Trapped by Malays Part 8

"This is in confidence, my lad--yes. But look here," continued the Doctor, lowering his voice, for at that moment voices were heard apparently approaching the Doctor's room. "Tut, tut!" he muttered.

"They have no business to be coming here now. I suppose they don't cla.s.s you as a patient. Humph! All right. They are not coming here.

Look here, Archie," he continued, as he threw himself back in his chair; "mine may only be suspicions, but situated as we are here amongst these people, who, in spite of their half-civilisation, have a good deal of the savage at heart and the natural strong dislike for those who hold them in subjection, it is good policy to be a little too wise and not careless and indifferent over matters that give one food for thought."

"But, Doctor,"--said the young man earnestly, and with a touch of excitement in his tones.

"There, there, there, don't fly out. I was only going to say that I can't help feeling doubtful at times about our position here."

"But you don't think that the Malays--"

"Yes, I do--I think that they are very untrustworthy. They dislike us for religious reasons as well as for taking possession of their country, and, in short, there are times when I can't help feeling that we are living on the slopes of a moral volcano which might burst forth at any moment."

"But, Doctor, they seem so friendly."

"Yes, my lad; as you say, they seem so friendly."

"Why, lots of the people quite wors.h.i.+p you. See how they come for advice."

"Oh yes," said the Doctor dryly, "I get plenty of native patients; but that doesn't make their own doctors any fonder of me. Still, I dare say I can get on very well, and, as I have suggested, I may be too suspicious. Nothing may happen for years--perhaps never. But you are a soldier."

"Well, yes, sir," said the lad, laughing. "Old Ripsy's trying to make me one."

"And you _are_ a soldier, my lad; and though you mayn't have to fight, you will quite agree with me that it is wise to keep your powder dry."

"Of course, sir."

"There's no harm in that, eh?"

"Of course not, sir."

"Well, men are men, and women are women."

"Yes, sir," said the lad, smiling.

"And we don't want to frighten them by letting them see that we are always going to the magazine. See what I mean?"

"Yes, sir. You mean, not let them know that you have any doubts about our position here."

"Good. I went a roundabout way to put it before you, but you have hit the right nail clean on the head at once. We want to make their lives as suns.h.i.+ny as we can, and not try to point out clouds where as likely as not there are none."

"Of course not, sir."

"Right, Archie. A quiet, thoughtful man would, of course, be careful not to discuss matters before our womenkind that might have an alarming tendency."

"And you think I, a boy, might, sir?" said Archie, frowning heavily.

"Yes," said the Doctor; "but not after such a broad hint as I am giving you now, my lad;" and he leaned forward and patted his visitor upon the knee.

The change in Archie Maine's countenance was instantaneous. The wrinkles of doubt were smoothed out from his forehead, and he stood up, gazing as it were straight past the Doctor into the future, his lips compressed and a general tensity of expression seeming to pervade every feature. Then he started violently, for the Doctor exclaimed:

"Well done! The cure has begun."

"What do you mean, Doctor?"

"Only this, my lad: that very likely there may be several relapses, but you are growing up fast. There, our consultation is over, and I suppose you have no more to say to me?"

"Yes, one thing, Doctor," said the young man in a low tone, for the ladies' voices were heard once more.

"Well, what is it?"

"Only this, sir--private and confidential."

"Of course. What do you mean?"

"You will not tell Mrs Morley what I have said?"

"Is it likely, my lad?" cried the Doctor merrily, as he clapped his visitor on the shoulder. "There, be off. You are keeping a patient waiting."

The Doctor threw open the door and led the way out into the veranda, where Mrs Morley and Minnie were standing beside a black-haired, black-eyed, young native woman, who was squatted down in the shade, and who now started up hurriedly from where she had evidently been holding up a solemn-looking little child of about two years old for the ladies'

inspection.

The woman's dark eyes flashed, and she made a movement as if to cover her face, but s.n.a.t.c.hed away her hand directly and stood up proudly for a moment, before bowing low and not ungracefully to the Doctor as he gave her a quick nod.

"Here is Dula," said Mrs Morley. "She has brought up her sick child."

"Yes, I see," said the Doctor, rather gruffly, as he frowned at the swarthy little patient. "But I wish Dula could talk English or I could talk her tongue a little better."

The woman smiled intelligently as she rearranged the bright-coloured plaid sarong around the child and said in a pleasant voice:

"Ba-be bet-ter."

The Doctor took a step forward, and the child shrank from him as he laid his hand upon its head and gazed fixedly in its eyes.

"Now, little one," he said, "we did teach you to put out your tongue last time."

"Tongue--tongue," said the woman quickly; and she held the child towards the Doctor, while Archie and Minnie exchanged glances, and then burst out laughing; for, in obedience to a shake given by its mother, the tiny girl uttered a low whimper, screwed-up her face as if about to cry, and then thrust out a little red tongue, drew it back instanter, and buried her face in her mother's breast.

"All right," said the Doctor to the woman. "It is getting well fast."

"Well--fast!" cried the woman, catching up his words quickly; and then, with the tears welling over from her great dark eyes, she bent down, caught at the Doctor's hand, and held it quickly to her lips.

"Oh, oh, that's all right," said the Doctor hastily, as he drew back his hand and patted the woman's shoulder.

"Look, uncle, what Dula has brought us!" cried Minnie; and she took from the veranda table a great bunch of the beautiful white creeper which the native women were fond of wearing in their black hair.

"Aha!" said the Doctor. "Thank you.--My fee, Archie."

"Not all," said Mrs Morley. "She has brought you one of those horrible durians;" and as the Doctor's wife spoke Minnie caught up a little, bamboo-woven native basket, in which, carefully arranged among freshly gathered fern, was one of the peculiar-looking native fruits, the produce of one of the great trees so carefully planted and cared for in nearly every native village. "Don't! Don't touch the horrid thing, my dear," whispered Mrs Morley.