CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.
FRANK'S ERRAND.
"What'll I do? What'll I do?" muttered Tim Driscol to himself as hewalked up and down one of the garden paths hidden from his master andhis friends, and unheeded by the Malay guard, who contented themselveswith seeing that he did not pass out of the gate.
"That pretty colleen! Ow, the covetous owld rip, and him wid a dozenwives at laste, to want our darlin'. What'll I do?--what'll I do?Faix, I'll have me poipe."
He filled the rough bamboo affair with the coarse native tobacco heused, and went on smoking, the bowl glowing as if a ruddy firefly weregliding up and down the garden walk. "Ow, sorrow to uz all!" hemuttered. "An' what are all his wives about? Why, they can't have ataste o' sperrit in 'em, or they wouldn't shtand it. Why, if they wereladies from the ould country, and he even thought of taking another,there wouldn't be a bit of hair left on his wicked head. Oh dear!sorrow to me, what'll I do at all, at all?--Who's this. To see wan ofthe women, I suppose."
He was near the gate where two spearmen stood, and in the full starlighthe saw a Malay woman coming up, and as she drew near, she raised herhands beneath the veil-like sarong she wore over her head to a levelwith her brows, spreading out the plaided silk after the custom of thewomen, so that the top and bottom hems were drawn parallel, covering herface and forming a narrow horizontal slit through which her eyes alonewere seen.
"Yah! Get out. How modest we are. Sure, and ye're an ugly flat-nosedcoffee-coloured one, or ye wouldn't be so moighty particular. Want tosee one of the women folk, do ye? Well, the gyards'll shtop ye, andsend ye about yer bishness, and good-luck to ye."
But the guards did not stop her as she walked quietly up. A womancoming to the doctor's house, that was all; and she passed between themwith her face covered, and turned off into the narrow path among thetrees leading to the servants' quarters, the men just glancing afterher, and then chewing away at their betel.
The consequence was that the next minute the woman was face to face withTim, who blocked the way in a surly fashion; and as they stood there inthe shadowy path, Tim's pipe bowl glowed, and the eyes seen through thenarrow slit gleamed.
"And what do you want?" said Tim, in the Malay tongue.
"Muhdra," was the reply, in a faint voice.
"She's yonder," said Tim. "I daresay you know the way."
"Show me," said the woman softly.
"Oh, bad luck to ye to want to come chattering haythen nonsense to thecook, wid all this trouble on the way," he said angrily, in his owntongue. Then more civilly in Malay, "Come along, then."
He led the way, and the woman followed till they had passed anothersentry, when he felt his arm gripped.
"Don't flinch--don't speak. Tim, don't you know me?"
"Masther Frank! Oh murther!"
The man staggered in his surprise as he uttered these words, but thequick Irish wit grasped the situation directly, and he said aloud in theMalay tongue something about its being a fine warm night, and then ledthe way into the dark room he called his pantry, though it was littlemore than a bamboo shed, and excitedly clasped the boy to his breast.
"Masther Frank, darlin'! Oh, Heaven be thanked for this!--Ah, ye wickedyoung rip, to frighten us all as ye did."
"Hush, man, silence! Don't, Tim. Why--my face is all wet."
"Whisht! nonsense, boy. That's nawthing. Only a dhrop o' water. It'sso hot. But quick! An' good-luck to ye for a cliver one. To desave usall like that!"
"Where is my father? He was not at home."
"Faix no; he's up-stairs. But where have ye been?"
"Don't ask questions. Are they all right?"
"Oh yes, all right; and all wrong too. There's me news, boy. Therajah's going to marry Miss Amy, and we're all prishners."
"I thought so," whispered Frank. "But prisoners?"
"Oh yes; ye saw the gyards."
"Where is Mr Murray?"
"Shut up at home wid sax or eight min to take care of him."
"Go and tell my father I'm here. No; take me up to them at once."
"Oh, murther! no, Masther Frank! Don't think of it, boy. Iv ye go up,the ladies'll all shquale out, and yer mother go wild wid sterricks.Sure an' Masther Bang-gong's just been to say the owld chap's coming tosee the ladies to-night."
"Oh!" ejaculated Frank.
"But where have ye been, lad?"
"Go quite quietly, and tell my father or the doctor I'm here."
"Yis."
"And Tim, have you got anything to eat? I'm starving."
"Lashins, me dare boy. Help yerself, for the sorrow a taste would theytake in the parlour."
Tim hurried up, passed through the main room, listened for a moment ortwo to the murmur of the ladies' voices in one of the inner places, andthen crept out into the veranda, carrying a tray with a metal bottle andtwo cups, which he made to jingle loudly for the guard to hear.
"No, no, my man," said the doctor. "It's very thoughtful of you, butno.--Braine, will you?"
"No, no," said the Resident; and then he uttered a gasp, for Tim's lipswere at his ear, as he stood behind his seat, and said softly:
"Whisht, Mr Braine, darlin': don't make a hurroo. Masther Frank'scome, and he's below."
There was a dead silence for a few moments, and then Mr Braine said ina forced voice:
"No, no drink, Tim.--Doctor, come in and give me a cigar."
He rose, and walked quietly in with the slow careful acting of one whoknows that his every action is watched, and, wondering at his friend'schange, the doctor rose and followed.
"Get the cigars and matches," said Mr Braine, quietly; and then in aquick whisper: "Be firm, man, and act. Light a cigar. Frank has comeback."
"Thank God!" muttered the doctor, and he pressed his friend's handbefore getting cigars and matches, and they stood where those in thegarden could see, striking a match, and holding it between them as theylit their cigars--great coarsely-made ones of the native tobacco.
"Now, Tim, where?" said Mr Braine.
"In my room, shure, sor."
"Sit down there and smoke," said Mr Braine, in a low tone. "Take bothcigars, man, and keep them alight, changing your position as you changethe cigars."
"And desave the haythens. Yes, sor, I undherstand," said Tim, takingthe cigars as the gentlemen prepared to descend, "and a moighty plisantway of desaving 'em," he muttered to himself, as he began smoking away;while the next minute Frank was in his father's arms, hurriedly tellinghim of his adventures.
"And when we heard the naga coming up the river before daybreak, wepulled in under the trees and bushes, just below the stockade," he saidin conclusion, "and there we've been all day, not daring to stir, andeven when it was dark we were afraid to move, till I thought of puttinga sarong over my head, and coming like this. I passed lots, and no onespoke to me."
"And the boat?"
"Safe under the trees with Ned and Hamet."
"Is it big enough to hold us all?" said Mr Braine.
"Plenty."
"Heaven has sent us help!" said Mr Braine fervently. "Barnes, we mustby some means get all on board to-night, and trust to the darkness torun down the river."
"But the rajah's visit?" said the doctor.
"Ah! I had forgotten that," said Mr Braine, with a groan; "the rajahand our guards; but with help and ease of mind coming like this, we mustnot despair. Now, doctor, go back up-stairs. One moment--yourwomen-servants?"
"They are to be trusted."
"Then go and set my wife's mind at rest. Tell her our lives depend uponher being calm. There must be no excitement, or we shall excitesuspicion. Implore your wife and child to be careful."
"And Murray and Mr Greig's?"
"Another obstacle?" exclaimed Mr Braine. "Never mind; one thing at atime. We may get the women to the boat, then we might drop downopposite to Murray's place and cut him out. But we shall see. Go on,and in a minute or two I'll bring up Frank."
The doctor went up, passed
Tim, who was carefully keeping his two pointsof light glowing at a distance from each other, and communicated histidings to the ladies, with the effect that Mrs Braine fainted deadaway, but to recover directly, and eagerly whisper that she would befirm and not make a sound.
She kept her word, weeping silently over her son, while Mrs Barnes andAmy both clung to the lad's hands, in the faintly-lit room.
"Quick!" said Mr Braine, whose ears were preternaturally sharp."Frank, keep here in hiding. You three come out when the doctor summonsyou. Come, Barnes, back to our cigars. The rajah."
They glided back into the dark warm room, after adjuring those they leftto be silent, and as they took their places they could see the gleam oflights through the trees, the sight of which had roused their guard intomaking the sound which had warned the Resident.
"Light both the lamps, Tim," said Mr Braine; "and be guarded. Therajah is coming."
The man obeyed, and as the lights shed a softened glow through theplace, the guards could see the doctor and Resident seated back smokingcalmly.
"What are we to say?" said the doctor, huskily.
"Surprised at his treatment--ask for a little time--the lady startled bythe unexpected demand--diplomacy--diplomacy. Let him go back thinkingthat you will yield."
And as these last words were uttered, the lights drew near and lit upthe swarthy faces of the rajah's guards and sword-bearers filing intothe grounds.
"Whatever you do, be careful. Don't seem to yield easily. We are hurtby his treatment, mind."
There was no time to say more, for the escort was already at the foot ofthe steps, on each side of which they formed up in a picturesque group,the lanterns they bore lighting up the showy costumes and displaying therajah in his European uniform.
The two Englishmen advanced into the veranda to receive him, and as hemounted alone, he smiled, and waited to be asked into the room,evidently quite confident of his safety with his guard so near.
As soon as he was seated, he placed his glittering sword against hisknee, and his plumed cap beside it, drawing himself up and glancingtoward the doorway to make sure that he was in full sight of his guard.Then, turning to the doctor, he said in English: "Theeee--laidees."
The doctor bowed, and crossed to the inner door, which he threw open,and the prisoners came out looking pale and calm, to be received withsmiles and motioned to take their seats, while the gentlemen remainedstanding.
"Tell them this is only a short visit," said the rajah. "To-morrowshall come, not to return alone. The lady will be with me, and we shallgo to the mosque. Then my English wife will return here no more."
The Resident translated the rajah's words, though the task was needless,for all present followed him pretty well.
Then the doctor spoke, as their visitor keenly watched the effect of hiswords and fixed his eyes upon the shrinking girl before him. Herfather's words were much as had been arranged, and the rajah listened tothe interpretation patiently enough.
"Yes, yes," he said; "you are her lather. I understand. But you willbe rich, and like a prince here. It is a great honour to your child.Tell him what I say."
Mr Braine repeated the rajah's words formally, and then the visitorrose, bowed and smiled with good-humoured contempt, and ended by drawinga ring from one of his fingers as he rose, walked toward Amy, and placedit upon her hand, after which he made a profound obeisance and movedtoward the door.
"One moment, your highness," said the doctor. "We are your old servantsand friends. You treat us as prisoners."
"No, no," he said, on Mr Braine repeating the words. "I honour you.It is a guard for my wife. Not prisoners. After to-morrow, no."
"But our English friend, Murray. Your highness will let him join us?"
The rajah, caught the name Murray, and his face grew black as night, andwithout waiting for the interpretation, he made an angry gesture in thenegative.
"But my son and his young friend," said Mr Braine, watching himnarrowly, to ascertain whether the flight was known.
The rajah gave him a meaning look, and laughed.
"After to-morrow," he said, "they will come back."
His face was all smiles once again, and he bowed to Amy, passed into theveranda, descended, and the little cortege moved out of the shadygrounds. The lights slowly disappeared among the trees, while thedoctor dropped the matting hangings over the door to hide the interiorof the house from their guard, after which he turned to encounter thepleading face of his wife as Amy threw herself sobbing upon his breast.
Mr Braine stood looking on for a few moments in silence. Then, in acold, stern voice, he said:
"Go back to the inner room and pray for our success. Then you havesarongs, make yourselves as much like the Malay women as you can."
"Then we shall escape?" cried Amy, joyously.
"Heaven knows!" said the Resident. "We shall try. Ah, thank goodness,here are the Greigs;" and unchallenged by the guards, Mr Greig and hiswife came up to the house.
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