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Middy and Ensign, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 17. How Dick Buys A Rajah... |
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_ CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. HOW DICK BUYS A RAJAH, AND HIS FIRST LUFF OBJECTS The rapid rate at which the two prahus went away from the island after the attacking party had scrambled in, was sufficient to show those on board the "Startler" how impossible it would be to overtake them by means of boats. The only way would be to surprise their crews, or to sink them with the guns of the steamer next time they tried to pass down the river. Congratulations in plenty were exchanged as soon as the communications were effected, though a good deal of annoyance was felt at being again out-manoeuvred by the Malay cunning. One thing was very evident, and that was that there would be no safety for the residency while so daring a chieftain as Rajah Gantang was at liberty, with his two cleverly managed prahus. No further alarms took place during the night, and in the morning the amount of damage done was found to be nothing more than a little carpentering and painting would restore. The real damage done was to the British prestige, which, in spite of the brave defence, had received a blow in the eyes of the Malays. Judging the matter fairly next morning, Mr Linton and the officers came to the conclusion, after a careful inspection, that though it would have been necessary for the occupants of the residency to have fled to the little fort, half-a-dozen such desultory attacks would have done the latter no real harm. "No," said Major Sandars, aloud; "for my part, if provisioned, I should see no difficulty in holding our place against half-a-dozen rajahs. There is only one way in which we could be hit." "And that is?" said Captain Horton. "By a surprise such as they treated us to last night. There is no other way in which they could harm us." Adam Gray heard his words, and in silence made an addition to them. "They could harm us by treachery, or by the neglect of our sentries." The dark scene of the previous night flashed across his mind as he thought this, and he recalled Private Sim's recumbent form amidst the grass, wondering the while whether he ought not to relate what had taken place, and so obtain for the fellow the punishment he deserved. Finally, he made up his mind to let matters take their course, after giving Sim to understand that he should report him if such a thing came under his notice again. The sultan sent word that he was most grieved to hear of this new attack, and begged the resident to spare no pains to root the rajah and his followers off the face of the earth. He assured Mr Linton, by his messengers, that he felt the insult as bitterly as if it had been offered to himself; while even now, surrounded as he was by faithful followers, he never dared sleep twice in the same place in his house, for fear that an envoy of the rajah should pass a kris up between the bamboos that formed the flooring, and assassinate him. The message sent back was, that no effort should be spared to rid the river, of so dangerous a neighbour; but opportunity failed to offer for carrying out the promise. Anywhere within a mile or two of the sultan's campong the people were ready enough to give information to the English, when a boat was sent to cruise about and endeavour to find where the rajah had hidden; but beyond that distance they were met with stern looks of distrust, and it was evident to the officers in charge that the rajah was perfectly safe, his influence being too great amongst the people for any one to act as informer. This added a good deal to the feeling of insecurity felt at the residency; and to counteract this the ship's carpenters were set to work to contrive stout shutters with loopholes for barricading, and also make the doors more secure. The fort with its little barrack was already pretty safe, and of course so long as the steamer lay there, any attacking prahus could be literally blown out of the river; but there was always the risk of the steamer being called away, and in view of this Mr Linton increased the arms and ammunition at his house, and also asked for an extra sentry. In a few days the night attack had lost the greater part of its terrors, for the steamer was not likely to be moved at present, and boats were almost constantly out patrolling the river in search of the enemy. Every sampan or prahu that came down the stream was stopped, boarded, and searched, at first greatly to the annoyance of their occupants. Several times over efforts were made to slip by, but the report of a heavy gun fired across their bows brought the Malays to their senses, and they humbly submitted to the overhauling. These boats were for the most part laden with rice, fruit, or slabs of tin, and of these every rajah up the river made a practice of taking toll for payment of his permission to pass down the stream. The occupants of a prahu then might already have paid tax two or three times, and the appearance of this new power in the river was resented strongly; but when it was found that no tin was taken from them, and that when rice, or fruit, or poultry was taken, the full market value was paid in dollars, a strong friendly feeling sprang up mingled with respect. The news soon spread, and from that time whenever a trading boat came down from the upper country, the sight of an English boat was sufficient to make the Malays lie on their oars or pole, and await the coming of the English officer to board. There came quite a calm over the little settlement about this time. The rajah was not heard of, and information, true or false, was brought in that the prahus were high up the stream, where they had been rowed during a flood, and taken up a tributary of the main river, where, on the cessation of the flood, they remained grounded and out of reach. The sultan seemed to have forgotten his disappointment about the ladies, and the soldiers and sailors were enjoying a time of indolent ease, their greatest excitement being a little drill. Provisions were plentiful, fruit abundant, with as much native tobacco as the men liked to buy, at a most moderate price, and in spite of the steamy heat the people were perfectly happy. Ali, the young chief, had been again to see Bob Roberts on board; but as yet the visit had not been returned, the attack upon the residency having put a stop to all leave for the time being; but as the officers were getting less strict, the middy was looking forward to the day when he could go ashore. In the meanwhile he indulged himself with a little fishing from out the chains. Doctor Bolter was about the happiest man at the island, for now that he had got his sanitary matters put right, and his wounded men well, he had ample time for following his favourite pursuit of natural history. The sailors were in a high state of delight over what they called the "Bolter's weakness," and out of gratitude to him for many a little bit of doctoring, they took him everything they could get hold of that flew, crept, crawled, ran, or swam, bothering him almost to death. For Jack could not see the necessity for refraining from presenting the doctor with a fire-fly, because Tom had taken him a dozen the day before, and Bill two dozen the day before that. "Wasn't his flies as good as Bill's, or Tom's? Well, then, mind yer own business, and let him mind his." Dick came back from the shore beaming one day, with a large black monkey under his arm, held by a stout piece of chain, and a dog collar round its loins. "Hallo, Dick," said one of his messmates, Bill Black, as soon as he climbed on board. "Where did you find your little brother?" "'Tain't no brother o' mine," said Dick seriously; "he's a Black, and his name's Joseph, ain't it Joey?" The monkey wrinkled its forehead, and its restless eyes ran over one after the other of the group as the sailors gathered round, who now began laughing. "Well, he's a handsome chap at all events," said Bill, putting out his hand to pat the monkey on the head. "Don't touch him, lad," growled Dick, by way of caution; "he bites." "Get out," said Bill. "Now then, old man, how are you?" "Chick--chack--squitter--witter--chack," cried the monkey, snapping at the sailor's hand and giving it a sharp nip. "There, I told you so," said Dick. "Hallo, what have you got there, Dick?" said Bob Roberts, coming up, attracted by the laughing. "Native gentleman, sir, I bought for four dollars," said Dick, seriously. "He's a rar-jah I think, only he hadn't time to get his toggery and his kris afore he come aboard." "Didn't know the native gentlemen had tails," said Bob, smiling. "Hallo, old chap, how are you? Have a bite?" He held out half a biscuit that he happened to have in his jacket pocket, and the monkey looked at him curiously, as it held out one long thin black hand, flinchingly, as if expecting to be teased. Twice it essayed to get the biscuit, but always flinched, till Bob took a step more in advance, when the animal snatched the coveted morsel and began to eat it ravenously. "Why, it's half-starved, Dick," said the middy. "Yes, sir, he tried to get a piece of Bill Black's finger, but Bill cut up rough, and wouldn't let him have it." Here there was a fresh burst of laughter, in which Bill, whose finger was, after all, only pinched, heartily joined. "What are you going to do with him, Dick?" said Bob Roberts. "Well, sir," said Dick, with a dry wrinkle or two extra on his mahogany physiognomy, "I was going to ask the skipper if he'd like to have the gent for a new middy, seeing as you, sir, have got to be quite a grown man now." "Don't you be cheeky, Dick," said Bob, indignantly. "No, sir, I won't," said the old sailor humbly; "but on second thoughts, which is allers the best, Mr Roberts, sir, I thought as the skipper wouldn't have a uniform as would fit him, so I said as I'd take him on to the island, where they'd soon make a sojer of him." "Now look here, Dick," said Bob, "I take no end of impudence from you, but let there be some end to it. Now then, have you done joking?" "Yes, sir, but he would look well in a red jacket, wouldn't he?" "What are you going to do with the monkey?" said Bob, peremptorily. "Well, sir," said Dick, seeing that he had gone far enough, "I was up in the campong there, and I bought him of one of the niggers as used him to pick cokey-nuts." "Oh, yes, of course," said Bob, derisively. "He will," said Dick; "and I bought him because, I says to myself, I says: Here's just the sorter thing our doctor would be glad to have, and he'd pin a long name to him directly, and say as he's a Blackskinnius Monkinius, or something of the kind." "And are you going to take it to the doctor?" said Bob. "Yes, sir, now, directly I've showed you how he can pick cokey-nuts. Bill Black, mate, just step down and bring that ball o' stout fishing-line out o' the locker, will you?" The sailor addressed went down, and returned directly after to Dick, who undid the chain, and tied one end of the stout fishing cord to the monkey's strap. The little animal had been munching away at the biscuit in a quaint semi-human fashion; but as soon as Dick had fastened one end of the cord to the belt, it seemed to know what was wanted, for it squatted upon the deck, looking intelligently up in the sailor's face. "There, ain't he an old un?" said Dick. "Now then, Yusuf, be kraja." As the monkey heard the last two words, it sprang up the rigging to one of the great blocks, which in his mind represented the cocoa-nuts it was to bring down, and seizing one it tried hard to twist it off, chattering angrily, till Dick gave the cord a jerk, when the animal bounded to another block, and tried hard to fetch it off, going so far as to gnaw at the rope that held it, till Dick gave the cord another jerk, when it came down. "Well done, old man," said Dick, patting the animal, which kept close to his leg, as if feeling that it must find protection of him, when Dick took it under his arm. "Are you going now, Dick?" said Bob, eagerly. "Yes, sir." "Wait a moment, and let me see if I can get leave. Why, look here; the doctor's coming aboard." True enough, Doctor Bolter was seen in a sampan rowed by one of the Malays, and a minute or two later he was on deck. "Monkey, eh?" he said sharply, as he saw the animal. "_Semnopithecus Maurus_, I should say. What are you going to do with it?" "Dick was going to give it to you, sir," said Bob, smiling. "Give it--to me?" cried the doctor. "Thanks; no, my man, I must draw the line somewhere. Keep it on board. Climb the rigging, and that sort of thing. Here, you Roberts, tell the captain I'm here." Bob went off, and then brought a message to the doctor, who went into the cabin. On returning to where Dick was standing, that worthy was scratching in a melancholy way at his head. "I'm 'bout done over this here monkey, sir," he said. "I can't go and get the chap to take him back." "Keep him, and make a pet of him, Dick," said the middy, holding out a lump of sugar to the subject of their conversation. "No, sir, that wouldn't do. The skipper wouldn't stand it; and besides, if the monkey was mine the chaps would lead him such a life, teaching him to smoke tobacco and drink grog. Will you have him, sir?" "No, Dick," was the reply. "I've no money to spend on monkeys." "I didn't mean that, sir," said Dick. "I meant it for a present for the doctor. Will you have him as a present, and take care of him?" "Of course I will, Dick, but I don't like taking it." "Why, bless your 'art, Mr Roberts, sir, you'd be doing me a kindness by taking of it. You take it, and you can larn him all sorts of tricks. Why, look at the pretty crittur, how he takes to you!" "Pretty crittur, indeed!" cried Bob. "You mean how he takes to the sugar. Here, come along, old man. Come, rouse up." To Bob's surprise the monkey got up, and came close to him, while upon Dick making a motion as if to refasten the chain, the animal snarled and snapped at him. "There now, look at that," cried Dick. "You see you'll have to take it, Master Roberts, sir." "I'll take him for a day or two," said Bob; "but I expect the skipper won't let me keep it." "Lor' bless you, sir, he'll let you keep it, see if he don't," said the old sailor, and his words proved true. _ |
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