The Rajah of Dah Part 8

"Indeed! We shall see. Here we are."

They had been pa.s.sing through the place with its houses dotted about in the most irregular fas.h.i.+on, just as the builders had felt disposed to plant them, and now came upon an attractive-looking bungalow similar in character to the others, and like them raised on bamboo piles seven or eight feet from the ground, but with numberless little additions such as would be made by an Englishman. Notably a high rustic fence enclosing a large garden planted liberally with tropic shrubs and flowers, and a broad flight of steps leading up to a great open verandah which ran nearly along the whole of the front, and over which the attap roof was brought to rest on cl.u.s.ters of bamboo formed into pillars, up which ran and twined in profuse growth pa.s.sion-flowers and other creepers.

"What a delightful place!" cried Ned. "Why, it's quite a treat to see a good garden. Look at the fruit!"

"Mamma is very proud of the garden, and--"

"Come along, squire," said the doctor, from the head of the steps.

"Welcome to the Fernery."

Murray was already seated at a well-spread table, upon which a couple of Malayan women, in neat cotton sarongs woven into an attractive plaid, were placing plates and dishes, and they greeted the newcomers with a look of surprise and a smile.

"There, gentlemen," said the doctor, "you could not have arrived at a more opportune time, but you must excuse all shortcomings. We keep up old English customs as well as we can, and can give you coffee and eggs.

No fried bacon, squire," he added laughingly to Ned. "You are where our genial useful old friend the pig is an abomination. Why, it's five years since I've tasted a sausage, or a bit of ham. But we can give you a curry of which I am proud. Eh, my dear?"

"Mr Murray will let a hearty English welcome make up for anything lacking," said the doctor's lady. "He knows that we are in the wilderness."

"A wilderness with bamboo chairs, a table, a clean cloth, gla.s.s, plate, napkins, and flowers and fruit," cried Murray. "Why, my dear madam, you forget that we have been picnicking in a boat. There, don't spoil your welcome by apologies!"

Then there was a busy interval during which the greatest justice was done to an excellent meal, and Ned was initiated into the mystery of sambals--tiny saucers of pickle-like and preserve preparations, popular amongst the Malays as appetisers, but quite needless in Ned's case, for he was perfectly independent of anything of the kind, and after his curry and coffee, now the first chill of strangeness had pa.s.sed, paid plenty of attention to the fruit pressed upon him by the doctor's daughter. Now it was a deliciously-flavoured choice banana with a deep orange skin, now a mangosteen, and then a portion of a great durian, a sc.r.a.p or two of which he ate with some reluctance.

"Hallo!" said the doctor after a glance at his daughter, "you are not getting on with your durian, sir. Pray take some more; it is our king among fruits."

"I--I am afraid it is not a good one," stammered Ned, looking rather red.

"Eh? not a good one?" cried the doctor, tasting a piece. "Delicious, just in perfect condition. Ah, you have to acquire that taste. Now then, the ladies will excuse us, and we'll have a cigar here in the shade."

He clapped his hands, and one of the Malay women brought a box of manillas.

"No, I don't think I'll smoke," said Murray. "You will not think me rude, but if you will excuse us, and put us in the way of getting what we want, I should be grateful."

"My dear sir," said the doctor, "you must see our other English residents. They are only waiting to give us time to finish our meal, and really you cannot go as yet."

"Indeed!" said Murray, smiling, and noticing that the ladies both looked serious.

"Well, you see," said the doctor rather confusedly--"do pray light a cigar, I'll set you an example--you see there is the rajah."

Ned looked up sharply at the doctor, and then darted a look of intelligence at his daughter.

"What about him?" said Murray abruptly.

"Well, you see," said the doctor, hesitatingly, "he might think--but you are going shooting and collecting, you say?"

"Yes."

"Well, you ought to ask his permission."

"What!" said Murray, laughing. "My dear sir, you talk as if this were a gentleman's estate, and he kept gamekeepers."

"Well, yes," said the doctor, smiling; "it is so on a large scale."

"How far does it extend? We will not begin shooting till we are quite beyond his patch."

"How far?" said the doctor thoughtfully. "Ah, that is a difficult question to answer. It was hard to say before the late encounters with the Rajah of Padang; now the territory is more than doubled. I think you had better send in a request. Ah, here is Braine!"

"And Mrs Braine and Mr Greig," added the doctor's lady, rising from her chair.

This ended the conversation, just when Ned saw that his uncle was growing annoyed at the doctor's opposition to his plans, and he glanced round to see that his neighbour was looking at him intently.

"I thought you would not be able to go away to-day," she whispered, as she rose and went with her mother to meet the visitors at the foot of the steps, the doctor having made an apology and gone too.

"What did that young lady say to you, Ned?" said his uncle in a low tone.

"She thought there would be some difficulty in our going on to-day."

"Oh, nonsense! These people lead an idle life, and they want every one they see to stop and play with them. I don't want to be rude, but we are not going to dawdle about here; and as for this petty chief--all rubbis.h.!.+"

At that moment a tall stern-looking man, in loose white clothes and a pith helmet, came up the steps. His face was darkened almost to the tint of a Malay's, and he had a quick anxious look in his eyes, which, with his rather hollow cheeks, gave him the aspect of one who had lately been ill. He advanced with open hand.

"Glad to meet you, Mr Murray," he said. "It is a pleasure to see a countryman."

"That speech will do for me too," said a rather harsh voice, and a keen-looking gentleman of about fifty, with his face deeply lined and a quick expression and manner which at once stamped him as shrewd, now shook hands warmly with the new arrivals, while directly after a subdued, handsome-looking woman was led up by the doctor's lady.

"Let me introduce you two," said the hostess. "Mrs Braine is an ardent botanist, Mr Murray, and I'm sure that you will enjoy a chat together.

She knows all our flowering plants here by heart."

"I am very pleased to meet Mr Murray," said the newcomer in a sweet sad voice. "I hope he will let me be his guide to some of the nooks on the river-bank, where the jungle can be penetrated."

"I should only be too glad, my dear madam," said Murray; "and I can find no words to express my thanks--our thanks, I should say--for your cordial reception here of a perfect stranger; but my nephew and I have only put in to buy a bag of rice and some fruit to replenish our stores, and we are going on directly."

Murray ceased speaking, and looked sharply from one to the other, for he had seen Mr Braine raise his eyebrows and glance at the doctor and the shrewd keen-looking man. The doctor laughed, and took up the cigar box.

"Have a smoke, Braine?" he said.

"Thanks," was the reply; and the newcomer took a cheroot in the midst of a rather constrained silence.

"I hope I have not said anything wrong," continued Murray, who felt piqued at the manners of those about him, for the ladies began talking together in a subdued tone.

"Oh dear me, no!" said Mr Braine hastily. "You are shooting and collecting, I think?"

"We have not begun yet," replied Murray, quickly; "but that is why we have come."

There was another pause.

"I am afraid you will give me the credit of being somewhat of a bear,"

continued Murray, "and really, Doctor Barnes, I am most grateful to you and your charming wife and daughter for your hospitality."

"Oh, pray, say no more," said Mrs Barnes. "You confer a favour on us by coming, though you have given us no English news as yet."