Robert Michael Ballantyne – The Complete Collection

Chapter 84

"I suppose," he said in a careless way, "that none of the islands are big enough to contain many of the larger wild animals."

"My friend," returned Van der Kemp, with a smile of urbanity, as he refilled his pipe, "it is evident that you do not know much about our archipelago. Borneo, to the woods and wild animals of which I hope ere long to introduce you, is so large that if you were to put your British islands, including Ireland, down on it they would be engulphed and surrounded by a sea of forests. New Guinea is, perhaps, larger than Borneo. Sumatra is only a little smaller. France is not so large as some of our islands. Java, Luzon, and Celebes are each about equal in size to Ireland. Eighteen more islands are, on the average, as large as Jamaica, more than a hundred are as large as the Isle of Wight, and the smaller isles and islets are innumerable. In short, our archipelago is comparable with any of the primary divisions of the globe, being full 4000 miles in length from east to west and about 1,300 in breadth from north to south, and would in extent more than cover the whole of Europe."

It was evident to Nigel that he had at length succeeded in opening the floodgates. The hermit paused for a few moments and puffed at the meerschaum, while Moses glared at his master with absorbed interest, and pulled at the cigarette with such oblivious vigour that he drew it into his mouth at last, spat it out, and prepared another. Nigel sat quite silent and waited for more.

"As to trade," continued Van der Kemp, resuming his discourse in a lower tone, "why, of gold--the great representative of wealth--we export from Sumatra alone over 26,000 ounces annually, and among other gold regions we have a Mount Ophir in the Malay Peninsula from which there is a considerable annual export."

Continuing his discourse, Van der Kemp told a great deal more about the products of these prolific islands with considerable enthusiasm--as one who somewhat resented the underrating of his native land.

"Were you born in this region, Van der Kemp?" asked Nigel, during a brief pause.

"I was--in Java. My father, as my name tells, was of Dutch descent. My mother was Irish. Both are dead."

He stopped. The fire that had been aroused seemed to die down, and he continued to smoke with the sad absent look which was peculiar to him.

"And what about large game?" asked Nigel, anxious to stir up his friend's enthusiasm again, but the hermit had sunk back into his usual condition of gentle dreaminess, and made no answer till the question had been repeated.

"Pardon me," he said, "I was dreaming of the days that are gone. Ah! Nigel; you are yet too young to understand the feelings of the old--the sad memories of happy years that can never return: of voices that are hushed for ever. No one can know till he has felt !"

"But you are not old," said Nigel, wishing to turn the hermit's mind from a subject on which it seemed to dwell too constantly.

"Not in years," he returned; "but old, very old in experience, and--stay, what was it that you were asking about? Ah, the big game. Well, we have plenty of that in some of the larger of the islands; we have the elephant, the rhinoceros, the tiger, the puma, that great man-monkey the orang-utan, or, as it is called here, the mias, besides wild pigs, deer, and innumerable smaller animals and birds--"

The hermit stopped abruptly and sat motionless, with his head bent on one side, like one who listens intently. Such an action is always infectious. Nigel and the n***o also listened, but heard nothing.

By that time the fire had died down, and, not being required for warmth, had not been replenished. The faint light of the coming moon, which, however, was not yet above the horizon, only seemed to render darkness visible, so that the figure of Moses was quite lost in the shadow of the bush behind him, though the whites of his solemn eyes appeared like two glow-worms.

"Do you hear anything?" asked Nigel in a low tone.

"Oars," answered the hermit.

"I hear 'im, massa ," whispered the n***o, "but das not su'prisin'--plenty boats about."

"This boat approaches the island, and I can tell by the sound that it is a large prau . If it touches here it will be for the purpose of spending the night, and Malay boatmen are not always agreeable neighbours. However, it is not likely they will ramble far from where they land, so we may escape observation if we keep quiet."

As he spoke he emptied the remains of the coffee on the dying fire and effectually put it out.

Meanwhile the sound of oars had become quite distinct, and, as had been anticipated, the crew ran their boat into one of the sandy bays and leaped ashore with a good deal of shouting and noise. Fortunately they had landed on the opposite side of the islet, and as the bush on it was very dense there was not much probability of any one crossing over. Our voyagers therefore lay close, resolving to be off in the morning before the unwelcome visitors were stirring.

As the three lay there wrapped in their blankets and gazing contemplatively at the now risen moon, voices were heard as if of men approaching. It was soon found that two of the strangers had sauntered round by the beach and were slowly drawing near the encampment.

Nigel observed that the hermit had raised himself on one elbow and seemed to be again listening intently.

The two men halted on reaching the top of the ridges of rock which formed one side of the little bay, and their voices became audible though too far distant to admit of words being distinguishable. At the same time their forms were clearly defined against the sky.

Nigel glanced at Van der Kemp and was startled by the change that had come over him. The moonbeams, which had by that time risen above some intervening shrubs, shone full on him and showed that his usually quiet gentle countenance was deadly pale and transformed by a frown of almost tiger-like ferocity. So strange and unaccountable did this seem to our hero that he lay quite still, as if spell-bound. Nor did his companions move until the strangers, having finished their talk, turned to retrace their steps and finally disappeared.

Then Van der Kemp rose with a sigh of relief. The n***o and Nigel also sprang up.

"What's wrong, massa ?" asked Moses, in much anxiety.

"Nothing, nothing," said the hermit hurriedly. "I must cross over to see these fellows."

"All right, massa. I go wid you."

"No, I go alone."

"Not widout arms?" exclaimed the n***o , laying his hand on his master's shoulder.

"Yes, without arms!" As he spoke he drew the long knife that usually hung at his girdle and flung it down. "Now attend, both of you," he added, with sudden and almost threatening earnestness.

"Do not on any account follow me. I am quite able to take care of myself."

Next moment he glided into the bushes and was gone.

"Can you guess what is the matter with him ?" asked Nigel, turning to his companion with a perplexed look.

"Not more nor de man ob de moon. I nebber saw'd 'im like dat before. I t'ink he's go mad! I tell you what--I'll foller him wid a rifle an' knife and two revolvers."

"You'll do nothing of the sort," said Nigel, laying hold of the n***o's wrist with a grip of iron; "when a man like Van der Kemp gives an order it's the duty of inferior men like you and me strictly to obey."

"Well--p'raps you're right, Nadgel," returned Moses calmly. "If you wasn't , I'd knock you into de middle ob nixt week for takin' a grip o' me like dat."

"You'll wish yourself into the middle of next fortnight if you disobey orders," returned our hero, tightening the grip.

Moses threw back his head, opened his cavern, and laughed silently; at the same time he twisted his arm free with a sudden wrench.

" You's awrful strong, Nadgel, but you don't quite come up to n*****s! Howse'ber, you's right. I'll obey orders; neberdeless I'll get ready for action."

So saying, the n***o extracted from the canoe several revolvers, two of which he handed to Nigel, two he thrust into his own belt, and two he laid handy for "massa" when he should return.

"Now, if you're smart at arit'metic, you'll see dat six time six am t'irty-six, and two double guns das forty--forty dead men's more 'n enuff--besides de knives."

Moses had barely finished these deadly preparations when Van der Kemp returned as quietly as he had gone. His face was still fierce and haggard, and his manner hurried though quite decided.

"I have seen him," he said, in a low voice.

"Seen who?" asked Nigel.

"Him whom I had hoped and prayed never more to see. My enemy! Come, quick, we must leave at once, and without attracting their notice."

He gave his comrades no time to put further questions, but laid hold of one end of the canoe; Moses took the other end and it was launched in a few seconds, while Nigel carried down such part of the lading as had been taken out. Five minutes sufficed to put all on board, and that space of time was also sufficient to enable Spinkie to observe from his retreat in the bushes that a departure was about to take place; he therefore made for the shore with all speed and bounded to his accustomed place beside the mast.

Taking their places they pushed off so softly that they might well have been taken for phantoms. A cloud conveniently hid the moon at the time. Each man plied his paddle with noiseless but powerful stroke, and long before the cloud uncovered the face of the Queen of Night they were shooting far away over the tranquil sea.

CHAPTER XII.

WEATHERING A STORM IN THE OPEN SEA.

In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet. Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.

Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.

"I don't like the look of the sky," he said at last. "We are going to have a squall, I fear."

"Had we not better run for the nearest land?" said Nigel, who, although not yet experienced in the signs of the weather in those equatorial regions, had quite enough of knowledge to perceive that bad weather of some sort was probably approaching.

"The nearest island is a good way off," returned the hermit, "and we might miss it in the dark, for daylight won't help us yet awhile. No, we will continue our course and accept what God sends."

This remark seemed to our hero to savour of unreasoning contempt of danger, for the facing of a tropical squall in such an eggshell appeared to him the height of folly. He ventured to reply, therefore, in a tone of remonstrance--

"God sends us the capacity to appreciate danger, Van der Kemp, and the power to take precautions."

"He does, Nigel--therefore I intend to use both the capacity and the power."