Blown to Bits: The Lonely Man of Rakata, the Malay Archipelago

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

  FRIENDS ARE MET WITH, ALSO PIRATES, AND A LIFE-OR-DEATH PADDLE ENSUES.

  In physics, as in morals, a storm is frequently the precursor of a deadcalm.

  Much to the monkey's joy, to say nothing of the men, the sun ere longasserted its equatorial power, and, clearing away the clouds, allowedthe celestial blue to smile on the turmoil below. The first result ofthat smile was that the wind retired to its secret chambers, leaving theships of men to flap their idle sails. Then the ocean ceased to fume,though its agitated bosom still continued for some time to heave.Gradually the swell went down and soon the unruffled surface reflected adimpling smile to the sky.

  When this happy stage had been reached our voyagers lowered and stowedthe canoe-sails, and continued to advance under paddles.

  "We get along wonderfully fast, Van der Kemp," said Nigel, while restingafter a pretty long spell; "but it seems to me, nevertheless, that weshall take a considerable time to reach Borneo at this rate, seeing thatit must be over two hundred miles away, and if we have much bad weatheror contrary wind, we shan't be able to reach it for weeks--if at all."

  "I have been thrown somewhat out of my reckoning," returned the hermit,"by having to fly from the party on the islet, where I meant to remaintill a steamer, owned by a friend of mine, should pass and pick us up,canoe and all. The steamer is a short-voyage craft, and usually sopunctual that I can count on it to a day. But it may have passed us inthe gale. If so, I shall take advantage of the first vessel that willagree to lend us a hand."

  "How!--Do you get them to tow you?"

  "Nay, that were impossible. A jerk from the tow-rope of a steamer atfull speed would tear us asunder. Have you observed these two strongropes running all round our gunwale, and the bridles across withring-bolts in them?"

  "I have, and did not ask their use, as I thought they were merely meantto strengthen the canoe."

  "So they are," continued the hermit, "but they have other usesbesides--"

  "Massa," cried Moses, at this point. "You'll 'scuse me for 'truptin'you, but it's my opinion dat Spinkie's sufferin' jus' now from a emptystummik!"

  The hermit smiled and Nigel laughed. Laying down his paddle the formersaid--

  "I understand, Moses. That speech means that you are suffering from thesame complaint. Well--get out the biscuit."

  "Jus' de way ob de wurld," muttered the negro with a bland smile. "If apoor man obsarves an feels for de sorrows ob anoder, he allers gitscredit for t'inkin' ob his-self. Neber mind, I's used to it!"

  Evidently the unjust insinuation did not weigh heavily on the negro'sspirit, for he soon began to eat with the appetite of a healthyalligator.

  While he was thus engaged, he chanced to raise his eyes towards thesouth-western horizon, and there saw something which caused him tosplutter, for his mouth was too full to speak, but his speaking eyes andpointing finger caused his companions to turn their faces quickly to thequarter indicated.

  "A steamer!" exclaimed the hermit and Nigel in the same breath.

  The vessel in question was coming straight towards them, and a veryshort time enabled Van der Kemp to recognise with satisfaction thesteamer owned by his friend.

  "Look here, run that to the mast-head," said Van der Kemp, handing a redflag to Nigel. "We lie so low in the water that they might pass quiteclose without observing us if we showed no signal."

  An immediate, though slight, change in the course of the steamer showedthat the signal had been seen. Hereupon the hermit and Moses performedan operation on the canoe which still farther aroused Nigel's surpriseand curiosity. He resolved to ask no questions, however, but to awaitthe issue of events.

  From the marvellous hold of the canoe, which seemed to be a magazine forthe supply of every human need, Moses drew a short but strong rope orcable, with a ring in the middle of it, and a hook at each end. Hepassed one end along to his master who hooked it to the bridle-rope atthe bow before referred to. The other end was hooked to the bridle inthe stern, so that the ring in the centre came close to Nigel's elbow.

  This arrangement had barely been completed when the steamer was withinhail, but no hail was given, for the captain knew what was expected ofhim. He reduced speed as the vessel approached the canoe, and finallycame almost to a stop as he ranged alongside.

  "What cheer, Van der Kemp? D'ye want a lift to-day?" shouted theskipper, looking over the side.

  A nod and a wave of the hand was the hermit's reply.

  "Heave a rope, boys--bow and stern--and lower away the tackle," was theskipper's order.

  A coil was flung to Van der Kemp, who deftly caught it and held ontight. Another was flung to Moses, who also caught it and held on--slack. At the same moment, Nigel saw a large block with a hook attacheddescending towards his head.

  "Catch it, Nigel, and hook it to the ring at your elbow," said thehermit.

  Our hero obeyed, still in surprise, though a glimmer of what was tofollow began to dawn.

  "Haul away!" shouted the skipper, and next moment the canoe was swingingin the air, kept in position by the lines in the hands of Van der Kempand Moses. At the same time another order was given, and the steamerwent ahead full speed.

  It was all so suddenly done, and seemed such a reckless proceeding, thatNigel found himself on the steamer's deck, with the canoe reposingbeside him, before he had recovered from his surprise sufficiently toacknowledge in suitable terms the welcome greeting of the hospitableskipper.

  "You see, Nigel," said Van der Kemp that night, as the two friends pacedthe deck together after supper, "I have other means, besides paddles andsails, of getting quickly about in the Java seas. Many of the tradersand skippers here know me, and give me a lift in this way when I requireit."

  "Very kind of them, and very convenient," returned Nigel. He feltinclined to add: "But why all this moving about?" for it was quiteevident that trade was not the hermit's object, but the question, asusual, died on his lips, and he somewhat suddenly changed the subject.

  "D'ye know, Van der Kemp, that I feel as if I must have seen yousomewhere or other before now, for your features seem strangely familiarto me. Have you ever been in England?"

  "Never. As I have told you, I was born in Java, and was educated inHong Kong at an English School. But a fancy of this sort is not veryuncommon. I myself once met a perfect stranger who bore so strong aresemblance to an old friend, that I spoke to him as such, and onlyfound out from his voice that I was mistaken."

  The captain of the steamer came on deck at that moment and cut short theconversation.

  "Are you engaged, Van der Kemp?" he asked.

  "No--I am at your service."

  "Come below then, I want to have a talk with you."

  Thus left alone, and overhearing a loud burst of laughter at the forepart of the steamer, Nigel went forward to see what was going on. Hefound a group of sailors round his comrade Moses, apparently engaged ingood-natured "chaff."

  "Come, now, blackey," said one; "be a good fellow for once in your lifean' tell us what makes your master live on a desert island like RobinsonCrusoe, an' go about the ocean in a canoe."

  "Look 'ere now, whitey," returned Moses, "what you take me for?"

  "A nigger, of course."

  "Ob course, an' you're right for once, which is such an unusual t'ingdat I 'dvise you go an' ax de cappen to make a note ob it in de log.I's a nigger, an a nigger's so much more 'cute dan a white man dat youshouldn't ought to expect him to blab his massa's secrets."

  "Right you are, Moses. Come, then, if you won't reveal secrets, give usa song."

  "Couldn't t'ink ob such a t'ing," said the negro, with a solemn,remonstrant shake of the head.

  "Why not?"

  "'Cause I neber sing a song widout a moral, an' I don't like to hurtyour feelin's by singin' a moral dat would be sure to waken up _some_ o'your consciences."

  "Never mind that, darkey. Our consciences are pretty tough. Heaveahead."

  "But dere's a cho
rus," said Moses, looking round doubtfully.

  "What o' that? We'll do our best with it--if it ain't too difficult."

  "Oh, it's not diffikilt, but if de lazy fellers among you sings dechorus dey'll be singin' lies, an' I don't 'zackly like to help men totell lies. Howseber, here goes. It begins wid de chorus so's you mayknow it afore you has to sing it."

  So saying, Moses struck two fingers on the capstan after the manner of atuning-fork, and, holding them gravely to his ear as if to get the rightpitch, began in a really fine manly voice to chant the followingditty:--

  "Go to Work."

  Oh when de sun am shinin' bright, and eberyt'ing am fair, Clap on de steam an' go to work, an' take your proper share. De wurld hab got to go ahead, an' dem what's young and strong Mus' do deir best, wid all de rest, to roll de wurld along.

  De lazy man does all he can to stop its whirlin' round. If he was king he'd loaf an' sing--and guzzle, I'll be bound, He always shirk de hardest work, an' t'ink he's awful clebbar, But boder his head to earn his bread, Oh! no, he'll nebber, nebber. _Chorus_--Oh when de sun, etcetera.

  De selfish man would rader dan put out his hand to work, Let women toil, an' sweat and moil--as wicked as de Turk. De cream ob eberyt'ing he wants, let oders hab de skim; In fact de wurld and all it holds was only made for him. _Chorus_--Oh when de sun, etcetera.

  So keep de ball a-rollin', boys, an' each one do his best To make de wurld a happy one--for dat's how man is blest. Do unto oders all around de t'ing what's good and true, An' oders, 'turning tit for tat, will do do same to you. _Chorus_--Oh when de sun, etcetera.

  The sailors, who were evidently much pleased, took up the chorusmoderately at the second verse, came out strong at the third, and sangwith such genuine fervour at the last that it was quite evident, asMoses remarked, there was not a lazy man amongst them--at least, if theyall sang conscientiously!

  The weather improved every hour, and after a fine run of abouttwenty-four hours over that part of the Malay Sea, our three voyagerswere lowered over the steamer's side in their canoe when within sight ofthe great island of Borneo.

  "I'm sorry," said the captain at parting, "that our courses divergehere, for I would gladly have had your company a little longer.Good-bye. I hope we'll come across you some other time when I'm inthese parts."

  "Thanks--thanks, my friend," replied Van der Kemp, with a warm grip ofthe hand, and a touch of pathos in his tones. "I trust that we shallmeet again. You have done me good service by shortening my voyageconsiderably.--Farewell."

  "I say, Moses," shouted one of the seamen, as he looked down on the tinycanoe while they were pushing off.

  "Hallo?"

  "Keep your heart up, for--we'll try to `do to oders all around de t'ingwhat's good an' true!'"

  "Das de way, boy--`an' oders, 'turning tit for tat, will do de same toyou!'"

  He yelled rather than sang this at the top of his tuneful voice, andwaved his hand as the sharp craft shot away over the sea.

  Fortunately the sea was calm, for it was growing dark when they reachedthe shores of Borneo and entered the mouth of a small stream, up whichthey proceeded to paddle. The banks of the stream were clothed withmangrove trees. We have said the banks, but in truth the mouth of thatriver had no distinguishable banks at all, for it is the nature of themangrove to grow in the water--using its roots as legs with which, as itwere, to wade away from shore. When darkness fell suddenly on thelandscape, as it is prone to do in tropical regions, the gnarled rootsof those mangroves assumed the appearance of twining snakes in Nigel'seyes. Possessing a strongly imaginative mind he could with difficultyresist the belief that he saw them moving slimily about in the blackwater, and, in the dim mysterious light, tree-stems and other objectsassumed the appearance of hideous living forms, so that he was enabledto indulge the uncomfortable fancy that they were traversing someterrestrial Styx into one of Dante's regions of horror.

  In some respects this was not altogether a fancy, for they wereunwittingly drawing near to a band of human beings whose purposes, iffully carried out, would render the earth little better than a hell tomany of their countrymen.

  It is pretty well-known that there is a class of men in Borneo calledHead Hunters. These men hold the extraordinary and gruesome opinionthat a youth has not attained to respectable manhood until he has takenthe life of some human being.

  There are two distinct classes of Dyaks--those who inhabit the hills andthose who dwell on the sea-coast. It is the latter who recruit theranks of the pirates of those eastern seas, and it was to the camp of aband of such villains that our adventurers were, as already said,unwittingly drawing near.

  They came upon them at a bend of the dark river beyond which point themangroves gave place to other trees--but what sort of trees they were itwas scarcely light enough to make out very distinctly, except in thecase of the particular tree in front of which the Dyaks were encamped,the roots of which were strongly illuminated by their camp fire. We say_roots_ advisedly, for this singular and gigantic tree started itsbranches from a complexity of aerial roots which themselves formed apyramid some sixty feet high, before the branches proper of the treebegan.

  If our voyagers had used oars the sharp ears of the pirates would haveinstantly detected them.

  As it was, the softly moving paddles and the sharp cutwater of the canoemade no noise whatever. The instant that Van der Kemp, from hisposition in the bow, observed the camp, he dipped his paddle deep, andnoiselessly backed water. There was no need to give any signal to hisservant. Such a thorough understanding existed between them that themere action of the hermit was sufficient to induce the negro to supporthim by a similar movement on the opposite side, and the canoe glided asquickly backward as it had previously advanced. When under the deepshadow of the bank Moses thrust the canoe close in, and his master,laying hold of the bushes, held fast and made a sign to him to land andreconnoitre.

  Creeping forward to an opening in the bushes close at hand, Moses peepedthrough. Then he turned and made facial signals of a kind socomplicated that he could not be understood, as nothing was visible savethe flashing of his teeth and eyes. Van der Kemp therefore recalled himby a sign, and, stepping ashore, whispered Nigel to land.

  Another minute and the three travellers stood on the bank with theirheads close together.

  "Wait here for me," said the hermit, in the lowest possible whisper. "Iwill go and see who they are."

  "Strange," said Nigel, when he was gone; "strange that in so short atime your master should twice have to stalk strangers in this way.History repeats itself, they say. It appears to do so rather fast inthese regions! Does he not run a very great risk of being discovered?"

  "Not de smallest," replied the negro, with as much emphasis as waspossible in a whisper. "Massa hab ride wid de Vaquieros ob Ameriky an'hunt wid de Injuns on de Rockies. No more fear ob deir ketchin' him danob ketchin' a streak o' lightnin'. He come back bery soon wid all denews."

  Moses was a true prophet. Within half-an-hour Van der Kemp returned asnoiselessly as he had gone. He did not keep them long in uncertainty.

  "I have heard enough," he whispered, "to assure me that a plot, of whichI had already heard a rumour, has nearly been laid. We fell in with thechief plotters on the islet the other night; the band here is inconnection with them and awaits their arrival before carrying out theirdark designs. There is nothing very mysterious about it. One tribeplotting to attack another--that is all; but as a friend of mine dwellsjust now with the tribe to be secretly attacked, it behoves me to dowhat I can to save him. I am perplexed, however. It would seemsometimes as if we were left in perplexity for wise purposes which arebeyond our knowledge."

  "Perhaps to test our willingness to _do right_," suggested Nigel.

  "I know not," returned the hermit, as if musing, but never raising hisvoice above the softest whisper. "My difficulty lies here; I _must_ goforward to save the life of my friend. I must _not_ leave you at themouth of a mang
rove river to die or be captured by pirates, and yet Ihave no right to ask you to risk your life on my account!"

  "You may dismiss your perplexities then," said Nigel, promptly, "for Idecline to be left to die here or to be caught by pirates, and I amparticularly anxious to assist you in rescuing your friend. Besides, amI not your hired servant?"

  "The risk we run is only at the beginning," said Van der Kemp. "If wesucceed in passing the Dyaks unseen all will be well. If they see us,they will give chase, and our lives, under God, will depend on thestrength of our arms, for I am known to them and have thwarted theirplans before now. If they catch us, death will be our certain doom.Are you prepared?"

  "Ready!" whispered Nigel.

  Without another word the hermit took his place in the bow of the canoe.Moses stepped into the stern, and our hero sat down in the middle.

  Before pushing off, the hermit drew a revolver and a cutlass from hisstore-room in the bow and handed them to Nigel, who thrust the firstinto his belt and fastened the other to the deck by means of a strapfixed there on purpose to prevent its being rolled or swept off. Thiscontrivance, as well as all the other appliances in the canoe, hadpreviously been pointed out and explained to him. The hermit and negrohaving armed themselves in similar way, let go the bushes which heldthem close to the bank and floated out into the stream. They let thecanoe drift down a short way so as to be well concealed by the bend inthe river and a mass of bushes. Then they slowly paddled over to theopposite side, and commenced to creep up as close to the bank aspossible, under the deep shadow of overhanging trees, and so noiselesslythat they appeared in the darkness like a passing phantom.

  But the sharp eyes of the pirates were too much accustomed to phantomsof every kind to be easily deceived. Just as the canoe was about topass beyond the line of their vision a stir was heard in their camp.Then a stern challenge rolled across the river and awoke the slumberingechoes of the forest--perchance to the surprise and scaring away of someprowling beast of prey.

  "No need for concealment now," said Van der Kemp, quietly; "we mustpaddle for life. If you have occasion to use your weapons, Nigel, takeno life needlessly. Moses knows my mind on this point and needs nowarning. Any fool can take away life. Only God can give it."

  "I will be careful," replied Nigel, as he dipped his paddle with all themuscular power at his command. His comrades did the same, and the canoeshot up the river like an arrow.

  A yell from the Dyaks, and the noise of jumping into and pushing offtheir boats told that there was no time to lose.

  "They are strong men, and plenty of them to relieve each other," saidthe hermit, who now spoke in his ordinary tones, "so they have somechance of overhauling us in the smooth water; but a few miles further upthere is a rapid which will stop them and will only check us. If we canreach it we shall be safe."

  While he was speaking every muscle in his broad back and arms wasstrained to the uttermost; so also were the muscles of his companions,and the canoe seemed to advance by a series of rapid leaps and bounds.Yet the sound of the pursuers' oars seemed to increase, and soon theproverb "it is the pace that kills" received illustration, for the speedof the canoe began to decrease a little--very little at first--while thepursuers, with fresh hands at the oars, gradually overhauled thefugitives.

  "Put on a spurt!" said the hermit, setting the example.

  The pirates heard the words and understood either them or the actionthat followed, for they also "put on a spurt," and encouraged each otherwith a cheer.

  Moses heard the cheer, and at the same time heard the sound of the rapidto which they were by that time drawing near. He glanced over hisshoulder and could make out the dim form of the leading boat, with atall figure standing up in the bow, not thirty yards behind.

  "Shall we manage it, Moses?" asked Van der Kemp, in that calm steadyvoice which seemed to be unchangeable either by anxiety or peril.

  "No, massa. Unpossable--widout _dis_."

  The negro drew the revolver from his belt, slewed round, took rapid aimand fired.

  The tall figure in the bow of the boat fell back with a crash and ahideous yell. Great shouting and confusion followed, and the boatdropped behind. A few minutes later and the canoe was leaping over thesurges of a shallow rapid. They dashed from eddy to eddy, takingadvantage of every stone that formed a tail of backwater below it, andgradually worked the light craft upward in a way that the hermit and hisman had learned in the nor'-western rivers of America.

  "We are not safe yet," said the former, resting and wiping his brow asthey floated for a few seconds in a calm basin at the head of the rapid.

  "Surely they cannot take a boat up such a place as that!"

  "Nay, but they can follow up the banks on foot. However, we will soonbaffle them, for the river winds like a serpent just above this, and bycarrying our canoe across one, two, or three spits of land we will gaina distance in an hour or so that would cost them nearly a day to ascendin boats. They know that, and will certainly give up the chase. Ithink they have given it up already, but it is well to make sure."

  "I wonder why they did not fire at us," remarked Nigel.

  "Probably because they felt sure of catching us," returned the hermit,"and when they recovered from the confusion that Moses threw them intowe were lost to them in darkness, besides being pretty well beyondrange. I hope, Moses, that you aimed low."

  "Yes, massa--but it's sca'cely fair when life an' def am in de balanceto expect me to hit 'im on de legs on a dark night. Legs is a badtargit. Bullet's apt to pass between 'em. Howseber, dat feller won'thop much for some time to come!"

  A couple of hours later, having carried the canoe and baggage across thespits of land above referred to, and thus put at least half-a-day'sjourney between themselves and their foes, they came to a halt for thenight.

  "It won't be easy to find a suitable place to camp on," remarked Nigel,glancing at the bank, where the bushes grew so thick that they overhungthe water, brushing the faces of our travellers and rendering thedarkness so intense that they had literally to feel their way as theyglided along.

  "We will encamp where we are," returned the hermit. "I'll make fast toa bush and you may get out the victuals, Moses."

  "Das de bery best word you've said dis day, massa," remarked the negrowith a profound sigh. "I's pritty well tired now, an' de bery t'oughtob grub comforts me!"

  "Do you mean that we shall sleep in the canoe?" asked Nigel.

  "Ay, why not?" returned the hermit, who could be heard, though not seen,busying himself with the contents of the fore locker. "You'll find thecanoe a pretty fair bed. You have only to slip down and pull your headand shoulders through the manhole and go to sleep. You won't wantblankets in this weather, and, see--there is a pillow for you andanother for Moses."

  "I cannot _see_, but I can feel," said Nigel, with a soft laugh, as hepassed the pillow aft.

  "T'ank ee, Nadgel," said Moses; "here--feel behind you an' you'll findgrub for yourself an' some to pass forid to massa. Mind when you slipdown for go to sleep dat you don't dig your heels into massa's skull.Dere's no bulkhead to purtect it."

  "I'll be careful," said Nigel, beginning his invisible supper with keenappetite. "But how about _my_ skull, Moses? Is there a bulkheadbetween it and _your_ heels?"

  "No, but you don't need to mind, for I allers sleeps doubled up, wid myknees agin my chin. It makes de arms an' legs feel more sociable like."

  With this remark Moses ceased to encourage conversation--his mouth beingotherwise engaged.

  Thereafter they slipped down into their respective places, laid theirheads on their pillows and fell instantly into sound repose, while thedark waters flowed sluggishly past, and the only sound that disturbedthe universal stillness was the occasional cry of some creature of thenight or the flap of an alligator's tail.