Trapped by Malays Part 16

"Oh no; but that does not matter, my good friend. I tell you I am going down to the pier to my boat, which is waiting for me."

"Rum time to be going to meet a boat," growled Smithers; "and there's no boat waiting there. Can't you hear? They are paddling away down-stream as hard as eater they can."

The stranger uttered a sharp e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n of impatience.

"Oh, this is foolish--absurd!" he exclaimed; and his hands began to busy themselves about his waist.

Private Smithers might have been the worst man in his company, but somehow drill had made him a keen soldier and a good sentry.

"Hands up," he cried sharply, "or I fire!"

"Oh!" cried his visitor sharply, "don't be so foolish. Did you think I was going to do something?"

"Yes, with a revolver, whoever you are. I nearly drew trigger, and you not two yards away."

"Oh!" said the stranger, with a gasp. "It is foolish nonsense, and you have frightened away my rowing-men. Don't you know me?"

"No."

"I am a stranger. I come out in the forest to-night to collect the beautiful moths--b.u.t.terflies, you call them. I have some in this case."

"It's all dark," said Smithers sourly. "Gammon! No one can see to catch b.u.t.terflies at night."

"Ha-ha! You are a wise man. You English are so sharp. Look; I will show you."

"You had better mind what you are doing, sir, or my rifle may go off."

"What do you think of me, my friend? See here. There are many great, beautiful b.u.t.terfly moths here in this grand forest."

"Yes; and if you come when the sun shines, with a net, you can catch lots."

"Yes; and I come at night. I put sugar on the trees. The foolish moths fly round to eat; and then I open this little lanterrne, which is not burning now, and then I see to catch the beautiful moths." As Smithers's visitor spoke, he tapped the dimly seen tin case slung under his right arm. "If I had time I should show you, sir. But my boat is waiting. I go down to the pier place and hold up my hand. My men see me, and come and take me off."

"And all in the dark, mister," said the sentry in his gruffest tones.

"But you are not going down to the pier place to hold up your hand, and your boatmen are not coming to take you off."

"I do not see what you mean, sir. I say they do come to take me off."

"Oh, do you?" growled Smithers. "And I say they don't come to take you off, because my orders are to let no boat come in; and what's more, you are my prisoner."

"Your prisonare, sir!" cried the visitor. "You make joke."

"Oh no, that's no joke, mister," said Smithers. "That's only obeying orders."

"But, sir, I insist. I desire to go much."

"Can't help it, sir."

"Then what go you to do? You dare to say you shoot at me?"

"No, sir; not unless you try to run away. My orders would be to stop you, and I should fire at your legs; and it might hurt you very much.

But whether it did or whether it didn't hurt, you wouldn't run any more to-night."

"Sir," said the visitor pompously, "you talk like madness. If you do not let me go down to my boat I shall report you to your officer."

"Yes, sir; that's what I mean you to do."

"What do you mean?"

"He will be here by-and-by to relieve guard, and then you can say what you like, and he will take you to our Major."

"What! Faith of a gentleman, this man is too much mad! But there, I forget myself. You like a gla.s.s of rack-ponch?"

"Yes, sir, I like it."

"Then I have none here; but I have in my pocket a Chinese dollar. It is worth shillings. You get many gla.s.ses of rack-ponch. You take it?" and as he spoke he thrust his hand into his pocket and drew out in the darkness a broad piece.

"It won't do," said Smithers. "You will be only getting me into more trouble, mister."

"You will not take it?"

"Not me."

"Then I shall keep it and spend it myself." With a good deal of gesticulation the speaker thrust the coin back into his pocket, and gave it a heavy slap. "Now, you say to me that my boat is gone, and you say that my men could not see me if I hold up my hand?"

"That's right, sir."

"Very well. You are very clever, but I know also two or three things.

I shall go down to the pier, and call out to my men, 'Ahoy!' and then go into the water and swim till they pick me up and put me in a dry place in the boat. Now, what do you say to that?"

"Only this, mister. What do you think your men, if they come, will pick up?"

"Me--myself, sir, with my b.u.t.terfly moths and my little lanterrne."

"Ho!" said Smithers dryly. "And what about the crocs?"

"I do not understand."

"I see you don't," said the sentry. "What about the great crocodiles that have been waiting about there all night?"

"The crocodile!" said the visitor; and it was not light enough to see, but the stranger's jaw dropped, and he remained silent till Smithers spoke again.

"Understand that, mister?"

"Yes; you say that to frighten me. You talk one minute about using your _fusil_ to shoot me, and I am not afraid. Then you say you throw me to the crocodile, and still I am not afraid."

"Then look ye here," said Smithers, "you just give me that little pistol thing you were going to pull out."

"What! Sir, I re-fuse."