_ CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE. HOW THE HUNTING-PARTY FARED
There was a thick mist hanging over the forest when the bugle rang out the _reveille_, and, some eagerly, some thinking rest the better thing, all the hunting-party began to gather outside their tents, where the best apologies for tubs and baths were provided for the officers.
No sooner, however, did the Malays see this than they laughingly led the way to a little river, evidently a tributary of the Parang, and setting the example plunged into its deep, clear, cool waters, showing themselves to be adepts at swimming, and laughing to scorn, the idea of there being any crocodiles there.
The water was deliciously cool, and one and all the officers gladly availed themselves of the jungle bath, emerging fresh, and their nerves toned up ready for any work that was to fall to their lot that day.
By the time they returned to the camp an _al fresco_ breakfast was ready, half English, half Malay. There were tea and coffee, potted meats and sardines, and side by side with them, delicious Malay curries, made with fresh cocoa-nut, sambals of the most piquant nature, and fresh fish and blachang--that favourite preparation of putrid shrimps. Fruits were in abundance--plantains of various kinds, mangosteens, lychees, and durians smelling strong enough to drive away a dozen Tom Longs, had they been there. In short, the sultan had given orders that his cooks should do their best; similar instructions had been given by Captain Horton and Major Sandars; and the result was a breakfast fit for a prince--who could put up with a picnic and a camp-stool, beneath an umbrageous tree.
"Whatever you gentlemen do," said Doctor Bolter, "pray restrain your appetites. You see," he said, taking his seat cross-legged, like the Malays, in front of a dish of blachang, and its neighbour a delicious chicken curry, "you will to-day be exposed a good deal to the heat of the sun; you will exert yourselves, no doubt; and therefore it is advisable that you should be very moderate in what you eat and drink. Thanks, yes, major, I will take a glass of claret before my coffee. What a thing it is that we can get no milk."
So saying, the doctor set to work, "feeding ferociously," so Captain Horton said, with a laugh, and partaking of everything that took his fancy, finishing off with a cigarette.
The sultan smiled his satisfaction as he sat at the head of the table, eating little himself, but giving instructions from time to time to his slaves that they should hand fruit and other delicacies to the guests that were near him.
The various officers followed the doctor's example, telling one another that they could not be far wrong if they imitated their medical guide. The only one who did not seem to enjoy his meal was Mr Linton, who felt worried, he hardly knew why, about their position.
Now that he was away from the residency, an undefined sense of trouble had come upon him, and he could not help feeling how helpless they must be if the Malays turned against them. Certainly they were all well-armed, and could make a brave fight, perhaps win their way back; but if they did, he felt sure that something would have gone wrong at the island.
The preparations for the fresh start chased away his forebodings, and the packing having been rapidly performed, soldier, sailor, and Malay were soon in motion, the long train winding its way through the dense jungle, with the rattan panniers and howdahs of the elephants brushing the lush verdure on either side.
The morning was deliciously cool, and as they went on and on through the forest shades, where at every turn something bright and beautiful met their gaze, the whole party were in the highest spirits; and the discipline only being kept tight, as to the order in which they marched, the men laughed and talked, sang and smoked, and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.
And certainly it would have moved the spirit of the most cankered denizen of a city to see the beauty of the parasites that clustered and hung from tree to tree. The orchids were of the most brilliant colours; and now and then they passed a lake or pool in the depths of the jungle which would be covered in places with the flower of the lotus, while in every sunny opening the great clusters of nepenthes--the pitcher plant-- brightened the scene.
These latter delighted the Jacks amazingly, and not being allowed to break their ranks, they sent the Malays near them to pick anything that took their fancy. These "monkey cups," as they called them, were constantly picked ostensibly for the purpose of supplying the sailors with a drink, for each contained more or less water; but it was never drunk, for in each there were generally the remains of some unfortunate flies, who had gone down into the treacherous vegetable cavern, and being unable to clamber out had miserably perished.
During the heat of the day there was a halt once more, the Malays staring at the sailors and soldiers sitting about under the trees for a quiet smoke and watching the elephants, which, being relieved of their pads and howdahs, walked straight into a great pool near to which they were halted, and then cooled themselves by drawing their trunks full of water and squirting it all over their sides.
"I'm blest," said one of the Jacks, "if they ain't the rummest beggars I ever see. Just look at that one, Bill. Lor' if he ain't just like a bit o' annymated hingy rubber."
"Ah?" said his mate, "you might fit a pair o' blacksmith's bellows on to the muzzle o' that trunk of his, and then blow him out into a balloon."
"When are we going to begin to hunt tigers?" said another. "Oh, we ain't going to hunt them at all, only keep 'em from coming by us, and driving 'em up to where the orficers are."
"I say," said another sailor, "this here's all very well, but suppose some time or another, when these Malay chaps have got us out into the middle of these woods, they turn upon us, and whip out their krises-- what then?"
"What then?" said a soldier, who heard him; "why then we should have to go through the bayonet exercise in real earnest; but it won't come to that."
Two more days were spent in the journey, and then, upon his guests beginning to manifest some impatience, the sultan announced that they were now on the borders of the tiger country; and that afternoon there were preparations for a beat when a couple of tigers were seen, but they managed to escape.
The sultan smilingly told his guests that at the end of another march the game would be more plentiful; and once more there was a steady tramp along one of the narrow jungle-paths, into a country wilder than ever-- for they were away from the rivers now, and no traces of cultivation had been seen.
There was no dissatisfaction, though, for if the officers shot no tigers they found plenty of jungle-fowl and snipe, upon which they tried their powers with the gun, and made goodly bags of delicious little birds to add to the daily bill of fare.
Another day, and still another, in which the expedition penetrated farther and farther into the forest wild. The officers were delighted, and Doctor Bolter in raptures. He had obtained specimens of the atlas moth, a large flap-winged insect, as large across as a moderate dish; he had shot sun-birds, azure kingfishers, gapers, chatterers, parroquets; and his last achievement had been to kill a boa-constrictor twenty-four feet long.
It was no dangerous monster, but a great sluggish brute, that had hissed at him viciously and then tried to escape. But the doctor had for attendant a very plucky little Malay, appointed by the sultan, and this man was delighted with his task, following the doctor anywhere. Upon this occasion he had come upon the serpent lying coiled up, evidently sleeping off a repast of a heavy kind.
The boy shouted to the doctor, who was trying to stalk a lizard in an open place; and this roused the serpent, which began to uncoil, one fold gliding over the other, while its head was raised and its curious eyes sparkled in the sun.
The boy waited his opportunity, and then darting in cleverly avoided the reptile's teeth, and caught it by the tail, dragging the creature out nearly straight as he called to his master to fire.
The serpent was apparently puzzled by this proceeding, and threw itself round a tree, hissing furiously as it menaced its assailant. Then sending a wave along the free part of its body to the tail, the Malay was driven flying on to his back amidst the canes.
The retreat of the reptile was cut off, though, for this interruption gave the doctor time to come up with his little double fowling-piece, from which a quick shot sent the menacing, quivering head down upon the earth; and then going up, a second shot placed the writhing monster _hors de combat_.
There was no little mirth in the camp as, faint and perspiring profusely, the doctor and his Malay boy came in, slowly dragging the long quivering body of the serpent, which the former at once set to work to skin before it should become offensive. Then the skin was laid raw side upwards, and dressed over with arsenical soap, a dose of which the Malay boy nearly succeeded in swallowing, being attracted by its pleasant aromatic odour.
"Laugh away," said the doctor, "but I mean to have that skin set up and sent to the British Museum, presented by Doctor Bolter," he said importantly.
"Well," said Captain Horton, "for my part I would rather encounter a fierce Malay than one of these writhing creatures. Take care of yourself, doctor, or you'll be constricted."
"Yes," said Major Sandars, entering into the joke, "I'll give orders that every swollen serpent is to be bayonetted and opened if the doctor is missing."
"Laugh away," said the doctor; "I don't mind."
"That's right," said Captain Horton; "but for goodness' sake, man, wash your hands well before you come to dinner."
"All right," said the doctor; and that evening, after dinner, he took the Malay boy into his confidence.
"Look here," he said, "I want to shoot an Argus pheasant. There must be some about here."
"Argus pheasant?" said the Malay boy, staring, and then shaking his head.
"Yes, I heard one last night."
Still the boy shook his head. He had never heard of such a bird.
"Oh, yes, you know what I mean," said the doctor; "they keep in the shelter of the jungle, and are very rarely shot; but I must have one."
The boy shook his head.
"Don't I tell you I heard one last night, after we had camped down? It calls out _Coo-ai_."
"No, no! no, no!" cried the boy; "_Coo-ow, Coo-ow_."
"Yes, that's it," cried the doctor. "You know the bird."
"Yes, know the big spot bird; all eyes," said the boy. "Sees all over himself; like a peacock. Hunter no shoot him, see too much far."
"But I must shoot one," said the doctor.
"Yes, you shoot one," said the boy. "I take you to-night." The doctor rubbed his hands and was delighted; and after the dinner, when the officers and chiefs were sitting smoking and sipping their coffee by the light of the stars, he rose and took his gun, for the Malay boy was waiting.
"Off again, doctor?" cried the major.
"Yes," said the little man, importantly. "I am going, sir, to add to my collection a specimen of the celebrated Argus pheasant--_Phasianus Giganteus_."
"No, no, doctor; no Latin names after dinner," cried several voices.
"As you please, gentlemen," he said.
"The sultan says, shall he send a score of his men to protect you?" cried Captain Horton.
"For goodness' sake no!" cried the doctor in dismay. "My dear sir, this bird is only to be shot by approaching it most cautiously at night, or by laying patiently near its haunts."
"Laying what, doctor--eggs?" said a young officer.
"No, sir; a stick about the back of impertinent puppies," cried the doctor, angrily. "I said lying--lying in wait near the bird's haunts."
"Oh, I beg your pardon," said the young officer; and the doctor went off in dudgeon.
"I say, Thompson," said the major, "don't you be poorly, whatever you do, until the doctor has got over it, or he'll give you such a dose."
"I'll take care, sir," said the young man; and they went on chatting about other things. _