The Rajah of Dah Part 9

"And I am afraid, my dear madam, that I shall have time to give you very little. At the risk of being considered rude, I must ask you to excuse us now."

The doctor frowned and looked at Mr Braine, who glanced in turn at the shrewd elderly man, and he immediately searched for a silver snuff-box, and then spent a great deal of time over taking a pinch.

"Really, gentlemen," said Murray, quickly, "all this is very strange. I can hardly think you credit me with rudeness in being hurried."

"Oh no, Mr Murray, not at all," said the doctor's lady.--"Mr Braine, why do you not explain?"

"Well, really," said that gentleman, "I thought an explanation should come from you as the host and hostess, but I will do my best.--The fact is, Mr Murray, this country is something like the west coast of Scotland in the old days, when every chief had his stronghold."

"Oh yes, I have noted that," said Murray, smiling; "and I see that they have both the plaid and dirk, though you call them sarong and kris."

"Exactly. Well, my dear sir, the chief, rajah, prince, or whatever you like to call him, is omnipotent here."

"Not always, Mr Braine," said the doctor's lady, merrily. "I think my husband rules over the rajah."

"Only when he is ill, my dear, and he is the most refractory patient I ever had."

"And you see there is a certain etiquette to be observed here,"

continued Mr Braine. "We would do everything we could to help you to procure your provisions, and say G.o.d speed to your journey, but we are helpless."

"Indeed!" said Murray, flus.h.i.+ng. "You mean that as we have come we must ask the rajah's permission to go: I shall do nothing of the kind.

Gentlemen, we will start at once."

Mr Braine made a deprecatory sign,--

"Excuse me," he said. "You speak like one of us--like an Englishman, but my good sir, this is not England, and we are beyond the range of the law courts and the police. I say this is not England, nor is it Singapore. We are not many hundred miles from where the English rule is well in force, but here, to all intents and purposes, we are completely in the power of a barbarous chief."

"But this is absurd!" cried Murray; "surely the Governor of the Straits Settlements would crush out any piece of oppression directly, or any outrage on a British subject."

Mr Braine smiled.

"The British lion is very strong, sir," he said; "but he is well fed and drowsy. He knows that he has only to lift his paw, or perhaps only to lash his tail, to get rid of troublesome animals or stinging insects, but it is very hard to get him to do this. No doubt if Rajah Sadi were to behave very badly, the war-steamer on the station here would come up the river as far as she could, and then send an expedition in boats with plenty of jacks and marines, and perhaps a few soldiers, but not until there had been a great deal of red-tape unwound, declarations sent to and from London, and perhaps a year would have pa.s.sed before the help came. Then the rajah would be punished, if they could catch him, and his stockade and village be burned. But most probably he would know from his people when the expedition was coming, and mount his elephants with his court, and go right away into the jungle, after sending his prahus and other boats up one of the side-streams where they could hide.

Then the expedition would return and so would the rajah; the bamboo houses would be rebuilt, and matters go on just as before."

"You are making out a very bad case, sir," said Murray, biting his lip to keep down his annoyance, "but I shall not hesitate as to my plans."

"You mean that you will go on at once?"

"Certainly," said Murray; "and let them try to stop us if they dare."

"Humph!" said Mr Braine, raising his brows a little. "You doubt then the likelihood of the rajah's people interfering with you?"

"Excuse me for seeming rude to you in my incredulity, but I do doubt this."

Mr Braine smiled again.

"I presume," he said, "that when your boat came up you were boarded by the rajah's naga."

"Yes."

"And you saw that she had a well-armed crew?"

"I noticed that the men all wore their krises, and that spears were hanging in slings from the covered-in part."

"Exactly. That boat boards every vessel that goes up or down the river, and all pay tax or toll to the lord of this district, and have to await his permission before they can stir."

"Then," said Murray, sharply, "you consider that we are prisoners?"

"No; I do not go so far as that, but you are in the realm of a petty independent prince, who is something of a despot, and for your own sake you must submit to the customs of the country."

"But this is ridiculous!" cried Murray, angrily. "Ladies, forgive me for being so abrupt, but people from the old country resent coercion in every form. I'll be as polite to your rajah as a gentleman should be, but I am not going to have my plans upset by a savage. Ned, my lad, we'll see if they dare interfere with us."

"I beg you will do nothing rashly," said Mr Braine, for Murray took a step toward the ladies, and held out his hand smilingly.

"Good-bye," he said frankly. "I am going some distance up the river, but I hope you will let me make your acquaintance again on our return."

"You are not gone yet, Mr Murray," said the doctor, shortly; "and I advise you, sir, to practise prudence for both your sakes. As I expected, here are the rajah's people; I thought that they would not be long."

CHAPTER FIVE.

BEFORE THE RAJAH.

At the same moment that the doctor was speaking, Ned had caught sight of something glittering in the sun above the green shrubs that bordered the bamboo fence, and directly after that there was quite a blaze of yellow and scarlet colour as a party of Malays reached the gate and entered the grounds, a little group of swarthy-looking spearmen halting in the path, while two stately-looking men, with handkerchiefs tied turban fas.h.i.+on about their heads, came slowly up to the steps. The doctor descended to meet them, and then ushered them into the verandah where they saluted the ladies courteously, and then bowed gravely to the strangers, to whom they were introduced as two of the chief officers of the rajah in the most formal way; after which, as a brief conversation took place in the Malay tongue, and gave Ned the opportunity to examine their silken jackets and gay kilt-like sarongs in which were stuck their krises with the handles covered by the twisted folds, the doctor turned to Murray.

"These gentlemen," he said, "have been sent by his highness the rajah to ask why you have come here, and to desire your presence before him."

"Tell them," said Murray, "that I am sorry I cannot speak their tongue; and that as I am going on at once, I beg the rajah will excuse me from waiting upon him."

"My dear sir," whispered Mr Braine; but Murray flushed a little, and went on:

"Tell the rajah, please, that I am an English gentleman, a subject of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, travelling with my nephew to collect objects of natural history, and that I shall be obliged if he will give me a safe conduct to pa.s.s through his country unmolested by his people."

An answer to this was made at once by the elder and more grave-looking of the two Malays, showing that, though he spoke in his own language to the doctor, he had comprehended every word that had been said.

The doctor listened, and then interpreted again to Murray.

"The Tumongong desires me to say that he is sure his highness will be glad to further your wishes, but that he dare not go back and deliver such a message. You will excuse me for saying so, Mr Murray, but you must obey, and at once."

"And suppose I refuse, sir?" said Murray, warmly. "British gentlemen are not accustomed to be told that they must."

"No," said the doctor, smiling, "and do not like it; but there are times when Englishmen and Scotchmen find that they must submit to circ.u.mstances--eh, Braine?--eh, Greig?"

"Oh yes," said the merchant, taking out his snuff-box, opening it, and offering it to each of the Malay gentlemen, who bowed gravely, and took a pinch.

"It is not pleasant, I know, sir," said Mr Braine quietly; "but may I, as a fellow-countryman, offer you a little advice?"

"Of course."