Middy and Ensign Part 31

"Gone Mirzapore, most excellent prince," said the man.

"Come, that'll do," said Bob impatiently; "drop all that eastern sugar wordings, my fine fellow, and look here!"

The Malay salaamed again.

"My friend here isn't an English prince. We are English officers. And my friend here says you may tell Mr Abdullah there that he does not bear any malice against him for the attack. If he asks pardon, that is enough."

This being interpreted to Abdullah, who remained humbly bent, he started up, and catching Tom Long's hands, kissed them both, and afterwards Bob's, very much to that young gentleman's disgust, though Tom received the salute with a good deal of dignity, posing himself to look to the best advantage in the presence of the ladies.

"There, that'll do now," said Bob. "It's all right, only tell Mr Abdullah not to be so handy with his kris again, and that I--Mr Roberts, of Her Majesty's s.h.i.+p 'Startler'--think he ought to present us with some durians."

This was duly interpreted to the Malay, who drew back, gazing keenly from the ensign to the middy, and back again, his dark eyes seeming to flash, as he said something in his native tongue to the interpreter.

"Dullah say you throw durian again in his face, and it make him mad."

"No, no, old fellow, nothing of the kind," said Bob, laying his hand on Abdullah's shoulder. "That's all past."

The Malay judged his meaning from his looks, and not from his words.

Then smiling, he leaped back into the boat, and returned laden with the finest fruit he had, which he offered to the young officers with no little grace and dignity, smiling pleasantly the while, but manifesting nothing little or servile.

The ladies looked on so wonderingly, that Bob had to leave the durians and explain, returning directly after, though, to the Malays, and obtaining a splendid bunch of the sweet flowers of the waringhan tree, which he carried back to the ladies, who smiled, thanked him, and took their departure.

"I never saw such a fellow as you are, Roberts," said the ensign, sulkily, as Bob returned; "you always seem to know what to say or do when ladies are present. I don't!"

"Native modesty, ability, and natural gifts, my dear fellow," said Bob; "and I'm precious glad they are gone, for I want to have a go at those durians."

Abdullah had already opened one, which he presented to Bob, who took it and made a terrible onslaught; and then, with a doubting look in his dark eyes, the Malay opened a second durian, hesitated, and then, evidently mastering his pride, offered it to Tom Long.

The latter drew back, shaking his head, and the Malay looked hurt and annoyed.

"Tell him I don't like durians, Bob Roberts," said Tom, nervously, "or we shall have another row."

"Here, hi! old c.o.c.kolorum!" cried Bob, with his mouth full, as he turned to the Malay, "tell Mr Abdullah there, that his durians are 'licious-- luscious--'licious, but Mr Long likes mangosteens better."

This was interpreted, and Abdullah's doubting look changed as he hurried back to the boat, and returned with a basket full of delicious fruit, which he offered Tom Long with a bow; and then, finding they were accepted, he stood smiling with his head bent, while Bob went on devouring durian at a terrible rate.

"I say, Tom Long," said Bob, making a very unpleasant noise with his mouth.

"What is it?" said the ensign, who was deep in the mysterious flavour of the delicious mangosteen.

"I never believed in old Darwin, and his development, and evolution, and that sort of thing, till now."

"Why now?" said Tom Long.

"Because I feel such a pig," said Bob, attacking another durian. "Look here, old man, if you'll put me up in a durian tree, I don't want anything else, thankey; you may have all the honour and glory. Oh! I say, this one's lovely! it's just like nectar made with custard, with an old shoe put in for flavour, and all stirred up with a paint brush. How are you getting on?"

"Bravely," said Tom Long.

The two young officers went on eating till they caught sight of the doctor in the distance--a sight so suggestive of making themselves ill, that they gave up with a sigh or two, and went away, Tom Long offering to pay liberally for the fruit, notwithstanding a hint from his companion that he should be content to accept it as a present.

Both the Malays drew back very proudly, but Bob Roberts healed the breach in etiquette by quietly taking out his case, and offering a cigar to each of the Malays in turn.

These were taken with a smile, and accompanied by a thoroughly friendly look at parting.

"They're rum fellows, those Malays," said Bob, "and want a lot of managing. They are gentlemen at heart, and savages at body. That's my opinion of them."

"And my opinion is," said Tom Long, "that they are a precious unpleasant treacherous set of people, that it is downright cruelty to expect a gentleman to live amongst."

Up to this point no Malay, not even a servant, had been admitted to live upon the island, though the want of natives for a.s.sistance and to supply food had been keenly felt.

During the last few days, however, the resident had begun to relax this stringent rule, and a fisherman had been permitted to set up his hut, and keep his boats, at the upper end of the island, with the consequence that in place of a very intermittent supply, there was plenty of fish at the mess table.

Now as soon as the young officers had gone, Abdullah and his Malay companion sought audience, basket in hand, of the resident, who, after talking to them for a time, walked down to the landing-place, saw their ample supply of fruit and flowers, and ended by granting them a site by the water's edge, where they might set up their hut, and secure their boat, the understanding upon which the grant was made, being that an ample supply was to be kept up for the use of the officers and men.

"Capital fellow, Linton," said the doctor. "Nothing like fruit in moderation to keep men in health. But isn't it risky to have these fellows on the isle?"

"I have thought of that," said Mr Linton; "but by being too exclusive we shall defeat our own ends. We must receive the princ.i.p.al part of the Malays in a friendly way, and it is only by a more open policy that this can be done. If we admit any wolves amongst the sheep they must meet with the wolves' fate. So far I think I have done well."

"Well, yes, perhaps you are right," said the doctor. But both gentlemen would have altered their opinions exceedingly if they had seen a long low boat, painted of a dark grey, and manned by six men, float gently down stream that night, and, unseen by the sentries, stop beside the sampan of Abdullah and his Malay companion.

Here there was a short consultation, Abdullah crawling over the gunwale into the long low boat, where he lay down, side by side with the man who steered.

Their conversation was long, and the others in the boat lay down while it was going on, so that had the boat been seen by an unusually watchful sentry it would have appeared to be empty, and moored to a bamboo stake thrust into the mud.

But the dark silent boat was not seen by the nearest sentry, either when it floated down, or when it was cautiously turned and paddled up stream once more, till, out of hearing, the oars went down with a noisy splash, and the long narrow vessel literally dashed through the river.

The reason it was not seen was simple enough.

Private Sim was on duty that night, and he had been once more fast asleep.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

THE CREW OF THE CAPTAIN'S GIG.

There was a good deal of the schoolboy left in the young representatives of Her Majesty's two services; not that this is strange, for a good deal of his schoolboyhood clings to a man even in middle life. Bob Roberts had a tiff with Long, made vow after vow that he would never speak to the ensign again; declaring him to be a consequential c.o.c.ky scarlet pouter pigeon, with as much strut in him as a bantam.

On the other hand, Tom Long declared the middy to be a most offensive little rascal, with impertinence enough in him for a dozen men. He was determined to cut him dead--that he was, and he would have no more to do with him.

Result the very next day:

Bob Roberts hurried down into the captain's gig, sitting there very eager and excited; for they were going to the island, and he had a plan in his head.

The captain came to the side and down the ladder, the gig was pushed off, the crew's oars fell into the bright river with one splash, and as they did so Bob Roberts forgot all the respect due to his commander, by suddenly catching him by the arm.

"Look, look, sir. See that?"

"No, Mr Roberts," said the captain rather sternly, "but I felt it."