CHAPTER XIII.
UNDER THE BANK.
A few minutes later an open space appeared in front of the boat. Itwas the month of the tributary flowing into the Ganges from the left ornorth, and was more than a hundred yards across. Since it wasnecessary to stem the current in order to take advantage of thisrefuge, the doctor contemplated it with misgiving, for the work ofpoling it up stream promised to be laborious. He had not forgotten hisoriginal plan of abandoning the boat and striking across the country onfoot, taking advantage of the less-frequented roads and paths that werewell known to him. He was relieved, however, to find the flow solanguid that it was easy to make headway against it.
"I have never followed this stream far," he remarked, "and, therefore,have less knowledge of it than the rest of the country, but myimpression is that it cannot serve us long."
"It will be time enough to leave the boat and take to the woods when wecan go no further," said Jack Everson; "but we cannot get away from themain stream too soon."
This was self-evident. It was not likely that the natives after theirdecisive repulse would abandon their purpose of massacring the party,but they would be more guarded in what they did and probably securereinforcements, an easy thing to do when the sanguinary wretcheseverywhere were thirsting for victims.
Jack had seized one of the poles, and he and young Wharton plied themwith so much sturdiness that the heavy craft made better progress thanat any time since it was used as a vehicle of safety. The course ofthe tributary was winding, and our friends had not gone far when theywere shut out from the sight of any persons passing up and down themain river, even if close to the northern bank.
Would the natives suspect the course taken by the whites? That was theall-important question that must soon be answered. After searching upand down the Ganges without success, it was likely they would penetratethe stratagem and follow them, in which event the fugitives would be ina critical situation, since the straightness of the stream and thewooded shores would place them at much greater disadvantage than ifthey remained upon the Ganges.
When the boat had ascended the tributary for perhaps an eighth of amile it was deemed safe to lessen the work of poling. Carefullistening failed to detect any sound of pursuit, and there was groundfor hoping that their enemies neither knew nor suspected what had beendone.
Several facts had become apparent. The densely wooded shores offeredexcellent concealment. By running the boat beneath the dense branchesand among the heavy vegetation the keenest-eyed Asiatics might pass upor down stream almost within arm's length without suspecting itspresence. But the tributary had perceptibly narrowed and its currentwas swifter than at the mouth. All this pointed to the truth of whatDr. Marlowe suspected--the stream could not serve them much further.
The night was now so far advanced that the women took the advice oftheir friends and withdrew to the cabin for slumber. Their quarterswere cramped, but they made themselves fairly comfortable. The nightwas cooler than the day, but only sufficiently so to be pleasant. Itwas not deemed probable that anything would be seen of their enemiesbefore the morrow, and perhaps not even then.
Dr. Marlowe insisted upon taking his turn in poling, but since therewere four vigorous men without him, they would not consent. When twohad toiled for an hour or more, they gave way to the other couple, andthe progress thus continued without interruption, while the time slowlydragged along. The resting spells gave each the opportunity for sleep,thus husbanding their vigor for the morrow. Finding that there wasnothing to which he could turn his hand, the physician reclined at thebow and soon joined the others in dreamland.
It was probably one o'clock when Jack Everson, who had been sleepingfor nearly an hour, was awakened by a gentle shaking of his shoulder.Opening his eyes and looking up he saw Wharton bending over him.
"All right," remarked the American; "I'm ready for my turn," and herose, yawning, to his feet.
"I think we had better rest until morning."
"Why?"
"The current has become so rapid that it is hard to make progress; thisstream can't be of much further use to us."
It needed but a glance around in the gloom to see that it was as hisfriend had declared. The boat was so close to the left-hand shore thatit was held motionless by Anderson at the bow, who gripped anoverhanging branch, with one hand. The water rippled around the frontof the craft, and when Jack dipped the end of one of the poles into thecurrent it swept downward at a rate that astonished him.
"I esteem your advice good," he said, "but it will not do to leave theboat in sight."
With the help of the limbs and the use of the poles it was easy toforce the craft under the bank, where it was screened from observation.Then it was secured in place against drifting and all work for the timewas over.
Wharton and Jack Everson were the only persons awake. The women hadbeen sleeping for several hours, while Anderson and Turner had longsince joined the venerable doctor in the realms of unconsciousness.The two young men sat down where they could speak in low tones withoutbeing overheard.
"It won't do for all of us to sleep at the same time," remarked Jack;"the scoundrels may be creeping up stream after us."
"That is hardly possible; I am sure that for the present we are as safeas if in the heart of London."
"I cannot believe as you do; since I have just enjoyed an hour's sleepI will act as sentinel until daybreak. I can easily keep awake for thefew hours that remain."
"As you think best, though I am sure it is an unnecessary precaution."
"We must not forget that there are perils from the jungle as well asfrom the river. There is no saying what wild beast may pay us a visit."
Inasmuch as Jack could not be dissuaded from his purpose, and Whartonbegan to suspect his friend was half right, the question was decided.Wharton stretched out on the deck, falling asleep almost immediately,and Jack thus found himself the only one with his senses at command andwith the safety of the others dependent upon him.
He took his place near the cabin, where the women were slumbering, withhis breechloader in hand. He was never more wide awake and was sure hewould remain so for hours to come. Wharton had offered to divide theduty with him in acting as sentinel, but our hero preferred to keep thematter in his own hands. He was sure his friend did not realize thefull peril of their situation.
The stillness was broken only by the peculiar cries in the jungle,which it may be said were never wholly silent. First on the right,then on the left, then from the front, and again from different pointson both sides of the stream he heard the sounds, some faint and faraway, with others alarmingly close. The hoarse snarl of the tiger, thefiner cry of the leopard, the squawking of night birds, with othernoises that he could not identify, were continually in the air. Hadthey been heard for the first time he would have been in a tremor offear and nervousness; but man soon becomes accustomed to danger, andthe nearest must come still nearer to cause his pulse an additionalthrob.
Jack Everson was sensible that through this medley of strange noisesthere was one sound that was continuous and never changing. So faintthat at first he and Wharton failed to notice it, it now impresseditself too distinctly upon his consciousness for him to be mistaken.It was a low, steady hum or moaning, such as the traveller hears whenmiles inland from the ocean. He could not identify it, though he madeseveral guesses, and was still speculating unsatisfactorily, when hereceived a startling reminder that there was a new peril at his veryfeet.
The first notice was a faint purring sound, as if made by a giganticcat, accompanied by a rustling of the vegetation scarcely a dozen feetaway. He instantly grasped his rifle with both hands and was alert.It was impossible to distinguish ordinary objects in the gloom, butsuddenly two small circles glittered with a greenish light and thepurring was succeeded by a low, cavernous growl. Then it all becameclear to him: a royal Bengal tiger was stealing upon the boat and wasprobably gathering himself for a leap at that very moment.
Ha
d all the occupants been asleep the frightful terror would haveplayed sad havoc with them before they could defend themselves. As itwas, it looked as if more than one fatality must follow his attack.
But for that phosphorescent gleam of the brute's eyes Jack Eversonwould not have been able to locate him, but the glow of the two objectsdefined the outlines and locality of the horrible thing as unmistakablyas if the sun were overhead. The occasion was one in which everythingdepended upon promptness. The tiger was likely to shift his positionand turn his head so that the eyes would fail to show.
Jack reflected that there probably were a number of spots in theanatomy of the jungle terror that were more vulnerable than others;that a well-aimed bullet might be instantly fatal in one, while able toinflict only a partial wound in another. Be that as it may, he wassure that a conical bullet driven between the eyes and through bone,muscle and brain by a rifle that could kill a man at the distance of amile must do effective work when that brain was not a dozen feetdistant from the muzzle of the weapon. At any rate, there was no timefor inquiry and he did not hesitate.
Aiming for a point midway between the gleaming orbs he pressed thetrigger. It takes a well-aimed weapon to kill a royal Bengal tiger,even at a short distance, but Jack's rifle was well aimed. The tinysphere of lead darted through the brain and along the spinal marrow asif fired with the vicious energy of a charge of dynamite.
It so happened that the tiger was in the act of making his graceful butfearful leap that was to land him upon the breast of the young man, whohad risen to his feet just before firing. The check at that instantproduced a queer result, the like of which is not often seen. Theshock of the bullet crashing into the head of the muscular beast at theinstant he was calling into play his prodigious strength intensifiedthat strength to a sudden and astonishing degree. The consequence wasthat the tiger, instead of making the leap he intended, made one twiceas great and overshot the mark. From out the gloom the beautifulsinewy body, of which only a glimpse could be caught, emerged as iffired from the throat of a Columbiad and, curving over the shoulders ofthe man and the boat, dropped into the stream with a splash that sentthe water flying in every direction.
Beyond the line of shadow, where the faint moonlight fell upon him, thetiger was seen to be a beast of extraordinary size. He emitted onerasping snarl while sailing through the air, but was already dead whenhe fell into the water, where it could not be seen he had made astruggle. The sinewy body dipped out of sight, bobbed up again and thenext minute was swept beyond view by the rapid current.
Rather strangely, not one of the women was awakened by the report ofthe rifle so near them, and of the men Dr. Marlowe and Anderson werethe only ones who rose to a sitting posture and anxiously inquired thecause of the firing.
"I discovered an animal prowling near the boat," replied Jack, whothought it well not to disturb them with the whole truth, "and I wingedhim."
"You are sure you killed him?" asked the doctor; "most likely it was atiger."
"I am quite sure of that, and am just as sure that, considered strictlyas a tiger, he is of no further account. I made another bull's-eye inhis case."
"How many is that?" asked the physician, entering into the spirit ofthe jest.
"My fifth, counting only those that I am sure of."
"You are doing well; keep it up; let the good work go on," replied theelder, again adjusting himself for slumber, quite content to leave thevaliant young American in charge of the boat and its occupants. Jackhad it in mind to question him about that distant murmuring sound thatpuzzled him, but when ready to do so he discovered that the doctor wasagain asleep and he did not disturb him.
The fact that one denizen of the jungle had paid the boat a visit wasground for looking for a call from another. Jack remained, therefore,on the alert, and though under ordinary circumstances he would havefallen asleep he kept wide awake until the growing light in the skytold of the coming day. Before the sun was fairly above the horizonall were astir. They bathed faces and hands in the roiled water andgreeted one another with thankfulness that the night had passed withoutharm to any member of the little company.
When the three men and their wives fled from Meerut they took with themenough food to last for several days. There is little excuse forpeople dying of starvation in any part of India, though sad to say itis only recently that thousands were swept away by famine. Fruit isabundant and little meat is necessary in hot countries. Before themorning meal was partaken of Jack Everson asked Dr. Marlowe to explainthe cause of the low moaning noise that had been in his ears for moatof the night. The elder listened for a minute and replied:
"What I expected! We are very near the head of navigation; that soundcomes from falls or rapids, above which we cannot go with this boat."
This announcement precipitated a discussion as to what was the bestcourse to follow. The physician left no doubt of his sentiments.
"The devils will be prowling up this stream within a few hours; Ishould not be surprised if they are near us this moment; the boat is ofno further use to us."
The three, Anderson, Turner and Wharton, did not agree with him. Thecraft had served them so well that they were unwilling to abandon it.They seemed to believe that it offered a much safer means of defensethan they could find anywhere on land.
"But you cannot stay forever on it," protested the doctor impatiently.
"We do not expect to," replied Anderson; "we may decide to descend tothe Ganges again, and continue down the river."
"Whither?"
"To Cawnpore or some point nearer."
The doctor was aghast.
"You mean to leap straight into the hornet's nest; those are theplaces, of all others, that must be avoided."
"It may be as you say, but I am hopeful that the English garrisons havebeen able to hold out against the mutineers."
"It is a woeful mistake, my friend; if you persist in it we must partcompany."