CHAPTER XIV
SIR MATTHEW IMPROVES THE OCCASION
To cut the bonds of the prisoners was the work of only a few moments.The sailors, the instant they were free, made a rush upon thevillagers' cooking-pots, their passion for food overcoming curiosity,gratitude, and all other sentiments. Dr. Smith gripped his son's hand,his emotion being too great for words. Tom slapped his brother on theback. Lieutenant Underhill was divided between his eagerness to learnall the circumstances of this strange intervention and his anxiety toprevent his men from getting out of hand. But a glance at them as theymade free with the natives' provisions relieved him on this score, andwhen Smith explained that he had on board the aeroplane certaindelectables in the shape of chicken patties (becoming rather stale),doughnuts, plumcake, a bottle of Australian burgundy, and sundry otherremnants of the provisions furnished by the hospitable folk ofPalmerston, he voted an immediate adjournment for lunch, and theofficers, with the Smiths, were soon satisfying their clamant hunger.
"How in the world did you know about us?" asked Tom.
"By cable from Brisbane."
"Then our boat did not go down?" said Underhill.
"No; your men lost their sail and rudder, and drifted until they cameinto the current along the south coast of New Guinea. They were pickedup by a barque bound for Brisbane, and carried there."
He gave them a rapid summary of his flight across the world. Thesudden change in their fortunes induced a readiness to find amusementin the most trifling incident, and they laughed loud and long as heretailed the little mishaps and the comic episodes of his journey.Then Underhill in his turn related all that had happened since thewreck, and all became grave again as he told of the capture in theearly morning after their night march, the wild orgy in which theircaptors had indulged, the elaborate preparations they had made underthe direction of their sorcerer for the sacrificial rite to whichtheir captives were destined. But for the appearance of the aeroplanehe had no doubt that within a few short hours they would have beenmassacred, and their skulls hung up at the entrance of the huts assignal marks of the villagers' prowess.
"The poor wretches hate all white men," said Underhill, "and it canhardly be wondered at. They are recruited to labour in ourplantations, and come back with ailments unknown to them until theymet the white man. They do not distinguish, and a geologist like Dr.Smith--"
"Ah!" said the doctor anxiously; "my specimens!"
"They are safe, Father," replied Charley. "I saw them in your fort.The fact that the place had not been looted gave me some hope that youwere still alive. I wonder that the islanders have not made hay ofeverything."
"No doubt they deferred the performance until they had disposed ofus," said Underhill. "But now, how do we stand? You have saved us, butyou can't take us all off in your aeroplane."
"A gunboat is on her way here; I passed her; she will arrive soon."
"Hurray!" shouted the men.
"Your men are on her, Mr. Underhill," continued Smith. "She willprobably arrive by the time we get back to the fort."
"That is a difficulty. We must be at least seven or eight miles fromit, and the whole country is forest in which the natives may waylayus. They have left our rifles, but practically all our ammunition isgone."
"I have rifles and ammunition, as you see. But the savages have hadsuch a fright that I think they will keep out of the way of theaeroplane. If I fly as low as possible over the trees they will hearthe humming and run away, and you can steer your course by the samesound."
"A good idea. We'll burn their huts and weapons, as a warning tobehave better in future, and then we'll go."
This was done, Smith and Rodier appropriating as trophies severalspears and bows and arrows, and also some of the fetish charms hung atthe entrance to the huts. The crew, having satisfied their hunger,hunted through the village for loot, and grumbled when they foundnothing that they considered worthy the consideration of Britishsailormen. Then Rodier took the aeroplane aloft, Smith having decidedto walk with the rest, and the party set off towards the coast,marching by the guidance of the sound that descended from thetree-tops, dulled by its passage through thick layers of foliage.
The scare had proved effectual. Never a sign of the natives was seenduring the three hours' march to the fort. When they reached it, Dr.Smith hastened at once to assure himself that his specimens andnote-books were safe. Tired out, the whole party lay down to rest.
"We'll go and meet the gunboat, Roddy," said Smith, when the aeroplanealighted. "Captain Warren will be glad to hear that all is well."
They set off, flew down the coast, and in a few minutes descried thegunboat, apparently about fifteen miles off.
"All well, sir," shouted Smith, as he met the vessel. "I'll pilot youto the place."
"You have put my nose out of joint," replied the captain, "and done mymen out of a fight, too. Well, I'm glad Underhill is safe. How farhave we to go?"
"An hour will do it, sir. I'll keep you company; a jog-trot will be apleasant change after my scamper."
"Diable, mister," said Rodier; "that will waste an immense quantity ofpetrol, and we have none to spare."
"You're right, Roddy. I daresay we have used in the last few hoursenough to carry us to Samoa."
He explained to Captain Warren the necessity he was under ofeconomizing fuel, and promised to fire a rifle as a guide to him whenthe gunboat came abreast of the fort. Then he returned at full speed,brought the aeroplane to the ground within the enclosure, and havingarranged with his brother to give the signal when the gunboat came insight, lay down beside Rodier and was fast asleep in an instant.
He was wakened by a roar of cheering when Captain Warren, with some ofhis men, the four members of the crew of the _Albatross_, and acorpulent little civilian about fifty years old, marched into thecamp, bringing a load of provisions. A huge bonfire was kindled in thecentre of the enclosure, and round it the whole company gathered toenjoy a royal feast. Darkness had sunk over the land; the flames castruddy reflections upon their features; and no one observing theircheerful expression, or listening to their merry chat, would havesuspected that, a few hours before, half of the party had been face toface with a terrible death. Smith was the hero of the day. LieutenantUnderhill got up and proposed his health; the toast was drunk in wine,beer, and water, and some wild dogs that had been allured from theforest by the glare fled howling when the mariners raised their lustyvoices to the tune of "For he's a jolly good fellow." Nor was Rodierforgotten. Tom Smith called for the honours for him also; he wasacclaimed in shouts of "Good old Frenchie!" "Well done, matey," andsundry other boisterous tokens of applause.
Nothing would content the party but that Smith should tell the storyof his flight. They listened spell-bound as he related hisexperiences at the various stopping-places, and his adventures at sea.When the story was finished, the cheers broke out again, and the stoutlittle man who accompanied Captain Warren's party, and whosespectacles gleamed with good humour, rose to his feet and cleared histhroat.
"Pray, gentlemen, silence for Sir Matthew Menhinick," said CaptainWarren, with twinkling eyes. Sir Matthew was an ex-prime minister ofQueensland, known to his intimates as Merry Matt, and to the wholecontinent as a jolly good fellow. Being at Brisbane when the news ofthe wreck came, he instantly decided to join Captain Warren's rescueparty. If he had a weakness for hearing his own voice, what could beexpected in a man whose speeches filled volumes of legislativereports, but who was now in his retirement, deprived of these dailyopportunities of addressing his fellow men?
"Gentlemen," he said, beaming on the company; "officers and gentlemen,and able seamen of His Majesty's Navy, I am a plain, blunt chap, I am,as you all know, and I can't dress up what I've got to say in finelanguage like the Governor-General, but I can't let this occasion passwithout saying a word or two about the great, the wonderful, thestupendous achievement of our friend, Mr. Thesiger Smith. (Loudcheers.) This is a proud moment in my life. I remember when I was anipper in London, before any of y
ou were born except our friend thedoctor, I saw in a place called Cremorne Gardens a silly fellow of aFrenchman--present company excepted--try to fly with wings strapped tohis arms. Of course he came a cropper and broke his back. I remembermy dear old mother shaking her head and telling over to me that finebit of poetry:
Cows and horses walk on four legs, Little children walk on two legs; Fishes swim in water clear, Birds fly high into the air;
and impressing on me that boys mustn't be little beasts, nor try to befishes, or birds, or anything else they wasn't meant to be. But now,gentlemen, in this wonderful twentieth century, them old doctrines areas dead as Queen Anne. We've got submarines diving and roving along inthe depths of the sea; we've got aeroplanes that fly up into the air;and we've got men, gentlemen, men of grit and backbone, men of courageand determination, that 'fear no foe in shining armour,' men like ourfriend Mr. Smith (roars of applause), who brave the perils of the deepand the chance of the empyrean, who take their lives in their handsand think nothing of it. Some croakers will tell you the Old Countryis going to the dogs. Don't you believe it. ("We won't.") I don'tbelieve she ever will go to the dogs while she's got left a man of theold, honourable, and respected name of Smith. (Laughter and cheers.)
"Mr. Underhill just now referred in feeling terms to the personalresults of Mr. Smith's enterprise. But for him, some of our numberwould by this time have crossed the bourne whence no travellerreturns. I need not speak of the joy and pride that must have filled afather's and a brother's breast--" (Here the speaker blew his nose andwiped a mist from his spectacles. Then he resumed.) "As I was saying,our friend has accomplished a wonderful feat, gentlemen. He has cometwelve thousand miles in three days and a half. That's a thing to beproud of. He tells me he's going to get back in another three days anda half. I am sure I speak for you all when I say 'good luck to him!'("hear! hear!") Think what it means, gentlemen. It means going roundthe world in a week. When I was last in England I met a man at a hotelwho kept me up till three in the morning proving to me that the earthis flat. I'll give Mr. Smith his address, and when he gets home he cango and prove to him that _he's_ a flat. (Laughter.) You remember in aplay of Shakespeare there's a little chap that says he'll put a girdleround the earth in forty minutes. His name was Puck, gentlemen. Mr.Smith won't do it quite so quick--not this journey, at any rate--butwho knows what these young scientific fellows will be a-doing of next?Mr. Smith's aeroplane hasn't got a name, I believe, but he'd betterchristen it Puck, which is the same as the Indian word _pukka_, andmeans 'jolly good.'"
"Now I'm not going to make a speech, so I'll just conclude these fewremarks by wishing Mr. Smith a safe journey home, quick promotion, anda seat in the House of Lords. He's used to going up, and that's aboutas far up as he can go."
When the cheering had ceased, the company crowded about the aeroplane,and gazed at it as if by sheer hard staring they might discover thesecret of its speed.
While Rodier explained its working to some of them, Smith sat with theofficers, his father and brother, and Sir Matthew, discussing theimmediate future.
"You must be very tired," said his father. "Don't you think you havebetter give up the idea of returning at once, and come with us? TheAdmiralty will stretch a point if we cable an explanation."
"On no account, father," replied Smith. "I am going back. I had thegood luck to get here in time. That's all right so far. But aftercoming through the air I couldn't stand a slow voyage back; it wouldbe like riding in a growler after a taxi. Besides, I confess I am outto make a record. I can't make a name in geology, but why shouldn't Igo down to posterity as the first man to fly round the world?"
"In seven days, as Sir Matthew remarked," added Tom. "It will berather a feather in your cap, old fellow, if you can do it."
"Oh, I'll do it, if only my engine holds out. By the way, Roddy oughtto be cleaning up in preparation for starting. I hope he won't bedemoralized by this ovation. Roddy," he called, "it's time to cleanup."
"All right, mister," replied the French man. "I'll take the shine outof her."
"Roddy's English is not perfectly accurate," said Smith, laughing;"but he's exactness itself in his work." He pulled out his watch."It's exactly eighty-one hours since I left London; I've goteighty-seven to get back in."
"How will you go?" asked Underhill.
"First to Samoa, then Honolulu, then 'Frisco, and straight across theStates."
"You'll have to beware of interviewers," said Tom. "You may be surethe newspaper men have got wind of you by this time."
"I don't know. Barracombe wouldn't say anything; I don't think Johnsonin Constantinople would, and--"
"My dear fellow, don't make any mistake," said Captain Warren."Nobody ever does say anything, but the newspaper men somehow or otherknow what you think about when you're abed and asleep."
"They must all be Irishmen, then."
"Or Americans. I wouldn't mind betting that they are getting up areception for you at 'Frisco--"
"But they don't know I'm going there."
"No matter; the word has gone out to keep a watch for you, and everytown in the States will be on the _qui vive_. I'm rather sorry for youwhen you come down for petrol; you won't get off so easily as you didon the way out."
"Of course you won't," said Tom. "I suppose you'll wire ahead forpetrol to be held ready for you? That will give you away."
"No, I shall chance it. I can get petrol in any town in the States,and I won't risk delay by announcing myself."
"You had better have a good sleep before you start," said Underhill."What time do you want to go?"
"Not later than midnight."
"Well, you've got nearly four hours. Your man had better sleep, too.I'll see to the engine."
"Roddy won't allow that. I see that he has got help. He'll be finishedin half-an-hour. By all means put him to bed then, if you'll promiseto wake us both in good time."
"I'll do that. I won't spoil sport. Go to the further end of the camp,and I'll tuck you up in the tarpaulin, put some food on board, and seethat everything is shipshape."
Smith was glad enough to avail himself of the opportunity of three orfour hours' continuous sleep on land. Rodier showed more reluctance,declaring that he was as fit as a fiddle; but Captain Warren bore himaway from the crowd of admirers, and stood over him until he, like hismaster, was sleeping soundly.
A quarter of an hour before midnight the two airmen were awakened.Farewells were said, hands were shaken all round, every one wish themgood luck, and precisely at twelve they took their seats and set forthon the two thousand miles flight to Samoa.