; at the second, the
rifles began to speak along the forward deck.
The little pom-pom barked, and the shell exploded above the junk. It
barked again, and scored a hit. Again, and the junk reeled and
staggered. Then the Achinese were leaping overboard and pouring
ashore, and among them Hi John.
And after them, despite the imploring commands of the officer, Ellen
Maggs.
Jim Barnes came face to face with her as he squirmed out of the brush
and brushed the blood from his eyes. A kris had slithered athwart
his scalp; for a moment he thought she was a vision, standing there
in the fresh sunlight, her eyes fastened upon him, her hands
outreaching. Then he heard her voice.
"Oh, Jim, Jim! If you had only known--it was barely five miles up to
the post! And we were hours getting there. Thank God, you're alive!"
It was quite as a matter of course that Jim Barnes took her in his
arms and held her close to him for a long moment. Speech came hard.
There was everything to say, and nothing. Suddenly he realized that
she was trembling.
"Oh, Jim! You'll have to help me. I--I told an awful lie----"
She was frightened, nervous, tearful, and yet a smile crept into
her-blushing cheeks as she looked up into his eyes.
"Who to, me?" he asked, returning the smile.
"No. To--to the controleur. Controleur Updyke. He was terribly
severe about it all. He wouldn't bring Nora, and he wasn't going to
bring me----"
"What was the lie?" asked Barnes, puzzled.
Then he looked up to see the officer striding toward them. He
realized abruptly that the little brown soldiers had been very busy
all over the islet.
"Der junk hass sunk," said the controleur, taking off his helmet.
"Diss iss Mynheer Parnes? I am pleassed to meet you, sir."
"Same to you," and Barnes grinned as he put out his hand. Even the
primness of Opdyke could not meet that grin without an answering
smile. "Controleur Opdyke? I'm sure much obliged to you. Just came
along in time."
"Ja. I am glad. Your vrouw, Madame Parnes, she hurried us. Dat
wass goot, too."
"Oh, so that's it!" Barnes laughed out suddenly, and caught Ellen
Maggs to him. "You little rascal, you! Told him you were my wife,
eh? Well, you will be as quick as it can be managed--won't you? Say
yes!"
"Yes, Jim,"-she murmured.
Suddenly Barnes turned.
"Where's Li Fu?" he demanded. "That Chinese chap who stayed with
me----"
"He iss badly hurt, but all right," said Opdyke, beginning to
understand things a little. "Sir, dere must be reports made, und
prisoners must be----"
"Forget it, forget it!" said Barnes, and laughed happily. "This is
Miss Maggs, Controleur. She told you a lie. She's not my wife, but
is going to be. Will you forgive her?"
Controleur Opdyke met the eyes of Ellen Maggs. Suddenly he smiled,
and tendered her a very deep bow.
"Diss young man, he iss very lucky," he said. "_Mejuffvrouw_, shall
I make you happy, yes? Den, dere iss a missionary at de post. Now,
if you eggscuse me, I must look after dese t'ings."
He turned and walked stiffly away toward his men, who were rounding
up sullen captives. But Jim Barnes looked-down into the shining eyes
of the girl.
"Ellen! Remember that bungalow on the hill above Sausalito that I
told you about? Do you really want it--and a husband who's a sailor
and hasn't a lot o' money? Or would you sooner go back to China?"
A smile lightened in her face.
"I'm tired of China, Jim," she said.
Delightedly, Barnes caught her to him again and stooped to her lips.
Then, with a happy laugh, he straightened up.
"Missionary at the post, eh? Hurray! Let's go!"
"Aye, aye, sir," she said obediently. "Go it is, sir--steady as she
is!"