The Blue Raider Part 23

Hoole had taken the precaution to have the seaplane placed near the hut.

In the morning, as soon as it was light, he made a more thorough examination of the machine than had been possible before.

'What precisely is wrong with it?' asked Trentham.

'Luckily not much,' said Hoole. 'These Huns are no sports or they 'd have risked the few miles back to the cove. A couple of flying wires are broken--that 's nothing--but see here, the water jacket round this cylinder is cracked; the water (for cooling purposes, of course) will all run out, and cause the engine to overheat. That's why they came down, though, as I said, I 'd have risked it; all the same, it wouldn't be safe to risk a flight of any length, and the thing must be repaired.

The mischief is, we 've got no solder, and you can't mend a crack in metal without that, or something equivalent.'

'But you said, when you first saw it, that it _could_ be repaired.'

'Well, yes, I did; forgetting for the moment where we are. You haven't seen anything in the shape of a forge anywhere around, have you?'

'No, but I suppose they must have one, or they couldn't make their spears. I 'll ask the interpreter.'

But the word _forge_ was unknown to the interpreter, and Trentham's effort to explain in pantomime, by blowing an imaginary pair of bellows, proved fruitless.

'Well, I 'll go and look around,' said Hoole. 'And meanwhile, old son, don't you think you 'd better persuade the chief to send out some scouts? If the Germans do have a notion to attack us, five minutes'

warning would give us time to get every one inside the wall.'

'I 'll try. He may be more amiable than he was last night.'

Hoole perambulated the village for some time before he discovered what he sought. At last, however, within a narrow enclosure behind the huts, he noticed a young man sitting on a frame-like chair, and vigorously working two long sticks up and down. A low fence prevented Hoole from seeing the object of these energetic movements, but a little smoke and an acrid smell like that which comes from a blacksmith's forge drew him nearer, and looking over the fence, his eyes gleamed at what he saw.

In front of the native stood two long cylinders of bamboo, about three feet high. From a hole in the base of each ran a thin bamboo pipe; the two pipes converged and met at a small heap of glowing charcoal, which burnt more brightly with each thrust of the sticks as the native worked them alternately up and down in the cylinders. Hoole jumped over the fence, and eagerly examined this primitive forge. At the lower end of each of the sticks was fastened a huge bunch of feathers, resembling a mop; and these, pumped up and down, caused a considerable draught, by means of which the smith blew his fire to a heat sufficient to soften iron.

'Eureka!' cried Hoole, exulting.

He dashed back to the chief's enclosure, got his permission to have the forge brought within the wall, and in half an hour was busily engaged in the preliminary work of repairing the water jacket.

'It will be done by this evening,' he explained to Trentham. 'To-morrow I 'll be off to Wilhelmshafen or any other old place where I can find a white man, and then----'

'There 's enough petrol?'

'Enough for the flight out; I 'll get more when I land. Say, though, we shall have to take the machine to the sea. She can't run off, has only floats. That's a pity--waste of time, not to speak of the risk of coming up against the Germans.'

'But there 's an opportunity of getting the machine carried to the sea without a special journey. I 've heard some news while you were away.

It appears that some sort of ceremony inaugurating the new chief is to take place at our old wreck to-night. All these Frenchified men are going with him in procession, with a certain number of the other fellows. We must get him to let his men carry the 'plane at the same time.'

'They go down the chimney?'

'Yes; it's the nearest way.'

'The narrow way that leads to destruction! How on earth are we to get the machine down there?'

'With ropes, man. We 've tested the quality of their ropes already, and the women work so uncommonly fast that they 'll have new ropes the right length in plenty of time. I 'll go and see the chief about it at once.

He 's very much preoccupied, and vastly self-important, but he allowed me to send out scouts, as you suggested, and I dare say I can talk him over.'

Flanso was quite willing that the seaplane should form part of his procession. His vanity appeared to be flattered; he was as much pleased as a Lord Mayor of London who has secured some novelty for his show. But when the carriers had been chosen, an unforeseen difficulty arose. The medicine-man, whose office gave him access to the chief at all times, strutted into Flanso's house, where the elders of the community were discussing the details of the approaching ceremony, and vigorously protested against the seaplane being allowed to leave the village. In a vehement oration he declared that the strange bird must have some connection with the totem of the tribe, and that while it remained with them the village would be safe from hostile attack. Some of the elders backed him up, and Flanso, torn between his own superst.i.tions and his sense of loyalty to the white men who had rescued him, sought relief from his perplexities by sending for Trentham, and putting the case before him.

Trentham had sufficient diplomacy to conceal his amus.e.m.e.nt, and also a certain irritation at the threat to his scheme.

'Tell chief,' he said to the interpreter, 'medicine-man fella he savvy lot. Big bird belongina totem all right; all same big bird he fly long way, bring back lot of white fella; they fight bad white fella this side, eat bad white fella all up.'

At this moment, unluckily, one of the scouts returned with the report that the big s.h.i.+p no longer lay in the cove, and that all the white fellas had disappeared. Grinning with triumph, the medicine-man instantly claimed that this fact proved his case; the loss of the big bird had evidently rendered the enemy helpless, and there was nothing further to be feared from them. Trentham, surprised as he was at the departure of the Raider, and suspecting that the Germans were probably setting a trap, strained his vocabulary of pidgin to the utmost to counteract the medicine-man's arguments, and ultimately prevailed on the chief to abide by the promise he had given. The medicine-man and his supporters were patently annoyed. They left the hut in undisguised ill-humour, and Trentham had an uneasy feeling that they would still give trouble.

The procession was to start soon after sunset, so that it might reach the wreck in time for the ceremony to take place at the height of the moon. It was late in the afternoon before Hoole had completed his repairs, and after making a good meal the four white men were sitting in their tent, awaiting the moment for starting.

'What's up, Trentham?' asked Hoole. 'You look very sick.'

'I 've been thinking we 're mugs, that's all,' said Trentham. 'With the chief and all his fighting men away, and us too, what defence has the village if the Germans take it into their heads to attack?'

'Gee! I 've been so busy that I hadn't given it a thought. But the Germans are out for slaves; they won't find any able-bodied men here.'

'That's true; but you saw what they did to that village in the forest.

They 're capable of burning the whole place down, and shooting the women and children, from sheer revenge and spite. Hadn't we better wait till the chief returns before we start on our own scheme?'

For a few moments Hoole pondered in silence.

'The Raider has gone,' he said at length. 'This means that there can't be many Germans left behind; for, of course, they haven't all gone. If the natives didn't see any, it's because they 're still searching in the woods for the seaplane. Is it likely that the few left will attack?

There is a risk, I admit, and my proposition is that you remain here with Meek and give an eye to things, while I take Grinson to fix on the planes and see me off. The sooner I get help the better, and the opportunity seems too good to be missed. What do you say?'

'Very well. I should have liked to see the ceremony, but--we simply can't leave the most helpless of the people to the Huns' tender mercies.

What in the world is this?'

At this exclamation the others, whose backs were towards the gate, turned about. Through the gate was filing an extraordinary procession.

'By cripes!' said Grinson. 'Is it Jack in the Green, or Guy Fawkes Guy?'

A line of a dozen uncouth figures was slowly approaching. Above legs bared to the thighs bulged a ma.s.s of leaves nine or ten feet in circ.u.mference, crowned by a headdress like a candle extinguisher, from which rose a pole, fantastically coloured, four or five feet in height, with tufts of feathers and leaves at the top. Except the legs, no part of the human form could be seen.

These strange figures came slowly across the enclosure, until they reached the seaplane, the chief and all his men watching them in dead silence. Encircling the machine, they stooped until the leaves touched the ground; then, at a harsh cry from their leader, they leapt into the air and began to dance; their leafy clothing rustled; the poles wobbled and swayed; their legs bent and straightened; and as they swung round and round the seaplane they uttered shrill cries ever increasing in intensity. The white men looked on in amazement. What was the meaning of these antics? Flanso and his men seemed to be impressed. Trentham beckoned to the interpreter.

'What all this?' he asked.

'This duk-duk,' replied the man in an awed whisper.

'Duk-duk! What is duk-duk?'

'Big medicine. Duk-duk dance; that say big bird no go away; white fella all belongina afraid.'

Hoole whistled.

'That's the stunt, is it? By gosh, Trentham, it must be that old medicine-man thinking he 'll scare us stiff. He 's gotten a kind of affection for the machine. Well, Grinson, come along with me.'

He rose slowly, walked towards the seaplane, dodging between two of the dancers, and got into the seat behind the engine. Grinson had followed him.

'Just go to the propeller, Grinson,' he said, 'and swing it round five or six times when I give you the wink.'

The dancers had drawn closer to the machine, yelling more shrilly than ever. Hoole watched them with a smile as they circled round. Suddenly he gave the sign; Grinson caught the propeller, and with a heave of his brawny arm swung it about. Hoole nodded to him to step aside. The leader of the dance was just approaching, when there was a roar; Hoole had started the engine, and the propeller whizzed round with ever-increasing velocity. The dancer stopped short; before he could collect himself or retreat the air set in motion by the whirring propeller smote him with hurricane force, stripping the leaves from his body, and whirling his headdress, pole and all, across the enclosure.

There stood revealed the lean, naked form of the medicine-man. He threw up his hands as if to defend his face from the blast; then, with a yell of fury, he sprinted to the gate, followed by the rest of the dancers.