THE AVALANCHE
'What I'd like to know, sir,' said Grinson, as they re-entered the
enclosure, 'what I 'd like to know is, why them Germans, Trousers and
the rest, took it into their heads to try this little game when our
backs was turned, meaning Mr. Hoole and me?'
'You think they wouldn't have tried it if they hadn't known you were
away?' said Trentham, checking a smile.
'Well, sir, two 's two; you can't get over that. If the whole crew had
come, 't 'ud 'a been different; but with the Raider away, Trousers
hadn't got enough men for the job, unless he knew we were short-handed,
and I don't see nohow he could have known that.'
'They must be desperately in want of coal, one would think. Or perhaps
Hahn wanted to distinguish himself in the absence of his commander. It
would have been a good stroke to recover the slaves, you know.'
'That's it, sir,' cried Grinson, slapping his thigh. 'Likewise and
moreover he was riled with Ephraim what defied him, and so he folds his
arms and scowls under his eyebrows and hisses through his clenched
teeth, "I will have my revenge." I 've seed that on the stage many a
time.'
'We 'll grant that Hahn is a villain; but I fancy they had a very
practical object in making this raid. Perhaps they 've been unlucky on
the sea lately, must have coal, and would rather get the natives to dig
it than dig it themselves. In that case we may expect another attack.
How far was the Raider away when you last saw her?'
'From fifteen to twenty sea-mile, sir. She 's back in harbour by this, I
reckon.'
'Then I think we had better reconnoitre. I 'll have a word with Flanso;
now that his ceremony is over, he 'll probably be able to attend to
business. Be ready to come with me.'
The chief was at first disposed to regard the recent victory as
decisive; but Trentham managed to convince him that a still more serious
attack might have to be met, and induced him to take the needful
measures of defence. It was arranged that at the first sign of danger
the whole population of the village should be withdrawn into the inner
enclosure, where they would have the protection of the wall. The object
of the defence must be to hold the wall until help came. There was a
possibility, of course, that Hoole might not succeed in his mission.
The engine might fail; even if he reached a port there might be no force
available for hunting the Raider. Trentham was not blind to the
difficulties of the position; but it was essential to keep up a show of
confidence, and to take all possible steps to hold the ground.
Less than an hour after Flanso's return Trentham set off with Grinson
and half a dozen natives, among whom was Lafoa, for the cove. They
marched cautiously, in case any of Hahn's party were still lingering in
the forest; but the Germans had evidently been daunted and had returned
to their base.
Trentham had decided to make for the spot where he had organised Meek's
release. While affording a good post of observation, it was difficult of
access from the beach, and even if discovered by the enemy he would have
plenty of time to escape into the forest behind. He gave a wide berth
to the sentry-box above the cove, crept round through almost
impenetrable thickets, and had nearly reached the slope strewn with
boulders when there came faintly on his ear the characteristic rattle of
a donkey-engine.
'The Raider 's back in the cove, Grinson,' he said.
'Ay, ay, sir, and hoisting coal, seemingly.'
Bidding Grinson keep the natives under cover near the head of the slope,
Trentham stole forward, dodging among the boulders, until he reached a
point where he could peep over at the cove beneath without much risk of
being detected. The Raider was anchored almost in the same position as
when he had last seen her; smoke was pouring from her funnel. There was
much activity both on deck and on the shore. The donkey-engine was
lifting, not coal, but stores from the ship's boats lying under her
side. Men were carrying boxes and bales from the shed to the shore.
Everybody was moving with an air of bustle and haste. It was impossible
to doubt that the vessel was about to leave the cove: the settlement was
to be abandoned.
An hour or two earlier Trentham would have rejoiced to know that the
Raider was departing. But at this moment he felt only annoyance,
disappointment, positive anger. Within a few short hours Hoole, unless
baulked by ill-luck, would guide a British vessel to the cove, and the
Raider would meet a well-deserved fate. It seemed that the Germans had
taken alarm on seeing their seaplane flying eastwards, obviously under
other than German control. They had suspected the nature of its
mission, and having a wholesome dread of what might befall them, had
determined to forestall the inevitable. With all his heart Trentham
wished that he could hold the vessel at her anchorage. But he could do
nothing to interfere with the bustling preparations below. The Raider
was getting up steam; the stores were being methodically hoisted and
stowed; before very long the vessel would disappear round the horn of
the cove, and he could only watch her impotently.
'Flanso's people won't be bothered any more; that's one good thing,' he
thought, as he began to climb up the slope. Picking his way, he
stumbled, and clutched at one of the boulders to maintain his footing.
The rock swayed slightly. Trentham stood still for a moment, resting
his hand on it. An observer would have noticed that his brow suddenly
cleared, his eyes danced, a flush spread over his cheeks. Then with
quick movements, yet careful to keep under cover, he clambered up and
rejoined Grinson. There was a brief, rapid conversation between them.
Grinson's broad face expressed in turn surprise, doubt, determination,
glee. Lafoa was given an order. Then, while Trentham directed them
from the cover of the trees, the others quickly rolled a number of the
largest boulders to a part of the slope which, as nearly as he could
gauge the position, was directly above the Raider. It was no easy
matter to move unseen from the sheds. Some of the most promising of the
boulders had to be neglected. But the noise below was great enough to
smother the sounds of the men's swift movements, and they were not
interrupted. Presently, over a space of more than a hundred yards, there
were ranged in three orderly rows, each row being about twenty paces
from the next, a collection of rocks of all shapes and sizes and
weights, from knobs of a few pounds to boulders so heavy as to need the
united efforts of several men to move them. One of these, indeed,
almost escaped from the grasp of the three men handling it, and Trentham
felt a cold thrill at the imminence of a premature descent. But
Grinson's brawny arms arrested the monster in the nick of time, and he
secured it temporarily by means of smaller rocks wedged between it and
the earth. Blowing hard, he came to Trentham's side.
'"Shust in time!" as old Trousers would say, sir,' he remarked. 'All's
ready, but I won't answer for what 'll happen when you say "go."'
'We must do our best and trust to luck.'
'That's not my meaning, sir. It's these 'ere ugly mugs. They 've had
no drill, d' ye see. Might as well be horse marines, in a manner of
speaking.'
'Not so bad as that, Grinson. They have done very well, so far. Lafoa
seems to understand what is needed, and if you set them a good example,
I dare say they 'll follow it. The Germans seem to have cleared up
nearly everything, and we had better start operations. I 'll climb down
to the left yonder, where I 'll be out of the way, but can observe
results without being seen myself. I 'll give the signal by lifting my
hand; the rest is with you and the natives.'
'Ay, ay, sir. It 'll be a bit of a "tamasha," as they say out east.'
Trentham clambered down the slope under cover of the boulders, until he
gained the spot he had pointed out. Grinson and the natives posted
themselves at equal intervals behind the first row of the displaced
boulders. A boat filled with boxes of ammunition was putting off from
the shore. All of the crew who were not already on board the vessel
were moving down from the sheds; apparently their work was finished.
Trentham gazed seawards; there was no sign of the seaplane or of any
ship. He raised his hand. Grinson instantly gave a mighty shove to the
huge boulder behind which he was standing, and it began to bump down the
slope. The natives were not quite so prompt, but after only a few
seconds' delay five other boulders of smaller bulk started forward.
Four reached the brink almost together, the fifth rolled a few yards,
then stopped. But a few moments later there were five resounding
splashes in quick succession as the rocks plunged into the sea.
[Illustration: GRINSON GAVE THE BOULDER A SHOVE IN THE DESIRED
DIRECTION.]
Eagerly watching the result of his scheme, Trentham was disappointed to
see that the missiles had fallen short of the Raider. But all work on
the vessel ceased; a bale of goods that was being hoisted by the
donkey-engine stopped half-way; the men on board gazed in surprise up
the cliff, those in the boat stopped pulling. The angle of the slope
was such that the men above were invisible; there was nothing to show
that the fall of the boulders was not accidental.
Meanwhile, however, Grinson and his party had run up to the second row,
and while the Germans were discussing the phenomenon another shower
tumbled over the edge, one of the boulders falling plump on the bridge
of the vessel, knocking away a portion of the rail, missing the captain
by a foot or two, and crashing through the window of his cabin. Two went
clean over the ship; the other two fell a little short of the port side,
and threw a great volume of water into the half-empty boat. After a
brief interval another set of boulders followed, and then another, until
the missiles fell in a continuous shower. The captain roared an order;
the grinding of the anchor chain was heard, and the men on shore,
carrying rifles, rushed up the beach towards the winding path that led
up the cliffs.
Trentham began to feel anxious. Very little damage had yet been done;
the boulders varied greatly in shape and weight, and their trajectory
after leaving the edge was equally various. Some rolled sideways; one,
indeed, took an extraordinary tortuous course to the right, and struck
the roof of the nearest hut, which was shivered into fragments. Those
that had fallen nearest to the vessel were the larger rocks from the
second row, and Trentham signalled to Grinson to deal with those
remaining. He felt that the sands were running out; but there were
still a few minutes before the Germans rushing up the steep and
roundabout path could reach the head of the slope.
'A little more to the left!' he shouted to Grinson, realising that
nothing was now to be gained by silence.
'Ay, ay, sir!' roared the seaman, shoving a knobby rock in the desired
direction.
Trentham held his breath as he watched its flight. Before he was
prepared for it there was a thunderous crash; the boulder had struck the
side of the vessel a few feet below the rail, within twenty feet of the
bows, passing clean through the plates, and leaving a huge rent. Almost
immediately afterwards another boulder crashed through the deck slightly
abaft the funnel. There was an instant rush of steam; apparently it had
smashed through one of the boilers.
[Illustration: WITH A THUNDEROUS CRASH IT STRUCK THE SIDE OF THE VESSEL
A FEW FEET BELOW THE RAIL.]
Among the crew surprise had become consternation, and now developed into
panic. Men rushed from below and sprang overboard. Others were running
wildly about the deck. The captain had gone forward with one of his
officers to see the extent of the damage there. Water was pouring
through the side. Trentham, judging that the vessel was at any rate
disabled, and that it was time to be gone, turned to climb up the slope,
and wriggled hastily aside to avoid a boulder which had swerved in its
course and was hurtling in his direction. He stopped to throw a last
glimpse below; the boulder which he had so narrowly escaped carried away
the donkey-engine, and ricochetted from the deck into the sea.
'Well done!' he cried, and ran to assist Grinson to topple over one of
the large rocks which had supported the rope on the night of Meek's
release.
'That's riddled 'em!' shouted Grinson, as the noise of shattered metal
rose from below.
'She can't get away!' panted Trentham. 'They 're coming up the cliff; we
must run for it.'
Collecting the men, he dashed up the few remaining yards of the slope
and headed them into the forest just as a German seaman came in sight
near the end of the ledge.
'"Shust in time!" Trousers, my son,' chuckled Grinson. 'We give her a
good battering, sir?'
'Cut open her side, broke a boiler, and drowned the donkey-engine. What
more I don't know; but she 's crippled.'
'My cripes! What a tale to tell my Ephraim! I only wish the lad could
'a seen it hisself.'