Bunyip Land Part 14

There was a loud yell at this, and what seemed to threaten to be a general onslaught. My friends all prepared for their defence, and Jimmy took the initiative by striking out wildly, when half a dozen blacks dashed at him, got him down, and one was foolish enough to sit upon his head, but only to bound up directly with a shriek, for poor Jimmy, being held down as to arms and legs, made use of the very sharp teeth with which nature had endowed him.

We should have been killed at once, no doubt, had not one tall black shouted out something, and then begun talking loudly to the excited mob, who listened to him angrily, it seemed to me; but I was so dull and confused from the blow I had received upon my head that all seemed misty and strange, and once I found myself thinking, as my head ached frightfully, that they might just as well kill us at once, and not torture us by keeping us in suspense.

The talking went on, and whenever the tall chief stopped for a moment the blacks all set up a yell, and danced about brandishing their spears and clubs, showing their teeth, rolling their eyes, and behaving--just like savages. But still we were not harmed, only watched carefully, Jimmy alone being held, though I could see that at a movement on our part we should have been beaten to death or thrust through.

At last, after an interminable speech, the big chief seemed to grow hoa.r.s.e, and the blacks' yells were quicker and louder.

Then there was a terrible pause, and a dozen st.u.r.dy blacks sprang towards us as regularly as if they had been drilled, each man holding a spear, and I felt that the end had come.

I was too stupid with my hurt to do more than stare helplessly round, seeing the bright sunshine, the glittering sea, and the beautiful waving trees. Then my head began to throb, and felt as if hot irons were being thrust through it.

I closed my eyes, the agony was so great; and then I opened them again, for all the savages were yelling and clapping their hands. Two men had seized me, and one of them had his head bandaged, and in a misty way I recognised him as one of the poor wretches to whom I had given water.

He and the others, who were easily known by the doctor's patches of sticking-plaster, were talking with all their might; and then all the blacks began yelling and dancing about, brandishing their spears and clubs, frantic apparently with the effect of the injured men's words.

"They ar'n't going to kill us, my lad," said the captain then; "and look ye there, they are going to feast the doctor."

For the latter was regularly hustled off from among us by a party of blacks, led by two of the sticking-plastered fellows, while two others squatted down smiling at us and rubbing their chests.

"Are we to be spared, then?" I said.

"Spared? Well, I don't know, my lad," said the captain. "They won't be so ungrateful as to kill us, now these blacks set ash.o.r.e have turned up and told 'em what sort of chaps we are; but I don't think they'll free us. They'll keep us here and make the doctor a physic chief. Eh! go there? All right; I can understand your fingers better than your tongue, my lad. Come on, all of you."

This last was in response to the gesticulations of the injured men who were with us, and soon after, we were all settled down in a very large open hut, eating fruit and drinking water, every drop of which seemed to me more delicious than anything I had ever tasted before.

A curious kind of drink was also given to us, but I did not care for it, and turned to the water again; while the doctor set to work to dress and strap up my injury as well as he could for the pressure of the people, who were wonderfully interested in it all, and then gathered round the doctor's other patients, examining their injuries, and listening to the account of the surgical treatment, which was evidently related to them again and again.

"Well, this is different to what you expected; isn't it, squire?" said the captain to me the first time he could find an opportunity to speak.

"I was beginning to feel precious glad that I shouldn't have a chance to get back and meet your mother after what she said to me."

"Then you think we are safe now?" said the doctor.

"Safe!" said the captain; "more than safe, unless some of 'em, being a bit cannibal like, should be tempted by the pleasant plumpness of Mr Jack Penny here, and want to cook and eat him."

"Get out!" drawled Jack. "I know what you mean. I can't help being tall and thin."

"Not you, my lad," said the captain good-humouredly. "Never mind your looks so long as your 'art's in the right place. We're safe enough, doctor, and I should say that nothing better could have happened.

n.i.g.g.e.rs is only n.i.g.g.e.rs; but treat 'em well and they ain't so very bad.

You let young Squire Carstairs here ask the chief, and he'll go with you, and take half his people, to try and find the professor; ah, and fight for you too, like trumps."

"Do you think so?" I said.

"Think! I'm sure of it; and I'm all right now. They'll be glad to see me and trade with me. I'm glad you made me set those chaps free."

"And what has become of the crew of the other schooner?" I said anxiously.

"n.o.bbled," said the captain; "and sarve 'em right. t.i.t for tat; that's all. Men who plays at those games must expect to lose sometimes.

They've lost--heavy. Change the subject; it's making young Six-foot Rule stare, and you look as white as if you were going to be served the same. Where's the doctor?"

"He said he was going to see to the injured men," I replied.

"Come and let's look how he's getting on," said the captain. "It's all right now; no one will interfere with us more than mobbing a bit, because we're curiosities. Come on."

I followed the captain, the blacks giving way, but following us closely, and then crowding close up to the door of the great tent where the doctor was very busy repairing damages, as he called it, clipping away woolly locks, strapping up again and finishing off dressings that he had roughly commenced on board.

During the next few days we were the honoured guests of the savages, going where we pleased, and having everything that the place produced.

The captain moored his vessel in a snug anchorage, and drove a roaring trade bartering the stores he had brought for sh.e.l.ls, feathers, bird-skins, and other productions of the island.

Gyp was brought on sh.o.r.e, and went suspiciously about the place with his head close up to his master's long thin legs, for though he had tolerated and was very good friends with Jimmy, he would not have any dealings with the New Guinea folk. It did not seem to be the black skins or their general habits; but Jack Penny declared that it was their gummed-out moppy heads, these seeming to irritate the dog, so that, being a particularly well-taught animal, he seemed to find it necessary to control his feelings and keep away from the savages, lest he should find himself constrained to bite. The consequence was that, as I have said, he used to go about with his head close to his master's legs, often turning his back on the people about him; while I have known him sometimes take refuge with me, and thrust his nose right into my hand, as if he wished to make it a muzzle to keep him from dashing at some chief.

"I hope he won't grab hold of any of 'em," Jack Penny said to me one day in his deliberate fashion; "because if he does take hold it's such a hard job to make him let go again. And I say, Joe Carstairs, if ever he's by you and these n.i.g.g.e.rs begin to jump about, you lay hold of him and get him away."

"Why?" I said.

"Well, you see," drawled Jack, "Gyp ain't a human being."

"I know that," I replied.

"Yes, I s'pose so," said Jack. "Gyp's wonderfully clever, and he thinks a deal; but just now, I know as well as can be, he's in a sort of doubt.

He thinks these blacks are a kind of kangaroos, but he isn't sure. If they begin to jump about, that will settle it, and he'll go at 'em and get speared; and if any one sticks a spear into Gyp, there's going to be about the biggest row there ever was. That one the other day won't be anything to it."

"Then I shall do all I can to keep Gyp quiet," I said, smiling at Jack's serious way of speaking what he must have known was nonsense. After that I went out of the hut, where Jack Penny was doing what the captain called straightening his back--that is to say, lying down gazing up at the palm-thatched rafters, a very favourite position of his--and joined some of the blacks, employing my time in trying to pick up bits and sc.r.a.ps of their language, so as to be able to make my way about among the people when we were left alone.

I found the doctor was also trying hard to master the tongue; and at the same time we attempted to make the chiefs understand the object of our visit, but it was labour in vain. The blacks were thoroughly puzzled, and I think our way of pointing at ourselves and then away into the bush only made them think that we wanted fruit or birds.

The time sped on, while the captain was carrying on his trade, the blacks daily returning from the ship with common knives, and hatchets, and bra.s.s wire, the latter being a favourite thing for which they eagerly gave valuable skins. My wound rapidly healed, and I was eager to proceed up the country, our intention being to go from village to village searching until we discovered the lost man.

"And I don't know what to say to it," said the captain just before parting. "I'm afraid you'll get to some village and then stop, for the blacks won't let you go on; but I tell you what: I shall be always trading backwards and forwards for the next two years, and I shall coast about looking up fresh places so as to be handy if you want a bit of help; and I can't say fairer than that, can I, doctor?"

"If you will keep about the coast all you can," said the doctor, "and be ready, should we want them, to supply us with powder and odds and ends to replenish our stores, you will be doing us inestimable service.

Whenever we go to a coast village we shall leave some sign of our having been there--a few words chalked on a tree, or a hut, something to tell you that English people have pa.s.sed that way."

"All right, and I shall do something of the kind," said the captain.

"And, look here, I should make this village a sort of randy-voo if I was you, for you'll always be safe with these people."

"Yes; this shall be headquarters," said the doctor. "Eh, Joe?"

I nodded.

"And now there's one more thing," said the captain. "Six-foot Rule; I suppose I'm to take him back?"

"If you mean me," drawled Jack Penny, entering the hut with Gyp, "no, you mustn't take him back, for I ain't going. If Joe Carstairs don't want me, I don't want him. The country's as free for one as t'other, and I'm going to have a look round along with Gyp."

"But really, my dear fellow," said the doctor, "I think you had better give up this idea."

"Didn't know you could tell what's best here," said Jack stoutly.

"'Tain't a physicky thing."

"But it will be dangerous, Jack. You see we have run great risks already," I said, for now the time for the captain's departure had arrived, and it seemed a suitable occasion for bringing Jack to his senses.