King o' the Beach Part 26

The trio rested at the top of the peak for a couple of hours, and then started back, the doctor taking the lead again so as to vary the way of descent, and gain an acquaintance with as much of the island as was possible.

This had the effect of lengthening out the journey, for there were many detours to be made to avoid dense jungly patches through which they would have had to clear their way; so that it was getting on towards evening when, after descending slope after slope and dodging, as Carey termed it, through little maze-like valleys, they came in sight of the waving cocoanut palms beneath them, and finally pa.s.sed through to reach the sands.

They were still some distance from the landing place where the raft lay, and the sand was hot, loose, and painful to walk upon; but at last the rocky natural pier was reached, the raft cut loose, and, there being a pleasant evening breeze sufficient to ripple the water, they sailed steadily across.

"Might get a fish or two for supper easy to-night, sir," said Bostock.

"I've got a line, sir. Shall I try?"

"No, we've done enough to-day," replied the doctor. "Let's be satisfied with what we've done and the provisions we have on board."

"Right, sir," said Bostock. "There is plenty of pickled fish."

"I feel more like a cup of tea than anything," replied the doctor. "It was a thirsty climb. Better take out the cartridges from your gun, Carey."

"Mind taking mine out too, Master Carey?" said Bostock, who was steering.

"All right," said Carey, following the doctor's example and returning the little charges to the ammunition bag. "I say, we shall only just get aboard before dark."

"We ought to have been half-an-hour sooner," observed the doctor, and five minutes or so later the raft rubbed with a grinding sound against the side, where it was made fast to a ring bolt by their hanging ladder.

The doctor ascended first to the darkened deck, for the night had fallen very rapidly during the last few minutes. Carey followed him, and leaned down before he reached the top of the ladder for the guns, which he took from Bostock's hands and pa.s.sed up to the doctor.

The satchels and bucket of treasures they had found followed, and then Carey finished his ascent to the lofty deck.

"Look sharp, Bob," he said, "and let's have some supper at once."

"Supper it is, sir, in a brace of jiffies," replied the old sailor, as he stepped on deck, and he was in the act of turning to his left to go below to the galley, when he stopped short and uttered a warning cry.

"The guns--the guns!" he yelled.

Too late. There was a rush of bare feet on the soft deck, and through the gloom Carey was just able to make out that they were surrounded by a party of blacks, each poising a spear ready to throw and holding in his other hand either a k.n.o.bkerry or a boomerang.

"Go mumkull white fellow; baal, lie down, quiet, still!"

This was said in a fierce voice by one of the savage-looking fellows, and Carey mastered the desire to bound away and take refuge below.

"Who are you? What do you want?" cried the doctor.

"Go mumkull white fellow; baal, lie down, quiet, still!"

"Says they're going to kill us all if we don't lie down and be quiet,"

growled the old sailor; then aloud to the blacks, "Here, what do you want--'bacco--sugar? Give plenty. Black fellow go."

"Want 'bacco, sugar, take white fellow old ship," cried the black who had first spoken.

"Take our old ship, will you?" said Bostock. "I think not, my lad.

There, put down spear, mulla-mulla. We'll give you sugar, 'bacco."

The man laughed, and his companions too.

"Where boat?" said Bostock, speaking as if he thought the savages must be deaf, and the spokesman pointed over the other side of the vessel.

"It's all right, sir," said Bostock. "Nothing to mind; they're a party who've come in contact with English folk before, and they must have seen the ship. It only means giving them a bit of 'bacco and sugar and sending 'em away again. Don't look afraid of 'em. Better give 'em what they want and let 'em go. They wander about, so we may never see 'em again."

"Very well; fetch up some tobacco and sugar and give them," said the doctor; but at the first step Bostock took half the men rushed at and seized him, making his companions s.n.a.t.c.h at their guns, but only to have them wrested away, the blacks c.o.c.king them and drawing the triggers so as to fire them off if loaded, with a sharp _click, click_, as the hammers fell.

"That's bad, sir," said Bostock, in his sourest growl. "It means fighting, and we aren't got no tools."

"It is horrible to be taken by surprise like this," replied the doctor; "but it only means giving them presents; they were afraid we meant to shoot them."

"Mumkull white fellow, baal, lie still," cried the princ.i.p.al man, fiercely.

"All right, you dirty thick-headed black rough 'un," growled Bostock.

"Now then, what do you want? Give it a name. Tobacco or sugar, isn't it, or both?"

"What's that?" said Carey, quickly, for the sharp sound of a match being struck in one of the cabins came up. "There's someone down below, getting a light."

The attention of the blacks was taken too, and they stood as if listening, till there was the sudden glow of a lamp seen in the cabin entry, and directly after a fierce-looking ruddy-brown visage appeared, the swollen-veined, blood-shot eyes looking wild, strange, and horrible as the light the man carried struck full upon it and made the great ragged beard glisten.

Carey stared at him in wonder, taking in at a glance his rough half-sailor-like shirt and trousers and heavy fisherman's boots. He noted, too, that the man wore a belt with holsters which evidently contained small revolvers.

The question was on his lips, "Who are you?" with its following, "What are you doing there?"

But the words were taken out of his lips by the doctor, who asked the questions angrily.

"Eh?" came in a hoa.r.s.e, raucous voice, as the man rolled forward, with the lamp, till he was near enough to hold it close to the doctor's face, and then to those of the others.

"Only three on 'em, then. Don't let 'em go, my sonnies. Now then, you, what do you say? What am I doing here? What are you doing--what do you want aboard my ship?"

"Your ship, you bullying, drunken ruffian!" cried the doctor, in a rage.

"You've been down in the cabin helping yourself to the spirits, or you would not dare to speak to me like this."

"Well! You do talk," cried the man, with a hoa.r.s.e laugh. "Yes, I've had a drop I found down there. Thirsty, my lad, thirsty."

"Did you bring these black scoundrels aboard?" cried the doctor, who was beside himself with rage.

"Sartain I did; they're my crew, and I'm their master, and I've only got to say the word and over you go to the sharks. Eh, sonny? Sharks, eh?"

"Shark.u.m, shark.u.m!" cried the man who seemed to be the leader, and he caught hold of the doctor, his example being followed by his fellows; but in an instant he was sent staggering back, and Bostock's a.s.sailant met with similar treatment, while Carey struck out, but with very little effect, save that he hurt his knuckles against the grinning teeth of the black who seized him.

"Hold hard, my sonnies; not yet. Let's see how they behave themselves.

Stand back."

It was evident that the great coa.r.s.e-looking ruffian had perfect command over the party of black fellows, who shrank back at a word, and waited with glistening eyes, their faces shining in the lamplight.

"There," said the man, "you see; so don't be sarcy. I let you off this time, because you didn't know; only if there's any more of it I says the word, and over the side you go. Now then, who are you?"

"I am the medical officer of this stranded vessel, the _Chusan_, upon which you have trespa.s.sed; and I hold her in charge for the company of owners until they send a relief expedition to reclaim or salvage her."