Samba Part 6

"Samba him uncle, berrah bad man, come to fight," said Nando breathlessly when Jack came to the door of the tent. "Bad man go round round, hide in trees, come like leopard. Ma.s.sa gone 'sleep: ma.s.sa him men all lib for big sleep; Boloko shoot; one, two, ma.s.sa dead all same."

"What, what!" said Mr. Martindale, flinging off his rug. "Another alarm, eh?" He pressed the b.u.t.ton of an electric torch and threw a bright light on the scene.

"An attack in force this time, uncle," said Jack. "Some black fellows are coming to surprise us in the rear."

"How many are the villains?" said Mr. Martindale, pulling on his trousers.

"Two, free, hundred, fousand."

"A dozen all told, I suppose! Well, we'll fight 'em."

"Rather risky that, uncle," said Jack. "There may be more than a dozen, after all, and our men are not armed: we two couldn't do much against a hundred, say."

"True. Why was I such a fool? That Britisher at Matadi said I'd better arm my men, and I wish I'd taken his tip. We're in a tight corner, Jack, if the n.i.g.g.e.r is correct. Here, Nando, are you sure of this?"

"Sartin sure, sah. Me see fousand fifty black men creep, creep 'long ribber, sah: big lot guns, 'Bini guns, ma.s.sa, go crack, crack. Come all round, sah; run like antelope: no time for ma.s.sa run away."

Nando's face expressed mortal terror; there was no doubt he believed in the reality of the danger.

"How did they come?" asked Mr. Martindale.

"In boat, sah."

"Where are they?"

"Small small up ribber, sah."

"And I suppose you've alarmed the camp?"

"No, sah, no. Me no tell one boy at all."

"Well, it looks as if we're going to be wiped out, Jack. We can't fight a hundred armed men. If our fellows were armed, we might lay a trap for 'em; but we aren't strong enough for that. But perhaps if we show we're ready for 'em, and they're not going to surprise us, they may sheer off."

"Then why not take the offensive, uncle?"

"What d'you mean?"

"Attack the canoes while the most of them are marching round. They'd hear our shots and bolt back, as sure as a gun."

"That's slim. We'll try it. Go and wake Barney, Jack."

Barney, however, was already on his way to the tent, Jack explained the situation to him.

"Here's a revolver, Barney," said Mr. Martindale, as the Irishman came up. "You must do the best you can if there's a rush. Jack and I are going right away to the river: you're in charge."

Barney handled the revolver gingerly.

"Sure I'd feel more at home wid me shillelagh!" he muttered as he went away. Mr. Martindale turned to the negro.

"Now you, Nando, lead the way."

The man's eyes opened wide with fear.

"Me plenty sick in eyes, sah," he stammered. "Me only see small small.

Boy Samba him eyes berrah fine and good, see plenty quick, ma.s.sa; he show way."

"I don't care who shows the way," said Mr. Martindale, too much preoccupied with his hunting rifle and ammunition to notice the inconsistency between Nando's statement and the story he had already told. Nando called to Samba and told him what was required, and the party set off, the boy going ahead with Pat, Mr. Martindale and Jack following with their rifles, and Nando in great trepidation bringing up the rear.

Mr. Martindale puffed and panted as he scaled the bluff, and breathed very hard as he followed Samba down the rough descent to the brink of the river. When they came to comparatively level ground they halted.

"How far now?" asked Mr. Martindale, in a whisper.

"Small small, ma.s.sa," replied Nando.

"Well, Jack, when we come near these precious canoes we'll fire both barrels one slick after the other, then reload."

"And go at them with a rush, uncle?"

"Rush! How can I rush? I'm pretty well blown already. But I could fetch wind enough to shout. We'll shout, Jack. Nando, you'll bawl your loudest, and the boy too. If I know these n.i.g.g.e.rs they'll bolt.

And look here, Jack, fire in the air: we don't want to hit 'em. If they stand their ground and resist, we can fire in good earnest; but they won't."

They took a few cautious steps forward, then Samba ran back, clutched Nando by the arm and whispered--

"Boat dah, sah," said the negro, under his breath. "Oh! me feel plenty sick inside!"

"Hush! Howl, then, when we fire. Now, Jack, ready? I'll let off my two barrels first."

Next moment there was a flash and a crack, followed immediately by a second. Nando and Samba had begun to yell at the top of their voices.

Mr. Martindale bellowed in one continuous roll, and Pat added to the din by a furious barking. The noise, even to those who made it, was sufficiently startling in the deep silence of the night. Jack fired his two shots, but before his uncle had reloaded there was a yell from the direction of the canoes, then the sound of men leaping on sh.o.r.e and crashing through the bushes. Immediately afterwards faint shouts came from the forest at the rear of the bluff.

"We've done the trick," said Mr. Martindale with a chuckle. "Now we'll get back. They've had a scare. Let's hope we shall have no more trouble to-night."

He flashed his electric torch on the river bank below, and revealed five large canoes drawn up side by side.

"There must be more than a hundred of them," he added. "Each of those canoes can carry thirty men."

On the way back to the camp, they heard renewed shouts as the men who had marched into the forest broke out again in a wild dash for the threatened canoes. The camp was in commotion. Barney was volubly adjuring the startled natives to be aisy; but they were yelling, running this way and that, tumbling over one another in the darkness.

The sight of Mr. Martindale's round red face behind his electric torch rea.s.sured them; and when Nando, who had now quite recovered his spirits, told them that he, with the white men's a.s.sistance, had put to flight twenty thousand bad men and Boloko, they laughed and slapped their thighs, and settled down in groups to discuss the event and make much of Nando during the rest of the night.

There was no more sleep for any of the party except Samba. He, satisfied that his new friends were safe, curled himself up on his mat with the inseparable terrier, and slept until the dawn. But Mr.

Martindale sat smoking in his tent, discussing the events of the night with his nephew.

"I don't like it, Jack. We're on top this time, thanks to a little bluff. But there must have been a large number of them to judge by the canoes and the yells; and but for that fellow Nando we might easily have been wiped out. And from what Nando says they are those villainous forest guards of the Concession. What's the meaning of it?

It may be that the Concession have repented of their bargain and want to keep me out, or perhaps Elbel is terrified lest I shall expose him when I get back to Boma. Either way, it seems as if we're going to have a bad time of it."

"I don't think it can be Elbel's doing, uncle. It's such a risky game to play, your expedition being authorized by his own people."

"I don't imagine Elbel is such a fool as to attack us officially. He can always disavow the actions of those natives. At any rate, I shall make a point of getting rifles for the men as soon as I can."