CHAPTER TWELVE.
THROUGH THE JUNGLE.
A few days later, in which interval several little boating journeys hadbeen made, the results of which could be seen in Murray's house, whichwas rapidly beginning to show traces of its being intended for a museum,the morning broke fine and comparatively cool; and just at sunrise MrBraine came to where Ned and his uncle was seated at their earlybreakfast, to announce that the preparations settled upon the previousevening had been made.
Murray had finished his meal, but Ned was still engaged in getting readyfor a tolerably long fast to mid-day, when a good meal would beprepared.
He was still lingering reluctantly over his breakfast when Frankappeared, and as soon as the two boys were together, Murray drew MrBraine out into the veranda. "Well," he said; "any fresh news?"
"No," replied Mr Braine; "and in spite of my long experience of theman, I am half-disposed to think that I may be wrong."
"Then you do not think I need stay?"
"Oh no."
"Because I should not like to be out of the way if there was anytrouble."
"You need have no fear for to-day. He has been perfectly quiet andinterested in some affairs connected with the rajah of the next state.This man has offended him, and I should not feel a bit surprised if warbroke out between them."
"I don't care what breaks out so long as you are wrong in your ideasabout that affair," said Murray, excitedly. "It worries me so that Ihardly like to leave the place to go collecting."
Mr Braine smiled to himself as he saw how genuine Murray's interestwas.
"You shall have the earliest information if anything is wrong," he said.
"But why wait for anything to be wrong. Would it not be much better forthe ladies to leave this place at once?"
"Much better, of course."
"Then why not make a strong effort, and get them down to Malacca?"
"For the simple reason that no efforts we could make would be halfstrong enough. The only way would be to try to escape."
"Well, why not try that?"
"Because there is such a thing as failure, my dear fellow, and thatwould mean placing us all in a ten times worse position than we are innow."
Murray frowned and looked intensely miserable.
"Come," said Mr Braine; "don't let us conjure up what may be imaginarytroubles. Call those boys, and be off before the sun gets more power.I tell you that you may go away perfectly contented, for this man movesvery slowly, and we shall have ample warning of any danger before itcomes."
Murray sighed, and it was in rather a half-hearted manner that he handedhis guns and cases to Hamet, who bore them off, and directly after theyheard him talking to some one, whose voice told at once, from itspeculiar, highly-pitched intonation, that it was Tim Driscol, who thenext minute appeared at the door.
"Beg pardon, sor," he said, "but masther says if it's at all convaynientwould you--"
"What's the matter?" cried Murray, eagerly, catching the man by the arm.
"Oh, jist nawthing as ye may say, sor. A little out of ordher for wantof fresh air, and the masther says if ye wouldn't mind takking me withye to-day, I might be a bit useful."
Murray turned away with an impatient gesture, and exchanged glances withMr Braine.
"I'm very sorry, sor," said Tim, quite crest-fallen, for he had beenlonging intensely to go on the trip. "The masther thought it would dome good, or I wouldn't have asked."
"Oh yes, you can come, my man," said Murray. "Take hold of that bag ofcartridges, and go on after Hamet."
"Thank ye, sor," cried the man eagerly; and taking up the bag, andgiving the two boys a delighted look, he hurried off.
"Sure, if I stay near him, and he looks at me," said Tim to himself, "hemay alter that bit of him that he calls his mind."
As soon as Tim was out of hearing, Murray said excitedly: "There, youwill be another man short. I had better give up the expedition."
"Nonsense! go, and I would try and make a discovery of metal if I could,even if it is only tin again. If you could hit upon gold, even if it isonly some poor deposit in a stream, it would be worth everything to usnow, from making him more friendly to us. Spend a little time over thatas well as over the birds."
"Then you would go?"
"Certainly, and at once."
"Ready, boys?" cried Murray, quickly now, for he felt that if he thoughtmuch more about the trouble at the doctor's home, he would not be ableto go.
"Yes; all ready," cried Frank, presenting himself first. "Let's be off.You are not waiting for us."
"Go on, then. The elephants are standing in front of the rajah's."
The boys needed no second request, but hurried off to find three of thehuge, clumsy-looking animals, with their attendants and a party ofspearmen, standing bowing their heads and waving their curled-up trunksto and fro. They were fitted with strong basket-work howdahs, and thesmallest one was evidently the bearer of the refreshments, itsrattan-cane howdah being more roomy and of a rougher make.
The arrangements were soon finished, and Murray mounted into the howdahof the first elephant, followed by Hamet and one of the rajah's men; thesecond elephant was devoted to the two boys and Tim, who took his placein the most solemn manner.
"Be on your guard for the branches," said Mr Braine. "They stretch soacross the way, that on a tall elephant you have to mind, or you may beswept off."
With these parting words of warning, he gave the word, the mahoutstouched their mounts' heads with an iron crook, and the party moved off,passing with its rather large guard of spearmen right by the doctor'sand the merchant's houses, where the ladies stood in the verandas, andwaved them a farewell.
"Want the tiger's skin?" shouted Frank to Amy. "You shall have it, ifwe get one."
She nodded laughingly, and said something; but they were too distant tohear the words, and directly after, the long regular shuffling gait ofthe elephants had taken them out of sight.
"We are not going near tigers, are we?" said Ned, rather excitedly.
"Of course we are. You can't go anywhere here without going neartigers, and if you don't go near them, they come near you. Wait a fewminutes till we are well out of the village, and then you'll see thesort of place our road is.--Won't he, Tim?"
"Indade he will, sor. It's a beautiful road, with a wall on each side,or a hedge, if you like to call it so, as fresh and green as a countryone, only a dale more scratchy."
Their way took them past the clump of trees in which the rajah's housewas hidden, and the boys looked eagerly between the trunks, but thegrowth was too dense for them to see anything, even from their elevatedperch, as the elephants went swinging by with the spearmen, some now infront and some behind.
"Like it?" cried Frank.
"Yes, I think so," replied Ned.
"Don't feel sea-sick, do you?"
"How can one feel sea-sick, when there is no sea--no boat."
"But you do feel a little giddy with the motion; don't you?"
"I did," replied Ned; "but it is going off fast, and I am beginning tolike it."
"Yes, it's all right as long as the forest isn't too dense, and theelephant holes too deep."
"What are elephant holes?"
"Oh, wait a few minutes and you'll soon see that.--Won't he, Tim?"
"That he will, sor, and here we are."
For they had left the village behind, crossed the rice and fruitgrounds, and there, all at once, without any preparation in the way ofbushes or outstanding trees, was the jungle, with its huge growth risingup like a green wall shutting in some strange territory. It was evenmore formidable looking than the walls that shut in the river, and asNed looked to right and left in search of the entrance to the way theywere to take, he quite realised how dangerous it was for the poor folkwho worked in their rice-fields close up to the black jungle and itslurking creatures.
"There you are," said Frank. "Now then, you must keep your eyes openfor snakes and your ears for tigers. Your uncle wi
ll shoot if he gets achance; won't he?"
"I don't know," replied Ned. "I don't think he is well, he has been soquiet lately; but I should hardly believe he would let anything go by."
"Nor I. He's such a shot," said Frank. "My father is pretty good, butMr Murray is twice as sure. But we shall see no tigers going through awood like this. The worst of it is, they can see you."
For as he was speaking, the first elephant had gone, as it were,straight into the solid green wall of verdure, and disappeared.
"Now then, Trousers," cried Frank.
"What do you call the mahout Trousers for?" asked Ned.
"I didn't. I was speaking to old India-rubber here."
"Well, why do you call him Trousers?"
"Because elephants always look to me like a big body and two pairs oftrousers. Now then, look out for canes and scratches."
For the elephant they were on shuffled into the narrow track, whosesides and roof brushed the great cane howdah, and in a few moments theyhad passed from the glaring sunshine into the hot dank gloom of theforest, where the swishing noise of the abundant growth, forced asideand trampled down by the huge animals, was for a time the only sound.
"I say, he on the look-out, or out you'll go. We're getting into thewet now."
Frank's words were uttered just in time to make Ned seize hold of theside of the howdah, for the elephant they were on began to lurch androll, as its legs sank deep in the soft mud and water which filled aseries of holes in the track, and the driver turned round to them andsmiled.
"Tell him to guide the elephant better," said Ned, as this rockingmotion went on. "He is letting it put its feet in all these holes."
Frank laughed.
"It's all right," he said; "they always do that. The holes are the oldfootprints of other elephants, or their own, when they came along herebefore, and they get deeper and deeper, and full of mud and water.Elephants always keep to the old footprints, because they believe theyare safe."
"But he could make them go on the hard ground."
Frank said something to the driver, who smiled as he replied.
"I told him what you said, and he says nobody could make an elephantstep out of them. Look back; the other one is doing just the same."
That was plain enough, and Ned now turned his eyes on Tim, who wasseated cross-legged in the hind corner of the howdah, with his armsresting on the edge.
"Ye'll soon get used to it, sor," he said, smiling. "Shakes ye upwondherful though at first. They're great onaisy pigs to ride. Wouldeither of you gentlemen object to my shmoking my pipe?"
"Oh no, smoke away, Tim, but don't make a noise with the match."
"Nivver fear," was the reply; and the man began to prepare hisbamboo-pipe, while Ned gazed wonderingly at the narrow view of the densegrowth on either side, and the way in which the trees were lacedtogether over their heads by rattan-canes and other creepers, whoseleafage helped the spreading boughs far overhead to shut out thefaintest ray of sunshine. In front, the way was blocked by thehind-quarters of the elephant Murray was on; behind, the smallerelephant with the provisions shut in the track, so that the spearmen whofollowed could only at intervals be seen, and the gloom grew deeper as_suck_, _suck_, the elephants drew their great limbs from the trackholes, or plunged them in, sending a gush of mud and water flying out oneither side.
"Is the forest all like this?" said Ned at last.
"The jungle is."
"But are there no other paths?"
"Not that I know of."
"Then how do the animals get about?"
"Oh, some use these tracks, but the tigers and bears creep along underand through the trees and bushes. They can go anywhere. We couldn't,without the men cut a way for us."
_Skrit_, _skrat_, _skrat_! went Tim's match loudly, and the elephantuttered a tremendous squeal, plunged forward, and ran its head againstthe hind-quarters of the one in front, which trumpeted shrilly, andcatching the panic rushed on; the store elephant following, in spite ofthe mahouts, who strove hard to check them in their headlong course, butin vain.
"Down, down!" shouted Frank. "Hold tight."
His advice was needed, for the plunging and rolling of the greatfrightened animals was terrible, and for a while they tore on along thenarrow track with the mud and water flying, and the growth from thesides and roof threatening to drag the occupants of the howdahs fromtheir seats.
At the end of about a mile, the first elephant was checked, and ofnecessity the second and third had to stand, which they did with theirheads pressed against the other's tail.
"Any one hurt?" cried Murray, looking back.
"No, all right--all right," cried the boys.
"What was it scared your elephant?"
"Oh murther, don't tell him, Masther Frank," whispered Tim, who thendesperately told the truth.
"It's all right, sor. I sthruck a match to light me pipe. That's all."
"Well then, don't do it again."
"No, sor."
"Go on slowly now," cried Murray, and progress was again made.
"An' I should think we would go slowly," muttered Tim. "I belave Ihaven't a whole bone left, and what's more, I didn't light me pipe."
"And you must not now," cried Frank, laughing. "Oh, I did get such aswitch from one of those canes.--How did you get on?"
"Something nearly pulled me out of the howdah," replied Ned, "and I'm abit scratched."
"Bit scratched, sor? Look at me," cried Tim, showing his bleedinghands. "These baskets, if ye are to have a ride in 'em, ought to have alid to shut down."
The elephants uttered a low sigh now and then, as they shuffled andsplashed along the muddy track, whose gloomy monotony was so wearisomethat Ned turned at last to his companion.
"I say," he cried, "is it all going to be like this?"
Frank laughed.
"Oh no; only for a few miles. Then we shall get to some open ground."
"You've been along here before, then?"
"Oh yes, twice; but till you get through the jungle it is very dreary."
Ned sat swaying and giving with the movements of the elephant, thinkingwhat a terrible journey it would be for any one who had to walk, andlooking back from time to time at the spearmen behind, who seemed to getalong lightly enough, when he caught sight of one. Several, however,had climbed on to the rear elephant, while two had hold of the ropes ofthe one he rode.
All at once, just as if seen through a tunnel, there was a patch oflight, and soon after the party emerged into an opening of a few acresin extent, where the sun had full power, and the growth of orchid andflowering tree lit up the scene with glowing colour. Here they heardthe cries of birds, and were just in time to catch sight of the metallicgreen, gold, and purple of half a dozen peacocks before they hurried outof sight among the trees.
Murray obtained a few specimens of parrot and sunbird here, though, intheir half-hour's halt before the leading elephant was started, and oncemore plunged into the continuation of the green leafy tunnel, which bycontrast seemed darker than the first part.
By degrees the way of progression grew so wearisome that Ned turned tohis companions to find both fast asleep, and he turned again to gazebefore him at the hind-quarters of his uncle's elephant, feeling sourand ill-used and heartily sick of the tedious ride.
But all his ill-humour faded away an hour later when the elephantspassed out of the tunnel once more into an undulating paradise of treeand flower, rising gradually higher and higher to hills that appeared tobe of a lovely blue; and as if roused by the glow of the sun, both Frankand Tim started up.
"Oh, here we are, then, at last," cried the latter. "Then, I suppose,the first thing is something to eat."
He was quite right, for about a mile farther on toward the hills, theelephants were halted close to a stream, over whose glancing water ahuge tree of the fig tribe spread its gigantic branches, and offered amost tempting refuge from the sun.
The elephants were tethered, and the rajah's men
rapidly unloaded thepannier they had brought, to spread a tempting meal beneath the tree;and this being ended, the first elephant was again brought into use tobear Murray, the two boys, and Tim, on toward the hills shooting andexploring.
This part of the expedition was so beautiful, and the specimens shot sosatisfactory, that the wearisome nature of the journey out wasforgotten, and that back, which had hung before Ned like a cloud, was nolonger thought of.
He said something in respect to it as they walked on beside theelephant, carrying a spare gun and ammunition, and Frank laughed:
"It was tiring, but we had not had any dinner then, and that makes allthe difference. I say, Mr Murray, suppose a tiger came now, whatshould you do?"
"Fire at it, of course."
"With small shot? Oh! I say, hadn't you better load your rifle? I'llcarry it."
"Yes; it would be wise," replied Murray. "You'll promise to give it meif there is a chance."
"Of course." And the rifle was handed out of the howdah by Tim, loaded,and shouldered by Frank as they once more went on, getting now on tohigher ground, where the rugged incline of the gully down which thestream whose course they followed ran, induced Murray to begin examiningthe stones that lay loose on one side of the little river's rocky bed.
Then there was another tramp onward, and a couple more specimens fell tothe naturalist's gun.
"That's as many as we shall care to skin to-night, Ned," he said."Let's see now if we can't discover some metal."
"Whoo-hoo!" shouted Tim, from up in the howdah. "Look sor, look! shoot!There he is!"
They followed Tim's pointing hand, to see, about a couple of hundredyards away, in an open spot where a gully ran up into a patch of forest,a full-grown tiger, whose stripes showed out clearly in the sunshine,as, with head erect and tail lashing his sides, he watched theapproaching party; but before Murray could seize the rifle, the litheanimal gave a couple of leaps and had disappeared.
"Gone!" ejaculated Murray. "It would be no use to try to hunt him up,without beaters."
So the search for minerals was commenced again, with no further resultthan the discovery of a little tin, specimens of which were thrown up toTim, and another halt was made.
By this time the sun was beginning to descend, and after a littlehesitation, for the place was full of attractions, Murray saidunwillingly, "I suppose we must go back now."
"Too soon yet, uncle," said Ned. "I should like to have a shot atsomething."
"Another time, my lad," said Murray. "We have been longer than Ithought, and we have all that dreary ride back through the jungle. Itwill be dark before we get back. Yes; let's turn now at once," hecontinued, displaying a little anxiety as he thought of his conversationwith Mr Braine that morning, and wondered that he could have soforgotten himself in his favourite pursuit as to have ignored theposition of those at the village.
The lads acquiesced at once, and they mounted the elephant to lookwonderingly from one to the other now, as they noted how anxious Murrayhad become, and impatient in his orders to Hamet to tell the driver tohurry the elephant along.
"What's the matter with your uncle?" whispered Frank at last. "Does hewant something to eat?"
"I don't know," replied Ned. "I can't quite make him out. He was allright coming, and thought of nothing but the shooting; now he's all in afidget. There!"
This was in consequence of Hamet reporting that the driver said he couldget the elephant along no faster, as the road was so bad and stony.
Murray threw himself back impatiently, and sat gazing straight beforethem, while the elephant nodded and shuffled slowly along.
"For suppose," thought Murray, "anything should happen while I am away,I should never forgive myself. I wish now I had not come."
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