_ CHAPTER THIRTY NINE. HOW ALI BROUGHT NEWS, AND WAS NOT BELIEVED
There was plenty of excitement on board the steamer, as the falls were hooked on and the light gig was run up to the davits, the boat then being swung on board; and as lights were brought, the body of the man they had tried to save was laid upon the deck.
"Why, it's a nigger!" exclaimed Bob Roberts; and then, with a cry of horror, "Oh, Mr Johnson, it's old Ali! Here, quick! help, brandy! Oh, he's dead! he's dead!"
"No, he aren't, sir," said Dick gruffly; "leastwise, I don't think so."
"Carry him into the cabin," said Lieutenant Johnson sharply; and this being done, the poor fellow was stripped, briskly rubbed, and the customary plans adopted to restore respiration, Bob Roberts eagerly taking his turn, till, to his delight, as he watched Ali's arms being worked up and down, so as to empty and fill his chest, there was a faint flutter, a sigh, and the doubts as to the young Malay's life being spared were at an end.
"Hooray!" cried Bob, who was only in his shirt and trousers, his collar open, and his sleeves rolled right up to his shoulders. "Hooray!" he cried; and forgetting all his dignity as second officer in command of Her Majesty's ship, he indulged in a kind of triumphal dance, which ended with a flop, caused by his bringing one foot down flat on the cabin floor.
"I think that will do, Mr Roberts," said the lieutenant quietly; and Bob coloured up and looked confused.
"I felt so delighted, sir, to see the poor old chap better," he stammered.
"So I see," said the lieutenant. "There, put on your jacket, and give the men a glass of grog apiece for what they have done towards saving our friend here. Dick, there, has pretty well rubbed his skin off."
"Well, sir," said Dick in an ill-used tone, "I rubbed as hard as ever I could."
"That you did, Dick," said the middy.
"And he is coming to, sir," continued Dick.
"Yes," said the lieutenant, "a good sleep will set him right, I think. It is a pity the doctor has gone on the expedition; but we must do the best we can."
"Expedition!" said Bob sharply, "of course; but I thought Ali here had gone. He was going. Oh, I know; he has stopped behind because Tom Long and I were not going."
"Very likely," said the lieutenant drily; "but had you not better see about the men's refreshment?"
"Oh! yes, sir; of course," said Bob, hurrying on his light jacket; and Dick and a couple of men, who had been helping, followed him out of the cabin, smiling and wiping their lips in anticipation of the promised drink.
They had hardly left the cabin when Ali opened his eyes, and lay gazing up at the ceiling, then, in a curious, puzzled way, at the light, his mind struggling to recover itself and master his confusion.
A sigh and a few muttered words took the lieutenant to his side; and on seeing him Ali started, and said something to him in the Malay tongue.
"Are you better?" said the lieutenant kindly.
"Better?" he said, "better? Where am I? what place is this?"
"You are on board the steamer. We found you drowning in the river."
Ali clasped his forehead with his hands for a few moments, and then all seemed to come back like a flood.
"Yes," he said hoarsely, "I know now. I was swimming to the island."
"I see; and you were swept away," said the lieutenant kindly. "I think you had better lie down, and have a good sleep," he continued, as the young man struggled up.
"No, no!" cried Ali excitedly. "I recollect all now. Quick! call your men; there is great danger!"
"Come, come," said the lieutenant gently, "calm yourself. Try and sleep."
He laid his hand firmly on the young man's arm, but Ali caught his wrist.
"What, do you think," he cried, "that I am speaking no sense?"
"Well," said the lieutenant, smiling, "I think you are excited and ill."
"No, no," cried Ali. "Give me clothes; I will fight for you. There is danger!"
"Nonsense!" said the lieutenant. "There, lie down; and Roberts, your friend, you know, shall come and sit with you."
"Oh, listen to me!" cried Ali piteously. "I am not as you think. I swam off to warn you. Hamet has got half your men away by treachery. I am sure they are going to attack you. Quick! get ready; there is great, great danger! Give me clothes, and I'll fight for you!"
As he spoke excitedly, Bob Roberts entered the cabin, and stood listening.
"Come and speak to him, Roberts," said the lieutenant quietly. "Poor fellow! he is overdone, and it has flown to his head."
"Ah! You here?" cried Ali joyfully. "He will not believe me, Bob. Listen; there is going to be an attack made upon you--at the island, and here. They have got your men and officers away to lead them into a trap. I escaped to tell you."
"Oh! come, old chap, don't talk like that," cried Bob, taking his hand. "Don't talk such wild nonsense and bosh. Lie down and have a good sleep. I say, Mr Johnson, I wish old Bolter was here."
"You do not believe me!" cried Ali passionately. "What am I, that you treat me so? Is it that I always lie?"
"Lie? No, old boy," said Bob kindly; "but it isn't you talking. Your head's all in a muddle."
"Head? muddle? Not I!" cried Ali excitedly. "There! Hark! I told you so!"
As he spoke there was the sharp crack of a rifle, then another, and another, and a rattling scattered volley.
"Something wrong at the island, sir," reported one of the watch.
"By Jove! he's right!" cried the lieutenant, rushing out of the cabin. "Quick, Roberts!"
"Yes--clothes--my kris!" cried Ali joyfully. "I'll fight with you."
For answer Bob ran to his own berth, hastily threw the young Malay one of his spare suits; and then, quickly buckling on his sword, ran on deck, where the lieutenant was striding up and down, giving his orders.
"That's right, Roberts," he cried. "They're hard at work at the island."
The next moment Bob was running here and there, seeing that his superior's orders were executed. The drums had already beat to quarters, and with the wondrous business-like rapidity with which matters are done on board a man-of-war every man was at his place, the ports flew open, the magazine was unfastened, and while the moorings were cast off astern, and those ahead ready to be dropped at a moment's notice, the furnaces were roaring furiously, and every effort being made by the firemen to get up steam.
It was like the turning of a handle. There was no confusion; the whole machine was ready for action; guns loaded, and marines and sailors armed ready for any contingency that might befall the steamer.
Directly after, Ali came hurrying from the cabin, and made his way to where the middy was eagerly looking for his next order.
"Give me arms," he said; "I have lost my kris."
"And a good thing, too," said Bob sharply; "a murderous skewer! May I give him a sword, sir?"
"Yes, and a revolver, if he means to fight on our side," said Lieutenant Johnson sharply; and Bob hurriedly ordered the armourer to take the young Malay and supply what was needed. "They are making no signals at the island, Roberts," continued the lieutenant, "and I don't know what to do. I would man a boat and send on--"
"Under me, sir?" said Bob slowly.
"Of course, Mr Roberts; but we are so short-handed, I don't know what to do for the best. Ah! here is your friend. Now, sir; tell us in a few words what this all means."
Ali rapidly told him of his belief, and the lieutenant frowned.
"Certainly there is confirmation of what you say, sir," he said sternly, "but the story sounds wild and strange."
He gazed suspiciously at the young chief; but Ali did not blench in the slightest degree.
Just then the firing seemed to become furious on the island, and the lieutenant stamped his foot impatiently.
"How long is this steam going to be?" he cried. "How I hate being tied by the leg like this, Roberts."
"It's horrible, sir!" cried Roberts, who was stamping up and down the deck, when he was not trying to make out what was going on upon the island, by means of a small glass. "Let's do something, sir, or the people there will think we are not going to help them."
"What can we do, lieutenant," said the other, "except send a boat?"
"Let's fire a big gun, captain," said Bob; "that'll let 'em know we are all alive; and then send the boat. I'll be very careful, sir."
The lieutenant hesitated as he watched the island through his glass, and could see the flashes of the pieces as they were fired. In a short time steam would be up, and the vessel could pass right round the island and engage the prahus, if there were any attacking. Besides, he was very loth to reduce his already short ship's company.
"If it were not already so confoundedly dark," he exclaimed, "we could see what to do. Ah! at last, there goes the signal."
For just then there was a rushing noise, and a rocket went up from the island, far into the blackness of the night, burst, and the bright blue stars fell slowly, lighting up the palms and fruit-trees upon the island.
"Ready there with a rocket," exclaimed the lieutenant. "Be smart, Mr Roberts."
"Ay, ay, sir," was the reply; and, with a mighty rush, away on high sped the answering signal, to burst and fill the air above them with lambent light.
"That is better than your big gun, Roberts," said the lieutenant.
"No, sir, I don't think it is," said Bob, "for it won't frighten the niggers, and my gun would."
The night seemed to have come on darker than ever, and the rocket stars shone with wonderful brilliancy as they descended lower, and lower, and lower, some even to reach the water before they went out, and just as the last was floating down, Ali, who was close to the two officers, suddenly started, grasped Bob's arm, and exclaimed sharply,--
"Prahus!"
He was pointing with one hand down the stream, but on the middy gazing in the required direction it was too dark to see anything.
"I can see none," he said. "Where?"
"Two prahus coming up rapidly," said Ali; "be ready to fire."
"Not so fast, young sir," said the lieutenant. "Will that steam never be up? Roberts," he cried, "touch the trigger of that life-buoy."
The middy obeyed, and a life-buoy dropped over the side with a splash, a port-fire at the same moment bursting out into a brilliant blue glare, which, as the buoy floated down rapidly with the stream, lit-up the trees on either shore, made the water flash, but above all showed out plainly to all on board a couple of large prahus coming rapidly up the stream, the many sweeps out on either side making the water foam and flash in the blue light shed by the buoy.
"There!" said Ali excitedly, "they are Rajah Gantang's prahus. Fire at them."
"Not so fast, sir," said the lieutenant. "I must first be sure that they are enemies."
He was soon assured of that fact, for as the steamer was lit-up by the port-fire as well as the prahus, _bang, bang, bang, bang_, one after the other, came the reports of the brass guns the two long boats had on board, and a hail of small iron balls came whistling through the rigging.
"There's no doubt about it now," said the lieutenant grimly; and giving the orders as the prahus rapidly advanced, evidently with the intention of boarding, the two big guns on the port-side thundered out a reply, splashing the water all over one prahu, and going through the matting boarding-screen of the other; but otherwise doing no harm.
The prahus replied, and for a few minutes there was a sharp duel kept up, at the end of which time the oars were seen being swiftly plied, and the two boats went on up stream at a rapid rate, the steamer firing at them as long as they were visible by the lights they had on board.
"Was anything ever so vexatious?" cried the lieutenant. "Here we lie like a log upon the water. Will that steam never be up?"
Just then the welcome news was given, and the order was passed down to the engine-room; the screw began to revolve, and the men cheered as the vessel's head was freed from the buoy, to which she had been moored, and they began to steam rapidly in the wake of the two prahus, whose lights had evidently passed to the left of the island.
Meanwhile a sharp engagement had evidently been going on in the neighbourhood of the little fort. Once or twice the nine-pounder they had there spoke out, but the principal part of the firing was that of rifles. Lights were seen from the deck, here and there amidst the trees, and were moving upon the shore, where the people were evidently in a state of alarm. Still the occupants of the island seemed to be making a good fight, and the lieutenant felt that he could not be doing them better service than by disposing of the two prahus, and to this end the steamer went on, its commander having a sharp look-out kept, and a man busy with the lead in the forepart of the vessel.
At the end of a few minutes the lights on the prahus were seen; the order, "Full speed ahead!" given, for they were now in the middle of the open reach of the river, and Lieutenant Johnson hoped to sink one or the other of his adversaries by using a little energy.
The shadowy shapes of the two boats were made out at the end of a minute, and a couple of guns were brought to bear upon them, the firing being replied to for a time, the flashes from the guns serving to light up the darkness of the night for a moment, while the roar of the big guns went rolling along the surface of the water, and was echoed from the trees upon the bank.
"Keep that lead going more quickly," shouted the lieutenant, as the last of the prahus, apparently unharmed, passed round the head of the island, placing the wooded land between her and the steamer, which followed rapidly in their wake.
The lieutenant's orders were obeyed, and the sounding shouted by the man who handled the lead line.
The river was very deep, but as no good chart existed, and it was dark, extra caution was being used, and all was going on well. In another minute she would have rounded the bend of the island and been in full chase of the fleet enemy, when just as the man had shouted out the depth, there was a sudden shock, which threw several men off their legs, and to the dismay of all, the steamer was tightly fixed upon a mudbank, every effort to release her only seeming to make her settle more firmly down. And this at a moment when her presence might serve to change the fortunes of the attack being made upon the residency. _