Long Odds

by Harold Bindloss

  CHAPTER XVII

  THE AMBUSCADE

  A thin crescent moon hung low in the western sky when they slipped outinto the sleeping village, and shadowy huts and encircling forest weredimly distinguishable. The place was very silent, and though the negroas a rule sleeps lightly no one appeared in a doorway, and no voicewas raised to challenge them. In fact, Nares, who walked beside hiscomrade with his heart beating a good deal faster than usual, felt thesilence almost oppressive, for he was conscious that it might at anymoment be rudely broken. He had very little confidence in the duskyHeadman, and knew that if treachery was intended they were affordinghim the opportunity he probably desired.

  Now and then there was a faint clatter and jingle of arms, and attimes the soft patter of naked feet in the trampled dust was flungback with what appeared to be a startling distinctness by the hutsthey passed, but there was no other sound, and the boys flittedsteadily on, a line of vague, shadowy figures, in front of him. Thenhe drew a deep breath of relief as they left the village behind themand plunged into the gloom of the forest. He looked back a momenttowards the clustering huts which rose faintly black against the dimbush, and wondered how the Headman would explain matters to hisSuzerain on the morrow. That, however, was the Headman's affair, andNares fancied he would be equal to the occasion, since the negro isusually a very shrewd diplomatist.

  By and by the darkness beneath the trees grew a little less intense,and they came out on the brink of a morass. It stretched away beforethem smeared with drifting wisps of sour white steam, and it was notastonishing that they halted and looked at it apprehensively. AnAfrican swamp is not, as a rule, considered impassable so long as onedoes not sink beyond the hips in it, and there are places whereBritish forest officers flounder through them more or less cheerfullyfor days together, but it is, for all that, a thing the average whiteman has a natural shrinking from. Ormsgill significantly tapped therifle he now carried before he exchanged a few words with their guide.

  "He says we can get through, but I'll take the precaution of walkingclose beside him," he said to Nares. "It's an excellent rule in thiscountry not to let your guide get too far in front of you."

  They went in, and the tall grass near the verge crackled about them asthey sank in the plastic mire out of which they could scarcely dragtheir feet. It was a little easier where there was only foul slime andwater, and in places there were signs of a path, that is, they couldsee where somebody else had floundered through the quaggy waste ofcorruption. The smell was a thing to shudder at, but they were all ofthem more or less used to that, and the emanations of such places donot invariably prostrate the white man who is accustomed to thecountry. In some cases, at least, the results of inhaling them onlyappear some time afterwards, but there are very few white men whoescape them altogether.

  In due time they came out, bemired from head to foot, with scum andslimy water draining from them, and they diffused sour odors as theyonce more plunged into the forest which just there was permeated withthe sickly scent of lilies. Still, it was a consolation to Ormsgillthat they had, at least, left nobody behind, and he acquired a certainconfidence in their guide. They pushed on for most of the night,smashing and hacking a way through creepers, and stumbling in loosewhite sand, and at last came out upon a well beaten trail. The negrowho crawled up and down it said that Domingo had not reached that spotyet, but Ormsgill did not content himself with his assurance. Withdifficulty, he made a little fire and while it flickered feeblystooped over the loose sand. Then he stamped it out before he turnedto Nares.

  "I almost think he is right, and as the Headman doesn't expect us tocompromise him we'll let him go," he said.

  The man, it was evident, had no desire to stay, and when he went awaycontent with his load of cotton cloth Ormsgill made the most of hisforces. Two men with Sniders whom he fancied he could to some extentdepend upon were sent back to crouch beside the trail; a few more tookup their stations a little distance ahead; and the white men lay downwith the carriers between the two parties, and a few yards back fromthe path. It was now a trifle cooler, for the night was wearingthrough, and the mysterious voices of the forest had died away andleft a deep silence intensified by the splash of moisture on theleaves. Nares shivered a little as the all pervading damp creptthrough his thin garments, though the lower half of them was stillfoul with the mire of the swamp.

  "I suppose we shall meet Domingo if we wait long enough?" he said."After all, we have only the Headman's word to warrant us believingit."

  Ormsgill laughed. "It depends a good deal upon the kind of bargainsDomingo has made with him lately. The thing will probably work outjust as we would like it if he hasn't been quite satisfied with them.It's an arrangement that would commend itself to the average African.Still, as I said already, I'm a trifle sorry that you are mixed up init."

  Nares sat silent a moment or two. He had borne a good deal, perhapsrather more than could have been expected of him, from those whom heconsidered with some reason as workers of iniquity, and, after all,excessive meekness has seldom been a characteristic of the Puritan.

  "Well," he said slowly, "I'm not sure that I am. It is very probablethat I have been proscribed already, and, perhaps, it was not patiencebut cowardice that made me submit so long. After all, patienceaccomplishes very little in Africa."

  "I'm afraid it was never one of my strong points," and Ormsgillsmiled. "In fact, if Domingo made any kind of fight it would be acertain relief to me, although because one can't always afford to beguided by his personal likes I've taken every precaution against it.Now, suppose we get the boys back, what do you propose to do?"

  "Go back to my station," said Nares quietly.

  "And if you hear that Dom Luiz is there with several files of infantryto arrest you?"

  "In that case I will go down to the coast with you."

  Ormsgill dropped a hand on his comrade's shoulder. "I shall be glad tohave you wherever I go, though I'm not sure that you wouldn't be saferif you pushed on alone. You don't mention what it has cost you to warnme, but I think I can understand."

  Nares slowly shook his head. "I don't think I have much to regret," hesaid without a trace of bitterness. "I was sent here to save men'ssouls, and it seems that I have failed. Still, I think I should havestayed and healed their bodies--had it been permitted--but there is,perhaps, work I can do elsewhere since that is not the case." Hestopped a moment with the faintest sigh. "We will not mention thisagain."

  Ormsgill said nothing, probably because he was more than a triflestirred. He knew that it requires self-restraint and courage to facethe fact that one's efforts have been thrown away, but there are menlike him who now and then shrink from expressing their sympathy.Leaning forward a little with the rifle across his knees he sethimself to listen.

  It was almost an hour before he heard anything at all, and in themeanwhile the faint coolness increased, and the tops of the treesabove him became dimly visible. They cut with a growing sharpnessagainst the eastern sky, and here and there a massy trunk grew out ofthe obscurity. Then there was a faint pearly flush beyond them, and inthe cold of the sudden dawn he heard the men he was waiting for. Asoft patter of footsteps and a murmur of voices came up the windingtrail. He knew the boys had also heard, for the undergrowth behind himcrackled and then was still again.

  In another few minutes there was dim light in the forest, and he couldsee indistinct figures moving towards him through the narrow gap inthe leaves. They became more visible, and he could make out theuncovered ebony skin of some and the fluttering cotton that flowedabout the others' limbs. There were burdens upon most of their heads,but a few carried what seemed to be long flintlock guns. Then, fordawn comes with startling swiftness in that land, the shadowy trunksbecame sharp and clear, and the men who plodded among them seemed toemerge from a blurring obscurity. Black limbs, impassive faces, rawwhite draperies, and gray gun barrels were forced up in the suddenlight, but Ormsgill raising himself a trifle fixed his eyes upon theman of lighter color who walked a littl
e apart from the others. Hisvoice rang harshly as he flung menaces in a native tongue at one ortwo of those who lagged under their burdens, and perhaps he was, inone respect, warranted in this, since, for economic reasons, the negrowhose labor somebody else has sold for him is seldom loaded beyondhis strength on his march to the coast, at least, so long asprovisions are plentiful.

  They had almost reached the spot where the white men lay when Ormsgillquietly walked out into the trail, and stood there with left footforward and the rifle at his hip. He had left his shapeless hatbehind, and his thin, thorn-rent garments clung about him damp withdew and foul with mire. Still, he looked curiously resolute, and themen with the burdens stopped and recoiled at the sight of him, untilone group of them flung down what they carried and ran towards himclamoring. Then there was a harsh cry from the rear of the line, andswinging round they scattered into the underbrush as the tall man oflighter color sprang forward with something that glinted in his hand.

  Ormsgill's rifle went up and came in to the shoulder. With the samemotion his cheek dropped upon the stock. He said nothing, but thelabor purveyor stopped. Ormsgill swung down the rifle.

  "Look behind you," he said in Portuguese.

  Domingo turned, and saw two half-naked men with Sniders standing inthe trail. Then looking round again he saw several more ahead, whileother dusky figures had risen here and there among the undergrowth.They appeared resolute, and it was evident that he could get nofurther without their permission. He was credited with being a daringas well as an unscrupulous man, but he knew when the odds were tooheavy against him, and he made a sign to Ormsgill.

  "You want something from me?" he said.

  "I do," said Ormsgill. "The boys you stole from Lamartine. It willsave you trouble if you give them up."

  Domingo glanced once more at the men with the rifles, who stood still,one or two of them regarding him with a sardonic grin. Then he glancedat his startled carriers, who had thrown down their burdens andhuddled together. There was, of course, nothing to be expected fromthem, and his few armed retainers were evidently not to be reliedupon. In fact, they were gazing longingly at the bush, and it wasclear that they were ready to make a dash for its shelter. They haddone his bidding truculently when it was a question of overawingdown-trodden bushmen and keeping defenseless carriers on the march,but to face resolute men with rifles was a different matter, and theircourage was not equal to the task. Domingo seemed to recognize it, forhe made a little scornful gesture.

  "If I had a few men who could be depended on I would fight you for theboys," he said. "As it is they are yours."

  "I see eight," said Ormsgill. "Where are the others?"

  Domingo smiled maliciously. "In the hands of the Ugalla Headman. I amafraid it will be a little difficult to induce him to part with them:Lamartine, it seems, had taught them enough to make them useful to aHeadman who is copying the white men's habits."

  "In that case he no doubt gave you something worth while for them, andsince you stole them it does not belong to you. Are you willing totell me what he offered you?"

  "No," said Domingo resolutely.

  "It wouldn't be difficult to estimate it at the usual figure, and youwill understand that the Headman will ask me, at least, as much as hegave for them, but I will be reasonable. If you will let me have thearms your boys carry I shall be satisfied."

  "How can I drive these men to the coast if we have no arms?"

  "I don't know," said Ormsgill with a little laugh. "It is your affair,but, perhaps, I can simplify the thing for you. I will take the armsin exchange for the boys in the Headman's possession, and hand youover what trade goods I have and paper bills for the rest of the men,except the eight boys, for whom you will get nothing. I think I cancalculate what they cost you, and the fact that the transaction isprobably illegal does not trouble me."

  There was still silence for a moment or two, and a dazzling ray ofsunlight beat down into the bush. It made a sudden brightness, andshowed the malice in Domingo's dusky face. Then it touched the huddledcarriers' naked skin, and Nares glanced from them to the group ofLamartine's boys who had appeared again. It seemed they understood alittle of what was going on, and were watching Ormsgill expectantly.He stood quietly in the middle of the trail, with a rifle at his hipand a little grim smile in his eyes. All round rose the forest,impressive in its stillness, dim and shadowy, and the scene had acurious effect on Nares. He felt it had its symbolism, and its motivewas that of all the old world legends and dramas, the triumph of theright over evil which man has from forgotten times vaguely believedin. It is, perhaps, especially difficult to be an optimist in Africa,but Nares who had borne a good deal in its steamy shadow held fast tohis faith, and it did not matter greatly to him that the latter daychampion of the oppressed was a most unknightly figure in burst shoesand tattered garments and carried an American rifle. At last, however,Domingo made a little gesture.

  "I am in your hands," he said. "You shall have them."

  They were not long in making the bargain, and when the arms and allthe boys except the few who had carried the long guns had been handedover Ormsgill turned once more to Domingo.

  "Now," he said, "you can go where you please, but I scarcely think itwill be back towards the interior. Your friends up yonder wouldprobably profit by the opportunity if you appeared among them with afew unarmed men."

  Domingo called to his few remaining followers, who took up some of theloads the men released had carried for them. Then there was a softpatter of feet and one by one the dusky figures flitted by andvanished into the gloom. Ormsgill armed Lamartine's boys, andafterwards drew Nares aside.

  "In the first case I have to make sure of these men, and it is aquestion if I can reach the coast before Domingo's friends head meoff," he said. "Considering everything it seems to me that haste isdistinctly advisable."

  They started in another half-hour, and pushed on through the forestfor a week or two. Then Ormsgill made a traverse which cost himseveral days to reach the vicinity of Nares' station. He stopped at abush village, and was told there that the station was occupied byblack soldiers from San Roque. When they heard it Ormsgill quietlylooked at Nares.

  "You can't go back," he said. "The Chefe holds summary authority, andno doubt has his views concerning you. It's scarcely worth whilepointing out what they would probably be, but if you succeed ingetting out of his hands you would be a discredited man who had onlymet with his deserts."

  Nares made a little gesture, for that was a very bitter moment, buthis face was tranquil.

  "It's a thing I was prepared for. We'll push on," he said.

  They stayed an hour or two in the village, and then started once moreon their long journey to the coast. It was clear that they couldafford no delay in reaching it, but there was no road to the BahiaSantiago, and day by day they floundered through swamp and forestunder an intolerable heat, with garments rent to tatters, worn out,gasping now and then, but always pushing on. They drank putrid water,and when provisions commenced to run out lived on a few daily handfulsof equally divided food. Nature was also against them, and barredtheir path with fallen trees and thorny creepers, and the march theymade was a test of what man could bear. Still, there was no discord,and no negro raised his voice in protest. The boys recognized thathaste was advisable, and they had confidence in the white man with thequiet lined face who marched at the head of them.