CHAPTER XIX
The Perils of the River
THE correspondent's fear was only too well grounded. Just beforemidday an ominous increase in the rate of the stream betokenedcataracts or rapids ahead. But, in spite of the accelerated speed ofthe boat, the implacable Arabs held tenaciously to their tactics ofriding ahead and firing volleys from ambush. To reply would have beena waste of ammunition, for owing to the swirling of the current itwas impossible for the crew to take a careful aim at their foes.
Reeves calculated that nearly five hundred shots had been fired atthe boat without much damage being done; but at length one bullet didmore harm than all the rest put together. Cutting through thehalyards, it brought the sail down with a run, and the unwieldy craftswung round broadside on to the stream.
Without hesitation, Reeves seized another piece of rope and began toclimb the mast. His appearance attracted a heavy fire, the bulletswhizzing unpleasantly close. One grazed his ankle, and another cutthe rope he was holding close to his head, so that he was compelledto descend without having achieved his object.
There was no help for it but to make use of the oars, and, coweringbehind the rough-and-ready breastwork, the lads contrived to get theboat's head round, while Reeves recovered his breath before heessayed a fresh attempt.
Just as he was preparing to go aloft once more, he happened to glanceahead. To his horror he found that the river was about to traverse anarrow gorge, while the actual stream was encumbered with huge rocks,between which the water surged furiously.
Springing forward, the correspondent dropped the stone that served asan anchor overboard, paying out just sufficient cable to check theboat's way, the lump of stone bumping and scraping over the bottom ofthe river. The craft swung round, head pointing upstream, and bymanipulating the long, steering oar Reeves was able to keep herfairly under control.
He had to stand upright--a target for the Bedouins' muskets; but,ignoring the danger, he kept his face turned resolutely towards thecataract, knowing that to strike upon one of those wicked-lookingrocks meant total disaster.
The range, too, was decreasing, and with redoubled shouts the Arabs,thinking that the occupants of the boat were too busy to reply,sprang boldly from cover and, leaping from rock to rock, came asclose to the water's edge as they possibly could. But Hugh was equalto the occasion. Ramming a handful of duck shot down the barrel ofhis musket he let fly at those of the Bedouins who were nearest tohim. Maddened with the pain of a dozen slight wounds, three of theArabs dropped their guns and literally danced, their shouts ofanguish so alarming their companions that they bolted for cover.
The precipitous sides of the gorge prevented further pursuit; but theaspect was alarming enough, for the craft, in spite of the trailingstone, was darting through the boiling water with the velocity of atorpedo boat.
Bracing himself at the rudder, Reeves veered the lumbering boat asskilfully as he could, missing sharp, spray-flecked rocks by ahandbreadth. Every now and then a vicious-crested wave would pourover the gunwale of the plunging craft, till the weight of wateraboard began to make itself felt.
"Bale for all you're worth!" gasped Reeves, who was wellnighbreathless with the strain of holding the steering oar. "And look outfor the powder. Keep it dry at all costs."
Gerald plied a wooden bowl as vigorously as he possibly could, whileHugh, holding on with difficulty, contrived to lift the bag of powderand place it on the small decked-in part of the bows.
For nearly ten minutes the nerve-racking ordeal lasted--Reevesafterwards said that it was one of the tightest places he had everbeen in--while the distance covered in that time could hardly havebeen less than six miles. But the end of the gorge was now in sight.The wearied steersman gave an exclamation of relief, when, with astrange shudder, the boat swung round like a top, and, broadside on,drifted upon almost the last rock of the cataract.
By an almost superhuman effort Reeves succeeded in bringing the bowsround; but it was just too late. The stern crashed upon the rock witha shock that threw the three occupants sprawling into the bottom ofthe boat, and the next thing they were aware of was that the craftwas spinning slowly in the still agitated current, while the waterwas pouring in through the bottom or garboard strakes like a millstream.
"Come for'ard, both of you!" shouted the correspondent, and whippingout his knife he cut the sail from the yard. Hastily rolling thecanvas, he placed it over the damaged planks, which had the effect ofconsiderably checking the inrush of water.
Then, rejoining his companions in the bows, he seized an oar, toldGerald to do the same, and kept the nearly water-logged craft on hercourse, while Hugh plied the baler.
They had now time to look about them. The gorge was left far astern,and the desert stretched for miles ahead and on either hand. Thebanks were now covered with coarse vegetation. Astern rose themountains through which they had so wonderfully passed, and, lookingat that formidable barrier, Reeves realized that they were far beyondthe reach of their ferocious pursuers. The current, too, thoughswift, no longer surged madly between jagged rocks, but flowedsilently, showing that the river had increased in depth.
"Now, what's to be done?" exclaimed Hugh, who had managed to get ridof most of the undesirable liquid ballast. "The water is still comingin."
"We don't want to be baling continuously for the next three weeks,"observed Reeves. "We must risk it, and run the boat ashore."
"And trudge it?" asked Gerald dolefully.
"Oh no!" replied the correspondent. "It's not quite so bad as that, Ihope. Unless I'm very much mistaken, those small bushes growing onthe banks have their roots set in clay and not in sand. Clay is anexcellent leak-stopper. I don't think we need fear a surprise visitfrom our late hostile friends, the Arabs; but we must take dueprecautions. While Gerald and I are plugging the hole, you, Hugh, hadbetter go ashore and mount guard."
So saying, Reeves headed the boat towards the left bank, or theopposite one to that on which the Arabs had appeared. As the craftdrew away from the middle of the stream the current became much lessrapid, and by the time her bow grounded there was hardly any motionin the water at all. If anything, there was a slight eddy upstream.
As the correspondent had suggested, the soil on the banks wascomposed of clay, of a dark slate colour. While Hugh patrolled thebank, his comrades dug up lumps of the viscous earth with theirknives and dumped them down on the hole. The actual aperture was lessthan two inches in diameter, but the planking had been fractured fornearly a foot on all sides of it. A few lumps were sufficient tocheck the inflow completely, but Reeves insisted on placing more clayover the weak spot, till a layer nearly a foot thick lay evenly overthe damaged part.
"That's a good job done," said the correspondent. "A few hours' sunwill bake the stuff as hard as a brick. It will serve as a hearth tolight our fire upon."
"Then we don't require the stone," said Gerald, looking at the slabthat did duty for cooking purposes.
"Don't we, by Jove!" exclaimed Reeves. "I think we do. Do you knowhow we were nearly smashed up?"
"By running on a rock, I suppose."
"Exactly! But why could I not avoid it, as I did the others? I'lltell you. The continual scraping over the rocky bed of the riverchafed through the rope holding our anchor. We've still got most ofthe rope; this stone must be our new anchor."
For the next seven days the voyage continued almost without incident.On the eighth day the travellers found themselves on a vast lake,caused by the expansion of the river. So shallow was it that onseveral occasions the boat stuck hard and fast almost beyond sight ofland; but by all hands jumping overboard and lightening the craftthey contrived to get her off.
Just before sunset the boat stuck again, this time about three milesfrom the lower end of the lake; and in spite of the crew's hardestexertions she obstinately refused to budge. They tried to lessen herdraught by placing her cargo all on one side, and then in the bow, incase she drew more aft than forward, but all to no purpose.
"Stand by for a
spell!" exclaimed Reeves, who, like the others, waswellnigh breathless with his exertions. Stooping down, he stuck hisknife lightly into one of the planks at the waterline.
A quarter of an hour later, ere they resumed their task, thecorrespondent withdrew the blade. The mark where it had stuck wasthree inches above the surface of the water.
"We may as well make ourselves comfortable for the night," saidReeves. "We may get off to-morrow, or we may not. For some reason,that I cannot explain, the level of the lake has fallen too much forus to expect to haul the boat off."
Throwing the improvised anchor overboard, as a matter of precaution,the wearied crew had supper.
Just before time for turning in, Hugh leant over the side, holding acandle in his hand.
"There's more water now!" he exclaimed. "Shall we have another shotat getting her off?"
"By all means," assented Reeves, "if you feel up to it; but we don'twant to get her aground again in a worse position than she is in atpresent."
"I'll walk round and sound," said Gerald, and without another word hestepped over the side and paddled through the shallow water.
"It's deeper here," he continued, after a lengthy pause. "But there'sa rock or a floating log just ahead. I'll soon see what it is."
"You come back!" shouted Reeves apprehensively; but the warning cametoo late. As Gerald trod upon the "log" it became suddenly andviolently active, and, struck by an irresistible blow, the lad washurled nearly ten feet before he fell on his back in the shallowwater. Staggering to his feet, he ran blindly towards the boat, witha huge crocodile, snapping its powerful jaws, in pursuit.
With a mighty heave Reeves jerked the terrified lad into theboat--not a moment too soon, for, in addition to the reptile that hadcapsized the intruder upon its peace and quietness, at least a dozenof the brutes came floundering through the shallows from alldirections.
"Stand by with the muskets!" cried Reeves.
But the caution was unnecessary. The crocodiles contented themselveswith snapping their huge jaws and bringing their heavy tails downupon the surface of the water with a tremendous crash, and did notmake any direct attack upon the occupants of the boat.
Although Reeves slept like a top, the lads kept awake the greaterpart of the night, expecting momentarily to see the snout of acrocodile appear above the gunwale, and wondering vaguely what wouldhappen if, with their craft stuck indefinitely upon the sandbank,they attempted to wade over the wide shallows betwixt them and thedistant shore.
CHAPTER XX
Running the Last Gauntlet
AT daybreak Hugh sat up. Gerald had fallen into a broken slumber,while the correspondent was still sleeping soundly. The lad waspuzzled. When the boat stuck, her bows were pointing towards thesetting sun; now they.-were inclined towards the east. He made hisway for'ard. The craft rocked easily under his weight. A glance atthe cable revealed the fact that the boat had floated, and was ridingto the full scope of the anchor rope.
"We're afloat!" he shouted. Reeves was instantly awake, but Geraldmuttered something about crocodiles.
"They have cleared off," exclaimed Hugh joyfully, "and we can clearoff as soon as we like."
"How about breakfast?" asked Gerald drowsily.
"Breakfast had better wait till we get into deeper water," repliedReeves. "Heave up the anchor, Rags; I'll pole her along."
Very slowly the boat glided through the shallow water, thecorrespondent sounding with the oar. For quite a hundred yards thedepth was uniform, then, with a suddenness that almost caused Reevesto lose his balance, the oar clipped into deeper water.
"Let go the anchor again!" he shouted. "There are at least twelvefeet here. We must have struck the channel."
After breakfast the voyage was resumed; but although the halyards hadbeen repaired and freshly rove, and the wind was fair, Reeves wouldnot hoist the sail for fear of running hard aground again. An hour'ssteady pull brought them to the lower end of the lake, whence theriver, now nearly a quarter of a mile in breadth, flowed swiftly in asouth-westerly direction.
During the next three days the course lay betwixt sandbanks, with theapparently interminable desert stretching for miles on either hand.Two more cataracts were encountered. The first was shot with littledifficulty, but the second, when viewed from upstream, presented aline of broken water extending from bank to bank, with rocks studdedthickly across the bed.
So formidable was the aspect that Reeves ran the boat ashore, and,having secured her, the three travellers walked downstream to takestock of the-latest difficulty. Here they found that, althoughpowerful, the rapid kept an almost clear course close to the bank.
"Can we shoot it?" asked Gerald.
"I shouldn't care to try it," replied Reeves. "This little channel isnot wide enough to allow any margin for sheering about. We mustveer the boat through it."
Accordingly the cable was made fast to the foremost thwart and ledashore over the gunwale at a distance of about three feet from thestem. The boat was pushed off into the stream, and the three membersof her crew, standing on the bank, held the rope.
Caught by the current, the craft began to drift downstream till thecable became taut. There she lay, held as steady as a rock, with thewater hissing past her like a mill race.
Slowly the crew began to walk downstream, the boat preceding them andmaintaining a uniform distance from the shore.
"Take it easily and keep your strength," cautioned Reeves; "she's notgot to the worst part yet."
When the boat entered the cataract it took all their united effortsto hold her. Frequently they were dragged several yards, their heelscutting long furrows in the sand and clay; but by doggedly stickingto their task they succeeded in steering their craft almost throughthe foaming torrent. But without warning the rope parted, and thethree men found themselves sprawling on their backs, while the boatglided aimlessly and rapidly downstream.
Springing to his feet, Reeves coiled up the severed portion of thecable and ran as hard as he could, his comrades following andwondering what would happen next. Should the boat strike a rock andfill, they would be hopelessly stranded, since their arms,ammunition, and provisions were on board.
But a special providence seemed to guide the derelict, and, untouchedby any of the formidable rocks, it gained the deeper yet stillswift-flowing part of the stream.
Without hesitation the correspondent took a magnificent "header" andswam for the truant; but ere he had covered half the distance a huge,slimy black mass rose to the surface. It was a hippopotamus!
The lads shouted, but Reeves had already perceived the danger. It wastouch and go which of the two would reach the boat first. The swimmerdid so by a short head, and as he clambered over the side theanimal's teeth closed upon the gunwale. There was a scrunch as thepowerful jaws wrenched the woodwork asunder, leaving a jagged gap twofeet across.
The hippopotamus returned to the attack; but this time Reeves wasready for her. Seizing a gun, he held the muzzle almost against theanimal's eye and pressed the trigger. With a hideous cry the brutedived, leaving a long crimson trail in the water.
Grasping one of the long oars, the correspondent laboriously urgedthe boat towards the bank, and ten minutes later the lads were safelyon board. As they pushed off, Gerald pointed to an object floatingdownstream. It was the body of the hippopotamus.
"Not a bad shot for the flintlock," remarked Reeves. "The beggardeserved it. Luckily the danger to the boat is confined to thegunwale, but we must be careful if we encounter any more brokenwater."
At length the desert was left behind, and the river plunged into themidst of a dense forest. Day after day passed, with nothing to beseen but tall trees and a thick undergrowth. The heat, too, began toincrease, while every night a thick, miasmal mist arose. Mosquitoesappeared in swarms, and so determined were their attentions that thefaces and arms of the crew were masses of blisters. The enervatingvapour began to tell on the lads after the bracing air of theCroixilian plateau, and soon a pair of more unhealthy-looking peoplecould hard
ly be imagined.
Reeves was greatly worried. Without even the most simple remedies ordrugs, the chances of warding off an attack of fever were greatlyreduced; but the lads kept up their spirits wonderfully, knowing thatevery hour brought them nearer to civilization.
At length, in an opening in the forest, a village came in sight--acollection of miserable mud huts, thatched with palm leaves. Directlythey caught sight of the boat the inhabitants ran down to the water'sedge, where they stood gazing fixedly, with wide-open mouths, at thestrange sight.
"If we meet with no worse reception than that, I shan't mind," saidReeves, as a bend in the river hid the natives from view. "One thing,they are not Arabs."
"What are they?"
"Negroes--possibly Hausas. It's a good sign, since we know that weare approaching Nigerian territory. I shall be very much surprised ifthis river is not a tributary of the Niger, in which case we oughtsoon to stumble across one of the trading stations of the NorthernNigeria Company."
After this riverside villages became numerous, but beyond undisguisedsurprise the natives showed no sign of hostility until the boatpassed a large stockaded town, in front of which several canoes weredrawn up.
Here, as before, the natives rushed pell-mell to the bank, several ofthem holding up earthenware pots, while all of them shouteddiscordantly.
"They want to barter, evidently--another good sign. But we must notrun any risk with these niggers."
Seeing that the occupants of the boat paid no attention to theirshouts and gestures, the negroes began to beat tom-toms. This was asignal for a swarm of men armed with spears to rush for the canoes,and soon half a dozen "dug-outs", each urged by twenty paddles, weretearing downstream in pursuit.
"This looks bad!" exclaimed Reeves. "Stand by the steering oar,Gerald. Hugh, hand me up those guns."
In spite of the strong wind, that bore the boat along at a rapidpace, the canoes were steadily gaining, and the woods echoed to themonotonous war song of the natives and the rhythmical beat of thepaddles.
Kneeling, Reeves fired a shot well above the heads of the men in theleading canoe. For an instant the paddlers hesitated, then with thegreatest persistency redoubled their efforts.
"Rough luck!" growled Reeves. "I must wing some of them." Ere hepicked up a second musket he drew his trusty automatic pistol andopened the magazine. Nine cartridges only remained.
Presently one of the negroes laid aside his paddle, and, standing inthe bows of the canoe, levelled a huge gun that had once been theproperty of an elephant hunter.
Knowing that the charge might contain slugs, old nails, and amiscellaneous assortment of scrap iron, Reeves, who had no particularantipathy to a respectable bullet, ducked behind the transom of theboat, the lads having already taken refuge on the bottom boards.
With a resounding crash the elephant gun went off. Reeves instantlysprang to his feet to return the compliment, but the negro was nolonger visible. His antiquated weapon had burst, sending him--amangled corpse--into the river.
In the confusion the fugitives managed to gain a hundred yards; butthe pursuers were not to be shaken off by an accident that is acommon occurrence where "trade guns" are in general use. On and onthey came, until within throwing distance, when a flight of spearswas hurled with great precision, five or six being left quivering inthe boat.
Reeves's reply was a charge of duck shot that put one canoe out ofaction. The others immediately diverged, and, forming into two lines,attempted to overtake the fugitives' boat on both quarters.
Hugh fired with successful results, while Gerald, handing a loadedmusket to the correspondent, proceeded to recharge the first weapon.
But in spite of the initial success of the encounter the odds weregreatly against the white men. With modern weapons the result wouldhave been quickly decided, but the time taken up in reloading theflintlocks gave the blacks an advantage. They were closing again, andspears began to flash over the boat, or to sink deeply into herplanking. Reeves realized that the time had come for desperatemeasures. Grasping his pistol, he fired seven shots in rapidsuccession into the crowd that manned the nearest canoe. The strangesight of a man literally pouring out a hail of bullets filled thenegroes, with terror. Those who escaped the shots leapt overboard andswam for the nearest craft.
Again raising his weapon, the correspondent pointed it menacingly atthe nearest "dug-out" on the other side. The effect was magical, forthose who could swim jumped overboard, while those who could notcowered into the bottom of the canoe. The other canoes maintained arespectful distance, but had no intention of relinquishing thepursuit.
So far, good, Reeves thought; but what would happen when night fell?
"What's that?" exclaimed Gerald, as in a momentary lull in the shoutsof the natives a distant _pop, pop, pop_, was borne to their ears.
Hugh and the correspondent listened intently for a few moments. Thesound, whatever it might be, was coming nearer and nearer.
Suddenly Reeves raised a musket and fired into the air. Beyond a bendin the river the report of an answering shot reverberated between thetree-lined banks, while the rapid pulsation of an engine grew louderand louder.
The negroes heard the sounds too, and seized by panic they turnedabout and paddled upstream for dear life.
"We're safe, lads!" exclaimed Reeves, in a broken voice. "Look!"
Sweeping round the bend came a large white motor boat, covered fromstem to stern with canvas awnings, while standing about a quick-firerin her bows were five or six blacks, dressed in a kind of zouaveuniform--blue coats, red waistcoats, and baggy white trousers.
Almost before the three travellers could realize the turn things hadtaken, the launch was alongside, with the motor reversed to check herway. Under the canopy were two bronzed and bearded white men, dressedin soiled and creased white drill uniforms.
"Any damage?" asked one of the officers. "No? Good! Have a cigar.Come far?"
These questions, seemingly so commonplace after the trials anddifficulties they had undergone, almost took the lads' breath away;but Reeves, knowing that the imperturbability of the Englishmanabroad is generally a mask to conceal the emotions he is ashamed ofbetraying, merely accepted the proffered weed with a laconic"Thanks!"
The smoke--after his vain hankering for tobacco for months--raisedhim to the seventh heaven of delight.
"Come aboard; we'll tow you down to Nali," continued the officer. "Myname's Jones, by the by. What's yours?"
"Reeves."
"Not the war correspondent!"
"What's left of him."
"By Jove, that's strange! Only the other day we had a batch of papersthrough, and I remember there was nearly a column devoted to yourobituary."
"Very kind of the Press, I'm sure. Did they say what happened to me?"
"Only that an Italian airman saw the bodies of you and your two youngcompanions lying in the desert, or in an oasis, rather. He dropped abomb in the midst of the Arabs, and returned with the news. But howon earth did you manage to get here?"
It was a long story, and by the time that Reeves had finished hisnarrative the motor launch had reached the frontier post of Nali,seven hundred miles from the Gold Coast. Here good use was made ofthe telegraph, and by noon on the following day the _LondonIntelligence_ came out with double-leaded headlines, announcing thesafe arrival of their missing correspondent and the two lads, whosedisappearance had been the subject of much anxiety and speculation;while the news of the discovery of Croixilia aroused so muchenthusiasm that long before Reeves reached the coast he receivednearly a dozen tempting offers for his services as a lecturer in theprincipal towns of the United Kingdom.
* * * * *
Three weeks later Mr. Reeves--the "mister" had been dropped whenbeyond the pale of civilization--and his two charges again set footin their native land.
Gerald was met by his parents and taken north, but the correspondentaccompanied Hugh to his home at Shoreham, where the meeting betweenthe lad and his parents can better be imagined than
described.
"Our deepest thanks are due to you, Reeves," remarked Mr. Frazer,when the two men found themselves alone. "Now it's all over, one canlook more calmly upon the situation; and I cannot help noticing thatHugh has changed considerably."
"In appearance?"
"And in manners. Hugh was undoubtedly a selfish lad, but now he seemsto realize that there are others in the world besides himself. Thisexperience has been the making of him. Having to go without luxuries,for instance, though discomfiting at the time, makes one doublyappreciate them when----"
"When you return home," concluded Reeves, contentedly replenishinghis pipe.
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
_At the Villafield Press, Glasgow, Scotland_
Captured at Tripoli: A Tale of Adventure Page 19
