Trapped by Malays Part 63

"I'm afraid to try, Pete. The stream seems running so strong that we might be swept away."

"Oh, I don't know, sir, close insh.o.r.e like this. I think we might manage it. Hadn't we better try?"

"Well, yes," replied Archie, after a little hesitation. "We must use the poles when we go away, unless we try going down-stream."

"Oh, that wouldn't do, sir. It would be running right into Rajah Hamet's nest, even if we didn't meet Suleiman's men; and if we didn't do neither we should have to carry the boxes through them who are surrounding the Residency."

"We must get them somehow," cried Archie impatiently.

"Yes, sir. But we ain't getting them like this."

For answer Archie seized one of the poles that lay along under the thwarts of the sampan, pa.s.sed it over the side, and, to his great delight, found that close in to the bank the eddy was so strong that there would be no difficulty in working against the current. This discovery made, the grapnel was pulled up and the sampan thrust in close under the bank at the bottom of the Doctor's garden.

"Nothing like trying, sir," said Peter; and landing, he carried the grapnel in to the full extent of the rope and pressed its flukes down into the earth.

This was not done without noise, and the two lads stood listening for a few minutes before proceeding farther. Once satisfied that there were no fresh occupants in the bungalow, Archie led the way in, and the rest of their task proved delightfully easy.

He knew enough of the interior of the Doctor's home to make for the store-room at once. Everything was open, just as it had been left in haste, and in spite of the darkness they easily found the little, square boxes of cartridges lying exactly as Mrs Morley had described; and each securing two, they were about to hurry down to the boat, when Archie remembered the gun, which, he knew, was hanging over a cabinet in the Doctor's study.

Placing his two boxes on the floor, he made for the Doctor's room, took the gun from the hooks where it hung, and hurrying back to the room where he had left the boxes, he found himself alone, for Peter had hastened off with his portion of the load.

There was nothing for it but to wait; but at last his ears were gladdened by the sound of his companion's hurried footsteps, and together the remainder of the objects of their search were borne down to the boat, which was cast loose, the poles were seized, and they began to stem the current.

The work proved easier than they had antic.i.p.ated so long as they kept close insh.o.r.e; but this, they felt, was incurring the greatest peril, for an occasional voice warned them of the presence of enemies close at hand; and after one narrow escape, consequent upon their being hailed by some one in the Malay tongue, they pushed off in despair, to make for the farther bank of the river.

This portion of their journey was not achieved without losing ground, for out beyond the middle there were times when, in spite of the length of the long bamboo poles, they could not touch bottom. But once more close insh.o.r.e, they began to make better progress, and as they paused for a few minutes' rest in the thick darkness in a place closely overhung by trees, the question arose as to how long it would be before daybreak, for both felt that the night must be pretty well spent.

"What do you say, Pete?" said Archie.

"Don't want to say nothing, sir," was the reply.

"Why?"

"Don't want to put you out of heart."

Archie was silent for a few moments.

"You mean that it must be nearly morning now. Speak out."

"Something of the kind, sir; and I was thinking that it seems too bad to have to make a mess of it at the end."

"Ah! You think that though we may get across and land with our load on our side of the river, we should have daylight upon us before we could get anything like back to the Residency?"

"Wish I was as clever as you are, Mister Archie," said Peter in a low, grumbling tone, as he thrust with all his might at the end of his pole.

"What do you mean?"

"You saying just exactly what I was thinking about, sir. How you come to see it all I don't know."

"Oh, never mind that, Pete. It's very horrible, and when we are missing in the morning there will be no end of an upset, and they will think that we have deserted."

"Haw, haw!" grunted Peter, with another thrust of his pole which hindered the straight course of the sampan. "Them thinking you had deserted, sir? Likely! You ain't me."

"Well, Pete, let's get as high as we can past the place where we got the boat, and then the moment we think that daylight's coming let's get across, tie the boat up somewhere under the trees, and lie in hiding till night."

"Won't do," said Peter shortly. "Boat belongs to somebody as ain't our friends, and when they find it gone they will come hunting along the water-side till they find it, and like as not tell the enemy where we are."

"You are right, Pete. Then we will find a snug place, and lie in waiting till it's dark again; and we shall know by then pretty well where we are, and take our measures for a fresh start."

"That's right, sir. Glad I was able to do some good--and, I say, it's getting close to morning."

"How do you know?"

"By them things as we have heard howling out in the jungle over and over again."

"I've heard nothing," said Archie.

"I have, sir; and they're getting quiet now. I heard a tiger once, and crocs over and over again, but I wouldn't say anything."

"I had too much else to think of, Pete," said Archie, as he toiled hard at his pole, causing an eddy more than once, as if some river-dweller had been disturbed.

It was not long after when the notes of the birds began to proclaim the coming day, and the surroundings began to appear so plainly that at the first favourable opportunity the boat was run in beneath the shelter of the overhanging trees and made fast; while, as the day broadened and they peered out across the river, Archie found they were so high up that no object on the farther bank was familiar; and he said so.

"Well, sir, I must leave that to you," said Peter. "I ain't done much boating, and have never been so high as this before. Well, from what you say, I suppose we shall be safe till night, and then we are going to get across and land them cartridges somehow or another where they are wanted. We've got a lot of hours to wait, though, first."

"Yes," said Archie, with a weary sigh.

"Well, then, sir, what about victuals?"

CHAPTER FORTY ONE.

"IF THE POWDER AIN'T DAMP."

Morning came with a rush, the rays of the sun seeming to do battle with the mist that floated over the surface of the river. The golden arrows of light cut and broke up the one dense, grey, heavy cloud into portions which floated slowly along, separating more and more, the dull grey growing rapidly silvery, then golden, and the gold becoming suffused with soft light. So beautiful was the scene that, while Archie gazed thoughtfully at its beauty, even commonplace, powder-besmirched Peter sat with his lips apart, staring hard, and then, forgetting himself and their risky position, with its need for concealment, he clapped his hands softly.

"Just look at it, Mister Archie!" he said. "Blest if the place don't look just like the inside of one of them big hyster-sh.e.l.ls that they get the pearls out of!"

"Hush!" said Archie softly.

"Mum!" said Peter. "I forgot; but don't it look as if the river was boiling hot and the steam rising, and the fire that hots it was shining up through the cloud? I say, n.o.body could hear me say that," he whispered.

"I hope not; but for aught we know boats may be floating down, hidden by that mist."

"Mist--of course, sir! But it do look like steam, and it makes me think of rations and hot coffee. I say, if one feels like this just at daybreak, how's it going to be by night? Here goes to tighten my belt."

Peter suited the action to his words, and moved the tongue of his buckle up two holes.