CHAPTER VII
Touch and Go
It was densely dark beneath the trees where the three walked, so dark,in fact, that Owen, who was leading, struck his forehead heavily againstthe trunk of a tree, and staggered back, dropping his end of the stickas he did so.
"Let us change the order, sahib," said Mulha, when his master hadrecovered from the blow, which had been a severe one. "I am used tofinding my way at night, and should have seen or felt that tree. Takethis end of the stick, and let Jack Sahib cling to your sleeve."
Had it been possible they would have kept clear of the wood, but ithappened that at this part a collection of palm-trees struggled rightdown to the line of the sea, their trunks being moistened by the spraycast by the surf. And these were sufficient to delay them, so that manyminutes had elapsed before the party came upon a narrow inlet, cuttingzigzag in from the sea, into which the water ran smoothly. It wassituated round a rocky bend, and had been invisible from the positionthey had occupied earlier, overlooking the bay.
"Here we shall find their skiff," exclaimed Owen, in tones ofsatisfaction, "and very soon we shall be under way. One moment. Isn'tthat the boat?"
"It is a boulder, sahib," answered the native without hesitation, hiseyes seeming to be able to pierce the darkness with ease. "The boat forwhich we are searching is higher up. I think I see it already. It ispulled up on to the mud."
It turned out to be as he had declared, for as the party turned inland,their onward progress being barred by the inlet, they came upon thecraft some hundred feet higher up, stranded on the mud, with paddleslaid carelessly in the bottom.
"All in readiness, in fact," exclaimed Owen with a chuckle. "This is agood omen, Jack. All is smooth at first, and the rest is what we care tomake it. Those aboard the native craft will hardly be expecting us. Ifwe don't manage to drive them overboard within a minute, well, my name'snot Owen!"
"Nor mine Jack. Any special orders before we embark?"
"None. We have our badges, by which we shall know each other. We haveonly to clamber aboard and go for them."
"And supposing they should suspect?" asked the native suddenly. "Wouldit not be wise, sahibs, in a case like that to approach themdifferently? For instance, if they think that we are enemies I couldslip into the water as we came close, and while they follow themovements of the boat I would clamber aboard. Then, as I fell uponthem, you two might rush in and board the vessel."
"Bravo! A good suggestion, and you shall carry it out," answered Owenreadily. "Is there anything else?"
No one answered. They had done all that was possible by way ofpreparation, and could think of nothing more.
"Then dump this load aboard and let us shove her out. Mulha, can youpaddle a boat?"
"I have been at sea for many years, sahib," was the quiet answer.
"Then you will paddle us to the ship. I will take on the task if youhave to slip overboard. Down she goes! Now, into her, Jack."
They placed their load and their guns carefully in the bottom of thenative skiff, and then lifted her clear of the mud, for she was verylight, and carried her bodily into the water. Jack stepped gingerly inand took his seat in the bows, Owen followed, picking up a paddle as hedid so, while the native placed himself in the stern and plunged hispaddle into the water. They were afloat, and at the very first strokethe little craft shot out into the centre of the inlet.
"Trim her as well as you can, sahibs," whispered Mulha, "and depend onme entirely. The surf is not very rough at the entrance, but any unusualmovement might lead to a capsize. I will paddle her gently through, andthen strike to the left. That is where the vessel lies, and all eyesmust search for her."
His paddle dipped regularly now, and the little craft shot down theinlet. Indeed, it was abundantly clear by the pace she attained that astream fell into the bay at this point, and that the current helped theefforts of the paddler. And before any could have believed it they hadreached the coast-line, and were in the surf, here a gentle swell only,for had it been like that which broke upon the beach higher up, the boatwould have foundered. She was of far too light a build to have livedthere for a moment. As it was she rocked, till Owen and Jack were forcedto hold to the gunwale, while they bent their bodies as low down aspossible. Meanwhile Mulha seemed to take little heed of the commotion;but his piercing eyes watched every wave, and the strokes of his paddlecame now at irregular moments, sometimes strong, and sometimes just agentle touch which turned the boat's head aside to avoid some breaker.Spray blew over the three and drenched them, but they hardly heeded it.All had their thoughts fixed upon the pirates' ship, and upon the comingstruggle.
"I wonder what it will be like," Owen said to himself. "I have fired agun and pistols at a target many a time, but till to-day I have neverkilled anything. It was all right, of course, to kill those pigs and thedeer; that was sport; while the killing of the rhinos was a matter ofself-preservation. But these natives are different. They are humanbeings, and I hesitate even to strike them with the cudgels which wehave prepared."
"There she is! I saw her against the stars," suddenly exclaimed Jack,interrupting Owen's train of thought. "We shall be alongside in aquarter of an hour. Then there'll be a tussle. Owen, these beggars wouldkill us without a scruple and without mercy, wouldn't they?"
Our hero stared in the direction in which Jack pointed, for his comradecaught his arm and turned it out to sea to the left, so that thedarkness could lead to no mistakes. And there, without any doubt, wasthe pirate vessel, looming large and formidable against the starlight,and rocking gently on the swell.
"Wouldn't they? They'd cut our throats without hesitation!"
Then his friend had been thinking of the same thing. It was all verywell to fight wild beasts, but when it came to an endeavour to killtheir own fellows, dark-skinned pirates though they were, it was a verydifferent matter.
"I would not trust my life in their hands for an instant," was hisanswer. "Look here, Jack. It's a question of self-preservation all overagain. Those rhinos wanted to kill us, and we were forced to shoot them.It's the same here. While there are bad men in the world there will bemurders and hangings. Lives will be taken, and robberies and violencecommitted, till those who desire to lead a quiet life rebel. Findingthat words and warnings are insufficient they will take to killing thebad men simply for the reason that if they did not do so the latterwould become too strong in time, and would do pretty well as they likedwith other people's lives and property. That's the way with thesepirates. They wanted to capture the ship, and they would like to takeus, just to revenge their defeat. I object. I want to get to India. Iwill hit as hard as possible, and if a man attempts to stand up to me,well, the better of the two shall survive."
He gripped the stout cudgel which Mulha had cut for him, and balanced itnicely in his hand. Then his eyes went across to the native boat again,and he watched to see whether there were any figures on her deck. Butshe was still too far away, and, in fact, only her spars were visible,showing up against the bright stars. Mulha paddled on without a pauseand without a sound. Those in the skiff could just hear the dip, dip ofhis blade, but that was all. There was not sufficient noise there toattract the attention of the pirates, and it was hardly likely that thelatter would be listening.
"Most likely they have turned in by now," said Owen to himself, as helistened for any other sound than that of the paddle. "With a littleluck we should be able to get alongside without discovery."
He crouched in the bottom of the skiff for some ten minutes, staringout across the water. And as the seconds passed his hopes rose higherand higher, while the uncertainty of their position, the inevitablestruggle, and the fact that it would be the very first in which he hadever taken part, helped to increase his excitement. He could hear andfeel his heart beating. His teeth were clenched, while his hand grippedthe cudgel with a purpose. Owen Jones had forgotten his thoughts of afew moments ago. He no longer had scruples. There was to be arough-and-tumble struggle, and his side was to succeed.
/> REACHING UP TO HIS FULL HEIGHT HE STRUCK THE MAN ON THEBREAST
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"Halloo! Aboard the boat there!"
The hail, in a foreign tongue which none of the three could understand,came from the shore from the exact point where they had put off, and wasfollowed by the flash of a pistol and by a sharp report. Then cameconfused noises, shouts, and cries of anger, answered within a fewseconds from the very ship for which Mulha was steering.
"The game has been discovered," said Owen hastily, as the truth dawnedupon him. "We have been too slow, and those fellows who landed andpassed us must have slipped back to find their own craft gone. Push on!Rush them! Get ready, Jack!"
"Steer out beyond the boat," suddenly whispered Mulha. "Hush, sahibs. Weare not discovered yet. They will know aboard the ship that we havestolen from the shore, and they will scarcely guess our object. Swing tothe right, for they will be looking perhaps to the spot well to ourleft. We will slide up beside them and make a rush. I will slipoverboard if we are discovered."
It was not a time for words, and at once Owen dropped his cudgel andthrust his paddle deep into the water. But dark though the night wasthey could hardly hope to avoid detection, and within a minute they knewthat the pirates aboard the ship for which they were aiming had theireyes upon them. Shouts answered the fierce cries from the shore, andsome one suddenly appeared on the rail of the vessel, a stick in hishand, and at its extremity, held well aloft, a mass of flaming material,which acted as a flare and lit up the scene. In a minute, in fact, thetables were turned, and all the plans and hopes of the three wereshattered utterly.
"Charge!" shouted Jack, turning upon his friends. "Charge! We're donefor if we don't. They will pick us off easily."
"And shoot us like birds. There goes their first weapon. Paddle, Mulha!"
Owen backed his friend up with a will, and seeing in the space of asecond that to remain there, within the circle of light, was to courtdeath, and that to attempt to escape would in all probability proveequally fatal, for it would be a little while before they could withdrawout of the light, and even did they do so, there were enemies betweenthem and the Indiaman, and ruffians ashore waiting for them to land, heplunged his paddle in with a will, and, helped by the native, sent theskiff surging on through the water. A weapon exploded a few feet fromthem, and our hero experienced the curious sensation of being hit. Hefelt as if some one had taken a hammer and struck him a violent blow onthe thigh. The shock was followed by a burning sensation, and then--theywere close alongside. A burly, naked individual leaned over the rail andthrew something into the skiff, knocking her bottom boards to pieces andalmost sinking her. She was leaking badly, and looked as if she wouldfounder.
Then another of the pirates leaned over, following the example of hisleader, and would have repeated the process of shattering the boat. ButOwen was too quick for him. Suddenly rising to his feet he swung hiscudgel round his head, and reaching up to his full height struck the manon the breast. The thud could be heard all over the ship, and wasfollowed by a shriek of anger and pain.
"Now at them!" he called out at the top of his voice. "Come along, Jack.Charge them!"
Fortunately the sides of the small native craft which they wereattacking were not very lofty, and thanks to the diversion which hissudden blow had caused, Owen was able to grip the rail and clamberaboard. Jack followed as quickly as possible, gaining the deck as threemen, armed with sword or knife, threw themselves upon him. Owen did notwait for them. Dashing forward he struck out blindly with his stick,while Jack followed him up swiftly. But the odds were against them. Theyhad counted on finding perhaps six men aboard, whereas the flare whichwas still held aloft disclosed the presence of at least nine pirates,all scantily dressed, and every one wearing an expression which bodedill for the attackers. More than that, they were dumfounded at theaudacity of the white men, and as Owen beat them back, and the twoparties halted for a moment to stare at one another, the pirates couldhardly believe their eyes. Then the huge ruffian who had tossed a weightinto the skiff pushed his way to the front of the others and began tolaugh.
"Did ever game walk into the net so nicely?" he asked in the Malaytongue. "In which way shall we kill them?"
For a moment it seemed as if he would choose a summary method, for hedragged a huge bell-mouthed pistol from his belt and aimed at Owen. Thenanother thought struck him and he turned to consult with his men.Meanwhile Owen and Jack stood still; petrified at finding suchunexpected numbers. They looked round for Mulha, but he was nowhere tobe seen. They were alone, and had but themselves to depend upon.
"Then we'll go for them," said Owen hastily. "Strike at their shins.Remember that. Guard their blows and whack them across the legs. Anigger cannot stand that. I've been told so by men who have been out inthe East. Take that chap on the right. I'm going for the big man in thecentre."
Without another word, but with a shout to encourage one another, theycharged down the deck, swinging their clubs. And as they came the enemyprepared to meet them. The big man swept a clear patch about him, anddrew a dagger, while the others lined across the deck, some armed withdaggers, and others with native swords. Two had guns which they fired asthe two white men approached, missing them narrowly.
Owen kept his club aloft till he was close to the big man. Then all of asudden he ducked his head and shoulders, and as the man lifted hisknife, thinking to ward off a blow made at his head, our hero's cudgelcame with terrific force against his shins and knees. There was a howlof pain, and the man dropped like an ox which has been felled; then hecrawled away, rubbing his limbs and evidently suffering considerably.
The sudden fall of their leader disconcerted the crowd for a fewseconds, and they drew back. Then one of them raised a sudden shout, andthose in rear turned round. Owen grasped the meaning of their actioninstantly.
"Mulha has carried out his plan," he shouted. "At them, Jack. Strike ashard as you can."
There followed a desperate struggle, during which sticks rose and fell,while the gleaming blades held by the pirates darted this way and that.But the length of the cudgels proved an enormous advantage, and when tothat was added the sudden appearance of Mulha, and the need fordefending themselves in front and rear, it was not wonderful that therascals aboard gave way. In a few moments four of them lay stretchedsenseless on the deck, while beneath the rail grovelled the huge ruffianwhom Owen had brought down, still hugging his shins, for one was broken.Numbers were more evenly divided now, and the efforts of all three soonended the matter. Mulha lifted his club as a man dashed in upon him, andleaping aside to avoid the blow, brought the heavy stake with a terrificcrash down on the pirate's back, breaking it instantly. Then Jack andOwen rushed at the others, their clubs whirling, and, struck with terrorat the lot which had fallen to their comrades, these remaining piratesraced away for their lives and leaped over the side.
"Dowse that flare," commanded Owen instantly. "But wait. Look at thesefellows, Mulha."
"This man is dead, sahib. I hit with all my might, and struck him on thebroad of the back. He is no further use to us or to his own comrades. Heshall join those who have just left us."
Very calmly Mulha stood over the native and carefully inspected him, tomake sure that he was dead. Then as Jack picked up the flare, which hadfallen to the deck and lay there spluttering, he gripped the body withboth hands and tossed it overboard; for this native was a powerfulfellow, tall and supple, with wiry limbs which would have tired themuscles of many a man of finer development.
"The others are alive, but helpless for the moment, sahib," he went on,turning to Owen. "Shall they follow? In the sea they will be out ofharm's way, and if we take them they will surely be hanged."
"Leave them. Perhaps the information to be obtained from them will provevaluable. Now, dowse the light."
Mulha took the stick upon which it was supported and tossed it over theside. Then for one second he disappeared, swarming over the rail,
toreappear within a minute.
"The boat may still be required, sahibs," he said, with a grave smile."There is water in the bottom, but not sufficient to matter. The sea iscalm, and therefore I have only made the rope fast. She can tow as wesail. Shall we hoist the sails?"
It was the only possible course for them to take, and fortunately onthis craft there was no great difficulty; for she carried but one hugetriangular sheet, the strangely shaped stretch of canvas with which somany Eastern boats are provided, and on this occasion the canvas had notbeen lowered but had been furled about the yard, the latter being leftin position. Mulha went swarming up to it with the agility of a cat, andsoon the folds were trailing near the deck. Owen took hold of thetiller, leaning heavily upon it, for his leg was strangely weak. As forJack, he stood aside, leaving the sail to Mulha, well knowing that hehimself would be in the way. And in a very short space of time, when theactive Mulha had severed the hawser, they were moving, the wind hadcaught the sail, and the boat had listed to one side.
"Better get ready for the bombardment," laughed Jack some minutes later,as they stole silently through the water. "I'll load, and then if any ofthose beggars fire at us we shall be able to answer. I suppose she doesnot carry a cannon?"
He went off along the deck, while the thoughtful Mulha dived down below,returning shortly with some muskets, which, following Jack's example, hecommenced to load. Then he went to the unconscious figures lying on thedeck and dragged them to the foot of the mast.
"What if that big fellow with the broken shins chooses to give a shout?"asked Owen suddenly. "Of course, the pirates on shore and those at seaknow or guess what has happened. That flare will have made everything asplain as possible. They'll be cruising up and down to catch us, and ifthat fellow cared he could bring them alongside."
"I will speak to him, Sahib," answered Mulha grimly. "He shallunderstand. Give me one of the guns."
He took the weapon from Jack, who stood near at hand. Then he went tothe side of the wounded man and grasped him roughly by the shoulder.There was just sufficient light to see him, and out here on the water,where they were well away from overhanging trees, they could see farbetter than when on the land. As he stared at the two, Jack saw Mulhashake the man, and then raise his finger to his lips, at which thewounded pirate ceased his groans. Then very deliberately Mulha raisedthe musket, thrust the cold muzzle into the man's ear, causing him tosit transfixed with terror, and then lifted up a warning finger again.It was enough. The fellow groveled in the scuppers, and from that momentnot a sound escaped him. As for the others, they showed as yet no signsof returning consciousness, so well and truly had the blows fallen.
"In an hour and a half we shall be clear of the bay," said Owen, whostill clung to the tiller, for he had little fears of his powers ofbeing able to sail the vessel. The wind happened to be in the rightquarter, and he had handled a tiller before in Old England.
"What if some of those other craft get alongside and blaze at us?" heasked.
"We'll give them something back," answered Jack defiantly. "Run us inclose to them, and Mulha and I will pepper them with the muskets."
"If we are not meanwhile blown to pieces with their guns," laughed Owen."Keep a bright look-out, that's the best course, and run as far fromthem as possible. How's the time, do you think?"
"Couldn't say," responded his friend. "We might have put off hours ago.I've lost count of the time altogether."
So much had happened that it was not wonderful that it seemed to allthree that they had left the shore some long while ago. But, as a matterof fact, it still wanted quite a little while before the moon wouldrise. And meanwhile they steered on their course, their bows pointed tothe wide opening of the bay, and all eyes engaged in watching for theenemy. And presently the creak of a yard was heard, and some distance totheir right, and nearer in shore, a huge indefinite shape swirled by andwas gone, the creak, creak of the yard melting into silence as sheincreased her distance and ran on into the night. An hour passed, whilethe little vessel pressed on, the water churned to froth at her bows.
"We are in the open sea, or just at the mouth of the bay, Sahib," saidMulha. "I am sure of that, for there is a little roll, and in the baythere was none, only the wind listed us to one side. We must be verycareful. At any moment we may run into the enemy. Then the moon will beup before very long."
A few minutes later, indeed, she came up from behind the high landsrunning parallel with the coast, and flooded bay and open sea. Almostinstantly there was a shout from the three who manned the stolen vessel,a shout answered by a loud hail not far away. It was the Indiaman,under sail, and standing silently and very slowly across the mouth ofthe bay. They could see her very plainly, for the rays fell full uponher, and she was within an easy shot. At the shout they saw men rushingdown the deck, and figures, strangely ghost-like in the silvery light,appeared from her hatches. Then a dull red flash spurted from her side,a puff of smoke belched into the night, and a ball, directed by nounskilled hand, hurtled across the water and hulled the little craftwhich was standing out of the bay. It was a fine shot, and brought awild cheer from the deck of the Indiaman; but it had disastrousconsequences, for it knocked a wide hole in the planks of the nativevessel, through which the water poured in torrents.
"Ahoy! You're firing at friends! Ahoy there!"
Owen clambered with difficulty into the rigging, till he reached a spotwhere his figure stood sharply silhouetted against the moon behind. Andthere he waved his arms, while he hailed at the top of his voice. Andevidently those aboard the Indiaman were not slow to discover theirmistake. Another cheer rose from her deck, and a stout figure leapt onto the rail, and ascending a few rungs of the ladder hailed back instentorian tones. Then came the splash of a boat, and within fiveminutes the ship's gig was pulling towards them.
"It will be touch and go yet," said Owen. "We'd better get aboard theskiff. These poor fellows here must take their chance. Give me a hand,Mulha."
A few minutes before he had been able to clamber into the rigging withwonderful agility, considering his wound; but now that the danger waspassed, and help and friends were at hand, Owen collapsed utterly. Heheld out his hand to Mulha, and then fell on his face on the deck. Andin this unconscious condition he was lifted aboard the skiff, which washalf full of water, and from her was transferred to the gig. A quarterof an hour later the Indiaman was standing out of the bay, while herdeck hands were hoisting the gig back to the davits. Owen lay pale andmotionless in the sick-bay, while Jack was closeted with the captain. Asfor the native craft, she had sunk beneath the water, the five woundedpirates who had been upon her being barely rescued by the gig. It was atragic ending to a day's hunting, but it provided the garrulous JackSimpson with a theme, and at that moment he was breathlessly detailingall that had happened. And had there been any doubt as to the truth oftheir meeting with the rhinos, there was the head of the beast, and aportion of a deer, now brought aboard, indisputable evidence of theirprowess.