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Middy and Ensign, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 28. How Sultan Hamet Visited His Friends |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT. HOW SULTAN HAMET VISITED HIS FRIENDS. The enemy, as the resident termed the sultan's party, made no move for a couple of days, during which all went on as usual. There was the usual morning parade in the fort, and the soldiers gardened, idled, smoked, and told one another it was "jolly hot"--a fact that needed no telling. On board the "Startler" the men were beat to quarters, and went through their drill in the cool of the morning, before hammock rails, the sentries' rifles, and the breeches of the glistening guns grew too hot to be touched with impunity. So hot was it, that, like the burnt child who fears the fire, Bob Roberts was exceedingly cautious about placing his hands in any spot where they were likely to be defiled by the pitch that cannot be touched without those consequences; for from between seams, and the strands of well-laid cables, it oozed, and even bubbled out, beneath the ardent wooing of the tropic sun. It was a listless life, but a pleasant one, for such strict discipline was observed, and stringent rules laid down by the medical officer of the corvette and the detachment, that the men kept in excellent health. They had plenty of amusements; fruit was abundant, and they had taken quite a taste for the coarse country tobacco, which many of the soldiers smoked after the Malay fashion, rolled up a la cigarette in the roko, or outer sheath of the palm leaf or the plantain. Some, too, adopted the Malay's plan of rapidly cutting a pipe from a short joint of bamboo, which, with a hole bored in the side for the insertion of a thin reed or quill, formed a pipe much affected by the Jacks when they took their tobacco in smoke, instead of by the unpleasantly moist masticating process. At the residency all went on as usual; sometimes the ladies received, and there was the sound of music and singing in the pleasantly lit-up verandah; sometimes Captain Horton sent his gig, and the agreeable little reunions were held on board the "Startler," in an improvised tent, draped with the ship's colours, while the lights were reflected on the smooth surface of the hurrying stream, and the Malays on shore watched the figures that passed to and fro till the party was over. Captain Horton and Major Sandars both thought the rajah's party had forgotten the affair; but the resident held to his opinion, which was strengthened by the imploring manner in which the two girls, who had attached themselves as attendants on Rachel Linton and her cousin, begged him not to let them be fetched away. "Suppose I did let them have you back," said the resident to them one day in their native tongue, "what would happen?" One of the girls, a tall, dark, graceful creature, but with the protruding lips, high cheekbones, and flat distended nose of the Malay, rose with contracted eyebrows, took her companion, forced her upon her knees, and then drawing an imaginary kris, she placed the point on the girl's shoulder, and struck the hilt with her right hand as if driving it perpendicularly down into her heart. "They would kill us--so!" she exclaimed, "and throw our bodies in the water to the crocodiles!" The other girl shuddered, and raised her frightened eyes to the faces of the ladies as if imploring them to intercede--and not in vain. "But they will not trouble about you now;" said the resident, tentatively. "Yes, yes," they both exclaimed, "they will send a naga and many men, but you will not let us go?" "No," said the resident, quietly. "_We_ shall not give you up," and he went away thoughtfully to his room, to continue writing the despatch he had commenced some days before. That same evening the two principal officers came to have a chat, and over their cigars Major Sandars introduced the subject of the doubled sentries. "There is no longer any need for this," he said. "Let's see, Linton, it is now a week since those two fellows came. Don't you think, Horton, it is an unnecessary precaution?" "Well, to be frank," said Captain Horton, "I do; and I shall be glad to give up our strict discipline on board." "What do you think, Captain Smithers?" said the resident to that officer, who was present. "I cannot help agreeing with the major," he replied. "I see no reason for these extra precautions." "Then I am in the minority," said the resident, smiling. "Look out there, gentlemen," he said, pointing through the open window. "What do you see?" "You tell him, Smithers," said the major, "I'm too hot and tired to do more than breathe." "I can see the bright river with the lights of the steamer glistening on its surface; the fire-flies are darting amongst the trees; the stars look soft and mellow; altogether it is a delightful picture, that reminds one of being in some delicious summer retreat on the banks of dear old Father Thames." "Captain Smithers," said the resident, gravely, "it is indeed a beautiful picture; the river flows peacefully on with the lights reflected from its bosom; but you know as well as I, that if a man attempted to breast those treacherous waters, he would, before he had swum many yards, have been drawn down by one of the hideous reptiles that swarm in the Parang. That river is to my mind a type of the Malay feeling towards us--the intruders upon his soil. So little am I satisfied with what seems to me to be a deceitful calm, that I have serious thoughts of asking you to increase the sentries." "Nonsense, my dear Linton," said Captain Horton; "we shall hear no more of the affair." "We shall hear more," said the resident. "Wait and see." The resident was right; for the next day the sultan's principal naga, or dragon-boat, with its uncouth figure-head, was seen coming swiftly down the stream, propelled by about thirty rowers, all clad in rich yellow jackets--the royal colour--and nattily-made scarlet caps. Their lower limbs were bare, save where covered by their scarlet and yellow sarongs. The men rowed well together; and as the word was passed by the sentries the officer on duty could plainly make out beneath the matting awning, reaching nearly from end to end of the boat, the figures of the sultan and several of his officers. The sultan was easily distinguishable; for while his chief officers strictly adhered to their native costume, he wore a gorgeous semi-military uniform, that had specially been built--so Bob Roberts termed it--for him in England. It was one mass of rich embroidery, crossed by a jewelled belt, bearing a sabre set with precious stones, and upon his head he wore a little Astrakhan fur _kepi_, surmounted by an egret's plume, like a feathery fountain from a diamond jet. Orders were given for the guard to turn out, and the resident and Major Sandars hurriedly prepared to meet their distinguished guest, who, however, did not stop at the island, but went straight on to the corvette, where he was received by a guard of marines, the captain awaiting his visitor upon the quarter-deck. The visit was but short, for at the end of a few minutes Captain Horton accompanied the sultan on board the naga, and the long low vessel was swiftly turned, and rowed with no little skill to the island landing-place, where a sufficiently imposing military force, under Captain Smithers, was ready to receive him, the sultan walking up to the residency verandah, between a double line of infantry with bayonets fixed. The eastern potentate's opal eyeballs rolled from side to side as, looking rather awkward in his ill-fitting European dress, he tried hard to emulate the dignity of his bronze followers in baju and sarong, each man with the handle of his kris carefully covered by a silken fold. On landing here, the sultan was followed by his kris and sword-bearers, each having his appointed station behind the monarch, holding the weapons by the sheath, with the hilt against the right shoulder, so that a very respectable procession, full of colour and glow, was formed from the landing-place to the residency. The most incongruous part of the following was the appearance of the officer who bore an umbrella to keep the rays of the sun from his liege's head; but as in place of one of the gorgeous, gold-fringed, scarlet-clothed sunshades generally used for that purpose, this was an unmistakeable London-made chaise gingham, with a decidedly Gampish look, it robbed its master of some of his dignity, though he was so busily employed in trying to carry his richly-jewelled sabre with the ease of the English officers, and at the same time to show the splendid weapon to the best advantage, that he saw not the want of dignity in his umbrella, and walked awkwardly to where Mr Linton received him in company with Major Sandars, and such officers as could hurry on the uniforms they so scrupulously avoided in that torrid clime. Tom Long, who paid more attention to the embellishment of his person than any man in the detachment, was one of the officers present, and although nervous about the Sultan's visit, and feeling certain that it had to do with the rescue of the slave girls, he could not help a smile at the umbrella, and a congratulatory sensation that Bob Roberts was not present, for he would have been sure to laugh, when an extension of the risible muscles might have been taken as an insult not to be endured. The august visitors were received in the wide verandah on account of their number, where the sultan took the seat placed for him; five of his principal men, including the former ambassadors, stood behind him; the rest, sword and umbrella-bearers, carriers of the potentate's golden betel-box and spittoon, squatted down on their heels, and were as motionless as so many images of bronze. The various British officers remained with the resident, standing, out of respect to the sultan, whose heavy dark features seemed to express satisfaction; and he at once proceeded in a rather forced, excited manner to inform the resident that he had only been having a water-excursion, and had thought how much he should like to see his good friends at the residency. The resident was delighted, of course, at this mark of condescension, and hastened to assure the sultan of the fact. The latter then proceeded to announce that his grand tiger-hunt would take place in a fortnight's time, and begged that all the officers would accept his invitation. As spokesman and interpreter, the resident assured his august visitor that as many as possible would be there; when in addition the sultan asked that a great many soldiers might be sent as well, to help keep the tigers from breaking back when the hunt was on. To this, Mr Linton, by Major Sandars' permission, readily assented; and then, knowing of old his visitor's taste in such matters, some champagne was produced. At the sight of the gold-foiled bottles the rajah's eyes glistened, and he readily partook of a tumbler twice filled for him; after which he walked into the house with the resident, as an excuse for not being present when his followers partook of some of the wine. At length, after a walk round the fort, which was willingly accorded to him, that he might see that the residency and its protectors were well on the _qui vive_, the sultan took his departure, begging earnestly that all who could would come to the hunting expedition. Then the soldiers presented arms, and the little procession, gay of aspect, proceeded down to the bamboo landing-stage, where the visitor embarked with his following, and seated himself beneath the reed awning of his boat. Word was given, and the yellow and scarlet rowers bent to their oars, sending the long light naga vigorously up stream, one blaze of brilliant colour in the morning sun, till it disappeared round a verdant point about half-a-mile ahead. "Well, Linton," said Major Sandars, "what do you say to it now?" "Ah, to be sure," said Captain Horton. "Isn't the storm blown over?" "Really, gentlemen, it looks like it," said the resident, "and I must confess that I am heartily glad to find that I have been wrong." "Wrong? yes," said the Major. "Those fellows are no more fools than we are, and knowing what they do of the strength of our guns, and the discipline of our men, they would as soon think of measuring force with us, as of flying. Smithers, march the men back into quarters out of this raging sunshine, and to-night only put on the usual guard. What shall you do, Horton?" "Only have the customary watch," was the reply. Tom Long conveyed to Bob Roberts an account of what had taken place, and the reduction of the guard at night; to which that sage young midshipman replied, that the British Lion was only going to withdraw his claws within their sheaths, but the claws were there still; and that it would be exceedingly uncomfortable for any Malay gentleman on shore if the said BL was to put his claws out once more. "But I say, Tom," he exclaimed, "get the major to let you go to the tiger-hunt." "Do you think you can get leave?" said the ensign. "I mean to try it on, my boy. The cap is sure to be huffy, on account of our last affair; but nothing venture, nothing gain, and I mean to go, somehow or another, so tigers beware. What are you laughing at?" "The idea of you shooting a tiger," said Tom Long. "That's all." "I daresay I could if I tried," said Bob shortly. "I daresay you could," said Long, "but we'll see. We have to get leave first." "That's soon got," said Bob Roberts. "Depend upon it, I shall be there." "And I, too," said Tom Long; and the young fellows parted, each of them in secret vowing that he would have the skin of the tiger he meant to shoot, carefully dressed, lined with blue satin and scarlet cloth, and present it to Rachel Linton as a tribute of respect. But the tiger had first of all to be shot. _ |
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