Middy and Ensign Part 65

"I think the central channel is safe enough, Roberts," said the lieutenant; "but keep him heaving the lead."

"Trust me, sir," said Bob rather importantly.

"Yes, I'll trust you, Roberts," said the lieutenant. "I'll be frank with you, my lad, and tell you something that will please you, I know."

"What is it, sir?" said Bob eagerly.

"I don't think I shall ever look upon you again as a boy?"

Bob coloured with pleasure as soon as he was left alone; but his common sense prevailed the next moment.

"That's very kind of him," he thought, "but it's all gammon; I am only a boy yet. And there--hang it all! since Miss Linton spoke to me as she did, hang me if I care if I am!"

Fortunately for the party on board the steamer, the Malays had carried off their wounded as they fell, so that there was no trouble with either them or prisoners, who would have been highly inconvenient at such a time, especially as there was no knowing how soon there might be another attack. For though beaten as to their prahus, the Malays almost to a man succeeded in reaching the sh.o.r.e, to join those besieging the fort, and at any time a new attack might be made.

As they came abreast of the prahu that was run ash.o.r.e and forsaken, Lieutenant Johnson determined to run no risk of its being floated once more, and used, after patching, to annoy; for giving the order to reverse the engine, the steamer was kept abreast, while Bob Roberts and a party of marines and Jacks went ash.o.r.e and made preparations to burn her.

Ali stepped into the boat with his friend, and advised caution; for he warned Bob that, although severely punished, the rajah was in no wise beaten, and that, as likely as not, a force of men were lying hidden amongst the reeds to protect the injured prahu.

"All right!" said Bob, "I'll be careful." And to show how careful he intended to be, he let the cutter run up amidst the reeds, and jumped out with a dozen men, provided with some fiery spirit, and some spun yarn and matches.

"I think you ought to search the reeds first with a few shots from your marines' rifles," said Ali, who was gazing around very distrustfully; and no wonder, for there was every likelihood of some of the Malays being in ambush.

"No need," said Bob, laughing. "We've given them such a lesson as they won't forget for some time, my lad. Come along."

Ali leaped ash.o.r.e, and they tried to get on board the prahu, which seemed close in to the bank; but finding this was not the case, they returned to the boat, and pushed off through the rustling reeds to row round to the other side, and there board her by means of a rope.

It was well for the little party that they returned as they did, for in twenty places dark figures were stealing through the thick, long reeds quite unseen, but all converging upon the spot where the cutter ran to the sh.o.r.e.

The return to the boat upset the plans of the ambush, but the Malays who formed the party were not beaten; and finding their first plan hopeless, they immediately adopted another, and began creeping through the reeds, hardly making them rustle as they made now for the prahu.

"Heave up a rope, one of you," said Bob, "unless anybody can climb up."

This was as the bowman held the cutter close up against the prahu's side with his boat-hook.

"If one on 'em keeps the cutter alongside, sir, I can get up, and then make fast a rope," said the bowman.

"All right! up with you," said Bob; and as another man held on by one of the big oars that hung in its place, the boatman hooked on his boat-hook in one of the rattan-twisted ropes, and cleverly climbed up, catching the rope that was thrown up and making it fast, when half a dozen of the sailors, with Bob Roberts and Ali, were soon on the short, bamboo deck.

"It seems almost a pity to burn her," said Bob, who was greatly taken by the workmans.h.i.+p of the craft.

"No, no!" said Ali angrily, as his eyes wandered suspiciously about amidst the reeds; "burn her, burn her! the decks have been stained with blood, and many a poor, innocent creature has suffered outrage at the owner's hands. Rajah Gantang was a cruel, bloodthirsty pirate. Let the river be purified from his boats!"

"But," said Bob, laughing, "we might give it a good was.h.i.+ng down, and fumigate it below decks, and afterwards give it a coat of paint. It would be purified enough then, and it might be useful."

"I do not understand you," said Ali seriously; "but let your men be quick; I fear danger."

"What a suspicious chap you are, to be sure, Ali," replied Bob. "I'll be bound to say, if the truth was known, there isn't a n.i.g.g.e.r within a mile of us. Here, look alive, my lads; it seems a pity to burn such a boat; but orders are orders, and we shall have a gun fired directly, by way of recall. There, that will do; lay the oak.u.m there, and pour the spirits over it. She'll burn like a firework."

The men obeyed in a quiet leisurely manner, quite satisfied of there being no danger if their officer saw none; so the oak.u.m and yarn they had brought were heaped up on the bamboo deck, and another lot thrust into a kind of cabin, plenty of the spirit poured on each, and nothing was needed but the application of a match or two for the work of destruction to begin.

Still Bob seemed loth to fire so well-built a vessel, and he stood pointing out good points in the make of the long light boat, counting the number of sweeps she had carried, examining the shot holes and the like--partly in a bravado spirit, for Ali was all anxiety to get on board the steamer again, scenting danger as he did on every breath of wind, while Bob wanted to show him how matter-of-fact and cool a British officer could be.

"Look!" said Ali suddenly, and he laid his hand upon Bob's shoulder.

"Which way?" said Bob quietly. "I can see nothing."

"You will not see," said Ali in a low pa.s.sionate voice. "You are so brave, but you are so foolish too. Why risk life when there is danger."

"I don't," said Bob coolly.

"You do; there is great danger now," said Ali. "Gantang's men are creeping through the reeds to spear us."

"Jump down in the cutter then," said Bob, "and you will be all right."

Ali drew himself up angrily.

"A Malay chief never knows fear," he said, as he leaned his hands upon the muzzle of the rifle he still carried, and stood there, proud and defiant, like a bronze statue, he was so motionless and calm.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Ali, old fellow," cried Bob. And as the young Malay saw the open, frank, laughing face before him, and the extended hand, he seized it in his.

"I am not offended," said Ali, "but I'm afraid for you and your men."

"What of?" said Bob.

"That!" said Ali, as a spear whizzed through the reeds and stuck in the bamboo deck.

"Yes, it was close," said Bob coolly. "Who has the matches?"

"Here you are, sir," said one of the men.

"All right," said Bob, taking the box. "Down into the boat, all of you.

Go on too, Ali."

"No, I stay with you," said the young chief, just as another spear stuck quivering in the deck.

"Ah! I left it a bit too long," said Bob, striking a match as he dived into the cabin, and the next moment a volume of smoke rolled up.

He then lit another match, and held it to the soaked oak.u.m on the deck, spear after spear being thrown, several of which he escaped as by a miracle. Another moment or two, and the thick smoke formed a veil between the two young men and their enemies, who threw spear after spear, but without effect.

"Won't they be fine and mad?" cried Bob. "Here, give me your rifle, Ali, old fellow, and I'll have a couple of shots at them. No, I won't,"

he said, handing the rifle back; "I can't shoot in cold blood. Come along, or we shall be roasted ready for our friends there, if they are disposed to be cannibals. My word, how she burns!"

His last words were not uncalled for, as the light wood of which the Malay vessel was composed began to blaze furiously; so fast indeed, that the middy and his friend were driven into making rather an undignified retreat before the great leaping tongues of flame and the rolling volumes of smoke that in a few minutes ran from end to end of the vessel.

"Push off, my lads," cried Bob, as he took his place in the stern-sheets, coughing and sneezing from the effects of the pungent smoke. "Give way!" he cried; "there's a signal flying for our return."

Just then a shot came from the steamer as well, and with the Malays beginning to fire at them from among the reeds, the cutter was rowed rapidly back to the steamer's side, the prahu meanwhile blazing furiously, and promising soon to burn down to the water's edge.