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The Land of the Hibiscus Blossom




(1888)
Country of origin: Australia Australia
Available texts by the same author here Dokument


XXXV. Return of the Professor.

   HECTOR and Collins, from the deck of the Nora, watched the forms of the two excursionists as they passed up the glen and disappeared into the hazy atmosphere; then with a look up and down the river, settled themselves for a comfortable forenoon smoke and talk together.
   They did not anticipate much danger from natives, as they had nearly persuaded themselves by this time that this portion of the land was uninhabited, as they had not seen hitherto the slightest indication of human life--no vestige of smoke or gardens, not a single banana leaf breaking upon the general tree-covered hills, always the signal of natives.
   The men on board had all been imported from the two schooners, Killmann's original crew having entirely disappeared. The Chinaman, who acted as cook, came from the galley of the Sunflower, while the others were Malays and South-Sea Islanders, Malays mostly, and all familiar with and attached to their temporary masters.
   They did not, however, relax in vigilance, although free from anxiety, every man having his loaded weapon to his hand if wanted, and as they swung their legs over the gunwale it was seldom that an instant passed without some glance sweeping their surroundings.
   From the galley wafted apetizing perfumes of roasting flesh, while from the engine-room rose occasionally an aroma of machine-oil not quite so agreeable.
   "I tell you what, mate," observed Collins slowly between his whiffs, "I don't much mind when this exploring of the Professor's comes to an end, and we get once more back to our own diving operations. I don't care much for either of the two gone together up that ere gully, but of the two I'd rather have Nig."
   "They are both bad nuts."
   "None worse, when they get a fair show; but of the two, Nig is most to be trusted. He don't muddle amongst them poison pastes and undrinkable spirits, he's rougher and more like his trade, and you know pretty well when he's on the job; but the other, with his friendship here and friendship there, puts me always in mind of Lucretia Borger."
   "Oh, we are pretty safe, he has no call to get us out of his way," replied Hector.
   "I ain't so sure o' that, mate, with that discovery o' yours over there."
   "He tells me it's useless."
   "If he tells ye that, believe the direct opposite. By the Lord, Hector, I never thought you had found gold until this moment, now I do."
   "So do I, in spite of his telling me the contrary."
   "Whar's your specimen?"
   "The Professor has it, but promises to give it me when we part company."
   "Did he offer it ye, or did you ask for it?"
   "I asked him for it; he wanted to put it amongst his curios."
   "Then see that ye get it, mate; and take my tip, look alive again parting time; we hain't said good-bye yet to the Professor."
   "We must both look up to time, I reckon, then. This new river discovery is worse for us than the gold finding, the Professor don't like to share his finds with white people."
   "Tell you the truth, mate, only that they gave us a hand, and that I would not do a mean action, I'd up steam and cut now, while they are ashore, I would if it wasn't for that and old friendship for Nig."
   "No! we must stick to our post whatever happens, only we'll watch his movements. Besides, we are always three to one, for Nig will side with us, and the boys are all our own on board; he'd try the lot of us if he tried one," said Hector.
   "Still, I'm almost afeard he may dose us."
   "No fear, Johnny will see to that, he is the man most afraid on board, of the Professor; he knows how the last Chinaman went, and don't sleep much when the other is awake."
   "Carolina Joe now is a mate worth calling a mate. I reckon him true as yourself, Hector, when he gives a mate his paw."
   "Yes, he is as white a man as we have in these seas, but Nig will do, so long as ye don't go dead agin him."
   The Chinaman glided forward at this moment.
   "Dinireb, skippels, am on de tably."
   "All right, Johnny, and we can do it."
   "Skippels, me hear de Plofesshy man muttat to himself muchly last night and lookly uncommon ugly when no on nealey."
   "And what do you 'spect, John."
   "Niggly no come back to-day, and den Plofesshy go for you."
   "We'll look out for that, John, boy."
   "Me lookly uncommon libely also."
   They both rose and went into the cabin, the Chinaman following after to act as steward.
   "Fishly belly good, me caught him last night."
   The fish was discussed and found excellent.
   Some blue pigeons came after, dressed à la Chinois, that is chopped up bones and all, after which they had some roast wild pig.
   "Me no cookly the paladisely bild Plofesshy skinned last night, me nclel cook what Plofesshy skin, chuck him ovleybold unless Plofesshy want to eat him himself."
   "You are mighty suspicious, John, about the Professor."
   "John know Plofesshy, dat all 'bout it."
   Both men laughed at John's conclusion, and rose to get their pipes.
   "Canoes coming round bend," laconically shouted out Jack the Malay from his place on deck, which made them both dart to the door.
   Yes, at last they were to see what they had almost given up.
   Three, fishing canoes apparently, two with women inside, and the third containing a couple of natives and half a dozen of boys.
   "Oh, we needn't bother much about that lot," said Collins indifferently, going back for his pipe.
   The natives had not at first seen the Nora as they floated down the stream, but now the appalling sight burst upon them when they were nearly opposite it, and with loud exclamations of surprise and fear they paused on their paddles.
   Yet, on the whole, they seemed much less shy when viewing white men for the first time than many natives whom the two friends had been amongst, and after shouting the Moresby dialect to them, "Mai! Mai!" several times they appeared to comprehend that the strangers were friends and meant "peace," for the canoe with the men came very close and waited for the next advance.
   Eventually, after proffering several articles, such as beads, gaudy bits of cotton, sticks of tobacco (it was like luring on a bird that you wish to capture) the men handed the wares over the ship's sides, which were taken by the male natives and given over on the blades of their paddles to the women who took possession of them. The full act of friendship was consummated when Collins passed over a handful of salt; the men tasted, first doubtfully, then eagerly, handing over a very small share to the women, who no sooner tasted it than they at once impulsively paddled over to the side with pleased grimaces, holding up their hands for the rope which was cast to them to lift them aboard.
   The day is waning before the treaty is quite concluded, but now they are all squatted on deck telling the two friends, in a language from which they can distinguish as nearly approaching the Motu dialect, that their village is near at hand up in a valley about four miles from where they are anchored, and that they are not so numerous as they were owing to a very powerful and savage tribe which occupy the mountains.
   "Are they also near at hand?" inquired Collins.
   "Oh no, they live several days' march distant, but come down sometimes on a marauding expedition, and then we have to fly."
   "You like Kiki?" asked Collins, pointing to his own arm as he spoke.
   "No! no!" with motions of disgust. "The hill fellows kill and eat."
   As they are still conversing, a distant shot fired in the gully attracts their notice.
   "By Jove, that is our party, and in danger. Quick, boys, let us go ashore and help them."
   Hector decides to stay on board to look after the ship, so Collins, taking his revolver and guns, while the two natives offer to accompany him and three of the Malays, row over to the water-edge and leap ashore.
   "Keep the boat ready here when we come back," says Collins to one of the boys, while the four others follow him as he rushes up the glen.
   Two more revolver reports, nearer at hand, greet their ears as they approach the bend of the rocks and then they are round it, and can see the Professor staggering towards them with his shirt torn from his back, hatless and ghastly.
   Is this the same man who left them that morning, whom they rush forward to lift up? He has stumbled forward on his face, and they can see a couple of arrows protruding from his back.
   His curly hair looks bleached and grey, and when Collins lifts him up, the face is pinched like the face of an old man.
   "Killmann! Rouse up, old fellow."
   The Professor opens his lids for a moment, staring wildly at Collins, then, even as he tries to speak, falls back in a swoon.
   "Look out, Boss," cries one of the Malays, and Collins is on his feet once more to see a dark band of savage-looking gigantic men swarming over the rocks.
   "Fire, boys, steady," cries the leader, and the three rifles pour out their deadly contents, bringing down an equal number of the advancing crowd, and causing the others to fall back for a moment, while the two friendly natives bend their heads and put their fingers into their ears.
   Collins beckons to the natives to lift the prostrate man and carry him on before them, and both being tall fellows stoop and pick him up at once, and between them begin the retreat towards the boat, while the three armed men once more face the enemy and cover the others, as they struggle over the uneven ground.
   The two friendly natives were tall fellows, with good-tempered faces and light-coloured skins, differing in this respect from the enemy who were more like negroes than the ordinary type of Papuans. As they stooped to lift up the unconscious Professor, they gently took hold of the arrow ends between their fingers, and broke them off near to the wounds, but did not attempt to pull them out.
   Although expressing great fear of their enemies when they first appeared, as they saw the effect of the shots they lost all sense of apprehension, and went along intent only upon their burden, without looking behind and evincing an utter trust in the master white man to have power to protect them, when he had such tremendous powers at his command to destroy.
   How numerous the opposing forces were, they had no means of calculating, as only a few of the foremost had as yet fully appeared over the rocks, but before they sank from sight they had a view of the topknots from many a woolly mop for a considerable distance up the glen, as they hurried down to join their comrades in the front.
   A few moments of silence followed after the first volley, during which pause the natives managed to get their burden round the corner, then Collins, with a parting volley, aimed at whatever the rocks did not cover, turned quickly to follow.
   A shower of arrows at once whistled from behind the rocks, falling far short of the men retreating.
   When they reached the bend they could see that the two natives were striding along half-way to the boat in which the Malay waited.
   "Hold firm here till they get him down, then make a run for it."
   The savages seeing them run had made a rush after them, but upon this sudden halt they shrank back, and seemed inclined to turn tail. However, when they had paused irresolute the ground was comparatively clear, so that those in front could find no shelter to get behind, while the others in the rear were pressing on, and unable to retreat.
   The Papuan will run when he can, but if that is impossible, he will fight as desperately as the bravest: it is in moments of emergency such as this that the brute courage seems to rise superior to his natural timidity at this strange mode of warfare.
   The rifle was a mystery to him, and mystery ever demoralizes mankind.
   But now that there was no escape, their irresolution was only momentary, and with a blood-curdling yell they came on again at a run, the rocks behind seeming to disgorge dark figures, which swarmed over their tops and leaped down into the rushing stream.
   "Fire as fast as you can and bolt, they have reached the boat."
   Thirteen shots from the Winchester at Collins' shoulder, and two from the Malay double barrels surrounded them with a veil of smoke, under which they turned and ran, loading as they did so.
   Another stand and volley half-way down, as through the clearing vapours they could see the indistinct figures, and hear the appalling yells and shrieks. Then the next run brought them to the boat, into which they all sprang, and pushed off.
   "Fire from the deck," shouted Collins to Hector, as they pulled round the stern, so as to place the Nora between them and the enemy till they could get on board.
   "Aim anywhere, you're sure to hit something, for they are as thick as gooseberries."
   Hector and the boys on board blazed away as directed, while Collins clambered up the sides and bent over to help up the wounded man.
   "Up with the anchor, and draw off a bit," ordered Hector, as he loaded once more, and watched the smoke clearing.
   The anchor is up, and they draw across the stream with their stern towards the gully.
   "Pitch a charge from the big gun into them."
   A blind aim was directed straight inwards, and fired with a thundrous din, which caused the friendly natives, male and female, to fall flat on their faces, and lie there trembling till the smoke had rolled away.
   Then they saw the savages who were not shot, gathered about the water's edge, gesticulating wildly and impotently towards them, while further in were dark figures lying in all positions still, or trying vainly to raise themselves from the ground and the dashing shallow stream, which flowed over them as they lay.
Chapter 36 >