Mother Carey's Chicken Part 26

"Look out!" shouted one of the men.

His reason was apparent, for one of the praus, seeing that the Malays were going back discomfited, began firing from her bra.s.s gun, sending a ball skipping over the water, and it finally dashed high up among the trees.

"Bah! let him fire," said the major scornfully; "they couldn't hit the Hill o' Howth, and the safest place to be in is the one they aim at.

There, my dear boy, that's a business-like job, and it's in your left shoulder. Now, Gregory, what's to be done?"

"We must go off at once in the gig and retake the s.h.i.+p," said Gregory sternly.

"No," said the major, shaking his head, as he gazed out to where the _Petrel_ lay.

"Not go, sir, and you've got a wife and child on board."

"And I a father and mother," groaned Mark to himself.

"Yes, sir; and I've got a wife and child on board," said the major sadly; "and I want to help them. But I'm a soldier, Mr Gregory, and I've learned a little of the art of war, and it isn't the way to save people in a beleaguered fort to go blindly and throw away your life and that of your men."

"But those on board, sir," groaned Morgan. "Hadn't we better share their fate?"

"We don't know their peril yet," said the major; "but I know this, if anything has happened to my poor wife--and child," he added softly, "my sword and pistol were in the cabin, and some one or two black scoundrels have gone to the other world to announce what has been done."

"For heaven's sake, sir, don't talk," cried Gregory, who was half frantic with excitement; "what shall we do that is better?"

"There's another shot," said the major coolly. "Go on, my fine fellows, waste all the powder you can."

This shot was wider than the last, and it was followed by one from the other prau which went farther away still.

"What shall we do?" said the major--"by the way, those shot were meant to sink that gig, and they went fifty yards away--Do? Wait and see what the scoundrels go about next."

"But the _Petrel_?"

"Well, they can't sail that away, sir, in this calm."

"But we must retake her," said Gregory.

"Well, we'll try," said the major, "but it must be by cunning, not force. Now, it's my belief that the captain has intrenched himself in the cabin, and that he will keep the scoundrels at bay till we get to him."

"It's my belief, sir, that they are all murdered by those cut-throats.

They're Sulu men. I saw two of their praus leave Singapore, and they've been on the watch for us. Idiot that I was to come away. Ah, Mark, my lad, I didn't mean you to hear that," he added, as he saw the lad's ashy face.

"And he's all wrong. Erin-go-bragh!" cried the major; "there, what did I say: that's the captain speaking, I'll swear."

For just then a series of shots were heard from the _Petrel_, and a faint film of smoke was seen to rise.

There was the distant sound of yelling for a time, every shot being followed by a fierce shout, and as the party on the sands tried to realise the conflict going on their feelings were of the most poignant kind.

"He's all right so far," said the major confidently.

"Or beaten," said the mate.

"Beaten, sir? No," cried the major. "If he had been beaten there would have been yelling to a different tune;" and he whispered in the mate's ear: "We should have seen the water splash up about the vessel's stern."

Another shot followed, and then another; but the bra.s.s lelahs carried very wildly at that distance, and no harm was done.

"Hadn't we better go off at once, major? There: it is our duty. Come, my lads, in with you."

"Stop!" shouted the major fiercely. "Mr Gregory, we can only succeed in doing good by being sensible. What you propose is rash folly.

Counter-order that command, sir, and as soon as it is night we'll see what can be done."

The mate hesitated between an eager desire to afford help and the feeling that the major's science-taught ideas were right.

"Stop, my lads," he said sadly; "the major's right, but I ask you to bear witness, Morgan, that I do this unwillingly."

"The major is quite right," said Morgan, sitting up, his brow knit with pain. "Mark, my lad, we have you to thank for saving the gig."

"Oh, nonsense, Mr Morgan," said the lad.

"It's quite right," he said; "and I believe you saved my life too. At all events, you gave the others time to get up and stop them. Without a boat we should have been helpless."

"Hah! he'd make a capital soldier," said the major, as he shaded his eyes with his hand. "Now, then, Mr Gregory, can your lads get the gig right up the sands and into the river-bed yonder?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do it, then, for one of the praus is coming on so as to be within reach of the sh.o.r.e, and either land men, or try and shatter the gig. Now, I tell you what: we'll intrench ourselves a bit, and then when they're near enough, and I've got the barrel resting in a fork of one of these trees, if I can't pick off a few men with a revolver, my name's not O'Halloran. Now, then, to work."

The order was given; and as the men ran up the gig, one of the two praus was seen to swing slowly round, and then began to move toward them, with her long sweeps dipping regularly in the calm blue sunlit sea, while at that moment, forgotten till then, Bruff, the dog, came limping over the sand, after a laborious journey on three legs, to lie down uttering a low whine at his master's feet.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

HOW THE MAJOR SHOWED HIMSELF TO BE A MAN O' WAR.

Poor Bruff had to be contented with a pat on the head, and then creep after his master back through the bushes to where the major was doing his best to bring his military knowledge to bear.

"It's a hard job," he said, "but it must be done. As they come nearer they'll keep on firing at that boat, and in it lie all our hopes. Mr Gregory, that boat must be got through those bushes and hidden."

"All hands," said the mate, in answer; and setting the example, he helped to drag the boat round, so that her bows pointed at the narrow opening in the bushes up to which she was run, and then, with the prau continuing her fire, the gig was with great labour forced through to the open ground beyond, and placed behind some rocks in the river-bed.

The next task was to help Morgan through, and Small and Billy Widgeon went to where he was lying on the sand, with Bruff beside him, sharing the wounded couch.

"No, my lads, I can walk," said the second-mate. "Sorry I am so helpless."

"Not more sorry than we, sir," said Billy Widgeon respectfully. "I wish we'd brought Jacko with us instead of the dog."

"Why?" asked Morgan, as he walked slowly and painfully toward the opening.

"Might have climbed a tree, sir, and got us a cocoa-nut."

"I'll be content with some water, my lad," said Morgan; and then he turned so faint that he gladly took Mark's arm as he came up to help Bruff, who was limping along in a very pitiful way.