Trapped by Malays Part 52

"Yes, sir; and now--"

"Stop a minute, my boy. I just wanted to say to you, I am ready to draw the teeth of all the Malays in the district without fee, and I am prepared to say that some of them are as grateful as we can be ourselves."

"Yes," cried Archie; "but business is business."

"Thank you, boy; thank you for pulling me up. I can't help it just now.

Poor Minnie is to me just as dear as if she were my own child, and I am quite overturned--hysterical as a woman, more shame for me! Here, it was only the other day you came whining to me about being all wrong because you are such a boy. You said you thought you were not as you should be--that you wanted to be a man. Didn't I tell you, sir, to wait--that all you wanted was a little real trouble, and that it would come fast enough and make a man of you? Well, do you feel like a man now?"

"No, sir, not quite; but I feel man enough to start to-night as one of a strong party to go and rescue Minnie Heath, even if we die in doing the good work."

"Well said, my lad; and I'll go with you, and you sha'n't die, any of you, if I know anything of wounds. There, I'm pulled up now, and ready for anything.--Maria, my dear, see to these people--rest and refreshment, anything they want--while I'm gone; and you can set the girl to work talking to this Dula here. Make her your interpreter.--As for you--here, I know what you'll like."

The Doctor took a cigar-box from the shelf, s.n.a.t.c.hed out three or four, pressed them into the fisherman's hand, and then almost dragged him out into the veranda, where he thrust him into a cane chair and gave him a light. "One moment, Archie;" and he spoke to the man, who was smiling up at him. "That's right, Archie; they came in a boat. Come along up to the Residency.--No; I'll go there. You run on to the Major and ask for orders. He'll find us a little detachment to take with us in the Resident's boat. This means good business, my lad, for we have found out the real seat of the disease."

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

THE MAGAZINE.

"You don't say so, my lad! A Malay and his wife who have been patients of the Doctor bringing in such news as that! Why, it's grand! Poor, dear girl! Tut, tut, tut, tut, tut, tut, what she must have suffered!

Well, Mr Rajah Suleiman will have to pay for it. Morley says he believes in these people. Not some trap, is it?"

"He feels sure not, sir. The people are grateful to him for all he has done for them. Oh, I am certain it is genuine, sir."

"Don't be too sure, my lad. These people can't help looking upon us as their enemies, and they are as treacherous as they are high. Look at this Suleiman. I have been trusting him. I looked upon him as a sensual brute, but it was so much to his advantage to be friendly. The fool! He's given his country away. He will be either shot or made prisoner, and then another Rajah who is friendly to us will reign in his stead."

"Rajah Hamet, sir?"

"No," said the Major shortly. "And look here, young fellow, don't you mention him to me again. He's your friend, and you have a strong bias towards him."

"I can't help believing in him, sir."

"Then you must, sir, as a British officer, working for your country's good. I presume you don't know that I have it on trustworthy authority that Rajah Hamet has been for some little time past strengthening his position and gathering his men, like the savage he is, to go out on the war-path? And all the time he has been educated in England! A young fool! Well, this news is splendid, but it comes at a horrible time.

Here is Suleiman hanging about, dodging our men; Hamet in all probability waiting for us to be in a dilemma, and then he will come down; and my little force here depleted till we are as weak as weak. I ought to say I can't spare a man. I feel it's my duty to refuse to send an expedition to save that poor girl. It means sending up a couple of boats with not less than twenty men, for Suleiman is sure to have a certain number of the brutes in charge of the place. But of course it must be done, and they must start at once. Where's the Doctor?"

"Gone on to the Residency, sir."

"Yes. And I want Sir Charles. Send a man to ask him to step here.--No; go yourself--save time."

Archie was making for the door, when steps and voices were heard, and the Resident hurried in, closely followed by Dr Morley.

"You have heard this news, Knowle?"

"Yes; everything."

"And you will send a party of men at once?" said the Resident in a half-suffocated voice.

"Directly we can man the boats."

"Ah!" exclaimed the Resident, sinking into a chair, with his hand to his breast.

"But you are not fit to go with them."

The Resident smiled faintly and made a gesticulation.

"It's no use to waste words, Knowle," said the Doctor. "I know better than you what he can stand, and I have told him it is madness to think of it."

"Yes; and I am going to be mad," said the Resident bitterly. "If you have not given your instructions already, sir, pray do so at once. At all costs I must go."

The Major shrugged his shoulders.

"I want two boats," he said. "I am going to take yours, of course. But one of my difficulties is, who is to take charge of the expedition?"

Archie started, and his lips parted to speak.

"I shall take charge of it," said the Resident.

"Very well.--You are not fit to go, Maine?" said the Major.

"Oh yes, sir," cried Archie eagerly.

"No, sir," cried the Major; and the subaltern's brow puckered up in his disappointment. "And I can't spare you," continued the Major. "But under the circ.u.mstances I must, for I can spare no one else. Of course there will be a sergeant and a corporal--and a nice state we shall be left in here!--You, Dallas, take my advice. If you really mean to go, leave all the preparations to the Doctor. But really I think you had better let him go in your place."

"Yes," said the Doctor; "and it is my duty to my child."

Sir Charles made an angry movement, and the Major was about to issue his orders, when he sprang from his seat, for a rifle-shot rang out on the still night.

"What does that mean?" exclaimed Sir Charles.

There was another shot, followed by another and another.

"Attack, and in force;" cried the Major, crossing to the side of the room, to catch up hurriedly his sword and belt; and he was busy buckling the latter as the bugle rang out the a.s.sembly.

By the time he was out in the front the sentries were being driven in, and announced that the Malays were advancing in force; and almost immediately two of the men hurried out of the darkness supporting one of their comrades, who was bleeding profusely from a spear-wound, the weapon thrown by one of the attacking Malays being carried by a fellow-soldier.

The men turned out without the slightest confusion, and fell into their places under the direction of the officers remaining for the defence of the cantonments, and so well had the arrangements been previously planned out that the rush of the advancing enemy from three sides of the cantonments was temporarily checked by the steady fire of the defenders; but not before two more of the sentries had been carried into the mess-room, where the Major, hurrying in to see what was being done, found the Doctor in his s.h.i.+rt-sleeves busily attending to the men's wounds.

"Oh, there you are, Major!" he said, speaking with a strip of bandage in his mouth. "This looks like my taking command of the expedition, doesn't it?"

"Yes. Impossible," said the Major. "The brutes are coming on in numbers, and much as I regret what you must feel, I am only too thankful that your party has not started. But there, you see I can do nothing until we have driven these scoundrels back, and then--we shall see."

"Yes, I know," grumbled the Doctor.--"You can take hold of one end of that bandage yourself, my lad. That's right. Nasty cut; but you are not going to lose the number of your mess this time."

"Oh no, sir!" said the wounded man excitedly. "Tight as you can, please, sir. I think I can go back to the firing-line, and--ah!"

"I don't," said the Doctor grimly. "Poor lad--talk about British pluck!"

"Not a bad wound, is it?"