Trapped by Malays Part 22

"I have been there, sir."

"Oh, that's right," said the Major, with a chuckle.

"For I am very anxious about the ladies there, and the other women we have in our charge, and I feel more than ever that we have been guilty of a great error of judgment."

"Eh? What about?"

"What about, sir? Look around you."

"Eh? Well, we have plenty of company, but I don't see any error of judgment."

"Why, my dear Knowle! Company! Look at the crowd."

"Well, we shall keep them back so as to allow plenty of room for the evolutions."

"Yes; but, let alone the country-people, every man with his kris, there are the military followers of those two Rajahs in full array."

"Military! Phit! My dear Dallas!"

"Ah, you laugh, sir. Why, roughly speaking, each of those two chiefs has got a following of about five hundred men--say a thousand."

"Yes, I dare say," said the Major; "but they are not all together."

"No, they are divided so that we have a strong force on either side.

You despise them; but have you thought of the consequences that might follow our being enclosed by two such bodies of men?"

"Oh yes," said the Major coolly. "Might. But, my dear boy, have you thought of the consequences that might follow if I told my lads to close up and face outwards, and began to deal with our visitors? Look at them," he continued, as he pointed towards the perfectly drilled detachment drawn up in the centre of the parade-ground waiting for the order to commence the evolutions connected with the military display.

"Oh yes, they are everything that could be expected from a handful of British infantry."

"Handful, sir! Why, I've got three hundred men on the ground. Every fellow's under arms, and we are going to show these n.i.g.g.e.rs what we could do if ever we were called upon. Error of judgment, sir! The whole thing's a grand idea; and after it's over, these Malays will go away with a ten times higher idea of England's strength than they had before."

"I don't know," said the Resident. "Look at those fierce-looking fellows there gathered round the elephants and their gaudily dressed chiefs. Look at that haughty fellow Suleiman, with his chiefs and spearmen cl.u.s.tering round him looking as if they were awaiting their prince's order to charge down upon us and sweep us all out of the district."

"Oh yes, I see," said the Major, chuckling.

"And here on the other side, right away to the river, there is this doubtful fellow Hamet with his lot of elephants and men, a stronger party than Suleiman's."

"I see. I hope there won't be any row."

"Oh, don't suggest such a thing!"

"Why not? They are in touch with the others."

"Yes; and at a word could combine."

"Ah, I am not afraid of that," said the Major. "I was thinking about their jealousy, and the possibility of a row between them."

"I don't believe in the jealousy. I believe it is all a.s.sumed," said the Resident, "and that they are ready on the slightest excuse to join forces against us."

"I don't," said the Major gruffly. "I am afraid they may draw knives against each other; but if they do I will give them such a lesson as will prove a startler. But, I say, have you noticed that chap Hamet?"

"Oh yes, I saw him. He did not march with his men, mounted on one of his elephants, but came up in his dragon-boat."

"Yes. Quite a fine show, with the amber-satin rowers, and the gongs beating. But you can't grumble about his appearance and theatrical robes. It's quite a compliment to Old England to see a native prince come simply in ordinary morning-dress. Hanged if he hadn't got lavender kid gloves!"

"Oh, don't talk about trifles, Major; but for Heaven's sake be on your guard!"

"Oh yes--guard mounted," said the Major. "Why, Dallas, my dear boy, I don't believe you told Morley to give you a pick-me-up. You have been fussing about down there at the bungalow, and fidgeting about what might happen to a certain young lady if the Malays turned nasty and rose against us."

"Major! No."

"Don't be cross, dear boy. I was in love too once upon a time, and fidgeted as much as you do about what might happen if--if--There, I only say _if_. Now, it's all right, my dear fellow, and it's time for the show to begin. The crowd must be getting tired of waiting; and I only see one error of judgment of which we have been guilty."

"Ah! And what's that?"

"Ought to have begun an hour sooner, for, my word, the sun is hot! Oh, by the way, I have not seen you since, but we were talking over what to do with our visitors and the crowd generally after the review. There will be the feeding, of course; but we wanted something to fill up time till dark and the fireworks begin."

"I have heard nothing about further plans."

"Well, the lads will keep an open course, and there will be some races and wrestling, and Sergeant Ripsy is going to show some encounters with the bayonet and a little sword-play."

"Well, as you like. I can think of nothing else but getting the affair over and the people dismissed."

"There, don't you be uneasy. There's a guard mounted to watch over our women folk, so come on."

The Major went on towards the centre of the parade-ground, while the Resident hurried away, looking hot and anxious, to where seats had been arranged beneath an open tent erected on one side of the parade-ground, partly sheltered by a cl.u.s.ter of palms.

At last, with colours flying and the loud martial strains of the band, doubled by a strange echo thrown back by the dense jungle, the solid little force of infantry, in brilliant scarlet and with the sun flas.h.i.+ng from their bayonets, was put in motion; while a strange murmur of satisfaction arose from the crowd of gaily attired campong dwellers, which was caught up by the followers of the two Rajahs with prolonged cries that bore some slight resemblance to the tiger-like _ragh, ragh_ of an American crowd.

And then, as the band marched by, Rajah Suleiman's group collected in front of the great clump of trees left standing when a portion of the jungle had been cleared, and the huge elephants, now gorgeous with trappings, and each bearing its showy howdah, in which were seated the Rajah himself and his princ.i.p.al chiefs, responded to a final blast of the highly polished bra.s.s instruments and the thunderous roll of the drums by a simultaneous uneasy trumpeting of their own, with which were mingled the cries of the mahouts, who had to ply their sharp-pointed goads to keep their charges in subjection.

Fortunately for the occupants of the howdahs, this was a final chord from the band, for the huge beasts were thoroughly startled, and the lookers-on noted that similar uneasiness was being displayed by the nine great elephants that appertained to Rajah Hamet's force, these in particular showing a disposition to turn tail and make for one of the jungle paths.

The silence that followed the band's final chord seemed, as Oliver Wendell Holmes says in one of his little poems, to have come like a poultice to heal the wounds of sound, and the great beasts settled down.

Then there was a bugle-call, and the evolutions began in regular review style, with plenty of fancy additions, such as had been planned to impress the great gathering of the Malay people. The troops marched and counter-marched, advanced in echelon, retired from the left, retired from the right, formed column and line, advanced in column of companies, turned half right and half left, formed three-quarter column; there was extended order and distended order, for Major Knowle's force was very small, but he made the most of it. Sergeant Ripsy, with a face quite as scarlet as his uniform, buzzed about like a vicious hornet, and, perspiring at every pore, yelled at the guides and markers, letting fly snapping shots of words that were certainly not included in the code of military instructions. But the men, as soon as they warmed up--which was in a very short time--went into the spirit of the thing; and when at last the officers had got through the regular evolutions, that seemed to consist in weaving and twisting the men under their command into a series of intricate knots, for the sole purpose of untying them again, and Archie Maine had been saved from disgracefully clubbing his men by issuing an order which the said men wilfully disobeyed so as to cover the lad's mistake, there was a general forming up again for a rest and cool down, while the band struck up, and, helped by the echo, filled the parade with sweet sounds, to the great delight of the gathered crowd.

There was a burst of cheering here, of a rather barbaric nature, for from Rajah Suleiman's gathering there came one solitary boom from a particularly musical gong. This rang out like a signal, and was followed by a score more from as many of the sonorous instruments, supplemented by an excited yelling from the spear-armed men.

This ended as quickly as it had begun, and, treated as a challenge, was repeated from the centre of Rajah Hamet's party, who followed with a yell that might have been taken as a defiant answer to hereditary enemies.

Matters seemed to be growing exciting, and Major Knowle, who was quiet and watchful as well as hot, despatched messages to the commanders of companies to be on their guard.

But now, as the last gong ceased to send its quivering jar through the heated air, to be reflected back from the jungle, a burst of Malay cheering arose from the excited crowd of spectators; the elephants joined in, trumpeting loudly; and then, as the strange roar died away into silence, the band-master took advantage of the opportunity, raised his instrument, made a sign, the big drum boomed its best in answer to six of the drummer's heaviest blows, and to the stirring strains of the favourite old march, "The British Grenadiers," the band moved off to take up a fresh position.

As soon as this was occupied the second part of the evolutions commenced. The little force was divided, and took up positions for attack and defence; men were thrown out, skirmis.h.i.+ng began, and the Malay crowd cheered as the men in scarlet ran and took cover; and the field was soon after covered with advancing and retiring men, who ran, lay down, fired from one knee, fired from their chests, ran and took cover again; and the musketry began to roll in sputtering repet.i.tions, till the retiring force seemed to take courage, gathered together, repelled their adversaries with half-a-dozen vigorous volleys, and advanced in turn, gradually driving their supposed enemies back, till, when the smoke was rising in a faint, misty cloud to float softly away over the river, the final stages of the sham-fight were nearly at an end, and for a concluding curtain to the mimic warfare the two little forces advanced as if to meet in contention in the middle of the field.

But at a certain stage a bugle rang out, and with wonderful precision the men fell into column and marched away to the far end of the drill-ground, where they halted, turned, and then, in obedience to the Major's command, began to advance in line towards where, on their left, were the two bodies of armed men comprising the followers of the two Rajahs, above whom towered the two knots of elephants, while on their right were the gathered crowds from the nearest campongs, excitedly watching for what was to come next.