"HOO-RAY!"
In the midst of the wild bursts of cheering given out again and again by
the rescued men, wounded (who were many) and sound (who were very few),
to those who had succoured them in their direful time of need--shouts
that were echoed and re-echoed by the wearied and weather-worn comrades
warmly shaking hands and almost ready to embrace old friends--there were
other meetings and heart-stirring incidents. Not the least interesting
was that in which the commanding officers of the three detachments were
in turn grasping the hand of the quiet-looking young leader of the
well-drilled Malays who had come up from the rear and literally flung
back Rajah Suleiman's savage warriors on to the bayonets of the
returning force.
"I don't know how to thank you enough, sir," said Captain Down.
"Nor I, sir," said Lieutenant Durham.
"You, Ripsy," cried Captain Down again--"you understand these things
better than we do. Did you ever witness a better advance and charge?
You saw it, didn't you?"
"Yes, sir," said the old Sergeant, "just as we were all out of breath
and were struggling out of the jungle path."
"Well, say something to the Prince, man."
"No speaker, sir," said the Sergeant-Major gruffly; "but I should have
been a proud man if I had had the drilling of such a body of men."
"Oh, gentlemen, gentlemen," said the young chief, "it is all imitation,
and the teaching of an old non-com, whom I have had with me ever since I
came back from England. Only too glad to have come in time. But I
should like to say a few words to Major Knowle and Sir Charles Dallas
before we retire to my boats."
"Oh, we will talk about that by-and-by," cried Captain Down. "I see
they have been playing havoc here while we have been tricked and deluded
into following no end of false and lying guides who professed to lead us
to the place where Suleiman and his men were retiring before us. Come
along. Good heavens! I had no idea that the Major had been pressed
like this. The Residency gone, too! And look, Durham--it was time we
came!"
The officers and the young Rajah quickened their steps across the
parade-ground, dotted now with fallen Malays, wounded and dead in the
final _melee_; and Captain Down uttered a groan as he ran to grasp the
hand of his chief, who took a step or two forward by the help of his
blunted and rusted sword, while the relics of the defenders stood round,
cheering hoarsely and feebly, and trying to cheer again, but breaking
down in the effort and lapsing into silence, each man craning forward
eagerly to listen to what was said.
"We had no messages, sir, from headquarters, or we should have been back
long before. All we could gather was that the Rajah was fleeing before
us; and Durham was told the same. Here--the Sergeant too. He was led
on and on by people who showed him the tracks of Suleiman's elephants,
and--"
"No more--no more," said the Major hoarsely. "I knew you'd have come,
and that there must be some good reason. I thank Heaven that it was no
worse, for in my despair I was ready to agree with my true comrade here,
Sir Charles Dallas, that each detachment had been led into some trap,
and my brave lads slaughtered to a man. As you see, we have had pretty
well to fight to the death, and I'm too weak and ready for the Doctor's
hands to grasp everything. I want to know, though," he added feebly,
"how it is that this brave little native force came to us at the last
pinch and turned our defeat into a victory."
"What! don't you know, sir?" cried Captain Down excitedly.--"Here, Rajah
Hamet, speak for yourself."
"Rajah Hamet!" cried the Major and Sir Charles in a breath; and the
young man took a step forward as the group of officers drew back to give
him place.
"Oh, don't say anything, Major," said the young man, smiling. "I have
always been your friend, but, somehow, your caution and the malignant
lies and jealousy of an old enemy made you distrust me. But there, I
remember a Latin saying at my English school. It was, to speak no evil
of the dead."
"The dead!" said Sir Charles, who looked startled.
"Yes, sir, of the dead--the man who plotted to rob me of my country, and
make you believe in him and mistrust me."
"But you said dead," cried Sir Charles, who spoke with difficulty, as he
supported a wounded arm with a bleeding and roughly bandaged hand.
"Yes, sir. Rajah Suleiman died bravely in his final charge."
"Are you sure of that?" said Sir Charles excitedly.
"Yes, sir; I saw him fall. But one word, Sir Charles: I should like to
hear from your own lips that you believe in me now."
"Believe in you, Prince! You have proved that my suspicions have all
been wrong. I ask your forgiveness, sir; and let me be the first to
hail you as the new Rajah of Suleiman's dominions, combined with your
own."
"You mean this, Sir Charles?" cried the young man, who for the moment
lost his calm, Eastern composure.
"Mean it, sir? I repeat it in the name of Her Majesty the Queen, whose
representative I am.--Yes, what is it, Major?--Quick, some one--the
Doctor! He is fainting."
"No, no," said the Major feebly; "only a little overcome. Water, from
the Doctor's well. Don't fetch him. He has too many brave fellows to
attend to yonder. Ah! thanks, Rajah. You carry a water-bottle, then,
as we do."
"I was never more glad to follow a good old English custom than now."
"Ah!" cried the Major, after a hearty draught. "That's like new life.
I had half-forgotten. Everything's been swimming round me. Now tell
me, some one--you, Sergeant--did not Mr Maine come suddenly upon us, as
if from the dead, to help us at the last?"
"Yes, sir; and young Pegg as well," said the wounded Sergeant, saluting,
as he supported himself upon the rifle and broken bayonet he held.
"But--"
"Ah!" cried the Major excitedly. "Don't say that--"
"No, sir, I hope it's not that," said the Sergeant huskily; "but they
were both amongst the missing as I tried to call the roll."
"Wrong, Sergeant!" cried a husky voice, and all turned and saw a
grim-looking private sitting with his bandaged head resting upon one
hand.
"What do you know, then, Joe Smithers?"
"Only here they come," growled the poor fellow, as he flung up his
disengaged hand and cried, "Hoo--"
He meant to say "Hooray," but his feeble voice was drowned in a fresh
burst of cheers, as from the direction of the Doctor's bungalow Minnie
Heath appeared, nominally led by Archie and Peter Pegg, but partly
supporting them as they tottered on either side.
At that moment a wild cry of joy rang out, and Joe Smithers's wife, who
had dropped a great brass lotah of clear, cold water which she had been
to fetch from the Doctor's well, hurried in to announce that the
commanding officer was down, and had brought the Doctor with his wife to
attend to their brave old friend.
Poor Archie and Peter had to snatch at the nearest hands, as, with a cry
of joy, Minnie sprang to her aunt; while, after an interval devoted to
embrace and welcome, the Doctor turned to Archie and began to examine
his hurts.
"Quiet, sir!" he cried, as he passed a hand hastily across his
screwed-up eyes. "I've no time for all this nonsense with all these
wounded on my hands. I've kissed her, boy, and said I was glad; and her
aunt and Sir Charles here will do all the rest. Now, Archie, my lad, no
nonsense; lean on me. Do you think I've been wounded too? I haven't a
scratch. I say you shall have first turn, and--I say, wasn't I right
when I prescribed that day? Do you feel anything like a boy now?"
"Oh, I say, Doctor, don't!"
"What!" cried the Doctor, purposely misunderstanding him. "What! going
to play the woman? Bah! I'm going to hurt you far more than that."