CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
A FRIENDLY HAND.
The two boys stood staring thoughtfully at each other that bright, sunnymorning, for some minutes before Ned spoke again.
"They will not kill us, will they?" he said.
"Kill us? No. I should just like to catch them at it. The brutes! Totake away my kris too. There's going to be a row about this as soon asmy father knows."
"Then you think it's all a mistake?"
"Of course it is. I shouldn't have wondered if they'd shut you up likethis, but you see they've shut up me."
"Well, you're of no more consequence than I am," said Ned, laughing inspite of his trouble and a throbbing head.
"No more consequence than you? Why, I've done as much as I liked abouthere for ever so long, and the people have treated me just as if I werethe rajah's son. It's all your fault."
"I suppose so," said Ned, dismally.
"But if they think they're going to do just as they like, they'remistaken. Here!" he cried in Malay, "water."
There was a bit of a bustle out on the veranda, and two men came in withbrass basins and cotton cloths, which they held while, withouthesitation, Frank began to bathe his face.
It was a good example, and Ned followed suit, the cool, fresh waterfeeling delightful to his heated brow.
"Done?" said Frank, as he wiped his hands.
"Yes."
"Take away, and bring breakfast," cried Frank, haughtily, to the men,who bowed and went off with the water and towels.
"I'll let them see whether they're going to treat me like a prisoner,"cried Frank.
"I wish I could be as bumptious as you are with them," said Ned, with afaint smile.
"You don't try."
"I'm so anxious."
"Oh, it's of no use to be anxious," said Frank, gazing out of the door,and then through the window with its bamboo lattice-work.
"Which house are we in?"
"I don't know. I was trying to make out, but you can only see trees. Ido believe they've taken us up the river somewhere. I don't know,though. These houses are all alike. It isn't the Tumongong's, nor theMuntrie's, nor the Maharajah Lela's. Yes, I believe they've taken us upthe river. The old chap has houses in all sorts of places out in thejungle, where he likes to go and hide himself sometimes, but I don't seeany fun in his hiding us."
"Then they brought us up here. But how?"
"In a naga, of course."
"But in our sleep, or while we were insensible?"
"Insensible, if you like to call it so. They must have given us somestuff. They've all kinds of dodges of that sort, bless 'em! You shouldhear Doctor Barnes talk about the poisons they use."
"I should like to--now," said Ned, drily.
"And so you shall--before long. I'll soon get you out of this. Yes,"he continued, "this is one of the old boy's places. See how fine themats are, and how the walls are covered. But never mind now, my head'sbetter, and here's our breakfast."
For the two men entered as the boys came back into the main room openingon to the veranda from an inspection of two side-places beautifully hungand covered with mats. Then a third man entered, and as Franknonchalantly seated himself on the matting floor, Ned followed hisexample, and an excellent breakfast was placed before them.
"Not bad for being prisoners," said Frank, as he ate away; while, afterthe first few mouthfuls, Ned's appetite increased, and he began to enjoythe meal.
"That's right. Ruminate away, old chap. There's nothing to pay. It'sthe rajah's orders, sure enough, or we shouldn't be fed like this. Heisn't going to kill us."
"Think not?"
"Sure of it, unless he's going to fatten us up, and then try whetherwe're good to eat."
"I wish I had such good spirits as you have."
"Oh, I'm getting better now. Here you, send in the head-man," criedFrank to one of their attendants.
The man bowed respectfully, and withdrew to the veranda, where theyheard him speak, and directly after one of the party, evidently a man ofsome consequence from his silken sarong, came in.
"I want my kris," said Frank.
The man smiled, and shook his head.
"You give it me directly. It was the rajah's present."
"You will run amok," said the man.
"No. I promise. An English gentleman's promise," said Frank.
The man thrust his hand under his silken robe, and produced the handsomeweapon.
"An English gentleman does not break his word," he said, giving the kristo the boy.
"Of course he doesn't. Thank you," said Frank, replacing the dagger athis waist, and covering up the hilt with a significant look at the man,who smiled and withdrew, while the boy interpreted the words which hiscompanion had failed to grasp.
The meal being ended, they rose; the men came and cleared away, and assoon as they were alone again, Ned looked at Frank.
"What next!" he said.
"Ah, that's the puzzle! Here we are, like two dicky-birds in a cage,and they won't let us go out. If they keep us shut up long like this,it will be horrid. I wish I could send father word."
"Could we escape?"
"I don't know. We might try. What a muddle, to be sure. They think wewere going to run away with Hamet, and we may talk for ever and theywouldn't believe us."
"But we can't sit here and do nothing."
"No; it will be horribly dull. Those Malay fellows like it. They cansit in the sun all day and chew betel. We can't. All we can do is tosit and eat fruit, and you can't keep up doing that always."
Sure enough the party of Malays, ten strong, who acted as their guard inthe palm-thatched house, and attended to every want instantly, did sitin and below the veranda in the sun chewing betel, with their eyeshalf-closed, till, to use Ned's words, it nearly drove him mad.
Frank tried persuasion, bribery, threats, and then force, to get out ifonly for a walk; but in a patient good-humoured way the chief and hisfollowers refused to let them pass even out on to the veranda; and allthe boys knew at last of their position, as the sun went down, was thatwhich they had learned at sunrise: they were in a house somewhere deepin the jungle, shut in by trees.
"Can't we get away when it's dark?" said Ned.
"Get away where?" cried Frank, ill-humouredly. "You ought to know bythis time that you can't get through the jungle without men to chop foryou."
"But there must be a path by which they brought us."
"Yes; one leading down to the river, where you could get no farther forwant of a boat, and trust 'em, they'll watch that night and day.Fellows who know they'll have a kris stuck into them, and be pitchedinto the river if they let a prisoner escape, look out pretty sharp."
It was rapidly growing dark when Frank, who had tried lying down,sitting cross-legged, standing up, walking about, and lying on hischest, with his elbows on the bamboo flooring and his chin in his hands,suddenly exclaimed: "Have some more durian?"
"No, thank you."
"Some mangosteens?"
"No, I've had enough."
"Try some of those little bananas."
"No--no--no, I couldn't eat any more fruit."
"No more can I. Shall we tell them to bring us some curry to finish offwith?"
"Oh, I say, don't talk any more about eating," cried Ned; "we seem tohave done nothing else all day."
"Well, there wasn't anything else to do.--I know."
"What?"
"Let's catch the jungle fever. Then they'll be obliged to take us backto the doctor."
"Nonsense! But I say, Frank, if it's so miserable and wearisome to beshut up like this for a day, what will it be by-and-by?"
"I don't know. Never mind by-and-by," said Frank. "'Nough to do tothink of just now. What shall we do?"
"Go to sleep and forget it till to-morrow morning," said Nedphilosophically.
"Come," cried Frank; "that's the best thing you've said to-day. Allright."
It was now so dark that they had to
feel their way into the inner room,where they lay down on the mats with their heads close to the side, andthey had hardly settled themselves comfortably when the chief enteredthe main room followed by two men, one of whom bore a lamp.
The principal Malay looked sharply round, and then said to Frank, wholay on his back with his hands under his head:
"Does my lord want anything else?"
"Yes. You to go and not bother," replied the boy ungraciously.
"Can we bring him anything?"
"Yes; a boat to take us home."
"Shall I leave the light?"
"No; take it away. I'm sleepy."
The man bowed, backed out with his followers, the matting was droppedbetween the two rooms and then over the doorway as they passed into theveranda.
"That's the way to talk to them," said Frank, peevishly.
"You weren't very civil."
"Well, who's going to be to people who shut you up. It's no use to be`my lord' without you behave like one. Now let's go to sleep."
Easier said than done. First in the hot darkness came the _ping_-_wing_of a mosquito, then the restless sound made by the boys fidgeting about,and the low dull murmur of the men talking in the veranda.
"What's that?" said Ned, suddenly.
"Bother! Go to sleep. Only our chaps walking underneath to see ifall's safe below. I say," he added, after a pause, "I know what I shalldo if they don't let us out soon."
"What!"
"Say I want to learn to smoke--late some evening."
"And make yourself sick."
"No; I'll make them sick. They'll bring a pipe and some burningcharcoal."
"To light the pipe?"
"No; it will be to light this jolly old bamboo house. It will blaze uplike fun."
"And roast us to death!"
"Not it. We won't be inside. Perhaps we can run away in thescrimmage."
Silence again, and hot, weary, and miserable, the boys lay there in thedarkness, till a peculiar sound struck Ned's ear.
"Asleep?" he said.
"No; who's going to sleep if you talk so. Yes, there it is again.Hurrah!"
"Then you did hear that sound?"
"Hear it? Yes. Know what it is?"
"I thought it was a crocodile in the river."
"So it is, and it shows that the river isn't far off. I wish there werenone, and then we'd cut down some bamboos and float away to the village.But not to-night. Let's go to sleep."
There was again silence, with the hot air growing unbearable, and Nedhad just made up his mind to undress, when from out of the jungle,plainly heard through the thin plaited bamboo and palm walls, came apeculiar cry--_Coo-ow_, _coo-ow_--to be answered from farther away.
"What's that?" said Ned, half aloud, speaking to himself.
"Argus pheasant," said Frank, drowsily. "Oh, I do wish you wouldn'tbother. Wonder whether they've got any of that stuff."
"What stuff?"
"To send us to sleep again."
"I wouldn't take a drop," thought Ned; and then in the hot silence helay thinking about Frank's father, wondering what was going on at therajah's village, and what his uncle thought of his absence, till wearynature closed his eyes, and even the loud cry of the argus pheasant andthe melancholy howl of a tiger prowling about had no effect upon hisslumbers.
But a touch effected that which sound had not produced.
For, mingled with his dreams, he had one of a great rat gnawing verysoftly somewhere by his head, and this kept on for what seemed in hisdream like a tremendous length of time before it ceased, and the ratcame in through the hole and began walking over his face and sat up onhis lips.
That woke him, and he felt the perspiration standing on his brow, for itwas no dream: the rat was seated on his lips, and as he lay motionlesslike one in a nightmare, he felt the little animal glide from his lipsto his shoulder, then down his arm to where his hand lay upon his chest,play with the fingers for a few moments, and then grasp them firmly.
It was not a rat: it was a warm soft hand.
A sob escaped from Ned's breast, and he was about to speak, but his handwas pressed firmly, and he returned the grasp, for it felt like the handof a friend, and if it were, it meant help and perhaps escape.
Turning quickly on his side, he leaned over and touched Frank, whostarted awake.
"Yes," he said loudly. "What is it?"
The hand was snatched away.
"I told you. Argus pheas--fez--fuz--" snore.
Ned shook him again sharply.
"What's the matter?" he said, thoroughly waking up now.
"Hush! pray. Hist!" whispered Ned; and he pressed his companion's arm,for steps were heard on the creaking bamboo floor, a light shone throughbetween the mat hangings, a dark face appeared and a lantern was heldup, so that its dim light fell upon them.
Just then a bright thought occurred to Ned.
"Tell them to bring some water," he said, querulously; and Frank, whograsped the idea that there was something particular in the way, gavethe order sharply to the man, who retired directly, and returned in afew minutes with another bearing a vessel of some pleasant, cool drink,of which Ned partook with avidity.
"Leave a fellow a drop," said Frank; and the half-full vessel was handedto him. "Ah, it ain't bad," he continued, as he too drank heartily."There, be off. Thank you," he added, in Malay; "the light hurts myeyes."
The man smiled as he took the vessel, and as Ned watched through hishalf-closed eyes, he saw that there was the gleam of spears in the outerroom. Then the matting dropped behind their jailers, the bamboo floorcreaked, the last rays of the light disappeared, and Frank rose softly,crept to the doorway, and peered under the matting.
"They're all out on the veranda," he whispered, as he returned. "Whatwas the matter?"
Ned told him, and Frank uttered an excited "Ah!"
Then after a long silence:
"It's help come. P'r'aps it's old Hamet. Bah! you were dreaming."
"No; I am sure."
"Then," said Frank, with his lips close to his companion's ear; "if youwere awake, there must be a hole for the hand to come through."
And as Ned listened, he heard the faint rustling of his companion's handmoving here and there, and then there was a heavy catching breath, andFrank's fingers were placed over his lips.
"Big hole under the mat. Behind your head. Hist! some one coming."
For there was a gleam of light, and then, hardly heard, save for a faintcreak of the floor, some one approached, and Ned lay with his arm overhis eyes, just making out that the lantern was thrust in, and that ahead was visible between the mats and the door, while Frank lay asnaturally as if in a heavy sleep, his head half off its resting-place.
The mats fell within again. There was another faint creak, the lastgleam of light again disappeared, and the boys lay for a full half-hourwithout moving, while the silence was now broken by the heavy beating oftheir hearts.
All at once, after an interval which seemed terrible, the cry of theargus pheasant was repeated, and it sounded terribly near, while at thesame moment Ned was conscious of a faint rustling, and the steamy dankscent of the jungle came to his nostrils.
The next moment fingers touched his cheek, were pressed upon his lips,touched his breast, and were gone directly; a slight start from Franksuggesting that he was now being touched. Then followed a faintrustling, and Frank leaned over, put his lips to Ned's ear, and said:
"The hand touched me, then went down to my waist, and it has taken mykris. It's a thief. Shall I call for help?"
At that moment he felt his hand seized and tugged. Then again, and itwas drawn under the mat to the opening above their heads.
"It's all right," whispered Frank. "I'm to go first. Snore."
For a few moments the boy did not grasp his friend's meaning, but theidea came, and he commenced breathing hard, and uttered a faint sigh inhis agony; for just in the midst of the rustling sound close by him,caused as he knew from a to
uch by Frank gliding slowly through theopening as if being drawn, he saw a gleam of light beneath the mattingat the doorway, and felt that some one was coming again with thelantern.
The difficulty now was to make a noise that should sound natural. If hesnored loudly it might seem forced, and if he did not, he felt sure thatthe rustling, scraping sound would be heard. But fortune favoured him.
Just as he was in despair, there was the sharp _ping_-_wing_ of amosquito, and he babbled out something incoherently, made a restlessmovement, and slapped his face quickly twice, as he had often donebefore in an attempt to slay one of the noxious little insects.
The light disappeared directly, for the listening Malay was satisfied;and as Ned stretched out his hand again, he found that he was alone.
There was a terrible pause now, and in these brief moments the boy beganto think that he had been forsaken, when all at once the hand touchedhim, glided down to his waist, and drew at it firmly.
He yielded and tried to force himself along, but did little, and thatlittle seemed unnecessary, for strong muscles were at work, and he wasalmost entirely drawn through the opening till he was quite out; hislegs sank down gently, and he was lowered till he felt his feet touchthe ground, and a hand which he knew directly for Frank's, lay on hislips.
As he was puzzling himself as to how it had been managed, he grasped thefact that some one was gliding down the smooth trunk of a palm-treewhich grew close to the house, and to which one of the bamboo raftershad been secured, but whether it was Hamet or some other friend he couldnot tell.
He had no more time for thinking, for two hands were placed on hisshoulders, and a voice he now recognised whispered: "Down--creep--follow."
He grasped the idea at once, and went down on hands and knees, to begincrawling slowly and softly after two bare feet, which he had to touchfrom time to time to make sure that he was right, while he felt thatFrank was behind him, and that he too was touching his boots in the sameway.
They were evidently crawling through a tunnel-like track below theundergrowth, a path probably made by a wild beast--unless it was acontrivance to escape from the back of the house in case of emergency--and along this they crawled painfully, with the bushes on either sideand overhead. Now a thorn entered hand or knee, now some kind ofvegetable hook caught in their clothes, and then they had to creep roundsome rugged stump of a tree stem to get forward.
The distance was really not great, but it seemed painfully long, andevery moment the fugitives were in expectation of having an alarmraised, and seeing the lights of the men in pursuit. But at last, justas Ned had crawled under a bush which scraped and pricked severely, heheard a rustling noise and a peculiar rippling, and was aware of thefact that their guide had risen upright, and that he too could stand.
"Ah," sighed Frank, directly after, "what a--"
"Hist!" came in a low whisper. "Stop here--don't move. Quiet;" and itseemed to Ned that the man lowered himself down till his head was on alevel with his companion's knees, and a faint splashing told him where.
They were at the edge of the river, and their rescuer was slowly wadingagainst the stream, holding on by the overhanging boughs.
Then the faint splashing ceased, and the boys joined hands, to standawe-struck and listening in the thick darkness, and with the knowledgethat the water, gliding swiftly by their feet, swarmed with monstrousreptiles, which for aught they knew might seize their guide, or bemarking them down for their prey.
The Rajah of Dah Page 18