Trapped by Malays Part 24

"I hope they will believe in me some day without that," said the young Malay. "But tell me, if you had been in my place, and seen your people scared away by the English soldiers, would you have stayed?"

"No; I'll be hanged if I should," said Archie with energy. "I should have felt too mad."

"Thank you," said Hamet. "That sounds frank."

"It is frank," said Archie. "But I say, now, tell me: has it made you feel mad against us?"

"No-o; only sorry for my people. I want to train them up to know you better, and to be ready to fight with you."

"Fight with us?"

"Yes; not against you--fight side by side with you, so that you may help me to civilise my folks more, and join us to put down the Malay chiefs like Suleiman."

"You don't like Suleiman, then?"

"Like him!" said the young man scornfully. "I like no man who cannot stretch out his hand to me and take mine in an honest grasp that I can trust."

"Of course," cried Archie. "But then our Resident believes in Suleiman."

"Yes, and distrusts me," said the young man rather bitterly. "Well, they think they are right; but we shall see. I say, though, I didn't see that French gentleman with Suleiman's people. I expected he would be mounted upon one of the elephants."

"No," said Archie; "he has not been here for the last few days."

"Forbidden to come?" said the young man.

"No-o," said Archie; "he wouldn't be. He is Rajah Suleiman's friend."

"Yes," said Hamet quietly. "That is why I thought he would be here. Do you like him?"

"Not a bit," said Archie. "Why?"

"Oh, I suppose it was because I dislike him myself. That is all.

Good-bye. As we Malays say, _apa boleh booat_."

"What is to be will be," said Archie. "Good-bye."

The parade-ground remained deserted for quite an hour, and then some of the campong people had regained sufficient courage to begin dribbling back, to be followed by a few of the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages. But not one of the Malays who followed their Rajahs made their appearance. Consequently there was no attempt made to carry out the sports; but on being consulted, the Major gave orders that the illumination of the boats should be encouraged, and the display of rockets and coloured lights should follow; and as this news gradually spread, some of the nearest village people and fisher-folk joined in, to display their lanterns upon their boats, and a pretty fair gathering of the campong people were present as soon as it was dark, it taking very little in so effective a position to light up the river and jungle banks in a most attractive way.

The Doctor and his wife and niece, in addition to several of the ladies of the station, dined at the mess that night, so that they might afterwards stroll down to the banks of the river and watch the rockets burst and sprinkle the jungle with their stars; and just as the enjoyment was at its height, and the simple Malay folk kept on bursting out with their e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns indicative of delight, the Major went up behind the Resident, who had been chatting with the Doctor and his ladies.

"Well, Dallas," he said, "you don't feel nervous now, do you?"

"Hus.h.!.+" was the reply, as the gentleman addressed looked sharply round.

"More so than ever. I hope you have got sentries out to command the river approaches to the station?"

"Of course I have. But why?"

"Because see what an opportunity is offered for those two chiefs to take revenge upon us for what they must consider an insult to their dignity."

"My dear sir, you are giving reins to your imagination. They are well on the way now to their homes."

"Perhaps so," said the Resident in a low, nervous tone; "but suppose they have made a halt and are only waiting till their scouts have announced to them that we are quite unprepared?"

"You are a.s.suming, my dear Dallas, that those two princes are working hand and glove."

"Well, you are quite of my way of thinking over that."

"Humph! No," said the Major. "I am beginning to think that our lavender-gloved young friend means well by us."

"Lavender-gloved young friend!" said the Resident. "Who knows but those soft kid gloves may not be worn to cover the tiger's claws?"

"Ah! who knows, my dear Dallas? But it is enough for us to know that if we can produce such an effect with blank cartridge and a sham charge, we have it in our power to protect the station and defend the honour of those we love, by using ball-cartridge and sending our bayonets home."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

THE DOCTOR'S CALL.

In spite of the Resident's doubts and expressed opinion that the two Rajahs would display resentment, the neighbourhood settled down calmly enough. The village people nearest, notwithstanding their being chased helter-skelter, mixed up with the Rajah's followers, very soon showed that they had thoroughly enjoyed the fun of seeing Suleiman's haughty, tyrannical gang scared away and running as if for their lives.

The people of the more distant campongs came in just as usual, bringing their fruit and poultry to market as before; and though the half-military-looking armed men did not make their appearance, the Resident was bound to confess that this was not a bad sign, as they had rarely approached the cantonments to mingle with the soldiers off duty.

A few days elapsed, and then a present was sent in, consisting of supplies, by Rajah Hamet; and the very next day two of Suleiman's chiefs brought in a letter, written in English, but dotted with French allusions which suggested its source.

It was an invitation for the Major and his officers to a tiger-hunt.

This was considered, and then the Major replied in the most friendly way, begging to be excused on the ground that it was impossible to accept the invitation then, but asking for it to be repeated later on.

The weather was lovely, there being a succession of brilliant moonlight nights; while before the moon rose, even the Doctor declared that the display made by the fire-flies in the darkness was simply glorious.

One evening Sir Charles was dining at the bungalow, and, having got over his nervous doubts, upon hearing Minnie express a desire to go up the river and see the fire-flies first, and the rising of the moon after, the Resident at once proposed to have his smaller boat prepared, with a couple of his most trusty native servants to pole it a short distance up the river, and then bring the Doctor and the two ladies back to supper at the Residency.

Minnie was delighted; but, to the Resident's great satisfaction, her aunt declared at once that she would not go up the river by night on account of the crocodiles.

"I don't want to throw a wet blanket over Sir Charles's kindly suggested trip," she said, "but I certainly will not go."

"Oh, there's no danger to be feared, my dear madam," said Sir Charles.

"The reptiles would never dare to attack a well-manned boat."

"Never," said the Doctor emphatically.

"But they might, my dear," replied Mrs Morley. "You can go, but I shall certainly stay."

"You talk very glibly," grunted the Doctor, "about my going; but suppose I am wanted?"

"Well, if you are, it will only be for some trivial ailment amongst the native people, and I should know what to give them."

"What!" cried the Doctor.--"Why, my dear Dallas, the last time she meddled with my bottles she nearly poisoned one of my patients."