CHAPTER VI
An Exploring-party
"And now, supposing we lay to a little and think about some breakfast?Not a bad idea that, eh?" exclaimed a cheery individual, upon whosebrawny figure Geoff's eyes had many a time been fixed during thehalf-hour or more which had elapsed since the motor-boat had stolen sosilently and secretly from the main channel of the Shatt-el-Arab intothe wastes bordering the River Euphrates, and who seemed to be incommand of the expedition.
He was a moderately tall, broad-shouldered, heavily-built, red-faced,and exceedingly--not to say delightfully--healthy-looking specimen ofsailor humanity. His thin khaki-twill garments hung loosely abouthim--for if young subalterns, like Philip and Geoff, must needs havetheir clothes for active service cut almost as smartly as for residencein London, there were others, older than they--wiser, let us dare toventure--who, with much experience behind them, preferred comfort toelegance, and ease to any degree of smartness. Underneath the helmetwhich clothed the head of this naval officer was a broad and veryrubicund face--as we have already mentioned--a strong, open, andpeculiarly prepossessing figure-head, which was seamed and lined, partlyby the action of the sun, but more by the almost constant smiles of theowner.
"Just shut down that throttle, Marsden," he called cheerily to the manoperating the engine; and then to one of the sailors right for'ard: "Youcan let go that anchor, Clark. Now, boys, we'll pipe down to a meal anda smoke of tobacco, for there's no violent hurry. Glad to meet you twoyoung officers. I'm Commander Houston, lately of H.M.S. ----, the shipthe Admiralty authorities in Whitehall insisted on keeping in thePersian Gulf--a nasty sort of a place that Persian Gulf, I can tell you.Aboard-ship life in those parts is worse than any 'hole in Calcutta',and when the hot weather comes, phew! it's a wonder that a white mansurvives, and to me it's a miracle that I remain so robust and stout,when you'd expect me to get as thin as a lath, and waste away rapidly."
Waste away indeed! No one who cared to look at the jovial CommanderHouston would ever imagine that to be possible, to have been probableeven at any stage in his career. For the man was heavily built, as wehave said, his bones well covered with muscle, and the latter clad withan amount of fat which made his figure rather rounder than wasdesirable. Geoff smiled back at him, while Philip unbent and let himselfgo in a moment. They couldn't help themselves, for the Commander madethem feel at ease almost immediately. His smiling crew, the oil-stainedindividual who worked his engine, the Cox who sat right aft with thetiller, every one of them smiled, as if happy to be in his company.
"Looks jolly promising," Philip told his chum _sotto voce_, "It neveroccurred to me before that in joining this expedition we might havefound ourselves under a high and mighty sort of fellow, who would orderus about like dirt, just because we're junior subalterns. Ahem!Breakfast? Rather!"
"And to think that we had a meal just before we left our side of theriver," said Geoff; "but I'm hungry enough, and ready for anything."
By now the Cox had gone for'ard, where the tall, raw-boned, grey-beardednative--whom Geoff had interviewed on the previous day, and who was saidto have an intimate knowledge of the marshes--had now joined them. TheCommander himself came aft from the central cabin, in which he had beenstationed, and sat himself down near the two young infantry officers,and, opening a locker, pulled out a basket of provisions.
"The man who wants to get on in the world, and carry out a jobsuccessfully, must look after his health whatever happens," he smiled atthem. "So, having started this expedition successfully, and slipped intothe marshes with, I feel sure, no one being the wiser, we can look afterthe inner man before proceeding farther. Which one of you young officershappens to be known as Geoffrey Keith?"
"Guilty, sir!" Geoff told him, with a laugh. "I am the individual."
"Oh!"
At once our hero felt himself being surveyed with that same sort ofpolite, yet searching scrutiny which the General and his Staff Officershad directed upon him. Perhaps it is a habit of the Services; morelikely it is a habit engendered in men placed in a position of command,who wish, in the space of a few seconds--seeing that often enough thereis no longer for the purpose--to sum up those who are to serve withthem, those upon whom they may have to call for action, and to assurethemselves at the very commencement that they are to be fully reliedupon.
"Oh!" he said at last, as he dived into his basket and produced aThermos bottle, some cups, and a paper parcel. "Young enough, at anyrate, Keith, but they tell me not too young to stand fire. Ah! Ah! Talesdo spread, don't they? Never saw such people as the army for gossiping!I give you my word that, long before this expedition was mooted, I knewall about a fellow with a thundering fine Arab who had gone out andcaptured an Arab chief. That's you, eh, Keith?"
It was hopeless for Geoff to attempt to hide his modesty, for the veryflush which rose to his cheeks seemed to raise the mirth of this navalofficer. He glanced sideways at Geoff as he chuckled loudly, and thenhanded him a ponderous sandwich and a cup of steaming coffee.
"And the other young officer?" he asked between his own mouthfuls.
"Philip Denman, at your service," laughed the owner of that name,entering into the fun of the moment. "You don't happen to have heard anysort of report about that officer, do you, sir? That is to say, anythingagainst his character, I hope."
"Well, not at present," the Commander laughed back at him, enjoying thejoke immensely. "Nothing at present. But you never know! For before weare out of this business there may be lots of opportunities for reports,good and bad and indifferent. But just listen to this: I feel like aschoolboy, for I'm off on a jaunt, after being tied up aboard ship fortwo months and more. This expedition ought to be like a holiday; and,of course, if we happen to run into the Turks and have a little affairof our own, why, who knows? a poor chap who has been condemned for morethan a year past to steam up and down the Persian Gulf may be promotedto something better. Now, Keith, another sandwich. No? Well, well, saveit up till later. A pipe then? Oh, you don't smoke pipes! Then turn onyour own particular brand of cigarettes while I light my pipe. And nowlet's have a sort of council of war. I ought to explain that I knowprecious little about this business. I have been told that these marshesextend for perhaps fifty miles, and even more, due west from theShatt-el-Arab, and running a little north as they go westward; in fact,following and embracing the course of the River Euphrates. Turks aresaid to be hiding somewhere about in the marshes, and our job is to find'em and rout 'em out if we can, and, if not, to bring back information."
He looked at Geoff inquisitively, and the latter nodded with energy.
"Quite so, sir!" he said. "We have brought a native along with us whoknows the marshes."
"And a precious-looking old scoundrel he is too," laughed the Commander,turning his eyes towards the bows of the boat, where the native sat onhis haunches amongst the sailors, consuming their rations with suchenergy that there was little doubt that they met entirely with hisapproval. "A precious-looking old scoundrel too," the Commanderrepeated; "but no doubt under that dusky skin of his there lies hiddensomething admirable. It seems to me, Keith, that the first thing for usto do, now that we have looked to the inner man, and have commenced tosoothe our nerves with tobacco, is to cross-examine that old scarecrow,and find out something of what he knows about the marshes. I understandthat that is your particular job, seeing that you are something of alinguist."
Geoff flushed. It made him quite nervous when people referred to hislinguistic accomplishments, and more particularly so when the one whospoke was a merry naval officer who smiled quizzically at him as heasked his question. But a moment later Commander Houston was as seriousas he could be, and, stretching out a friendly hand, gripped Geoff'sshoulder.
"Only my fun!" he said. "Look here, Keith, there's nothing for you to beashamed of in the fact that you can talk these Eastern languages. Myword! I wish I could! For it would be worth quite a handsome littleaddition to my daily pay--and that to a Commander in the Royal Navy issomething always worth considering
. Besides, think of the added interestit gives you in a campaign such as this is! How free it makes you! Andwhat possibility it presents of splendid adventure! Now I wouldn't mindguessing that if you were surrounded by the enemy, and were, as it were,blockaded in one of their towns, you would be quite capable of turningout as a Turk, provided you could get the disguise, and of giving themthe slip. How's that, eh?"
Geoff admitted the possibility with a cheery laugh, for no one could beserious when Commander Houston was addressing him.
"I've done it already, sir," he told him, with a grin. "You see, MajorDouglas--who's an Indian 'political', and who happens to be myguardian--brought me to Mesopotamia some while ago, and we went rightinto the heart of the country. The Major knows all sorts of Arabs andother people, and it's part of his job--or was, at any rate, in peacetimes--to find out everything that was going on; what the Turks weredoing, what the Arabs thought of them, and how the various nationalitieslived."
"Half a minute!" smiled the Commander. "What about the Germans?"
"Germans! Of course," admitted Geoff, "they were to be met with in allsorts of odd corners, and conducting every sort of extraordinarybusiness. My suspicion is that their businesses, on many occasions, wereabsolutely fictitious; in fact, they had no real business in many cases,and were simply agents of the German Government sent into the country toworm out the secrets of the Turks, and more particularly to find outprecisely what opportunities there were for trade, and what portion ofit the British had secured."
"Hear! Hear!" echoed the Commander. "You can quite understand that beingordered to the Persian Gulf, and having to steam up and down thatextremely uninteresting, not to say unhealthy part, left a man plenty oftime for ruminating, for discussing matters in general, and for learningin particular something of what was happening in this portion of Turkeyand in Persia. A fellow couldn't steam up to Basra--as we did now andagain in one of our pinnaces--without knocking up against Germans--fatGermans, thin Germans, ugly Germans (lots of ugly ones, my boy)--Germanswho were conducting some sort of trade, and who appeared at first sightto be the most harmless and almost the most helpless people under thesun. But that's your wily German all over!
"I remember one particular individual--a big, fat, jovial fellow--Vonsomething or other, I've forgotten his name, except that it was aregular 'jaw-cracker'. Von Schmidt let's call him for the moment. Anicer chap to meet you couldn't wish for, that is, just at thebeginning. I remember that he was trying to get together a business indates. His sole object in life seemed to be that of bribing Arabs tobring in camel-loads of dates, and to deposit them in an old hut whichhe had hired just on the outskirts of Basra; and now and again he sentoff a barge full of these same dates, consigning them to some place inEurope. But it was not his real business, my boy! And I found that outquite by accident. For, happening to get stranded one evening whendarkness had fallen, and in the midst of a violent rain-storm, I claimedshelter from him--for there was a light in the window of his house. Itwas blowing big guns just then, and I suppose he didn't hear the rap Igave on the door. As a matter of fact, he was in his bedroom, which wasat the back of the building. It wasn't the sort of time when one waitsfor a summons, for the rain was pouring down in torrents, as I told you,so I just pushed the door open and went into the main room of thebuilding, and, shutting the door, shouted for him. Even then he didn'thear, so that I had time to take a good look round, and couldn't helpseeing that the table in the centre of the room was piled with papers,and that maps--maps of Mesopotamia, maps of the Persian Gulf--diagramsshowing the 'pipe-line', which brings our oil from Persia, and lists ofArab tribes, against which was placed a note in German, which showedthat they were to be considered friendly, were spread out over theremaining portion of the table. You see," he added, with a chuckle, "Iknow a little German. Not much, you know, but just sufficient to readit. I can't tell you now all about those papers, and of course it isn'tquite the thing for a man to enter the house of an acquaintance and readhis private correspondence. It isn't 'cricket', of course, you know, andno Britisher does it; but accidents will happen, and that night it sofell out that my eyes were unwittingly opened: the fat, pleasant, jovialVon what's-his-name was undoubtedly a German Government agent."
Geoff nodded briskly, for he and Major Douglas had had many anexperience with German agents in Mesopotamia.
"I don't profess to know all about it, sir," he told the Commander, "butthe Major was very chary of the Germans he met, and often told me thatGermany undoubtedly had her eyes on Asiatic Turkey, and was preparingthe ground for some future occasion. But you were saying that I coulddress up as a Turk and move about amongst them. I've done it, sir! Youmust understand that the Germans in Mesopotamia were very jealous of theMajor, they not only suspected him to be a British agent, but knew whathis mission was in the country, and for that reason set a watch on him.They bribed men to follow us, and put the Turks on our tracks, so thathad we not been very quick and very wide awake we should have learnednothing--that is to say, the Major would have learned nothing--for theBritish Government. We had to give the Germans and the Turks the slip,and we did it, time and again, by adopting a disguise and moving offamongst the people. But about this native, sir; you suggested that heshould be cross-examined."
"That's it!" cried the Commander, filling his pipe again. "Call the oldboy up! 'Pon my word, now that one looks at him, he's quite a handsomescoundrel!"
By then the men for'ard, and the native whom they had been entertaining,had finished their meal, and, like their officer, were enjoying a quietsmoke before pushing onward. Sailor-like, too, they were endeavouring totheir utmost to make themselves pleasant to their passenger. It wasquite amusing to watch a big, burly sailor discoursing eloquently to thenative and listening intently; Geoff and Philip and their CommandingOfficer overheard some of this conversation.
"Look 'ere, old soul," they heard the A.B. exclaim in the most friendlyfashion, while he tapped the native on his bare chest, "what's the useof this 'ere place at all? This 'ere Mesopotamia? What's the good of acountry that's all sand and grit, with no good and decent water aboutit? Now, I could tell you of a country that's worth seeing! KnowEngland, my lad?"
You would have thought the native was perfectly acquainted with everyportion of Great Britain, for he positively shook with merriment, andgrinned a ghastly grin at the sailor. Then, as if to make the pointquite certain, he gave vent to a volume of guttural sounds, snappinghis fingers, grinning and grimacing, till the sailor brought him to asudden stop by tapping his chest again with one of his ponderousfingers.
"Just so, mate," he said as he puffed a cloud of smoke above thenative's head. "Just so, old soul. But 'arf-a-mo'!"
The burly sailor extracted from his mouth a short black "clay" with ahand which was so big and horny that it instantly attracted attention,and having puffed another huge cloud of smoke just past the ear of thegiggling native, he tapped him on the chest again, with a peremptory andextremely firm finger, while he wagged his head sideways.
"'Arf--a--mo', my beauty!" he said, while his comrades grinned theirappreciation of him. "What's this 'ere you're a-sayin'? Sounds to melike so much gibberish, as if you was just a-cussin', and a-cussin' 'ardtoo. What's it all about, old soul? Why not speak good, decent, honestEnglish?"
No doubt the native had as little idea of what the sailor was saying tohim as that latter had of the dusky native's own remarks, yet thesmiling faces round him, the friendly attitude of all, and thatparticularly friendly tap he was still receiving on his chest seemed tofill him with the utmost merriment. He positively bubbled over andgurgled with amusement, and grimaced till the honest sailor turned aface of good-humoured disgust towards his comrades.
"Lor'," he exclaimed, "if one had to live alongside a chap like this allone's born days! But he can't help it! He means well, you can see that,can't you? 'Ere, Jim, flick out that packet of fakes you had thismornin' and let the chap try a whiff. Perhaps he ain't used tocigarettes, but we'll soon larn 'im!"
And
"larn" him they did! For in a very little while the native waspurring away in the most contented manner possible, grimacing andgesticulating towards the group of sailors who clustered about him inthe bows of the tiny motor-driven vessel.
Meanwhile the Commander, and Geoff, and Philip were interested, if nothighly amused, spectators; and it was only when the native had hiscigarette fairly well going that the Commander coughed loudly so as toattract the attention of his men, and called to them.
"Now, my lads!" he said cheerily, for that was his habit with the men,and they loved him for it. "Now, my lads, pass along that oldscarecrow!"
You should have seen the grin on the faces of his men as they heard him,and hastened to obey his orders; and it seemed natural enough that theirspokesman of a few moments earlier should be the one to pass the requeston to the native.
"'Ere, old soul!" he said to him, pleasantly enough, and yet with a ringof authority which the native noticed instantly, and with perhaps arather firmer tap of the finger upon his naked chest. "'Ere, old soul,you're under orders! And just you pass yoursel aft, and no 'ankin' mindyou, with the Commander! You'll just answer all his questions straightout, and tell him the truth, and nothing but the truth, s'welp me!"
If it had been left to the native to gather the meaning of these wordshe might have been still in the for'ard part of that motor-vessel, for,as the reader will have gathered already, not one single letter of theBritish alphabet, and not one single word of good, honest English didhe understand. But sundry significant nods of the head, and winks, andpointings in the direction of the Commander told him what was wanted,and presently he came climbing over, passing round the edge of thecabin, his long, lanky legs bare, his feet unshod, the scantiest ofnative wrappings around him. Yet for all his semi-nakedness the man wasone to look at twice; one rather to admire than to despise; a child, anda handsome child withal, of this curious desert country. Like the Arabchief whom Geoff had captured, he was a fine specimen of humanity, fullygrown, big and expansive, yet with refined features, and possessed ofsmall hands and feet which gave him rather an air of breeding. Aclosely-cropped beard, getting a little grey at the point of the chin,set off a face which was honest, firm and intelligent. Yet he was only ahumble fisherman, this man, and although possessed of fine physique, andof handsome appearance, yet had reserved the utmost respect for hissuperiors. He bowed low as he reached the aft part of the tiny vessel,and, at a word from Geoff, crouched native-fashion at the feet of thethree officers.
"Not such a scarecrow as I thought, after all," said the Commander."Keith, tell him he can go on smoking, and let us cross-examine him. Askhim where he thinks the Turks are hiding?"
"Who knows, Excellency?" came the answer in a voice which was even andmusical; "who can speak of anything for certain in these parts, wherethe waste of waters changes its outline every day and constantly. Butthere is a rumour that there are many of these proud and stiff-neckedTurks hidden somewhere away in these marshes, and, if that be so--asindeed it may be, for though rumour was ever a lying jade, yet oftenenough there is some truth in her--then the Turks will not be in theseparts, but farther up the river, where the waste of waters breaks awayfrom patches of rising ground, and where camps may be located."
"Ask him how many days' journey from here?" asked the Commander, whenGeoff had interpreted what the native had said. "We've enough fuel onboard to take us, say, 200 miles, and if the marsh throughout is as itis here, with beds of reeds and mud sticking up in many places, and nodoubt shoals where you least expect them, then progress will not berapid, and we may be able to cover only ten miles a day. How many days,travelling at that rate, does he think it will require to bring us intothe neighbourhood of the Turkish camp?"
The native wagged his head sagely when Geoff had asked him the question,and sat for a while staring out across the water at the nearest bank ofreeds, now lit up and glistening in the glancing rays of the rising sun.
"Excellency," he said at last, "that is a question to ask a wizard; itis of a truth a riddle, a riddle which none but this waste of waters cananswer at the moment. But it may be that the journey will not be such along one, for though these marshes change so constantly there is yet aline, down which the River Euphrates pours its waters, which may befollowed at speed without fear of drowning, and without meeting withthese islands of mud and reeds which fill the marshes in otherdirections. If the Excellency desires, I will direct the boat to thatline and convoy it westward. But there will come a time when we mustdepart from the course, for to adhere to it would mean the danger ofrunning into the centre of the enemy, and so of becoming prisoners."
For a little while the Commander and his two young officers discussedthe situation, and then the former signalled to the man in charge of theengine to start it up.
"We'll get ahead at once," he said; "but let us try to be cautious. Wehave plenty of time before us, for the boat is well victualled, andthere is ample water all round us; of course it is not fit to drink, andno one but a fool, or one utterly unused to these tropical climates,would dare to drink it. A mouthful, even, would mean a fever, perhaps agood deal worse. But some of those reeds cut from the islands and laidon the deck would make excellent fuel, and we have a stove rightfor'ard, and a boiler in which we can easily purify the water. You youngfellows will already have learned the importance of a puredrinking-supply to troops on an expedition; the same applies to sailors,of course. Give either of them absolutely pure water whenever youpossibly can, and prevent 'em both from drinking from the first poolthey come across; supply them with good rations in addition, and don'tmarch them about in a grilling sun unless it cannot be avoided, and youwill keep your men in good health and strength, and fit to meet theenemy. It's the secret of campaigning--the great secret I ought toadd--for, after all, when you send troops into the field, or into aplace like Mesopotamia, you send 'em for one purpose only, and that tomeet the enemy. The men who fall sick weaken your forces, and encumberyour hospitals and your transport; and sick men are men who go under,often enough, because of lack of pure water. Now, Keith, tell the oldboy to give us the line for the river. Denman, I am going to post youright aft, to keep a watch in that direction. Keith, you'd best goforward with the native right into the bows, so as to be able tointerpret anything he tells you. Now, lads, pick up your rifles, and letone of you come right aft with this officer, two others will stationthemselves for'ard, and two more will be on either side of me in thecabin. We have got to remember that we may very well find ourselves notthe only inhabitants of this waste of waters. We have taken theprecaution to make a very early start, and got in amongst these reedsduring the darkness, so that I think I am right in feeling that no oneis aware of this expedition. But there may be natives about. Ask yourfellow, Keith."
For answer the native shook his head vigorously.
"Excellency," he told Geoff, as they stood up in the bows of the vessel,"it may be, for all I know, but it is hardly probable; for in thesewastes there is nothing to be gathered--no fish and no game--and whyshould a poor man come in this direction? Yet, listen a moment. Theremay be scouts of the enemy. No doubt the Turks are provided with_bellums_--the native boat we use in these parts--and it may well bethat they have sent off scouts to pass down the waters and spy upon yourbrothers."
"Then we have got to keep our eyes open," the Commander sang out to hismen, when Geoff had interpreted. "If you see a boat, pass the wordalong at once, but don't fire, for we shall be wise to make a capture,and so learn something of the enemy."
By now the propeller of the little boat was thrashing the shallow watersof the marshes, with a vigour which made itself felt throughout thetimbers of the tiny vessel. She throbbed from end to end, and vibratedunder the feet of those who manned her. Steered by the Cox, and directedby Geoff--who took his line from the native--the vessel shot off at anangle, and, pushing her way rapidly through a maze of reed-clad islands,and hummocks of oozy mud, which cropped up in many parts, she finallyreached a spot where the waste of waters stretched uninterr
uptedly tothe west and north of them. Here, too, there was a distinct change inthe appearance of the water, for, while amongst the reedy islands of mudthe marshes consisted of stagnant and dark-coloured water, there was astream where they now were--a stream flowing gently past them--oflightish-yellow colour, in which particles of sand and debris swirled asone peered over the side of the motor vessel. The way of the boat, too,was retarded just a little as she headed up against the stream, aproof--if further proof was necessary--that they had now gained thechannel of the Euphrates River. For three hours they motored their waysteadily up this stream, seeing nothing to attract their attention, andfinding on either hand the same water waste, with its margin of muddyislands, extending into the far distance. A haze hung over theseislands, as the heat of the sun drew the water upwards, while a faint,sickly odour was wafted from them.
"Fever!" said the Commander, as he smoked another pipe. "A night spentin amongst those islands of mud would be bad for a white man, let ushope that we shall find some pleasanter place as the darkness draws inupon us."
That night, as a matter of fact, they tied up beside a sandy shelf whichbordered the stream they had been following, and which ran upwardstowards the desert. It was a species of sandy hillock, perhaps a mileacross, which, being elevated, divided the waters. But who could say?Perhaps some years ago it had formed actually the bed of the EuphratesRiver, which had then flowed over and through it. But in the course oftime the debris and sand borne along in the water had silted up, andformed a bank at this precise position; and succeeding layers of sanddeposited by the water had finally raised the bank, till, gatheringfirmness and dimensions as the days passed, it finally defied anddefeated the river which had been the source of its existence. Then thechannel of the Euphrates had been changed, and what had once been itsbed, swept by the ever-descending flood of water coming from the centreof Mesopotamia, from Asiatic Turkey, had become now a glistening heap offirm, dry sand, which gave the expedition a splendid bivouac.
"An excellent place!" the Commander told Geoff, as the anchor wasdropped, and the boat was paddled in close to the bank. "We'll make ourboat fast by driving pegs into the sand itself, and then we'll getashore. A couple of men in the boat will be all that will be required,and the rest can accompany us."
In half an hour they had their fire going, and that evening Philip andGeoff enjoyed the experience of an open-air camp under the starlight.Yet it was not always to be so pleasant, as they were to find, for, onthe morrow, having set off soon after the first streak of dawn, andhaving pushed their way rapidly up the winding and almost invisiblechannel of the river, they suddenly came upon a sight which caused themto halt instantly.
"Stop that engine!" ordered the Commander suddenly, "'Bout ship! Ifthat's not a Turkish flat-bottomed vessel I'm a Dutchman."
A long, low-built steamer had suddenly hove into sight far up thewinding river, and, looking at her swiftly, Geoff realized in a momentthat her decks were crowded with men dressed in khaki-coloured clothing.Swinging his glasses to his eyes, he fixed them on the vessel, and thencalled back at the Commander.
"Turks, without a doubt, sir," he said, "I can recognize them easily.There's a man standing on a low bridge just above their heads who iswearing a fez, while opposite him there is an officer whom I should taketo be German. There are fifty or more on the boat, and it is likelyenough that they are an exploring-party."
An instant later a shrill shriek was heard from the approaching vessel,as her steam whistle was put into operation; then there was a flash fromher side, and perhaps a quarter of a minute later a shot hit the waterjust behind the motor-boat, and, throwing up a huge cascade, almostdrenched Geoff and his comrades. When they had shaken the water out oftheir eyes, and looked again at the approaching vessel, they saw astring of boats which were towing after her being pulled for'ard. Thenmen tumbled over the low sides of the vessel into the boats, whileothers ran into her bows, and, seizing their rifles, opened fire uponthe occupants of the tiny vessel lying down below them.
"Go ahead!" said the Commander, as bullets spluttered into the water allround the vessel. "Keith, come along aft here, so that we can talk thematter over. What do you think, lad?" he asked, as Geoff joined him. "Idon't like to put my helm about, and show my stern to that Turkishfellow."
"Nor I!" Geoff agreed with him; "and besides, we shan't haveaccomplished that for which we came into the marshes. It's bad luck, ofcourse, sir, running into an exploring-party of the enemy so soon aftercoming this way, but there are sure to be more coming behind them, andthose are the fellows whose positions we have to make out. Why not tryto dodge them? By running right off to our left into the marshes weshould soon be hidden by the islands of mud and reeds, and then we couldsteal westwards till we were above those fellows!"
"Wait! What's that? Another vessel, eh?" exclaimed the Commander,pointing to a spot higher up the river than that occupied by the Turkishvessel. "Ah!"
Geoff looked, and took in the situation in an instant, for, beyond thelow-built Turkish steamer which they had so unexpectedly sighted round asharp bend of the river, he saw another steamer--a small pinnace--low,like themselves, and speedy, and making towards them now on the stream,at a pace which heaped a mass of water up in front of her. Once more hisglasses went to his eyes, and for a while he remained silent. Then heslowly dropped them into their case, lit a cigarette, and turned to hisCommanding Officer.
"A fast steam-launch, sir," he said; "twenty men aboard her. It looks asthough we should have quite a brisk little action."
For perhaps a minute the Commander turned his gaze upon the pursuingvessel, whilst his own craft sped down the river; then he smiled grimly,and Geoff heard him chuckle.
"Right!" he said. "A pretty little action! I believe you, Keith.Starboard your helm, Cox, and edge the boat off gradually towards themarshes. We'll induce that fellow to follow us till we are well awayfrom the other vessel, so that she cannot support the launch with hergun; then we'll see what sailors can do at carrying out an ambush. Liedown, men, it's only fools who won't take cover; keep as low as you can,and don't give 'em anything to fire at."
Bullets, meanwhile, had been sweeping above the boat, and streamingtheir way past the ears of its occupants. Spurts of water rose on everyhand, while now and again a cascade--a mere child to that thrown up bythe shell which had been fired at them at the commencement of thisencounter--would splash over the sides of the motor-vessel. Obedient tothe order given them, yet grudgingly, for your sailor is a gallantfellow, the crew crouched low behind the sides of the vessel, leavingthe Cox fully exposed, and the Commander still standing to his fullheight in the open cabin, and beside him Geoff, holding his ground--notwincing, not even dodging or bobbing his head, as bullets flicked pasthim.
"Nervous?" asked the Commander, as he stuffed tobacco into his pipe andcalmly set the weed alight. "Not you, Keith! Nor Denman either! That'sgood to see, though it is only what I expected. Now set her going atfull speed, and we'll see what we can do to dodge those fellows."
A long island of mud, clad with reeds, stood up before the motor-vessel,and it looked for a while as though the Commander had every intention ofrunning her upon it; but at a signal from him--a signal made with a jerkof the hand which gripped his pipe--the Cox pushed his helm over, andthe motor-boat shot past the end of the island, and, turning again, spedup behind it. A further jerk, and she turned off at a tangent, and,speeding across a waste of stagnant water, thrust her nose in betweentwo reedy islands, following a channel which hardly seemed wide enoughto accommodate her. Turning and twisting, and dodging to right and left,and once grounding with a dull and gentle thud upon the tail of anisland, and breaking loose again because of her momentum, the vesselshot across another waste, and, rounding the end of a second stretch ofoozy mud, was rapidly brought to a halt.
"Ask your old gentleman whether the mud would bear a man," the Commandertold Geoff abruptly.
"Truly, Excellency," came the immediate answer. "These banks, thoughthey quiver as one walks
upon them, are yet solid, for the roots of thereeds have bound the mud together. Excellency, if I may ask a favour,let me land here, so that I may convey a warning to you."
A moment later the man was ashore, and, at a nod from the Commander,Geoff accompanied him. Then, pushing their way through the reeds, theygained the farther side, and, cautiously making an opening through whichthey could watch, waited for the coming of their pursuers. It wasperhaps five minutes later when the rattle of machinery came to theirears, and within a few seconds the Turkish vessel hove into sight as shethrashed her way through the waste of waters. That she had lost thedirection of the motor-boat seemed certain, though the Turks aboard hermust have known that they were not far behind their quarry. A loud orderreached Geoff's ears, while the clank of machinery died down of asudden; then he saw the launch drift on towards the end of the islandbehind which the motor-vessel was hiding. Creeping back towards theCommander, he waved to him to attract his attention, and then calledsoftly to him.
"In five minutes they will be crossing the far end of this island, sir,"he said; "it ought to give us an opportunity."
"Come aboard, and bring the old gentleman with you," the Commander criedon the instant. "Now, boys, line the gun'l there, and hold your firetill I give the order. I've a little scheme on foot, and I'll beparticularly grateful to you if you don't sink her. Shoot some of thecrew, and capture the rest of them if need be. Now, my man, set hergoing!"
The engine revolved again, and in a trice the propeller was thrashingthe water; then, ever so gently and quietly, they stole up beside theisland, while on the far side the Turkish launch drifted ever closer tothem.
On the Road to Bagdad: A Story of Townshend's Gallant Advance on the Tigris Page 6