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diff --git a/40364.txt b/40364.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 0778da5..0000000 --- a/40364.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8912 +0,0 @@ - THE BLUE RAIDER - - - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Title: The Blue Raider - A Tale of Adventure in the Southern Seas - -Author: Herbert Strang - -Release Date: July 28, 2012 [EBook #40364] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: US-ASCII - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLUE RAIDER *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines. - - - - -[Illustration: Cover] - - - -[Illustration: "WITH THEIR ARMS STILL BOUND FIRMLY TO THEIR SIDES, THE -PRISONERS STUMBLED THROUGH THE FOREST."] - - - - - THE BLUE RAIDER - - A TALE OF ADVENTURE - IN THE SOUTHERN SEAS - - - BY - - HERBERT STRANG - - - - ILLUSTRATED BY - C. E. BROCK - - - - - HUMPHREY MILFORD - OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS - LONDON, EDINBURGH, GLASGOW - TORONTO, MELBOURNE, CAPE TOWN, BOMBAY - 1920 - - - - - HERBERT STRANG - - _Complete List of Stories_ - - -ADVENTURES OF DICK TREVANION, THE -ADVENTURES OF HARRY ROCHESTER, THE -A GENTLEMAN AT ARMS -A HERO OF LIEGE -AIR PATROL, THE -AIR SCOUT, THE -BARCLAY OF THE GUIDES -BLUE RAIDER, THE -BOYS OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE -BROWN OF MOUKDEN -BURTON OF THE FLYING CORPS -CARRY ON -CRUISE OF THE GYRO-CAR, THE -FIGHTING WITH FRENCH -FLYING BOAT, THE -FRANK FORESTER -HUMPHREY BOLD -JACK HARDY -KING OF THE AIR -KOBO -LORD OF THE SEAS -MOTOR SCOUT, THE -OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN, THE -ONE OF CLIVE'S HEROES -PALM TREE ISLAND -ROB THE RANGER -ROUND THE WORLD IN SEVEN DAYS -SAMBA -SETTLERS AND SCOUTS -SULTAN JIM -SWIFT AND SURE -THROUGH THE ENEMY'S LINES -TOM BURNABY -TOM WILLOUGHBY'S SCOUTS -WITH DRAKE ON THE SPANISH MAIN -WITH HAIG ON THE SOMME - - - - - CONTENTS - - I. A BEACH IN NEW GUINEA - II. THE DRUMS - III. THE CHIMNEY - IV. MR. HAAN - V. IN THE TOILS - VI. THE TOTEM - VII. REMINISCENCES - VIII. A RECONNAISSANCE - IX. COMPLICATIONS - X. THE CAST OF THE DIE - XI. THE ORDEAL OF EPHRAIM MEEK - XII. THE LEDGE - XIII. A FORCED LANDING - XIV. AN INTERLUDE - XV. DUK-DUK - XVI. FLIGHT - XVII. THE ATTACK ON THE VILLAGE - XVIII. THE AVALANCHE - XIX. AT ARM'S LENGTH - XX. THE LAST RAID - XXI. JUSTICE - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - _Frontispiece in Colour_ - -'With their arms still bound firmly to their sides, the prisoners -stumbled through the forest.' (See page 97.) - - -'Come up and have a look at this, Meek' - -'Now 's the time!' - -Up and up, foot by foot, arrows whizzing and clicking - -'Feel better?' - -'The Raider!' - -A score of dusky natives burst into the ring - -Grinson marched in at the head of a procession - -'Who says I ain't tattooed?' - -With every step the descent became steeper - -Kafulu sprang upon Meek from behind - -The German flung a pail of water over the unconscious Meek - -Noiselessly on his stocking soles tip-toed after the German - -One of the Germans raised his revolver, but before he could fire, Hoole -launched the spear at him - -The leader of the dancers was just approaching when there was a roar, -and the whirring propeller set up a hurricane which caught at his dress - -Grinson let out a bellow like the blast of a fog-horn, and sprang from -the trees, followed by a horde of natives - -Grinson gave the boulder a shove in the desired direction - -With a thunderous crash it struck the side of the vessel a few feet -below the rail - -Quickly they set their ladders against the barricade, and began to swarm -up - - - - - CHAPTER I - - A BEACH IN NEW GUINEA - - -''Tis a matter of twenty-five years since I was in a fix like this -'ere,' said the boatswain, ruminatively, turning a quid in his cheek. -'Ephraim, me lad, you can bear me out?' - -'I can't rightly say as I can, Mr. Grinson,' said Ephraim, in his husky -voice, 'but I 'll try.' - -The boatswain threw a leg over the stern-post of the much-battered -ship's boat that lay listed over just beyond the breakers of a rough -sea, and cast a glance at the two young men who stood, with hands in -pockets, gazing up at the cliffs. Their backs were towards him; they -had either not heard, or were disinclined to notice what he had said. - -'Ay, 'twas twenty-six year ago,' he resumed, in a voice like the note of -an organ pipe. 'We was working between Brisbane and the Solomons, -blackbirding and what not; 'twas before your time, young gents, but----' - -'What's that you 're saying?' demanded one of the two whose backs he had -addressed. - -'I was saying, sir, as how I was in a fix like this 'ere twenty-seven -year ago, or it may be twenty-eight: Ephraim's got the head for figures. -We was working between Brisbane and the Carolines--a tight little -schooner she was, light on her heels. You can bear me out, Ephraim?' - -'If so be 'twas the same craft, light and tight she was,' Ephraim -agreed. - -'Well, a tidal wave come along and pitched her clean on to a beach like -as this might be--not a beach as you could respect, with bathing-boxes -and a promenade, but a narrow strip of a beach, a reg'lar fraud of a -beach, under cliffs as high as a church...' - -'Say, Grinson, get a move on,' drawled the second of the two younger -men. 'What about your beach? How does it help us, anyway?' - -'Well, look at the difference, sir. There we was: schooner gone to -pieces, a score of us cast ashore, three of us white men, the rest -Kanakas. 'Tis thirty years since, but the recollection of them awful -days gives me the 'orrors. My two white mates--the Kanakas ate 'em, -being 'ungry. I drops a veil over that 'orrible tragedy. Being about a -yard less in the waist than I am to-day, I was nimble as a monkey, and -went up those cliffs like greased lightning, broke off chunks of rock -weighing anything up to half a ton, and pitched 'em down on the Kanakas -scrambling up after me, panting for my gore. For three days and nights I -kept 'em at bay, and my arms got so used to flinging down rocks that -when I was rescued by a boat's crew from a Dutch schooner they kept on -a-working regular as a pendulum, and they had to put me in a strait -jacket till I was run down. You can bear me out, Ephraim, me lad?' - -'I can't exactly remember all them particlers, Mr. Grinson, but truth 's -truth, and 'tis true ye 've led a wonderful life, and stranger things -have happened to ye--that I will say on my oath.' - -'You were one of the two that were eaten, I suppose?' said the young man -who had first spoken, eyeing Ephraim with a quizzical smile. - -'Gee! That's the part Grinson dropped a veil over,' said the other. -'What's the moral of your pretty fairy story, Grinson?' - -'Moral, sir? 'Tis plain.' He opened his brass tobacco-box, and -deliberately twisted up another quid. Then he said impressively: 'Dog -don't eat dog; otherways we 're all white men, and there 's no Kanakas.' - -Phil Trentham laughed, a little ruefully. - -'We may have to eat each other yet,' he said. Then, waving his arms -towards the cliffs, he added: 'The prospect doesn't please--what do you -make of it?' - - -The situation in which the four men found themselves had certainly no -element of cheerfulness. They were the sole survivors from a tramp -steamer which, on the previous day, had fallen a prey to a German -raider. After a night's tossing in their small open boat, they had been -cast up on this unknown shore, and when they examined the craft, -marvelled that they escaped with their lives. Collision with a rock -that just peeped above the breakers some fifty yards out had stove, in -her garboard-strakes, a hole through which a man might creep. Luckily, -the bag of ship's biscuits, which, with a keg of water, formed their -whole stock of provisions, had not been washed out or injured. - -But what of the future? The narrow strip of sandy beach on which they -had been thrown stretched along the foot of high precipitous cliffs that -showed a concave arc to the sea. At each horn a rocky headland jutted -far out, its base washed high by the waves. The cliffs were rugged and -appeared unscalable, even with the aid of the tufts of vegetation that -sprouted here and there from fissures in their weather-beaten face. It -seemed that they were shut in between the cliffs and the sea, penned -between the headlands, confined to this strip of sand, perhaps two miles -long, from which there was apparently no landward exit. Their boat was -unseaworthy; there was no way of escape by land or sea. - -Phil Trentham, working copra on a remote island of the South Pacific, -had learnt of the outbreak of war some months after the event, and taken -passage on the first steamer that called, intending to land at the -nearest port and thence to make his way to some centre of enlistment. -Among the few passengers he had chummed up with a young fellow about his -own age--one Gordon P. Hoole, who hailed from Cincinnati, had plenty of -money, and was touring the Pacific Islands in tramp steamers for -amusement. Each was in his twentieth year, stood about five feet ten, -and wore a suit of ducks and a cowboy hat; there the likeness between -them ended. Trentham was fair, Hoole dark. The former had full ruddy -cheeks, broad shoulders, and massive arms and calves; the latter was -lean and rather sallow, more wiry than muscular. Trentham parted his -hair; Hoole's rose erect from his brow like a short thick thatch. Both -had firm lips and jaws, and their eyes, unlike in colour, were keen with -intelligence and quick with humour. - -Their two companions in misfortune presented an odd contrast to them and -to each other. Josiah Grinson, forty-eight years of age, was five feet -six in height, immensely broad, with a girth of nearly sixty inches, -arms as thick as an average man's legs, and legs like an elephant's. -His broad, deeply bronzed face, in the midst of which a small nose, over -a long clean upper lip, looked strangely disproportionate, was fringed -with a thick mass of wiry black hair. Little eyes of steely blue gazed -out upon the world with a hard unwinking stare. He wore a dirty white -sweater, much-patched blue trousers, and long boots. His big voice was -somewhat monotonous in intonation, and he had been known to doze in the -middle of a sentence, wake up and continue without a flaw in the -construction. - -Ephraim Meek, who had been mate to Grinson's boatswain for about a -quarter of a century, was a head taller, but lost the advantage of his -inches through a forward stoop of his gaunt frame. Where Grinson was -convex Meek was concave. His hollow cheeks were covered with -straggling, mouse-coloured hair; his long thin nose made him look more -inquisitive than he really was; his faded grey eyes, slightly asquint, -seemed to be drawn as by a magnet to the countenance of his superior. -Meek was a whole-hearted admirer of the boatswain, and their long -association was marred by only one thing--a perpetual struggle between -Meek's personal devotion and his conscientious regard for veracity. No -one knew what pangs Grinson's frequent appeals to 'Ephraim, me lad,' to -'bear him out' cost the anxious man. But he had always managed to -satisfy the boatswain without undue violence to his own scruples, and -Grinson had never felt the strain. - - -'What do I make of it?' repeated Hoole. 'Nix!' - -'Where do you suppose we are, Grinson?' asked Trentham. - -'I ain't good at supposing, sir, but I know we 're somewheres on the -north coast of New Guinea,' Grinson replied. 'Which I mean to say it's -inhabited by cannibals, and I was nearly eat once myself. 'Twas twenty -or maybe twenty-one years ago, when----' - -'By and by, Grinson,' interrupted Trentham. 'It's a gruesome story, no -doubt, and we 'll fumigate it with our last go-to-bed pipe.' - -'Just so,' Hoole put in. 'I guess we 'd better explore. It don't feel -good on this beach.' - -'Certainly. To save time we 'd better split up. You take Grinson and -go one way; I 'll go the other with Meek. Whoever sees a way up the -cliffs, signal to the others.' - -They paired off, and walked in opposite directions along the sand. A -line of seaweed some thirty feet from the cliffs indicated high-water -mark, and relieved them of any fear of being engulfed by the tide. - -Trentham and Meek had struck off to the west, and as they went along -they scanned the rugged face of the cliffs for a place where it would be -possible to scale them. For nearly half a mile they roamed on in -silence; Meek was one of those persons who do not invite conversation. -Then, however, the seaman came to a halt. - -'I wouldn't swear to it, sir,' he said in his deprecating way, 'but if -you 'll slew your eyes a point or two off the cliffs, I do believe you -'ll see the stump of a mast.' - -He raised his lank hand and pointed. - -'That won't help us much,' said Trentham, looking towards a pocket of -sand some distance above high-water mark, and surrounded by straggling -bushes. 'We can't sail off in a wreck.' - -'That's true as gospel, sir, but it came into my mind, like, that where -there 's a mast there 's a hull, and p'r'aps it 'll give us a doss-house -for the night.' - -'It 'll be choked with sand. Still, we 'll have a look at it.' - -They walked towards the spot where four or five feet of a jagged mast -stood up apparently from the embedding sand. As they emerged from the -surrounding bushes they discovered parts of the bulwarks projecting a -few inches above a mound of silted-up sand, a little higher than their -heads. Clambering up the easiest slope, and stepping over the rotting -woodwork, Trentham gave a low whistle of surprise. - -'Come up and have a look at this, Meek,' he said to the man standing in -his bent-kneed attitude below. - -[Illustration: 'COME UP AND HAVE A LOOK AT THIS, MEEK.'] - -Meek came to his side, and drew his fingers through his thin whiskers as -he contemplated the scene before him. Then he turned his eyes on -Trentham, and from him to the cliffs and the beach around. - -'Rum, sir!' he ejaculated. 'Uncommon rum!' - -While the greater part of the vessel was deep in sand, a certain area of -the deck around the base of the mast was covered with only a thin layer, -through which the iron ring of a hatch was clearly visible. On all -sides of it the sand appeared to have been cleared away, and heaped up -like a regular rampart. - -'Some one has been here, and not so long ago,' said Trentham. 'It's -certainly queer. See if you can lift the hatch; we may as well go -below.' - -Meek hesitated. - -'If so be there 's cannibals----' he began. - -'Nonsense! They wouldn't be stifling under hatches.' - -'Or maybe dead corpses or skellingtons.' - -'Come, pull up the hatch; I 'll go down first.' - -Brushing away the thin covering of sand, Meek seized the ring and -heaved. The hatch came up so easily that he almost lost his balance. - -'The stairway 's quite sound,' said Trentham, peering into the depths. -'Stand by!' - -He stepped upon the companion, and descended. In a few seconds Meek -heard the striking of a match, and Trentham's voice ringing out of the -vault. - -'Come down, Meek; there are no skeletons.' - -Meek looked around timorously, sighed, and went slowly down the ladder. -Trentham had just struck another match, and was holding it aloft. The -flame disclosed a small cabin, the floor space almost filled with a -massive table and three chairs of antique make, all of dark oak. Upon -the table lay an old sextant, a long leather-bound telescope, a large -mug of silver-gilt, heavily chased, a silver spoon, and several smaller -objects. On the wall hung a large engraved portrait in a carved oak -frame, representing a stout, hook-nosed, heavily wigged gentleman in -eighteenth century costume, with a sash across the shoulder and many -stars and decorations on the breast. - -Meek breathed heavily. The match went out. - -'I can't afford to use all my matches,' said Trentham. 'Run up and cut -a branch from a bush; that'll serve for a torch for the present. And -signal to the others.' - -'I don't hardly like to say it, sir, but I 'm afeard as my weak voice -won't reach so far.' - -'My good man, you 've got long arms. Wave 'em about. Climb up the mast. -Use your gumption!' - -Meek mounted to the deck, and Trentham smiled as he heard a husky voice -shouting, 'Ahoy!' After some minutes the man returned with a thick dry -branch. - -'I give a hail, sir, and flung my arms about frantic, and Mr. Grinson, -he seed me. I can't say he heard me, not being sure. He 've a -wonderful voice himself--wonderful, and I heard him answer as clear as a -bell.' - -'That's all right!' said Trentham, lighting the branch. 'We 've made a -discovery, Meek.' - -'Seemingly, sir. I 'm fair mazed, and that's the truth of it. Who -might be the old soldier yonder, and what's he wear that thing on his -head for? He ain't a sea captain, that I 'll swear, and I wonder at any -sailor-man sticking up a soldier's picture in his cabin.' - -'You 're quite right, Meek,' replied Trentham, who had been scrutinising -the portrait. 'The old soldier, as you call him, is a king.' - -'You don't say so, sir! Where's his crown, then?' - -'Ah, I wonder where! The poor man lost his crown and his head too. -It's Louis XVI., King of France a hundred years ago and more. Here it is -in French, below the engraving: "Engraved after the portrait by -Champfleury." We 're in a French vessel, Meek--the ship of some French -explorer, no doubt, who was wrecked here goodness knows how many years -ago.' - -Meek looked around again, and slightly shivered. - -'I wonder what they did with the bones?' he murmured. - -'What bones?' - -'The cannibals, I mean, sir, when they 'd eat the captain and crew.' - -'You 've a ghastly imagination, Meek. A question more to the point is, -how it happens that these things remain here, so well preserved. There -'s very little sand on the floor, as you see; any one would think that -somebody comes here now and then to tidy up. Would your cannibals do -that, do you think?' - -'I wouldn't like to say, sir. I 'll ask Mr. Grinson; he knows 'em, -being nearly eat himself. But I don't know who 'd have a good word for -cannibals.' - -'At any rate, they aren't thieves. This mug, for instance, is silver -gilt, and of some value; here 's a coat-of-arms engraved on it, and it -must have been polished not very long ago. Yes, it has been rubbed with -sand; look at the slight scratches. I 'm beginning to think rather well -of your cannibals.' - -'Touch wood, sir,' said Meek earnestly. 'I wouldn't say a thing like -that, not till I knowed. And as for thieves--well, if a man's bad -enough to eat another man, he 's bad enough to be a thief, and if he -ain't a thief, 'tis because he don't know the vally of things. Ignorance -is a terrible unfortunate calamity.' - -A sonorous bellow from above caused Meek to jump. - -'There, now!' he said. 'My head 's full of cannibals, and 'tis Mr. -Grinson. We 're down below!' he called. - -'Is the place afire?' asked Grinson, sniffing, as he bent his head over -the hatchway. 'I thought 'twas Mr. Trentham smoking when I seed the -smoke, but I see you 're disinfecting the cabin, sir, and I don't -wonder. This 'ere wreck must have been collecting germs a good few -years.' - -'Come down, Grinson,' said Trentham. 'Where 's Mr. Hoole?' - -'Taking a look up the chimbley, sir.' - -'What chimney?' - -'Well, that's what he called it; for myself I 'd call it a crack.' He -came ponderously down the ladder. 'Jiminy! Ephraim, me lad, you never -tidied up so quick in your life before.' - -'I can't truthfully say as I tidied up, Mr. Grinson,' said Meek. ''Tis -uncommon tidy for a cabin, that's a fact.' - -'Picters, too! The master o' this 'ere ship must have been a rum cove!' - -'He was a Frenchman, Mr. Trentham says.' - -'That accounts for it. I remember a French captain----' - -The chimney, Grinson,' Trentham interrupted. 'You haven't explained----' - -'True, sir; it was took out of my mind, seeing things what I didn't -expect. As we come along, sir, Mr. Hoole he says: "Ain't that a -chimbley?" "Where?" says I, not seeing no pot nor cowl. "There!" says -he, and he points to what I 'd call a long crack in the cliff.' - -'Where is it?' - -'About half a cable length astern, sir. Mr. Hoole went to have a look -at it. Here he is!' - -'Phew! That torch of yours is rather a stinker!' said Hoole, springing -lightly down the ladder. 'My! This is interesting, Trentham. I -wondered where the path led.' - -'You 've found a path?' - -'Sure! Didn't you see it?' - -'No. The fact is, Meek and I were so much taken up with the wreck that -we forgot everything else. But we didn't see any footprints in the -sand.' - -'There are none about here, except yours. The path is way back a few -yards. I caught sight of a narrow fissure in the cliff, what we call a -chimney in the Rockies. I pushed through the undergrowth to take a keek -at it, and came upon distinct signs of a beaten track, leading straight -to the chimney. That's barely wide enough to admit a man; Grinson would -stick, I guess; but 'tis surely used as a passage. There are notches -cut in the cliff at regular intervals.' - -'Then we can get away?' - -'Sure! All but Grinson, that is. We 'd have to leave him behind.' - -'Don't say so, sir,' said Meek. 'Mr. Grinson 's not so fat as he -was--not by a long way. I 'm afeard if he stays, I must stay too.' - -'Thank 'ee, Ephraim, me lad,' said Grinson warmly. 'But Mr. Hoole is -pulling my leg. You take him too serious; he 's a gentleman as will -have his joke. He wouldn' go for to desert two poor seamen.' - -'I never could understand a joke--never!' said Meek. ''Tis a -misfortune, but so I was born.' - -Hoole and Trentham, meanwhile, had been examining the relics and -discussing the bearing of their discoveries on the situation. - -'It's quite clear that the wreck is visited,' said Trentham. - -'By natives, of course. Why? How often? It doesn't matter much, -except that if we saw them, we might get a notion as to whether we could -safely go among them and get their help. You are sure the chimney is -climbable?' - -'Certain. The notches are deep, and you could set your back against the -opposite wall and climb without using your hands.' - -'I 'll have a look at it. Then we had better go back to our boat, get -some grub, and talk things over. It's too late to go in for further -adventures to-day.' - -'That's so. Say, I 'd leave the hatch off for a while. The place -reeks--it would give us away.' - -'Right! We 'll clear out. The men can keep guard above while we 're -examining that chimney.' - - - - - CHAPTER II - - THE DRUMS - - -An hour later they were seated in the boat, nibbling biscuits and taking -turns to sip at the water in their keg. - -'Now that we 've proved that Grinson can just squeeze into the chimney,' -said Hoole, 'I guess we had better climb to-morrow and take a look -round. But what then? What do you know about this blamed island, -Grinson?' - -'Not as much as you could stuff into a pipe, in a manner of speaking,' -said Grinson. 'A few years ago I spent a couple of weeks in Moresby and -round about--you can bear me out, Ephraim, me lad--and I know no more -than what I picked up there. That's on the south-east: we 're on the -north, on what's German ground, or was; and by all that's said, the -Germans never took much trouble to do more than hoist their flag. They -'ve got a port somewhere, but whether we 're east of it or west of it, I -don't know no more than the dead.' - -'So when we climb, we shan't know which way to go,' said Trentham. 'Yet -our only chance is to make along the coast till we reach some white -settlement, unless we could manage to attract attention on some passing -ship. You don't know what the natives are like hereabout?' - -'No, sir. They do say there 's little chaps about two feet high in the -forests, but I never seed 'em. The folks on the coast ain't so little, -and down Moresby way they 've learnt to behave decent; but I reckon they -'re pretty wild in other parts, and I know some of 'em are 'orrid -cannibals, 'cos I was nearly eat myself once. We was lying becalmed off -the Dutch coast, away in the west of this 'ere island, and some of us -had gone ashore for water, and----' - -'What's that noise?' exclaimed Hoole, springing up. - -A faint purring sound came to their ears. - -'It's uncommonly like an aeroplane engine,' said Trentham. 'It would be -rather fun to be taken off in an aeroplane.' - -'Never in life!' said Meek mournfully. 'It 'ud turn my weak head.' - -'Your head will be quite safe, Meek,' said Trentham. 'The only -aeroplane that's likely to be in these latitudes is the one that scouted -for the German raider. Our poor captain guessed what was coming when he -saw the thing, and three hours afterwards they got us, and he was dead.' - -'There it is!' cried Hoole, pointing sea-ward. - -They were just able to discern the machine, little more than a speck, -flying along from west to east. In a few minutes it had disappeared. - -'Flying after other game,' said Trentham. 'You were saying, Grinson?' - -'And I got parted from the rest, through chasing a butterfly, which I -was always a stoodent of nature. I had just nabbed a lovely pink 'un -with gold spots, when a crowd of naked savages surrounded me, their -faces hidjous with paint, and their spears pointing at me like the -spokes of a wheel. Not having my pistol with me, I couldn't shoot 'em -all down one after another, so I offered 'em the butterfly, then a brass -button, and one or two other little things I had about me, which any -decent nigger would 'a been thankful for. But no! Nothing but my gore -would satisfy 'em, or rather my fat, for I was in them days twice the -size I am now. You can bear me out, Ephraim, me lad?' - -'I wouldn't be sure 'twas exactly twice, Mr. Grinson, but not far -short--a pound or so under, p'r'aps.' - -'I thought my last hour was come, and it came on me sudden that I hadn't -made my will----' - -'There 's a smudge of smoke far out,' cried Hoole. 'If we get on a rock -and wave our shirts, somebody 'll see us.' - -They looked eagerly out to sea. A steamer, just distinguishable on the -horizon, was proceeding in the same direction as the aeroplane they had -noticed a few minutes before. Grinson put up his hands to shade his eyes -as he gazed. - -'If I had a pair of glasses, or that there telescope in the wreck! Ah! -I may be wrong, but I believe 'tis that ruffian of a pirate as sunk our -craft yesterday. Seems to me we 'd better keep our shirts on our backs, -sir.' - -'I dare say you 're right,' said Hoole. 'For my part I 'd rather try my -luck with cannibals than with those Germans again.' - -'Which I agree with you, sir,' said Grinson. 'With luck, or I may say -gumption, you can escape from cannibals, like I did.' - -'Ah, yes. How did you get out of that ring of spears?' - -The boatswain took such pleasure in retailing his yarns that the two -young men gave him plenty of rope. - -'I was fair upset at not having made my will, thinking of how the -lawyers would fight over my remains, in a manner of speaking. So I takes -out my pocket-book and my fountain pen, and with a steady hand I begins -to write. It shows what comes of a man doing his dooty. Them cannibals -was struck all of a heap when they seed black water oozing out of a -stick. They lowered the points of their spears, and, instead of being a -circle, they formed up three deep behind me, looking over my shoulder. -It come into my head they took me for a medicine-man, and the dawn of a -great hope lit up my pearly eyes.' - -'Where did you get that, Grinson?' asked Hoole. - -'What, sir?' - -'That about "pearly eyes" and the rest.' - -'Oh, that! It took my fancy in a nice little story called _Lord Lyle's -Revenge_ as a kind lady once give me, and I 've never forgot it. Well, -as I was saying, I set to droring a portrait of the ugliest mug among -'em--fuzzy hair, nose bones and all--they a-watching me all the time -with bated breath; and when I 'd put in the finishing stroke, blest if -every man Jack of 'em didn't begin to quarrel about whose photo it was. -Never did you hear such a hullabaloo. Fixing of 'em with my eagle eye, I -waved 'em back like as if I was shooing geese, took a pin from my weskit -and stuck the portrait on a tree, and told 'em to fight it out who was -the ugliest of 'em, 'cos he was the owner. The cannibals made a rush for -the tree, every one of 'em trying to prevent the rest from getting the -picture, and I lit my pipe and walked away as steady as a bobby on -dooty. You can bear me out, Ephraim, me lad?' - -'Wonderful steady you was, Mr. Grinson, and the bottle of rum empty too. -I couldn't have walked so steady. The other chaps said as how you 'd -been taking a nap, but I never believed 'em.' - -'Never go napping on dooty, Ephraim; which I mean to say we 'll have to -take watch and watch to-night, gentlemen. What with cannibals and them -big hermit crabs and other vermin, 'twouldn't be safe for us all to have -our peepers shut.' - -'Very true, Grinson,' said Trentham. 'The boat's rather exposed: you had -better choose a spot on the beach where we can shelter for the night. -There are some rocks yonder that look promising. Then we 'll arrange -about watching.' - -Grinson and Meek went off together; the others meanwhile strolled up and -down, discussing plans for the morrow. - -'We 're so badly off,' said Trentham. 'You 've luckily got your -revolver; any spare cartridges?' - -'A score or so.' - -'I 've only a penknife, worse luck. Grinson has a long knife, and Meek, -no doubt, has a knife of some sort; but three knives and a revolver -won't enable us to put up much of a fight if we really do come across -any cannibals.' - -'And I guess that fountain pens and pocket books won't be much good. We -couldn't patch up the boat?' - -'Without tools? Besides, I shouldn't care to risk a voyage. We may -have a chance of reaching some settlement overland, and I dare say could -pick up some food; but on the sea we might drift for weeks, even if we -could exist on our few biscuits and little water.' - -'Well, old man, we 'll get what sleep we can and try the chimney in the -morning. The sky promises fair weather, anyway; did you ever see such a -splendid sunset?' - -They were facing west, and beyond the headland the sun, a gorgeous ball -of fire, was casting a blood-red glow on the scarcely rippling sea. On -the cliffs the leaves of the palms were edged with crimson, and -flickered like flames as they were gently stirred by the breeze. The -two friends stood side by side, silently watching the magnificent -panorama. Suddenly Hoole caught Trentham by the arm, and pulled him down -behind a rock. - -'My sakes!' he exclaimed under his breath. 'D' you see people moving -between the wreck and the cliff?' - -Trentham took off his hat and peered cautiously over the rocks. - -'You 're right,' he said. 'It's not easy to make 'em out; they 're in -the shadow of the headland; we 're a good mile away, I fancy. They can't -see us at present, but we had better warn the others; the sun as it -moves round will strike us presently.' - -They returned to the spot which Grinson had selected for their camping -place--a space of clear sand protected on one side by a group of rocks -and on the other by a clump of bushes spreading from the base of the -cliffs. Meek had already brought up their scanty stores from the boat; -Grinson had stripped off his jersey and shirt. - -'If you 'll take my advice, gentlemen,' he said, 'you 'll swill the -sticky off--you 'll sleep all the better for it. Bathing all in I -wouldn't advise, in case of sharks.' - -'Shall we get any sleep, I wonder?' said Trentham. 'There are men on -the beach, Grinson.' - -'Men, sir?' - -'Cannibals!' murmured Meek. - -'We saw figures moving between the wreck and the cliff.' - -'Holy poker!' exclaimed the boatswain, rapidly drawing on his shirt. -Trentham noticed momentarily the figure of a bird tattooed on his upper -left arm. 'Hope they don't come this way.' - -'Why shouldn't we take the bull by the horns and go _their_ way?' said -Hoole. 'I 'll tackle 'em, if you like. You don't know but we 'd make -friends of them.' - -'Not by no manner of means, sir, I beg you,' said Grinson. 'The New -Guinea savages are the fiercest in creation; Ephraim can bear me out; -cunning as the devil, and that treacherous. The tales I could tell! But -I wouldn't freeze your blood, not for the world; all I say is, keep out -of their clutches.' - -'Where can we hide, if so be they come this way?' faltered Meek. - -'There 's nothing to bring them along this bare beach,' said Trentham. -'They won't see us if we remain here; I doubt whether they 'll even see -the boat. No doubt they 'll be gone by the morning.' - -'Just so,' said Hoole. 'Still, we 've got to meet them some time, -probably----' - -'Better by daylight, sir,' said Grinson. 'Wild beasts and savages are -always most fearsome at night. I say, lay low.' - -'As low as you can,' Meek added. - -The glow of sunset faded, and in the deepening shade the figures were no -longer visible. The four men sat in their shelter, talking in -undertones, none of them disposed to sleep. For a while only the slow -tumbling surf bore a murmurous counterpoint to their voices. All at -once a dull boom struck upon their ears. It was not the explosive boom -of a gun, but a deep prolonged note. Soon it was followed by a similar -sound, at a slightly higher pitch, and the two notes alternated at -regular intervals. - -'Drums, by the powers!' ejaculated Grinson. ''Tis a dance, or a feast, -or both.' - -'A mighty slow dance,' said Hoole. 'I 'd fall asleep between the -steps.' - -But even as he spoke the sounds became louder and more rapid, and -presently in the midst of the now continuous booming a voice was heard, -chanting in monotone. Into this broke a deeper growling note as from -many voices in unison, and after the song and accompaniment had -continued for some time with ever-increasing vigour and volume, they -came to a sudden end in a short series of strident barks, half smothered -by the clamour of the drums. - -The four men had risen, and leaning on the rocks, with their faces -towards the sounds, had listened to the strange chorus. - -'It's extraordinarily thrilling,' said Trentham. 'I 'd never have -believed that drums could make such music.' - -'It trickles down my spine,' Hoole confessed. 'And they 're pretty -nearly a mile away. What must it be on the spot? Say, if they start -again, shall we creep along and see?' - -'I 'm game. Look! They 've lit a fire. There's some ceremony on -hand--not a thing to be missed.' - -'Which means a feast, sir,' said Grinson. 'If you ask me, I say don't -go. It 'll turn your blood.' - -'Special if 'tis a man they eat,' said Meek. - -'You two stay home; Mr. Trentham and I will go,' said Hoole. 'The rocks -and scrub will give plenty of cover; besides, the feasters will be busy. -We 'll be unseen spectators in the gallery.' - -Heedless of the further expostulations of the seamen, Trentham and Hoole -set off, and keeping well under the shadow of the cliffs, tramped -rapidly towards the growing blaze. As they drew nearer to it, they moved -with greater caution, careful not to come directly within the glow. The -drums recommenced their slow tapping, and when the white men arrived at -a spot where, screened by the bushes, they could see unseen, the dance -had just begun. - -The fire was kindled on a clear space between the wreck and the -vegetation that clothed the foot of the cliffs. Beyond it, nearer the -vessel, about twenty natives were stamping in time with the two drums, -placed at one end of the line. They were men of average height, well -built, but rather thin in the legs, wearing fantastic head-dresses, bone -or coral necklaces and armlets, and scanty loin-cloths. The watchers -were at once struck by certain differences in the types of feature. All -the savages were a dull black in colour, except where they had painted -their skins white or red, but while the majority had wide bridgeless -noses and frizzy hair, there were some whose noses were arched, and -whose hair, though curled, was neither stiff nor bushy. Every face was -disfigured by a long skewer of bone passed through the nose. - -The dance was disappointing. The men did little more than stamp up and -down, swaying a little now and then, stepping a pace or two forward or -backward, shaking their spears, and emitting a grunt. There was no -excitement, no crescendo of martial fury. - -'A very tame performance!' whispered Hoole. - -But Trentham was no longer watching the dance. Beyond the dancers, only -occasionally visible as they moved, there was something that had fixed -his attention. He could not quite determine what it was, but a -suspicion was troubling him. Between the swaying figures there -appeared, now and again, a whitish object partially obscured by bush, -and barely within the circle of light from the fire. It was motionless, -but the fugitive glimpses that Trentham caught of it made him more and -more uneasy. - -'You see that white thing?' he whispered, taking Hoole by the arm. - -'Yep! What of it?' - -Trentham pressed his arm more closely. The dancers had moved a little -farther apart, and for the first time the object behind them was -completely outlined. - -'By gum, it's a man!' murmured Hoole. - -'And a white man!' added Trentham. 'I was afraid so.' - - - - - CHAPTER III - - THE CHIMNEY - - -Noiselessly the two spectators slipped away through the bushes. -Startled by the discovery of a white man, whose very stillness declared -him a prisoner in bonds among these dancing savages, they felt the need -of talking freely, unrestrained by precautions against being overheard. -They hurried along at the base of the cliffs until they were out of -earshot, then sat on a low rock where they could still see all that went -on around the fire. - -'Can it be that planter fellow on the _Berenisa_? What was his name?' -said Trentham. - -'You mean Grimshaw; he was the only man besides ourselves who wore -ducks. I don't know. Grimshaw was a small man; the prisoner seemed a -big fellow. I couldn't see his face.' - -'Nor I. Whoever it is, I 'm afraid his number 's up.' - -'I didn't take much stock of Grinson's yarns about cannibals, but it -appears he 's right. The niggers would hardly bring their prisoner down -the chimney for the fun of it, or the trouble of taking him up again.' - -'Did you see a cooking-pot?' - -'No, I was too busy watching the dancers to look around.' - -'We 'll have to get him away.' - -'Whew! That's a tall proposition, Trentham.' - -'Confoundedly; but we can't stand off and see a white man cut up! Hang -it all, Hoole, it's too horrible to think about!' - -'Ghastly. Yet remember where we are. We might get him loose, but what -then? They 'd hunt us over this strip of beach, and we 've proved pretty -well there 's nowhere to hide.' - -'Our only chance is to get him up the chimney.' - -'My dear man!' - -'It may be out of the frying-pan into the fire, if there are more of the -savages on top, but down below his fate is certain, whereas----' - -'But there 's the climbing. I 've done some in the Rockies, but I guess -you 're a tenderfoot at mountaineering, and as for the seamen----' - -'If they can scramble up rigging, they ought to be able to manage that -chimney. I 'm sure I could. And really, there 's no time to lose. They -'re still drumming and dancing, but who knows when they 'll feel hungry? -We had better bring up the others at once.' - -They got up, and hastened towards their camping-place. - -'It's the first step that costs,' remarked Hoole. 'How to get him away -with the firelight full on him. It's a ticklish stunt.' - -'We can but try--we must try! Hullo! Here 's Grinson.' - -The two seamen stepped towards them from the shelter of a bush. - -'We came to meet you, sir,' Grinson began. - -'Hush, Grinson!' said Trentham. 'Muffle that organ-pipe of yours. The -savages have got a white man.' - -'Never!' exclaimed Meek, in husky astonishment. - -'He 's lying tied to a bush there, apparently,' Trentham went on. 'A -man dressed in white.' - -'Mr. Grimshaw! How did they get him?' said Grinson. 'He must have been -cast ashore.' - -'We don't think it's he, but it may be. Anyhow, we must try to rescue -him.' - -'Save us, sir! We 'll only go into the pot too. It will be like taking -a bone from a dog, only worse.' - -'Worse ain't the word for it,' said Meek. 'And you 'd go first, Mr. -Grinson, being a man of flesh.' - -'Tough, Ephraim--uncommon tough, me lad. Any nigger of sense would -rather have something young and juicy, like Mr. Trentham. I remember -once----' - -'Not now, Grinson,' Trentham interposed. 'We must make up our minds; -there 's no time for recollections.' - -'Plenty of time, sir. These 'ere cannibals never start cooking till the -moon 's high aloft, and she 's only just peeping above the skyline.' - -'That's a relief, if you 're right----' - -'I can bear him out, sir,' said Meek. - -'It gives us more time to make our plans. Our idea is, Grinson, if we -get the prisoner away, to climb up that crack in the cliff; there's no -safety below. There may be danger above, of course; it's a choice -between two evils. We meant to try our luck to-morrow, you know; we -only anticipate by a few hours, and though climbing will be more -difficult in the darkness than it would be in the light, you and Meek -are used to clambering up the rigging at all hours and in all -weathers----' - -'Say no more about that, sir. We 'd back ourselves against cats.' - -'Or monkeys,' suggested Meek. - -'You 've got no tail, Ephraim. 'Tis not the climbing as I 've any fear -about, sir; 'tis first the bonfire, second what's up top, third and -last--there ain't no third, now I come to think of it.' - -'The second we 've agreed to chance. The first--well, the only thing is -to work round the savages and get between them and the chimney; then one -of us must creep or crawl as close to them as he can, and watch his -opportunity. There's no need for more than one.' - -'That's my stunt,' said Hoole. - -'Not at all. It's between you and me; we 're younger and quicker on our -pins than the others; but why you should have the most risky part of the -job----' - -'The reason 's as clear as daylight. The quickest climber ought to go -last. I allow that Grinson and Meek are probably more spry than I am in -climbing; but in any case they 're ruled out. You 've never climbed a -chimney--I have. I think that fixes it.' - -'But the prisoner. It's unlikely he can climb quickly, and the last man -couldn't go faster than he.' - -'You ought to have been a lawyer, Trentham. But I have you yet. The -last man may have to hold the savages off while the prisoner, slow by -hypothesis, does his climb. Then speed will be vital when he climbs -himself--see?' - -'Axing your pardon, sir, and speaking like a father, as you may say,' -said Grinson, 'there 's only one way of settling a little difference so -'s to satisfy both parties. I 've seed many a quarrel nipped in the -bud----' - -'A quarrel, you juggins!' cried Trentham. 'There 's no quarrel!' - -'Just so, sir--that's what I said. It's a difference, and a difference -can't never grow to be a quarrel if you just toss for it.' - -'There 's our Solomon!' said Hoole. 'Spin up, Trentham!' - -The rising moon gave light enough. Trentham spun a shilling. - -'Heads!' Hoole called. - -'Tails it is! That's settled!' - -''Tis fate: you can't go agen it,' murmured Meek. - -'Those fellows must be pretty tired, drumming away like that,' said -Trentham. 'But we had better make a start, Grinson. I think we ought -to take our biscuits and water: they 'll last us a day or two, and we -don't know what chances of getting food there 'll be on the cliff. You -and Meek fetch them along. We 'll wait for you here.' - -'They took it well,' said Hoole, when the men had gone. 'I was afraid -Meek would jib.' - -'Meek 's all right,' responded Trentham. 'The British sailor-man has his -weak points, but he 's not a funk.' - -He began to stride up and down with his hands in his pockets. Hoole -watched him for half a minute or so, then said: - -'You 'd better take my revolver.' - -'Why in the world?' said Trentham, swinging round on him. - -'It may be useful--last resource, you know.' - -'If we can't do without that---- Why, man, a shot would absolutely dish -us, would be heard for miles, and bring up every cannibal there is. -This job has got to be done quietly.' - -'I reckon there 'll be a pretty big row when they miss their supper. -Well, if you won't take it, remember I 've got it, anyway.' - -Some fifteen minutes later the four men, in single file, were stealing -along the inner edge of the beach, close against the cliffs. Trentham, -who was leading, took a zigzag course for the sake of cover from the -scattered rocks and patches of vegetation. The seamen in the rear had -slung the provisions about their shoulders with lashings from the boat, -and on their account Trentham set a slower pace than his anxiety to be -in time would otherwise have commended. The fire was burning more -brightly, whiffs of acrid smoke were borne on the breeze, and the moon, -about ten days old, appeared to have reached its greatest altitude, and -was accentuating every irregularity on the face of the cliffs. - -As they drew nearer to the fire, Trentham moved still more slowly, -picking his way with care. Now and then some small animal, with a whisk -and a rustle, scurried away in the undergrowth. Once Meek, who bore the -keg, tripped over what he declared was a monster crab, and fell forward, -the keg hitting a rock with a sharp crack. The rest halted and held -their breath; had the sound been heard by the savages? The monotonous -drumming continued unbroken, and they went on. - -Between the fire and the cleft that was their destination, grew the -tangled vegetation in which Hoole had discovered the track of footsteps. -It grew higher than their heads, and they were able to enter it without -much risk of being observed. A few whispered words were exchanged -between Trentham and Hoole, then the latter led the seamen towards the -chimney, which stretched upwards like a black streak in the moonlit -precipice, while Trentham struck to the left, and crept cautiously -towards the outer edge of the bushes, where he could look out upon the -festive scene. - -His heart seemed to be making more noise than the drums. His lips were -dry. The skin of his face felt tight. 'Nerves!' he thought, with angry -impatience. It was strange how, without the slightest consciousness of -fear, his mental realisation of all that was at stake thus affected his -body. Taking a grip of himself, he went forward and peered through the -stiff crinkled foliage. For a few moments he saw nothing but the glare -of the fire; then, as he gathered self-command, he was able to take in -details which he had missed at his view a short while before. - -The dancers were still swaying to and fro. At one side, crouched on the -sand, were two men holding in one hand an object like a huge dice-box, -and with the other beating a skin, as he supposed, stretched across the -circular end. At the other side, near the fire, stood two iron -cooking-pots. Beyond, in the same place, lay the motionless white -figure. Everything was clearly illuminated by the flames, and Trentham -wondered, with a feeling of despair, how it would be possible to -approach the prisoner unseen. - -A few minutes after his arrival, the dance and the drumming came to an -abrupt end. In the ensuing silence he heard the wash of the waves beyond -the wreck, and a strange squealing grunt which, until then, had been -drowned by the deep tones of the drums and the barking cries of the men. -One of the savages, who wore a tall feathered headdress, glanced up at -the moon, and said a few words to the others. All of them squatted on -the sand except two, who went to the bush, some twenty yards away, to -which the prisoner was bound. Trentham's blood ran cold. He wished he -had brought Hoole's revolver, for it seemed that nothing else could save -the helpless man, and he was on the point of shouting for Hoole, when a -piercing squeal, such as no human being ever uttered, gave him at once a -shock and a sense of relief. Next moment the savages returned towards -the fire, one of them carrying the body of a small pig. - -Trentham almost laughed as the tension of the last few moments was -relaxed. The men were not cannibals after all! He looked on as in a -dream while one of the men cut up the animal, and the other raked over -the fire with a spear. But with reflection his former anxiety came -back. Why had the savages brought their prisoner here? To leave him to -be drowned? But he was far above high-water mark. Were they reserving -him as the _bonne bouche_ of their feast? - -One of the cooking-pots was placed over the fire, and the dismembered -pig was thrown into it. Beyond, the savages squatted in a half-circle, -talking. Their leader raised an arm towards the moon, and then jerked -it in the direction of the prisoner. The gestures made things clear to -Trentham. The moon had not gained an altitude which cannibal -superstition required for the slaying of a man. - -Trentham felt himself flush with hope. The savages had their faces -towards him, their backs towards the prisoner. The raking of the fire -had dulled the flames, and the cooking-pot partly obscured the glowing -embers. There was still time. - -He crept through the bushes until he had almost encircled the space upon -which the savages had built their fire. Then, however, a gap of clear -sand, twenty or thirty yards wide, separated him from the bush where the -prisoner lay. Was it possible to cross that gap undiscovered? No -friendly cloud obscured the moon; if one of the savages chanced to turn, -he could not fail to see the moving figure. - -Trentham looked around him. There was no cover on that stretch of -sand--no bush, no bank of seaweed, no wave-cast log. But the surface -was a little uneven; the winds had blown up slight mounds and hollowed -shallow troughs. White-clad as he was, the white was stained and toned -by water and exposure, he might perhaps crawl through the depressions -without attracting attention. But it must be at a snail's pace, inch by -inch, flat as a worm. - -He lay on all-fours, waited a moment or two, then started on his -laborious progress. The mounds seemed higher, the troughs deeper, now -that he was on their level, and the yielding sand helped to cover him, -though at the same time it made movement difficult. Inch by inch he -crawled on, stopping at every yard to listen; he dared not raise his -head to look. The savages were still jabbering. Every now and then the -dull glow of the fire was brightened by a flicker, at which he lay still -as a log, moving on again when the transient flame had died down. - -Thus, after exertion more exhausting than if he had run a mile, he came -round to the rear of the bush to which the prisoner was bound. The -foliage was thin and withered. Raising himself on his knees, he saw that -he could easily reach through the branches and cut the man's bonds. -Would his sudden action alarm the prisoner--perhaps cause him to cry -out? The man, as he could see now, had been placed face downwards, and -was tied to the central stem. He was very still. Perhaps rescue was -already too late. But no! As Trentham gazed, he discerned a slight -movement of the head; it was as though the prisoner sought easier -breathing. The moonlight revealed a bald crown and heavily bearded -cheeks; it was certainly not Grimshaw, the planter who had been -Trentham's fellow-passenger on the _Berenisa_. - -Trentham was still undecided whether to risk a preliminary warning, when -the movements of the savages showed that the critical moment had come. -The cooking-pot had been removed from the embers and set before the -leader, who plunged his hand into it, took out a small joint, and with a -hollow, wailing cry flung it into the air in the direction of the moon, -the other men chanting a weird chorus. Then they sprang up, gathered -about the pot, and began to eat, with horrid sounds of gobbling. - -'Now 's the time!' thought Trentham. Stretching forward the hand in -which he held his open knife, he cut through the tendrils about the -prisoner's arms and feet, and the longer strands which attached him to -the bush, whispering a single word of caution. For a few moments the man -lay almost as still as before, but Trentham saw that he was stretching -his limbs and raising his head to look towards the fire, from which -there came now only the faintest gleam. Then slowly, almost -imperceptibly, he crawled backward through the bush. Trentham rose to -his feet. When the man reached him, he took him by the hand and helped -him to rise, then led him with cautious steps, under cover of the bush, -down the beach towards the spot where the wreck in its sandy bed stood -up slightly from its surroundings. - -[Illustration: 'NOW 'S THE TIME!'] - -Edging round this, the two men crouched below the level of the savages' -heads, and in silence, one step at a time, moved along parallel with the -sea-line, until they arrived at the outlying edge of the bushes which -stretched up towards the foot of the chimney. Here they rose erect and -quickened their pace. They were half-way to the cliffs when there was a -sound of crackling. Looking over his shoulder, Trentham saw one of the -savages in the act of throwing more fuel upon the fire, which suddenly -broke into a bright flame. Immediately afterwards the air rang with a -blood-curdling yell, and the whole troop of savages rushed towards the -bush where they had left their prisoner, and swept round it in the -direction of the sea. - -Trentham hurried on. Panting heavily, the prisoner followed on his -heels. At the foot of the chimney Hoole was waiting. - -'The men are up--all's clear,' he said, flashing a look at the stranger, -whose face was pallid and ghastly in the moonlight. 'Guess he 's about -done,' he thought, and wondered whether his strength would hold out. -'You go first, Trentham; I 'll cover the rear.' - -Trentham entered the narrow fissure, set a foot in the lowest notch, -and, levering his back against the opposite wall, began to climb. The -stranger, who had spoken no word, followed with nervous haste, so -quickly that at the second step his head touched Trentham's boot. - -'Steady! Steady!' Hoole called up in a loud whisper. 'One slip, and -you 're done!' - -The man paid no heed. He seemed to feel that he was on the verge of -exhaustion, and must attain that giddy height while there was yet time. -Hoole watched him anxiously; it would hardly be safe to follow until the -man had reached the top, yet the savages were returning. He heard their -yells of rage, and presently caught sight of them running up the beach -in a scattered line. A few moments later a ferocious shriek proclaimed -that one of them at least had espied the men climbing. - -'I must chance it,' thought Hoole. 'He 's a heavy chap--if he falls.' - -With the speed acquired in mountaineering, he was soon on the heels of -the rescued prisoner, whose quick pants alarmed him. About sixty feet -from the base the man gave a long gasp and stopped. Hoole stuck his -feet firmly, bent his head, and presented an arched back. At that -moment he heard a sharp whizzing sound. The man grunted, and began to -climb again. Hoole followed. Something flew with a hiss past his ear, -and clicked against the wall. - -'Arrows!' he thought. 'I wonder what their range is.' - -Up and up, foot by foot, arrows whizzing and clicking, the savages -yelling with ever-increasing fury, and audible through it all the -laboured breathing of the man above. Then the shooting suddenly ceased; -one tremendous yell, then silence. Hoole guessed that the savages had -begun to climb. But he was now a hundred feet above them; if the -stranger's strength held out, they would never recover the start. Their -bare feet made no sound as they clambered up; the fissure was too narrow -for him to see them. Once more the stranger stopped for breath, and when -Hoole stopped also, a shout of triumph, immensely loud in the narrow -passage, announced that the savages were gaining. The sound seemed to -give their victim new strength; he clambered more quickly than before. -Presently Hoole heard Trentham's voice quietly giving encouragement. -Then, looking up, he saw the man hauled over the edge, and five seconds -later his shoulders were grasped by Grinson's brawny hands, and he lay -among thick grass. - -[Illustration: UP AND UP, FOOT BY FOOT, ARROWS WHIZZING AND CLICKING.] - -'Just saved your bacon, mister,' he said to the man beside him. - -The stranger brushed the sweat from his pallid brow with his sleeve, -uttered an inarticulate grunt, then fell backwards fainting. - -'Batten down, Ephraim, me lad!' cried Grinson. - -The seamen had turned to good account the hour they had spent alone on -the cliff top. With ready resource they had cut down pliant branches -from the surrounding trees, torn up saplings by the roots, and begun to -construct a hurdle large enough to cover the opening. It was -unfinished, but as soon as Hoole had reached the top they threw it -across the gap, and hastily piled upon it the material still unused. -The leading native, arriving half a minute later, found his egress -blocked by this criss-cross of trunks and branches, which yielded only -slightly to the butting of his head. Meanwhile, Hoole and Trentham were -tearing down more branches, and casting them upon the heap, which -quickly grew to such a size that Goliath himself could not have raised -it. - -From beneath it rose the muffled cries of the savages. Then all was -silent. - - - - - CHAPTER IV - - MR. HAAN - - -'Sprinkle a little water on his face, Meek,' said Trentham, indicating -the rescued prisoner, who lay unconscious where he had fallen. 'Only a -little--we have none to spare.' - -'Tickle his nose,' suggested Hoole. 'Trentham, I 'll take a look round; -we may be on the edge of a hornets' nest.' - -'Don't lose yourself, man. In fact, you 'd better not go out of sight. -It mayn't be safe to call to each other.' - -The rays of the moon, now high over the sea, lit up their immediate -surroundings. From the cliff edge to an irregular row of palms a few -yards back, low-growing plants carpeted the ground. On one side of the -chimney they were trodden down, and a faintly marked track was -discernible until it disappeared among the trees. No sound broke the -stillness except the wash of the surf two hundred feet below, and an -occasional deep booming note from some distant spot in the forest, which -Trentham identified as the call of the cassowary. - -'"Saved his bacon!" Mr. Hoole said: 'tis a true word,' remarked Grinson. -'Which I mean to say, you saved him from being turned into bacon, -sir--or ham. He 'd have cut up very well.' - -He stood at Trentham's side, looking down at the man whom Meek was -trying to restore to consciousness--a brawny figure, clad in duck -trousers and a white flannel shirt, with a linen collar and a blue tie. -His features were heavy, his skin was deeply browned. The crown of his -head was almost entirely bald, but a thick growth of short brown hair -clothed his lips, cheeks, and chin. - -'The very picter of Captain Lew Summers as once I sailed with,' Grinson -went on. 'How 'd he get in this mess, sir?' - -'I don't know,' replied Trentham. 'He hasn't said a word.' - -He thought he saw the man's eyelids flicker. - -'He 's coming to, sir,' said Meek, from the ground. - -'Lift his head, Ephraim,' said Grinson. 'I 'm speckylating whether his -first word 'll be a curse or a blessing.' - -The man slowly opened his eyes, but it seemed to Trentham, watching him -intently, that he had more command over himself than might have been -expected in a man recovering from a swoon. He glanced from Meek to -Grinson, then to Trentham, and raising himself on his elbows looked -along the track that led among the trees. - -'Feel better?' asked Trentham. - -[Illustration: 'FEEL BETTER?'] - -For a moment he did not reply; then slowly and with a curiously thick -utterance, he said:-- - -'Yes. You save me? Dank you. - -'Not at all. Couldn't leave a white man in the hands of niggers, you -know. Can you get up?' - -'I dink so.' With Trentham's assistance he struggled to his feet. -'Yes. Widout you I am killed--and eat! Ach!' - -'You are not an Englishman?' - -'Dutch. Mate of a trade schooner dat was wrecked up de coast.' - -'And the rest of the crew?' - -'Dead--dead; all but me. I swim strong.' - -Grinson glanced at the Dutchman's trousers, then at Meek. - -'Yes, but what good?' the man went on. 'De niggers capture me. Widout -you, my friend--Ach! Dey make me climb down; at de height of de -moon'--(he shuddered). 'Yes, I know dem, widout you I am killed and -eat. I dank you.' - -'Well, it was uncommonly lucky we happened to be hereabouts,' said -Trentham. 'We were in a ticklish situation ourselves.' - -'Wrecked?' - -The moonlight glinted on a pair of very keen eyes. - -'No, we were sunk by a German raider. The boat we got away in, four of -us, only escaped a shell by a hair's breadth. Did you sight the -ruffians?' - -'No. My schooner was wrecked up de coast. You escaped a shell! -Wonderful! And you go, where?' - -'We don't know. We only got ashore yesterday, and couldn't find a way -up the cliffs till we discovered this crack.' - -'I help you. Yes, it is a pleasure to do something for dem what save -me. Dis coast, I know it a little. I was here before, since ten years, -when I come wid expedition for search of--of copper. You listen to me; -I show you. You go to Friedrich Wilhelmshafen; it is de German -port----' - -'Axing your pardon, mister,' Grinson interposed, 'you been a long -voyage, surely. There ain't no German ports in New Guinea nowadays, and -I lay that port have got a new name that don't break your jaw to say.' - -The stranger turned his eyes on Grinson for a moment, then went on: - -'It is a long way--a journey of eight or ten days. I show you. Dere is -needed great care. De niggers--cannibals--you see dem. Always must we -watch, and wid luck--I say wid luck--we do not fall into deir hands. -Dey have villages along de coast--de coast is very dangerous, and we -must go drough de forest.' - -'Aren't there villages in the forest?' asked Trentham. - -'In de mountains, yes,' said the Dutchman, waving an arm towards the -interior. 'De coast and de mountains, dey must we avoid equally.' - -'And the niggers on the beach there--where is their village?' - -'On de coast somewhere, I know not where. Dey carry me far from de -place where I was wrecked--five days.' - -'I 'm glad of that. I mean I 'm glad we aren't near their place; it -gives us a better chance. Ah! here 's the fourth of our party.' - -Hoole had just reappeared at the edge of forest. 'My name is Trentham, -by the way; my friend yonder is Mr. Hoole; these friends of ours, men of -your own calling, are Mr. Grinson and Mr. Meek.' - -'Yes. My name is Haan--H-a-a-n.' - -Wondering why he had spelled the name, Trentham turned to Hoole, who had -just come up. - -'I followed the track some distance,' said Hoole. 'Nothing doing, -except that a fiendish leech dropped on me from a tree, I suppose, and -did himself rather well, confound him!' He showed his wrist. 'The -beast has opened a vein, and I knew nothing about it until I got back -into the moonlight and wondered how on earth I 'd cut my wrist. But -there 's no sign of natives.' - -Meek heaved a sign of satisfaction. Having introduced the Dutchman and -explained his plight, Trentham went on: - -'I think we had better get out of this at once. We haven't heard a -sound from below, which suggests--doesn't it?--that the savages know -another way up, probably far away. The track must lead to their village, -so we 'll avoid that. Mr. Haan knows something of the country, and has -offered to guide us to--what is it?' - -'Friedrich Wilhelmshafen,' said Haan. - -'A reg'lar tongue-twister, sir,' said Grinson. 'But it 'll change its -name, like a woman, for better--couldn't be for worse!' - -'Do we strike east or west?' asked Hoole. - -'East,' replied Haan. 'I dink we should go an hour or two while the -moon is up, den rest till morning.' - -'Are there any beasts of the earth that do go forth and seek their prey -by night?' asked Meek. - -'Not in dis country,' the Dutchman answered. 'Dere are no dangerous -beasts except de cannibals, and dey will not walk when the moon is down. -We go, den; I show de way.' - -Haan gazed into the sky, then went to the brink of the cliff and looked -out to sea and along the coast in both directions. - -'I take my bearings,' he said, returning. 'Now we start.' - -He struck off almost at right angles to the native track, but instead of -entering the forest strode along at a moderate pace just outside its -edge, at an average distance of thirty feet from the cliff. The rest -followed him in single file, Trentham leading, Meek bringing up the -rear. They had taken only a few steps when Grinson halted until Meek -reached his side. - -'Trousers!' he said in a falsetto whisper. - -'What did you say, Mr. Grinson?' asked Meek, dropping his voice to -match. - -'Trousers, Ephraim--the Dutchman's. Didn't you notice 'em?' - -'Well, he do have a pair, as is only decent, but I can't truthfully say -as I noticed anything partickler about their rig.' - -'Where are your eyes, Ephraim? I 'm surprised at you! He said he swam -ashore.' - -'True. "I swim strong," was his words, and I can believe it, his arms -and legs being such.' - -'D' you believe he took his trousers off, then? S'pose he did--wouldn't -they show? If you 'd used your eyes, Ephraim, me lad, you 'd 'a seen as -there weren't no sign of sea-water on them trousers. 'Tis my belief -they 've never been near water since they left the washtub.' - -Meek looked in a puzzled way into the boatswain's eyes. Grinson winked, -jerked his arm in the direction of the Dutchman, then, edging a little -closer to Meek, put his head over his mouth, and whispered: - -'Cut the painter.' - -'What painter?' - -'Hopped the twig, as they say in the dear old New Cut where I was born. -Deserted, Ephraim.' - -'Never!' Meek ejaculated. 'What for would he desert in a land of -cannibals?' - -'What do men desert for? Anything--nothing! You mind that time Ben -Scruddles hooked it at Noo York? What for?' - -'Well, 'twas a long time ago, and I don't rightly remember, but I 'd say -'twas because Ben didn't like the skipper's red hair.' - -'Might 'a been part of it, but the main thing was that Ben was just -tired--tired o' the skipper, tired o' reg'lar hours and ever-lasting -dooty, tired of every blessed thing--like a horse as jibs and swears he -won't pull the blessed cart another blessed inch. Anything for a change. -I lay my life the Dutchman got it bad, and fancied a change. Cannibals -is nothing when you feel like that; I 've felt like it myself.' - -They had lagged while talking, and Hoole, looking over his shoulder, -called: - -'Now, men, keep up! We don't want to lose you. The moon 's going -down.' - -'Ay, ay, sir!' replied Grinson, in his usual bellow. 'Ephraim was -talking, and he never could do two things at wunst.' - -Haan meanwhile had trudged steadily on, making his path through the -undergrowth that skirted the forest. The rankness of the vegetation and -the uneven surface of the ground made progress very slow. It seemed to -Trentham easier going near the cliff edge, where the plants were less -tall; but when he made the suggestion, Haan at once rejected it. - -'We go safer out of sight from de sea,' he said. - -Only the swishing of their feet, a rustle as some small animal was -disturbed, now and then a squeal from among the trees, broke the deep -silence of the tropical night. The air was chill, but walking kept the -men pleasantly warm. Gradually the moon stole down the sky behind them, -and when it had disappeared Haan called a halt. - -'Now we rest,' he said. 'In morning we go into de forest, until we see -a hill; seamen call it Mushroom Hill, because it look like one when dey -see it from de sea. When we see it, we go quicker.' - -The sailors dropped their burdens, and beat down the vegetation over a -space some twelve feet square. Here they all stretched themselves, and -made a frugal supper. Haan helped himself to biscuits more often than -Grinson liked. For a while the boatswain said nothing; at last, -however, drawing the mouth of the bag together, he ventured: - -'Beg pardon, sir--'twas eight days, I think you said, to the port we 're -making for?' - -'Yes, eight or nine,' replied Haan. - -Grinson pressed down the loose end of the bag, and, exhibiting the bulk, -said: - -'Biscuits won't last three, Mr. Trentham, and short rations at that.' - -'We get food in de forest--plenty,' said Haan. - -'I 'm glad to hear that,' said Trentham. 'This one bag was all that we -had time to snatch up when we took to the boat. The old piracy was -gentlemanly compared with the new. As a seaman, Mr. Haan, you must feel -pretty much disgusted at the dirty tricks the Germans are playing.' - -'It is war,' said Haan, with a shrug. 'De ways of war, like everyding -else, dey change.' - -'They do indeed!' cried Trentham. 'In the old days you could fight and -then shake hands; but I 'm hanged if anybody will ever want to shake -hands with a German after all this devilry!' - -'That's sure!' said Hoole. 'Take me for one. I 'm a citizen of the -United States, and war 's not precisely our trade; but after what I 've -seen, I 'm going to take a hand, if any one will have me--and I get -clear of this New Guinea.' - -'And I was on my way to join up,' added Trentham. 'The Raider has only -made me extra keen.' - -Haan grunted, and changed the subject by suggesting that they should -take turns in watching through the remaining hours of the night. They -were not near a village, he thought, but it was as well to adopt -precautions in a land where enemies might lurk in every bush. Trentham -proposed that the seamen, having loads to carry, should be let off, and -it was in fact arranged that the guard should be shared by Hoole, Haan, -and himself. Each would have about an hour's duty. - -They were not disturbed. As soon as dawn streaked the sky they were -afoot. Haan, after a preliminary scanning of the sea and as much of the -coastline as was visible, plunged among the trees, followed in single -file by the rest. Birds chattered with shrill cries from tree and bush, -and in the half light shadowy forms darted up the trunks. Under foot -all was damp; moisture dripped from every leaf, and the air was full of -the odour of rotting vegetation. - -'Hadn't we better stick to the cliff?' asked Trentham, dismayed at the -prospect of hours of toilsome march in such an atmosphere and with -twining plants clogging their steps. - -'De coast winds--we save miles and miles,' said Haan briefly. - -Trentham could only defer to his guide's judgment, but he felt anxious, -ill at ease. He took little heed of the strange scenes through which he -was passing--the graceful palms, the fantastic screw pines, trees -propped on aerial roots, trees surrounded by natural buttresses -springing from the trunk twenty feet above the ground. He had no eye -for the orchids festooned from tree to tree, or the gorgeous blooms that -hung from branches high above his head. Many-hued parrots, white -cockatoos, birds of paradise, tree kangaroos, all were barely noticed, -so much preoccupied was he with troublous thought. How could Haan find -his way through the trackless forest? What defence had they against the -natives whom they were sure to meet sooner or later? Could they survive -a week's travelling and camping in an atmosphere so fetid and unhealthy? - -But he kept his thoughts to himself, and even gave a reassuring nod to -Grinson, when the boatswain murmured that he saw no sign of food. - -'Mr. Haan told us he had been in these parts before,' he said. 'We must -trust him.' - -As they penetrated deeper into the forest the undergrowth became more -and more dense, and the order of their going was sometimes altered, each -seeking his own path. It usually happened that Haan assumed his place -as leader very quickly; but once, when Trentham and Hoole together had -forced their way through a mass of tangled vegetation, they found that -they had lost touch with him. To their surprise, they had emerged into -a comparatively clear space, beyond which they caught sight of the sea, -a dark motionless plain under a leaden sky. The beach was hidden from -them, but in front and to the left stretched the rugged contours of the -cliffs, while to the right, behind the trees, rose the tops of lofty -hills. - -They were about to call for Haan, when Hoole's eye was arrested by a -cloud of smoke rising from beyond the edge of the cliff. - -'By gum, Trentham!' he exclaimed. 'Is there a steamer below there? -Let's have a look!' - -They went a few paces forward, and had just caught sight of a number of -dark figures moving up and down what appeared to be a steep slope, -perhaps a mile away, near the cloud, when Haan came panting up behind -them, and unceremoniously pulled them back. - -'Shust in time!' he said in a husky whisper, rapidly, with every sign of -agitation. 'Vy--vy--vy did you leave me? You vill ruin every zing!' - -'Sorry!' said Trentham, as the man continued to draw them back. 'What's -the matter?' - -'Shust in time!' repeated the Dutchman, as if to himself; then, aloud, -and with his former slow, careful utterance: 'Dere, between us and dat -place, is de village of dose niggers what capture me.' - -'That accounts for the smoke,' remarked Hoole. 'We 've escaped making a -bad bloomer, seemingly.' - -'My word, shust in time!' said Haan. 'If I had not come! Dose -niggers--you saw dem--wild men, noding can tame dem, cannibals, -ferocious--if dey had seen us, dere would soon be noding of us but our -bones. Never, never leave me again!' - -'It was quite accidental, Mr. Haan,' said Trentham. 'The bush was so -thick----' - -'Yes, yes,' said the man impatiently, 'but we gain no time going -separate. I lead, you follow--remember dat!' - -Trentham was inclined to resent a certain peremptoriness in the -Dutchman's tone, but, catching Hoole's eye, he held his peace. - -'He 's a bit unstrung,' whispered Hoole, as they returned to the spot -where Haan had left the seamen, 'and I don't wonder. He doesn't want to -fall into their clutches a second time.' - -Haan quickly recovered his equanimity, and for nearly two hours they -plodded on through the forest, keeping, apparently, the coast behind -them. Then suddenly, through a break in the trees, the expected -landmark loomed up on their left hand. - -'Dat is Mushroom Hill,' said Haan. 'We now go quicker. We go round de -hill on de north side, and go quicker still--and safer. De niggers on de -oder side are not so fierce; dey do not eat men. Why? Dey are nearer -Friedrich Wilhelmshafen, and dey have felt de weight of de German hand.' - -'Poor devils!' said Trentham involuntarily, and surprised a strange look -that gleamed for an instant in the Dutchman's eyes. - -'Say, how far away is that hill of yours, Mr. Haan?' asked Hoole. - -'Forty miles. We take dree days.' - -'Well, I guess we 'll take a little food first. We shall have to rely on -our biscuits; we haven't happened on any orchards yet.' - -'Plenty bread-fruit yonder,' said Haan, waving his arm towards the hill, -'and coco-palms, and pawpaws. Yes, we eat our lunch and rest. De sun -is bursting drough; it will be very hot. Last night we sleep little. A -nap--forty vinks you call it--will refresh us, den we go stronger.' - -'A capital idea!' said Trentham. 'I say, Mr. Haan, it was lucky you -found us when you did.' - -'Yes,' said Haan drily. 'But we must still be on guard. We must not -all sleep togeder.' - -'Of course not. We 'll take turns again--we three. Let the men off. -They have the hardest job, though their loads will be lighter when we -start again. I 'll take first watch, then you, Hoole. Mr. Haan must be -more tired than we two.' - -'It is no matter,' remarked Haan, 'and I am used to a hard life. I can -stand fatigue better than you two young gentlemen. But certainly I can -sleep wid pleasure. Two hours--dat will give forty minutes each. Yes; -and I haf no watch; de niggers strip off my coat. You wake me, Mr. -Hoole, and lend me your watch, so I wake you; and I give you no more dan -forty minutes--not one second.' - -He laughed in a clumsily roguish way. They cleared a space and sat down -to their meal of biscuits and water. Haan was the first to throw -himself on his back, his bald head shaded by the spreading -candelabra-like branches of a screw pine. The rest were not slaw to -follow his example, except Trentham, who sat on the keg, and lit a -cigarette to keep himself awake. - -Eighty minutes later Hoole, having completed his spell of watching, -touched Haan lightly on the shoulder. The man did not stir. He tickled -his ear with a spray of some feathery plant; Haan slept on. - -'I 'll give him another five minutes,' thought Hoole, yawning. - -At the end of that time, by dint of poking Haan in the ribs and pinching -his nose, he succeeded in waking the Dutchman. - -'Awfully sorry!' he said, 'but I can scarcely keep my eyes open. Here -'s my watch; be sure and not let me oversleep.' - -Haan got up. His movements were slow and clumsy, but his eyes were keen -and alert. - -'Forty minutes, Mr. Hoole,' he said with a smile. 'Not a second more.' - -He did not sit on the keg as Hoole and Trentham had done, but posted -himself a few paces from the rest of the party, at a spot where the -ground rose slightly. Hoole, just before he closed his eyes, saw the -stout figure pacing slowly up and down. - -Rather more than two hours afterwards Meek, in his sleep, threw out his -left leg, and dealt Grinson, who lay at his side, a smart kick on the -shin. - -'Belay, there!' shouted Grinson, starting up. 'What swab--what dirty -lubber----' - -''Twas a nightmare, Mr. Grinson,' said Meek penitently. 'I dreamt as a -kangaroo was a-coming to peck me, and----' - -'Peck you! A goose might----' - -He paused and looked around. Hoole and Trentham were a few yards away, -fast asleep. Haan was not in sight. - -'Whose watch is this, Ephraim?' asked Grinson. - -'I can't rightly say, but seeing as the two gentlemen be asleep, I can't -help thinking 'tis the Dutchman's.' - -Grinson got up. - -'If so be he was a landsman,' he said, 'he might be doing a beat like a -bobby; but a seaman ought to know better.' - -He walked to the left, then to the right, followed by Meek. - -'Can't see the chap, nor hear him. What d' you make of it, Ephraim?' - -'He can't have fell overboard--must have strayed. Give him a hail with -your powerful voice, Mr. Grinson. Save us all! I forgot the cannibals! -Don't holler, for mercy's sake!' - -'I nearly did, but you 're right, Ephraim. I 'll report to the skipper, -which I mean Mr. Trentham.' - -'Eh--what? The Dutchman absent from his post?' said Trentham sleepily, -when Grinson had roused him. 'Hoole, wake up!' - -'Sure I haven't been asleep forty minutes yet,' said Hoole. 'And I gave -Haan five minutes extra.' - -'Where _is_ Haan?' - -'Where is he? He was over there.' - -'Grinson says he 's missing.' - -'Missing! But----' He felt for his watch. 'What's the time? I lent -him my watch.' - -'Ten past four.' - -'What?' - -Trentham showed him his watch. - -'Ten past four! It was two when I gave it him! What the deuce----' - -He stopped, and stared blankly at Trentham. - -'What did I say, Ephraim, me lad?' said Grinson, in what he intended for -a whisper. - -'What's that, Grinson?' demanded Trentham. 'What _did_ you say?' - -'Well, sir, as we come along, Meek and me was saying a few things about -the Dutchman's trousers, and seeing as they 'd no mark of being in -sea-water, it come into my head that he didn't get ashore swimming. And -from that--which I know the little ways o' seamen--I somehow couldn't -help guessing that he might 'a got restless like, and hopped the twig.' - -'Deserted his ship, sir,' explained Meek. - -'Got a bit wild like, and gone a-roaming,' added Grinson. 'Seemingly -he's got it again.' - -'Nonsense!' exclaimed Trentham. 'He isn't an ass!' - -'Guess we 'd better look for him,' said Hoole. 'He 's got my watch.' - - - - - CHAPTER V - - IN THE TOILS - - -Trentham looked round. Mushroom Hill reared its strange form into the -sky on their left hand--forty miles away, Haan had said. Between it and -them stretched unbroken forest, an undulating sea of green. There was -forest on their right, in front, behind. - -'It's like looking for the proverbial needle in the bundle of hay,' he -said. - -'But we might track him through the undergrowth,' suggested Hoole. 'He -couldn't pass without leaving traces--a big fellow, with big boots.' - -'Yes; a solid-looking fellow, too; not the kind of man to do anything so -mad as Grinson suggests.' - -'Ah, sir, 'tis them as are the worst when the feeling gets a hold,' said -Grinson. 'There was once a messmate o' mine, Job Grindle by name----' - -'Really we must lose no time,' Trentham interrupted. 'The sun will be -down in two hours or less. He was on that side, Hoole? Then let us -start from there, and all keep together.' - -They examined the slight eminence where Hoole had last seen the -Dutchman. The plants were beaten down over a space of a few yards, -where the man had walked to and fro; but beyond this narrow area there -was no sign of footsteps in any direction. - -'Very odd,' said Trentham. 'He must have gone back the way we came.' - -They retraced their steps towards the clearly marked track of their -course through the forest. - -''Tis my belief the cannibals come up and cotched him again,' said Meek. - -'But they must have passed us before they reached him,' said Trentham. -'He would have sung out.' - -'And even if they took him by surprise a big fellow like him wouldn't -have been overpowered without a struggle,' added Hoole. 'There 's no -sign of it. And they would hardly have been satisfied with one victim -when they might have had five. I guess Grinson is right, after all. -Now let us look at the proposition from that point of view. Say that -Haan was seized with the roaming fever--that is, was more or less mad. -There's a deal of cunning in madmen, and he 'd naturally try to cover up -his tracks. He would expect us to go back over our course, so that's -the very way he wouldn't go. What do you say?' - -'It sounds reasonable, but where are his tracks? How could he cover -them?' - -'Let's go back to where I last saw him. I have an idea.' - -Retracing their steps to the rising ground, they examined once more the -few yards which Haan had trodden. Beyond this clear space trees of -various species grew somewhat thickly together. Hoole went up to them -and began to look closely at the trunks. - -'Ah, maybe he 's sitting up aloft a-grinning at us,' said Grinson, -peering up into the foliage--'for a joke, like.' - -'I never could understand a joke,' murmured Meek. - -'Here you are,' cried Hoole, laying his hand on a twisted and knobby -trunk. 'He shinned up here.' - -There were on the bark scratches that might have been made by nails in a -heavy sole. But Haan was not discoverable amid the leaves above. - -'The madman!' exclaimed Trentham. - -'With a madman's cunning,' said Hoole. 'Clearly he wanted to throw us -off, and he deserves to be left to his fate. But, of course, we can't -leave him to his fate. I suppose he went from tree to tree, and then -dropped to earth again when he thought he had done us. It would be a -hopeless job to attempt to track him through the foliage; but we know -the direction in which he went, and I dare say we 'll find his traces -not far away. Let us go on; scatter a little; the forest isn't thick -hereabouts, and we can see each other a few yards apart. If we don't -find him by nightfall, we shall simply have to give it up, camp for the -night, and then make tracks for Mushroom Hill.' - -Following his suggestion, they went forward in a line, looking up into -the foliage, and closely examining the undergrowth for signs of its -having been trampled down. Every now and then they stopped to listen; -they dared not shout, but Hoole sometimes ventured upon a low whistle. - -After they had progressed slowly for about half an hour, Meek suddenly -sniffed, and caught Grinson by the arm. - -'Summat burning, Mr. Grinson,' he said. - -'Well, you 've a long nose, Ephraim. You 're right, me lad; I smell it -myself.' He coughed lightly to attract the attention of Trentham, a few -yards on his right. The four men grouped themselves. Hoole took out -his revolver. They stood in silence, listening, looking in the -direction from which the smell of burning came. There was no sound of -crackling, no sign of smoke, and after a minute or two they went forward -cautiously. - -Soon they halted in astonishment. They had come upon a stretch of -blackened undergrowth, upon which lay a few trees that bore the mark of -an axe; others, still erect, were black for many feet from their base. -The air was full of the smell of burnt wood. - -'Surely the madman didn't set fire to the trees?' said Trentham. - -'This wasn't done to-day,' said Hoole, touching a blackened trunk. -'It's not hot. But it wasn't long ago. Look here; the remains of a -ladder.' - -He had picked up at the foot of a tree what was clearly the charred -remnant of a ladder of bamboo. - -'Bless my eyes, sir, 'tis a village,' said Grinson. 'When I was at -Moresby some years ago they showed me a photograph of one--a tree -village, the little houses perched up aloft, and ladders to get to 'em. -There 's been a fire, that's clear.' - -'And no fire-engine,' said Meek. 'A terrible calamity, to be sure.' - -Hoole had gone a few steps ahead. - -'Here 's the sea,' he called. 'We 're on the edge of a cliff. And by -Jove! Trentham, look here!' - -The others went forward and joined him. They looked down upon a narrow -ravine--a steep valley such as is called a chine in the South of -England. At the foot of the thickly wooded banks a stream flowed out -into a small bay almost landlocked by high cliffs. And in the middle of -the bay lay a vessel--a long blue shape with a single funnel. - -'The Raider!' ejaculated Grinson with an oath. - -[Illustration: 'THE RAIDER!'] - -'I guess you 're right,' said Hoole quietly. 'And there 's that cloud of -smoke we saw in the distance this morning.' - -A slight dark cloud was rising above the cliff near the vessel. It did -not proceed from the Raider's funnel. Was it possible that a consort of -hers lay beyond the point? - -The four men, standing just within the forest verge, gazed for a few -moments in silence at this unexpected scene. Then Trentham turned. - -'We had better get back--to where we can see Mushroom Hill,' he said, a -grave note in his voice. - -'And give up Haan?' said Hoole. - -'And give up Haan. Haan may go hang. Let us go at once; it 'll be dark -soon.' - -They retraced their steps through the burnt village, Hoole and Trentham -walking side by side, the two seamen following. - -'I wondered why the fellow spelt his name to us; you remember? -H-a-a-n,' said Trentham. 'It's clear as daylight now. He 's a German; -was on that raider; a petty officer, I suppose; his name 's Hahn.' - -Hoole whistled under his breath. - -'They played some devilry with the natives, I suppose,' Trentham went -on; 'burnt their village, very likely; Hahn strayed and got -collared--and we saved one of the ruffians who sunk us!' - -'And he 's got away and rejoined--with my watch!' cried Hoole. 'What an -almighty fool I was! And I gave him five minutes' extra sleep! That -stings, Trentham, and will till my dying day.' - -'He beat us: in slimness the Hun always will. I haven't a doubt he was -playing tricks with us all the time. His Mushroom Hill--faugh!' - -'You mean?' - -'I mean that I don't believe that's our way at all. He reckoned on our -getting hopelessly lost--starving--falling into the hands of the -savages.' - -'Well, for my part, I 'd as soon fall into their hands as the Germans'. -You don't think he 'll send the Huns after us, then?' - -'Not he! I don't suppose he 'll mention us, thinking us well out of the -way. He 'll probably pitch some tall yarn about his clever escape from -the cannibals--very likely write a book about it. Upon my word, Hoole, -after what we know----' - -'Well, I reckon we 're done pretty brown, but I 'm not inclined to give -him best. We 'll get to Friedrich What-do-you-call-it in spite of him, -and not by Mushroom Hill either. We 'll stick to the coast--confound -him! He was so precious careful to keep us away from it.' - -'We can only try; it's a ticklish affair, Hoole.' - -'I know it is, old son. The food question.' - -'Don't worry about that. Where there are men there must be food.' - -'That's true; but I 'd rather find the food where there weren't men, if -the men are like those dancing hoodlums on the beach. One thing; the -Hun's frightfulness has probably scared away all the natives from these -parts, so we 'll be able to rest in peace to-night and start afresh in -the morning.' - -'I hope so. We had better camp where Hahn left us; I 'll tell the men -there.' - -They went on over their former tracks. A wind was rising, and the -foliage overhead rustled like the hissing of breakers on a shingly -beach. Conversation ceased; each was busy with his own uneasy thoughts. -The rays of the setting sun filtered through the trees from behind them, -and presently they came in sight of the open space where Hahn had -deserted them. And then the two young men suddenly halted; Trentham -wheeled round and put his fingers over his lips in sight of the seamen. - -In the middle of the clearing, just where Grinson had lain, a dark, -naked figure was stooping and closely examining the ground. He had his -back to them, but a moment after they had stopped he sprang up suddenly -and turned towards them, his head raised like that of a wild animal that -scents danger. For a few moments he stood motionless in the full glow -of the sunlight--a tall lithe figure, like a statue in bronze. His -right hand clutched a spear. - -The watchers had time to notice his well-proportioned form; his colour, -lighter than that of the natives they had already seen; a grace of -bearing that gave him an indefinable distinction; then he was gone, as -if by magic. Where he had been he was no longer; it was as if he had -dissolved like Pepper's ghost. - -After waiting a little, Hoole stole forward to reconnoitre. The space -was vacant; there was no sign of savages lurking among the surrounding -trees. He returned to the others. - -'No one there,' he said under his breath. - -'D' you think he saw us?' asked Trentham. - -'No. I couldn't see you from the edge. But he was uneasy.' - -'So am I! We had better avoid that spot. I 'd rather not meet any more -natives just yet! We had better go rather deeply into the forest, and -perch up in trees for the night. There 's only about half an hour of -daylight left; we shall probably be pretty safe in the dark. In -daylight--well, we shall have to look out.' - -They had spoken in whispers. The seamen had watched them anxiously; -Grinson, usually talkative enough, had not uttered a word for some time. -Trentham in a few sentences explained his plan; then led the way with -Hoole into the forest, in a direction at right angles to their former -course. - -The dying sunlight scarcely penetrated the thick canopy above them. The -greenish gloom lent pallor to their cheeks. They stumbled, on through -the brushwood, which grew more densely where the overhead leafage was -thin. The wind had dropped as suddenly as it had arisen. They heard -nothing but the swish of their feet through the vegetation and the -fitful calls of night birds just awaking. Presently, however, Hoole -stopped and whispered: - -'Did you hear that?' - -'What?' - -'Some sound--I don't know what.' - -'I heard nothing.' - -They went on. - -'There again!' said Hoole, a few seconds later. He looked round -apprehensively. A slight groan came from Meek. - -'What's the matter?' asked Trentham in a whisper, sharply. His nerves -were a little on edge. - -'I seed a face, sir,' murmured the man, staring into the gloom. - -'Nonsense! It's too dark to see anything. We 'll stop in a few minutes, -when it's quite dark; but we must get as far as we can from where we saw -that native.' - -They had not advanced more than a dozen yards when Hoole made a sudden -dash among the bushes. The rest halted, drawing quick breaths. He came -back after half a minute's absence. - -'I distinctly heard a sound there,' he explained. 'No; it's not -jumpiness. But I couldn't see any one or anything. I vote we stop, -Trentham. We shall lose our bearings utterly if we go too far into the -forest, where we can't see the sun to-morrow.' - -'I think you 're right. Now to find trees we can climb, and big enough -to give us safe perches. Grinson, put down your bag and have a look -round.' - -The boatswain had just risen from stooping to the ground; the others -were standing by, looking up for broad forks which promised security, -when with a sudden _whish_ that took them all aback the brushwood around -them parted and a score or more of dusky natives burst into the ring. -Before they could raise a finger in self-defence they were thrown -headlong, and sinewy hands were knotting pliant tendrils about their -arms and legs, while others held them down. In a few minutes the -binding was finished. The captors collected, and jabbered away among -themselves. One of them had opened the bag, and was munching a biscuit. -The bag was wrenched from his hands; and the four prisoners, lying on -their backs, watched the gleeful savages consume their whole stock of -provisions to the last crumb. - -[Illustration: A SCORE OF DUSKY NATIVES BURST INTO THE RING.] - - - - - CHAPTER VI - - THE TOTEM - - -'They won't eat us now, will they, Mr. Grinson?' said Meek in a whisper, -hopefully. - -Grinson swore. - -'Not after them biscuits, Mr. Grinson?' Meek persisted. - -'Stow it, can't you?' growled Grinson. 'This ain't a time for jokes.' - -Meek was so much astonished at being accused of joking that his jaw -dropped, and he eyed the boatswain sadly. His expression turned to -anguish as he listened to the low-toned conversation between Hoole and -Trentham. - -'We 're fairly in the cart,' said the former. 'See any way out?' - -'No. We 're still alive. They might have killed us--those spears!' - -'Better if they had, perhaps. Waiting is the deuce!' - -'If we could only speak to them!' - -'Try right now. Perhaps some of them know pidgin.' - -'You boys belongina this place?' began Trentham in loud tones. 'You -savvy English fella? English he like him black fella man too much, come -this place look out black fella man, no fighting black fella man.' - -The natives had stopped jabbering. - -'You savvy all same what English fella man he say?' Trentham asked. - -There was no answer. The Papuans, squatting in a line, gave an -inarticulate grunt, then resumed their talk. - -'No good!' said Trentham. 'They evidently haven't been to the ports. -Very little chance for us with savages of the interior.' - -'What are they waiting for, then? Look, that's the fellow we saw a -while ago.' - -The young native whom they had seen examining their tracks came out of -the gloom, stood before the squatting men, and spoke to them. They -stared at the four prisoners and grunted; the speaker disappeared among -the trees. - -'He 's left them on guard, and gone to report at headquarters,' said -Trentham. 'A brief respite.' - -'Till the rising of the moon, I suppose. Well, old boy, I hope it 'll be -short--and both together.' - -Trentham was silent. He had had many anxious moments since the Raider's -first shell had flown screaming over the deck; but it was with a shock -of a totally different kind that he now found himself looking with open -eyes upon the imminence of death. To a man in health death is -unrealisable. But he remembered those hideous figures on the beach, the -pig's squeal, and he shuddered. - -There was barely light enough to distinguish the savages from their -surroundings; but it seemed to him, from their general appearance, that -they were of the same tribe as the dancers--possibly they were the -dancers themselves. In that case, baulked of one victim, they were only -too likely to make the most of the four who had now fallen into their -hands. It was not to be hoped that they would relax their watchfulness. -Would their leader return at the rising of the moon? - -Complete darkness enwrapped them. The blacks talked on endlessly, -breaking at times into boisterous laughter. - -'Have you tried the knots, Grinson?' Trentham asked. - -'Did that first go off, sir,' replied the boatswain in doleful accents. -'I couldn't have tied 'em better myself.' - -Each of the prisoners had in fact already wriggled and strained at his -bonds, with total unsuccess. - -They lay silent again. Presently Grinson let out a torrent of -expletives with something like his old vigour. The others questioned -him. - -'Skeeters!' he cried furiously. 'They 're all over me, and I can't rub -my nose.' - -Hitherto insects had troubled them little, and the advent of mosquitoes -was likely to enhance their physical discomfort. - -'I guess we 're near water,' remarked Hoole; 'perhaps that stream we saw -running into the bay. Have the mosquitoes bit you, Trentham?' - -'Not yet.' - -'Nor me. They 've taken a fancy for Grinson.' - -'I 'm willing they should have a bite at me,' said Meek, 'if so be they -'d let Mr. Grinson alone.' - -Grinson swore again; in his present mood Meek's devotion was only less -irritating than the stabs of the insects. - -A glint of moonlight stole through the trees, and revealed the faces of -some of the natives--ugly faces of rusty black, daubed with red and -white. The prisoners felt their heart-beats quicken. But though the -moonbeams lengthened the savages made no move, nor did their leader -return. - -The hours dragged on. One after another the four men slumbered -uneasily, waking with sudden starts and tremors, always to hear the -harsh voices of their guards. Towards morning they slept heavily, and -were only awakened by the touch of hands upon their legs. In the dim -greenish light they saw that the savages had been rejoined by the young -man who had left them in the evening, and by another native resembling -him, but a good deal older, wearing a high plume of feathers. The bonds -about the prisoners' legs were released; they were hauled to their feet, -and the two leaders made signs that they were to march. So cramped that -they could scarcely move their limbs, they followed their leaders; the -Papuan guards, all armed with spears, tramping in single file behind -them. - -'Your poor face is all swollen, Mr. Grinson,' said Meek, with a look of -commiseration. - -'Shut _your_ face!' growled the boatswain ill-temperedly. - -With their arms still bound firmly to their sides, the prisoners, faint -with hunger, stumbled through the forest, at the heels of the two -leaders, along a well-worn track. It crossed deeply wooded ravines, -shallow streams; wound round steep bluffs on which no trees grew. -Presently they came to a wide clearing where naked children were running -about, and women were busy with cooking. At their appearance, men came -scrambling down ladders from the trees beyond, exchanged a few excited -words with their escort, and, shouting with delight, joined themselves -to the party. - -'Quite a Roman triumph,' said Hoole with a sickly smile. - -'Roman?' said Trentham, roused from the listlessness into which he had -fallen. 'Those fellows in front might almost be Romans, bar the colour.' - -'They 're a better breed than the crowd behind. Don't look like -cannibals.' - -'D' ye hear that?' Meek whispered to Grinson. 'Mr. Hoole says they ain't -cannibals.' - -'Mr. Hoole won't be the fust,' growled the boatswain. - -Meek was half a minute or so in seeing the connection between Grinson's -reply and his own statement. When light dawned, he contemplated the -boatswain's rotundity with mournful composure. - -The procession was swelled by accretions from two more villages during -the next hour. Some of the new-comers pressed close to the prisoners, -now almost overcome by heat, hunger, and weariness, and discussed them -excitedly. Hoole and Trentham walked on with nonchalant disregard; Meek -wore a deprecating look; Grinson turned upon them a truculent -countenance, disfigured by the mosquitoes' attentions. - -Another hour had passed; the captives were on the verge of collapse, -even Grinson's face had lost its ruddy hue, when, emerging from the -forest, they found themselves in a clearing several acres in extent, -divided off into plots on which crops of various kinds were growing. -Beyond stood a line of neatly thatched huts, and in the distance was -what appeared to be a closely built stockade. A broad road ran through -the midst of the settlement. At the approach of the procession, now -some sixty strong, women and children flocked from the fields and -gathered, wondering spectators, on the road, and men sprang up from the -ground in front of the huts, and hastened to meet the new-comers. - -The elder of the two leaders turned round and shouted a few words. All -but ten of the Papuans halted. The ten continued their march behind the -prisoners, through a lane between two of the huts, until they arrived at -a narrow gateway in the stockade. This, on nearer view, proved to be a -formidable wall of pandanus trunks cemented with earth, and with an -earthen parapet that bore a strange resemblance to the machicolations of -a mediaeval castle. - -The gate was thrown open; the two leaders, the prisoners, and their -escort passed through, and the scene that met the white men's eyes -filled them with astonishment. On either side stood a row of neat wooden -houses with gabled roofs and long window openings. The woodwork showed -crude attempts at decoration in red and white. In the centre was a -larger, loftier building than the rest, also of wood, but constructed -like a rough imitation of a castle keep. - -Within this inner enclosure there were none but men, all of good -stature, well proportioned, and with the arched nose and straight hair -which the prisoners had remarked in the two leaders of the procession. -In colour they were a bright bronze, contrasting forcibly with the -lustreless black of the Papuan escort. - -A few yards from the central building the prisoners were halted, and the -young leader went forward alone, disappearing within an arched doorway. -In a few minutes he returned, accompanied by a tall old man with white -hair and wrinkled brow, naked like the others, except for a broader -loin-cloth and a heavy gold chain, curiously wrought, about his neck. - -'"The noblest Roman of them all!"' quoted Hoole, under his breath. -'Where on earth are we?' - -The apprehensions of all the prisoners, were for the moment smothered by -surprise and wonderment. - -At the appearance of the old man in the doorway, the ten Papuans fell on -one knee, like courtiers before a king. The chief gazed fixedly at the -white men, appraising them one after another. A cruel smile dawned upon -his face--a smile that in an instant revived in the prisoners the worst -of their fears. During the march Trentham had buoyed himself with the -hope that these natives of a higher type might turn out to be friendly; -the hope died within him now. The chief had evidently heard all about -the prisoners from the young man who had visited him during the night. -He had now come to pronounce their doom. - -'Rhadamanthus,' murmured Hoole. 'Try him with pidgin, Trentham. He -hasn't heard our defence.' - -'Chief, we English fella,' cried Trentham. 'Come this side look out -black fella man; no fighting this time.' - -The old man beckoned to one of the men who had come from the houses -right and left, and now stood spectators of the scene. The man came -forward, and after the chief had addressed a few words to him in his own -tongue, he said to Trentham: - -'White fella man no belongina this place. White fella man come this -place, make fire houses belongina black fella man, fight black fella man -all same too much; white man he belongina die.' - -Trentham understood from this that he and his friends were supposed to -be connected with the white men who had recently burnt the tree village -and ill-treated the natives. - -'We no belongina bad fella man,' he hastened to explain. 'Like you -fella, no like bad fella come ship stop this place; ship no belongina -me.' - -The interpreter translated to the chief, who listened with a derisive -air, shrugged his shoulders, and threw out his hands, and made answer: - -'Chief he say all belongina gammon: you come all same place other white -fella man, no look out good alonga him. He finish talk alonga you.' - -'The Huns have queered our pitch,' said Trentham to Hoole, with a wry -smile. 'We are at their mercy.' - -'Wish I had my hands free,' said Hoole. 'What's the end to be?' - -One of the Papuans, with every sign of humility, was addressing the -chief. Into the old man's eyes crept the cruel smile which had already -caused the prisoners to shiver. He spoke a few words; the Papuans -sprang up gleefully, crowded about the white men, and jabbered with -excitement. They gave scarcely a glance at Meek, who stood in his usual -drooping attitude, open-eyed with fright. They stared critically at the -two younger men, seemed to dispute for a few moments, then turned to -Grinson and began to poke him in the ribs. The boatswain glared, -cursed, kicked, only to be caught by the leg and thrown to the ground. -Hoole and Trentham made a movement towards him, but were instantly -seized by the natives standing by. After a vain struggle, Grinson lay -inert. The Papuans hauled him to his feet, and marched him away towards -the gate. - -'Good-bye, Mr. Trentham; good-bye, Mr. Hoole!' he shouted. 'So long, -Ephraim, me lad! The anchor's weighed. Remember me.' - -Pale to the lips, the three others watched the chief as he followed the -indomitable seaman with his eyes. When the gate was shut he turned to -the young native who had first discovered the white men, and spoke to -him, using, as it appeared to Trentham, a dialect differing somewhat -from that in which he had addressed the Papuan and the interpreter. Now -and then it had a nasal quality that reminded Trentham of French, and -presently he caught a word or two that sounded like debased forms of -French words he knew. - -A drowning man will catch at a straw, and Trentham, incredible though it -appeared that the natives hereabout should be familiar with French, as a -last hope determined to try the effect of a word or two in that -language. - -'_Monsieur parle francais?_' he said, using the first phrase that -occurred to him, and anxiously watching the chief. - -Both the old man and the young looked at him with astonishment. - -'_Monsieur parle francais?_' he repeated. - -'_Oui, flancais,_' said the chief, and went on speaking in a gibberish -which, though it had a French intonation, was utterly incomprehensible -to Trentham. - -'_Nous sommes amis des Francais,_' he said. - -'_Oui, amis,_' echoed the chief, and talked on. Then, apparently seeing -that Trentham was bewildered, he called up the interpreter, and spoke to -him in the Papuan dialect he had formerly used. - -'Chief he say you savvy him talk, say you come this place belongina -ship. What for come this place?' - -Trentham almost despaired of finding his resources of pidgin English -suffice to explain the situation of himself and his companions. But -conscious how much depended on him, he did his best. - -'Me belongina English ship; bad fella belongina another ship, he -fighting me, no more ship. He no like white fella man; come fight this -time black fella belongina all place. English fella man like Flansai -fella, no like Toitsche fella--you savvy all same?' - -He clenched his fist, and shook it in the direction where he supposed -the Raider to lie. The explanation, translated, seemed to excite the -chief, who turned to his young compatriot and entered into an animated -discussion with him. - -While they were still talking, the gate in the wall was once more thrown -open, and to the white men's utter amazement, Grinson marched in at the -head of a procession of his captors. His arms were unbound, his face -was wreathed in smiles, his body was bare to the waist. - -[Illustration: GRINSON MARCHED IN AT THE HEAD OF A PROCESSION.] - -'Ahoy, messmates!' he cried at the top of his voice, rather hoarsely. -'Beg pardon, young gents, but I mean to say--oh, cripes! Ephraim, me -lad, I never thought I 'd see you again, 'cept as a ghost. Am I drunk? -No, but I 'm darned merry, which I mean to say--I say, old cock,' -turning to a Papuan, 'get me a drink--get us all a drink, and we 'll -drink your health and say no more about it.' He raised his arm, and -kissed a spot just below his shoulder. 'Kiss it too, ugly mug! Come on, -all you lubbers, kiss it, or I 'll never love you no more!' - -And to his friends' amazement the Papuans came to him one by one, and -reverently kissed the spot, Grinson beaming on them. - -'That's right! It tickles, and I don't like your ugly nose bones, but -you 've good 'earts. No, you don't--once is enough,' he cried to a man -who offered the salute a second time. - -'"When I was young and had no sense!"--no, blamed if it wasn't the most -sensiblest thing ever I did, and that's saying something.' He had now -come up to his amazed companions. 'There it is--that's what done it. -"A sweet little cherub what sits up aloft,"--beg pardon, sir, I feels -like singing all the time. That's what done it!' He displayed his arm, -on which was the blue tattooed effigy of a bird of paradise. 'They -peeled off my shirt, and there was I looking for 'em to plunge the knife -into my bare bussum, when dash me if they didn't start back with horror -like as if I 'd the smallpox--and me vaccinated, too, twice, on this -very arm. 'Twas the bird what done it, like the strawberry mark what -proved to the Marchioness of Mayfair that the dustman was her long-lost -son and heir, stole from his cradle by the lady's maid she 'd sacked for -swilling of her eau de colony. The ugly mugs take me for a long-lost -brother, and dash me if I ain't the best-looking of the family, Ephraim, -me lad.' - -While the hilarious mariner was reeling off his yarn, the Papuans had -explained to the chief that, having discovered on his arm the image of -the totem of their tribe, they had brought him back, to exchange him for -one of the other prisoners, unless they too should prove to be -sacrosanct. To their intense discontent, the chief had refused to allow -them even to examine the arms of the three men; and while Trentham and -his companions were still digesting the astounding story told by -Grinson, the crestfallen savages stole out of the gate in sullen -ill-humour. - - - - - CHAPTER VII - - REMINISCENCES - - -'A most fortunate coincidence, Grinson, that you happened to be tattooed -with the totem mark of these strange people,' said Trentham. 'But for -that we might all have gone into the pot in turn.' - -The four men were seated in a hut placed at their disposal by the chief, -appeasing their famishment with a variety of more or less unfamiliar -foods. - -'Ay, ay, sir!' returned the boatswain; 'though I never heard it called a -totem mark afore. True, my head was spinning like a teetotum when 'twas -done, and if I 'd been a teetotaller--upon my word, sir, 'tis the -remarkablest thing I ever heard on. Ephraim, me lad, you can bear me -out: wasn't that the only time you ever saw me squiffed?' - -'Which time was that, Mr. Grinson?' asked Meek. - -'Why, the time I had this 'ere teetotum mark pricked into my biceps.' - -'I 'm bound to say as how that was one of the times you was a trifle -overcome, though nothing to what you might have been.' - -'True, if I 'd been overripe they couldn't 'a done it, nor if I 'd had -nothing at all, which it shows the good o' moderation, gentlemen. I was -just comfortable; you know--when you 're pleased with everything and -everybody. 'Twas like this. I was never like most sailormen, as gets -tattooed their first voyage, and ever after has the sins o' their youth -staring 'em in the face--like Ephraim, poor lad.' - -Meek looked guiltily at his long bony wrists and tried to draw his -sleeves down over the blue anchors tattooed on them. - -'No,' Grinson went on, 'I was never a man for show. Well, some -messmates of mine didn't understand my modest spirit, and laid their -heads together for to give me the hall-mark as proves a seaman sterling, -you may say. Ben Trouncer was at the bottom of it: the slyest sea-dog -of a fellow you ever set eyes on. He come to me one night when I -happened to be alone, all but Ephraim, in the bar-parlour of the "Jolly -Sailors," and says, "Going to the meeting on Wednesday, Josy?" says he. -"What meeting?" says I. "You don't mean to tell me you don't know!" -says he. "I 'd never have believed it. All the others are going; -meeting to form a sailors' goose club," says he. "Fust I heard of it," -says I. "What's a goose club?" "Why," says he, "you pay so much a -week, and at Christmas every sailor-man gets a goose, wherever he -is--Melbourne, Shanghai, Buenos Ayres, anywhere you like. Fancy you not -knowing of it! Why, they all expect you to be made treasurer of the -club. Let's have another pot, and I 'll tell you all I knows." - -'Well, Ben went on talking like a gramophone as won't run down--about -subscriptions and foreign agents, and what a heap of money there 'd be -to take charge of, and he hoped I 'd be made treasurer, because some of -'em wanted a scag called Joe Pettigrew, a fellow you wouldn't trust with -the price of a pot of four-half, which I agreed with, and said if Joe -was made treasurer he 'd get no subscriptions out of me. "Well," says -Ben, "Joe 's the only man I 'm afraid of, and I 'll tell you why. Them -as wants him are going to propose that no one as ain't tattooed is to be -edible for membership--see? Just to keep you out, 'cos they know there -ain't a speck of blue about you." "Ho!" says I. "That 's their game. -Well, they can make Joe treasurer, and he 'll pinch all your money, but -not mine, 'cos I can't join, not if I want to." - -'Well, he calls for another pot and goes on talking, and by long and -short he worked me up to believe as how the whole thing would bust up if -I wasn't treasurer, and the picture he drored of the sailorman going -without his Christmas goose was worse than onions for tickling your -eyeballs. Then he told me how I 'd take the wind out o' Joe's sails if -I had a nice fat goose tattooed on my shoulder out of sight, and spring -it on 'em when they was cocksure I wasn't edible for membership. Having -had three or four pots, the notion tickled my fancy, and I had it done -by a Jap as was the cleverest hand at tattooing you ever set eyes on. -Ben had left him in the bar till he talked me over. - -'Well, I went to the meeting, and Joe and his mates sniggered when they -saw me. Ben proposed the club; carried unanimous. Some one else -proposed about the tattooing; carried unanimous. Then Ben proposed me -for treasurer. Up jumps one of Joe's friends and said I couldn't be -treasurer, 'cos I couldn't even be a member, not being tattooed. "Ho!" -says I, "who says I ain't tattooed?" They laughed. "Who don't know -that?" says they. "Ho!" says I, "you knows a lot," and I stripped and -showed 'em the finest goose as ever hung in Leadenhall Market. - -[Illustration: 'WHO SAYS I AIN'T TATTOOED?'] - -'Well, after that they made me treasurer, unanimous, even Joe voting for -me, which it surprised me at the time. Then Ben said that, me being -treasurer, 'twas for me to propose what the subscription should be. -"Right," says I. "Then I propose three-pence a week." I was fair -flabbergasted when Ben got up and spun a long yarn which I couldn't make -head or tail on, and ended by proposing they didn't have no subscription -at all. Carried unanimous. It was a plant, you see, gentlemen. I was -fair done. There never was no goose club, and only one goose, and that -was me, my mother said when I told her all about it.' - -'And your goose is a bird of paradise,' said Trentham. - -'A bird of---- Ho, here 's ugly mug! What might he want now?' - -In the open doorway stood the interpreter. - -'Chief he say white man fella come alonga him,' said the man, looking at -Trentham. - -'A royal command,' remarked Trentham, rising. 'I 'll try to get him to -provide us with guides to Wilhelmshafen.' - -Some ten minutes after Trentham's departure the rest were startled by a -long-drawn howl, like the sound of hundreds of men hooting an unpopular -speaker. - -'Blue murder!' exclaimed Grinson, as he hurried with the others to the -doorway. The noise came from beyond the stockade. The gate was shut, -and the natives within the enclosure were strolling about with no -appearance of concern. Trentham was not visible. - -'I 'm afeard they 've took Mr. Trentham instead,' said Meek -lugubriously. - -'Nonsense!' cried Hoole. 'That wasn't a cry of delight. But I 'll just -run across to the chief's house; Mr. Trentham is probably there.' - -At the entrance of the house he was stopped by two natives, armed with -spears, who stood there on guard. - -'You there, Trentham?' he called into the interior. - -'Yes; I 'll be with you shortly,' came the answer. - -Reassured, Hoole returned to the hut. - -'It's all right, Meek,' he said. 'Don't get the wind up.' - -'No, Ephraim, me lad,' said Grinson, 'don't strain at your anchor. 'Tis -your great fault.' - -It was half an hour or so before Trentham rejoined them. - -'The strangest story I 've ever heard,' he said. 'It wasn't easy to -make out that fellow's pidgin English, but I 'll tell you what I -understand of it. Long ago, soon after the beginning of the world, a -big ship came ashore after a great storm. (That's our wreck, of -course.) The ship's white chief, a great medicine-man, had come to -assist the forefathers of this tribe, then at war with many powerful -neighbours. By the power of his fire magic--blunderbusses, no -doubt--their enemies were defeated; but I suppose his ammunition gave -out, for, as the chief put it, the fire magic was lost. - -'The ship's captain was evidently a Frenchman. Finding it impossible to -leave the island, he and his crew settled down and took wives among the -tribe, and became the ruling caste. The present chief is probably the -great-grandson of the Frenchman; he has no idea how old he is, or how -many generations come between him and his ancestor. From the portrait of -Louis XVI. we saw in the cabin, it's pretty clear that this happened a -hundred and twenty odd years ago. In that time, of course, the French -stock has degenerated; as you heard, they 've retained a word or two of -the French language, and they 've tried to keep themselves select by -banishing from their inner enclosure all who take after the aborigines -in feature, retaining only those who have something of the European cast -of face. That, as I understood the story, has led to trouble. It's a -case of plebs and patricians over again. The patricians are gradually -weakening, the plebs becoming stronger; and the chief seems to be -decidedly jumpy; his authority is waning. You heard that howl just now?' - -'We did,' replied Hoole. 'Meek made sure you 'd been thrown to the -dogs.' - -Trentham smiled. - -'The fact is, the plebs were disappointed of their feast. They are -cannibals; the patricians are not. A big fellow came up as spokesman of -the plebs, and declared they must have one of us four. Grinson is -protected by his goose, and the chief wouldn't give them you, Hoole, or -me, because we know French. But he suggested that we might dispense -with Meek.' - -'Me, sir!' cried Meek. - -'Yes. I gathered that the chief was anxious to conciliate his rather -unruly subjects, and I had a good deal of difficulty in begging you off, -pointing out (I hope you don't mind) that you are rather lean and -scraggy----' - -'Danged if that ain't too bad!' cried Meek with unwonted vehemence. - -'Well, really, I thought it the best way to get you off.' - -''Tis not that I mind, sir--not at all, and I 'm obliged to you. I was -always skin and bone, no matter what I eat----' - -'Like the lean cattle in the Bible, Ephraim,' said Grinson, 'what ate up -the fat uns and you 'd never have knowed it.' - -'True, so I was born,' Meek went on, 'and so I must be. But the idea of -eating me, just because I never had no goose pricked on my arm nor can't -parly-voo! Danged if there 's any justice in this world--not a morsel.' - -'Well, you 're safe now, anyway,' said Hoole, smiling. 'Did you hear -anything about Hahn, Trentham?' - -'Yes. It appears that the numbers here have recently been increased by -the influx of people from one or two small coast villages that have been -destroyed by the Germans. This place, being farther from the sea, has -escaped as yet; but the chief is rather alarmed, and has scouting -parties constantly out to give warning if the white men from the ship -approach. Apparently Hahn fell into the hands of one of those parties. -The chief told me that a white man had been taken down to the shore to -be sacrificed in the hope of averting disaster. The sacrificial party -has not returned yet, and I thought it wiser to say nothing about the -rescue of the victim; it wouldn't tend to make us popular with the -plebs. The worst of it is, the chief seems to think we 'll be useful to -him. When I talked about his helping us to get away he suddenly became -deaf, and I couldn't help judging from his manner that he wants to keep -us, either to prop him up against his troublesome people, or to protect -him from the Germans. We had better humour him for the moment. At any -rate we shall get food. By and by we can take our bearings, possibly -make or get hold of a canoe. It's no good our attempting to make our -way overland to Wilhelmshafen through a country infested by cannibals.' - -'And precious little good our staying to help him against the Germans -with nothing but a revolver and our knives,' said Hoole. 'Still, there -'s nothing else for it. If we can gain the people's confidence they may -help us in the end--especially if the Raider clears off, and I guess it -won't remain in these waters for ever. But it's deuced unpleasant.' - -'Ay, and there 's neither justice nor mercy in this world,' sighed Meek. -'Eat me! Br-r-r!' - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - - A RECONNAISSANCE - - -The hut allotted to the four white men, like all the others in the inner -enclosure, was built of logs, and in shape resembled an expanded -sentry-box. It had no furniture except a few grass mats laid upon the -earthen floor, and a clumsy rack of sticks, containing some crude -platters of clay, and a couple of heavy wooden clubs. Worn out by their -recent experiences, the occupants slept soundly through their first -night as the chief's guests, only disturbed at intervals by the -visitations of cockroaches which the darkness drew from crevices in the -walls. - -Next morning they were given a breakfast of bananas and nuts, and water -brought to them in long bamboo stalks, which had been cleaned of their -partitions except at the end. - -'We are not supposed to wash,' remarked Trentham, 'and we can't shave; -before long we shall all be as hairy as Meek.' - -Meek looked apologetic, and Grinson passed a hand over his cheeks and -chin, already dark with stubble. - -'A regular Jack ashore, sir,' he said, 'and no barber round the corner. -What is to be will be, and I only hope I make a better show than -Ephraim; his whiskers ain't much of an ornament, I must say.' - -'I ought to have shaved young,' sighed Meek. ''Tis too late now, Mr. -Grinson.' - -'Truly, Ephraim, you 've lost your chance, poor lad. But you might look -worse, that's one comfort.' - -While they were at breakfast the man who had interpreted on the previous -day came with a message from the chief. They were free to move about -the enclosure, but the gate was forbidden them. - -'We 're prisoners, then,' said Hoole. - -'I fancy he doesn't trust the cannibals outside,' said Trentham. 'For -the present I dare say we are safer where we are. But I don't know how -we are to kill time.' - -'Here you are, sir,' said Grinson, producing a greasy pack of cards. 'A -rubber or two 'll be good for the digestion. Ephraim plays a good hand, -though you might not think it.' - -While they were playing cards a man came from the chief's house and -looked in on them through the doorway. His shadow caused them to glance -up, and Hoole and Trentham recognised him as the patrician leader of the -party from whom they had rescued Hahn. They wondered whether the -recognition was mutual, feeling that it might go hardly with them if -they were known; but the man, after a prolonged stare of curiosity, -departed without giving any sign of suspicion. It came out afterwards -that his party, finding the chimney blocked, had had to wait for the ebb -tide and then walk for some miles along the shore before they reached a -practicable path up the cliffs. They had then returned to the chimney, -removed the obstruction from its top, and sought to track the fugitives; -but they had lost the trail in the forest. - -Several days passed--days of tedium and growing irritation. The -prisoners were given regular meals of bananas, sweet potatoes, and other -roots, sometimes a bird or a pig; but movement beyond the stockade was -still interdicted. They saw nothing of the chief, and one day, when -Trentham sent him a message, asking that they might be allowed to go out -and see what the Germans were doing, the answer was that he was sick, -and could not attend to them until he was out and about again. Hoole -suggested that it was a diplomatic illness, but the sight of the -hideously painted figure of the tribal medicine-man going every day into -the chief's house seemed to show that the reason given was genuine. - -One afternoon there were signs of much excitement in the village. From -beyond the stockade came a babel of voices; a man admitted through the -gate gave those within some news which appeared to agitate them, and a -few minutes after he had entered the chief's house the interpreter came -running to the hut, and said that the chief wished to see the 'white man -fella' at once. - -'Release at last!' said Trentham when he returned. Alone of the four, -Meek showed no sign of pleasure. - -'The old fellow is in a pretty bad way,' Trentham went on. 'The -medicine-man was chanting incantations over him, and he looked -pathetically resigned. He had just heard bad news. It appears that his -son, whose name I understood to be Flanso--a corruption of Francois, I -fancy--went out yesterday with a small scouting party, and had just got -through that burnt village when they were surprised by a number of white -men and collared; only the messenger escaped. Among the party was -Kafulu, the head-man of the natives outside, and it's to that fact we -owe our chance. I offered to go out and see if I could discover what -had become of the prisoners, anticipating the chief's request. He jumped -at it, and told me that the cannibals outside, when they understand what -our errand is, won't do us any harm. But only you and I are to go, -Hoole; the others must remain as hostages.' - -'A dirty trick, sir,' said Meek. 'As sure as your back is turned, they -'ll eat me; I know they will.' - -'Don't you take on, Ephraim,' said Grinson. ''Tis true I 'd rather go -with the gentlemen, but I 'll protect you, me lad. Before they eat you, -they 'll have to cook my goose.' - -Early next morning, Hoole and Trentham started with half a dozen of the -chief's best men and the interpreter. Hoole had his revolver, Trentham -a spear like those with which the escort were armed. They marched -rapidly through the forest, reached the burnt village about midday, and -found there the bodies of two of the scouting party, shot by the -Germans. From this point they moved with great circumspection, the -guide leading them through a maze of vegetation by a winding track that -bore downhill, crossing narrow gullies and swift hill streams. - -Late in the afternoon they entered a tract of country strewn with -rounded boulders, which had no doubt been brought down in remote ages by -glacial action from the mountain range in the interior. Here the ground -sloped steeply to the edge of the cliffs, and they had a view far over -the sea. Deprived of cover by the lack of vegetation, they bore away -towards the forest on the right. Though they had approached by a -different route, the white men now recognised the spot from which they -had caught sight of the Raider lying in the cove below the cliffs. -Half-way down the forest-clad slope Trentham called a halt. - -'We know where we are now, Hoole,' he said, 'and I think we had better -leave the natives here under cover while we go on by ourselves. They -'ll be no good to us in reconnoitring, and the fewer the better on a job -like this.' - -He instructed the interpreter to remain with the men on guard, and if -not rejoined by nightfall, to return to the village. - -A very rough and narrow track led through the trees and scrub with which -the whole face of the cliff was covered. The two men crept cautiously -down this for some distance; then it occurred to Hoole that it would be -safer to make a way of their own through the bush, for at some turn of -the track they might suddenly meet some one ascending, or emerge -unexpectedly into view from the beach. Accordingly they turned off to -the right, and continued their course as quickly as possible under -cover, moving parallel with the track. - -Not many minutes had passed before they had reason to be glad that the -precaution had occurred to Hoole in time. Less than a hundred yards -below the spot where they had quitted the track they came to the edge of -a space from which the vegetation had been cleared away. The path ran -through this, and at one side of it stood a rough log hut where a German -sailor, armed with a rifle, was standing on guard. Trentham, a little -in advance of Hoole, was the first to catch sight of the man. He -motioned to Hoole to halt, peered out for a few moments at the scene -before him, then went back. - -'There 's a sentry-post below,' he said in a low tone. 'The man's back -was towards me; he was watching something going on below him. We shall -have to creep round. It's pretty rough going; take care you don't -slip.' - -Keeping on the seaward side of the sentry, they wormed their way through -the bush. With every step the descent became steeper, and they had to -cling to branches and roots in order to keep their footing. The contour -of the cliff hid them from the sentry, but the dislodging of a loose -stone might at any moment betray their presence, and they let themselves -down inch by inch with great care. - -[Illustration: WITH EVERY STEP THE DESCENT BECAME STEEPER.] - -As they had noticed on the occasion of their previous visit, the cove in -which the Raider lay was almost encircled. The cliff which they were -now scaling jutted out in a kind of spit on the eastern side. When they -finally reached its base they found themselves among a tangle of jagged -rocks. The tide was coming in, and they realised from the banks of -seaweed that the rocks were covered at the flood, and that they had -little time to spare if their reconnaissance was to lead them much -farther and they had to return by the same route. - -After a precautionary glance seaward they began to make their way -through the mass of rocks, clambering, springing from one to another, -always careful not to expose themselves to the view of the sentry -somewhere high up on their left. Presently, between two high rocks at -the outer edge, they caught sight of blue water. Entering the gap, they -looked out, and found that almost the whole of the cove was before them. - -'She 's gone,' said Hoole. - -The well-remembered vessel was no longer at her anchorage. No craft of -any kind lay within the cove. But men were moving about the beach. To -the left, near the base of the cliff, above high-water mark, were two -large sheds; a little further on was a third shed, still larger. -Between them the beach was covered with much miscellaneous litter, the -nature of which the observers could not at present determine. What -interested them most, and for a time puzzled them, was the sight of many -dark figures working on a natural ledge some eighty feet above the sea -level on the opposite side of the cove. They heard the sound of picks, -and saw black men bringing baskets from a narrow tunnel in the cliff -face, and emptying them on to the beach below. From the spot where the -contents fell clouds of black dust rose high into the air. A white man -was walking up and down the ledge, occasionally moving his right arm in -a curiously jerky manner; and amid the other sounds came now and then -rough shouts and sharp cracks. - -'By George, Hoole!' exclaimed Trentham under his breath, 'that -particular mystery is solved. They are working coal! There must be an -outcrop in the cliff; of course they are not mining. The Raider can't -rely on filling her bunkers from captures, apparently, or they wouldn't -go to all this trouble.' - -'I guess it's the niggers get the trouble,' remarked Hoole. 'That -fellow--in the distance he 's mighty like Halm--is making good play with -his whip. You may bet your bottom dollar they snapped up Flanso and the -rest to increase the number of their hands. Say, d' you hear that purr?' - -He swung round and looked seaward, shading his eyes with his hands. - -'There she is,' he exclaimed a few moments later. 'Skip behind the -rock, Trentham; she 's diving right here.' - -'The seaplane?' - -'Yes. Can't you see her? She 's cut off her engines, making a very -pretty swoop. See her now?' - -'Yes; you 've better eyes than mine, Hoole.' - -Hoole smiled. His eyes were fixed on the machine with an intense -admiring interest. - -'She blips,' he said, as the engine spluttered for a second or two. -'Now she 's cut off again. The pilot knows his job. I wonder where she -'ll come down.' - -Crouching behind the rocks they watched the seaplane as it made a -circling movement, diving all the time, until it swept round and headed -straight for the entrance to the cove. From a height of about two -hundred feet it swooped down towards the sea, 'blipped' again, then -descended lightly upon the surface, ran a few yards, and at last came to -rest a little distance from the beach. Several bare-legged German -sailors had already emerged from one of the nearer sheds. They waded -into the water. Two of them carried the occupants of the seaplane on -their backs to the shore, then returned to help their comrades to pull -the machine in. It glided smoothly up the beach until it rested just -below the sheds. - -'Gliders all complete,' said Hoole. - -'What do you mean?' - -'They 've laid down boards on the beach; you can't see them from here. -They are well greased, too, to judge by the speed the floats slid up -them. Those Germans are pretty thorough, Trentham.' - -'Where did you pick up all these details?' asked Trentham curiously. - -'Oh, I 've seen that sort of thing once or twice before. But hadn't we -better get back? There 's nothing more to be seen from this quarter, and -I presume Flanso and his men are on that ledge yonder, or near about.' - -'That farthest shed is the officers' quarters, by the look of it. The -two airmen have just gone inside. We 've learnt the lie of the land and -not much else, I 'm afraid. Can't we go a little farther along the -shore, behind the rocks, and climb the cliff nearer the sheds?' - -'We can try, but 'ware the sentry.' - -They had not gone far, however, before the incoming tide forced them to -leave the rocks and clamber up through the bushes. The ascent was even -more difficult than the descent had been, and a miscalculation of the -direction of the path on which this sentry-box stood almost led to their -undoing. They had supposed that it ran fairly straight to the sheds -from the point at which they had left it; but the nature of the ground -had necessitated its being carried a good many yards farther along the -cliff, and then it bent round and formed a loop, approaching the sheds -in the same direction as Hoole and Trentham were now going. Unaware of -this, they were slowly climbing when Trentham slipped, displacing a mass -of loose earth which went rattling down the cliff. They were not -greatly alarmed, thinking that the sentry was too far away to have heard -the sound through the noise of the coal-tipping across the cove. But -footsteps not far above them caused them to snuggle behind a thick bush. -The rustle of movement above drew nearer. Through the bush they saw the -sentry stepping cautiously down, and prodding the vegetation with his -bayonet. Hoole fingered his revolver, but Trentham signed to him that -if any weapon had to be used it must be the spear. The sentry, however, -stopped ten or a dozen yards above them, then, apparently satisfied that -the landslide was accidental, laboriously climbed up the cliff. - -Much relieved, for violent measures would have been fatal to the success -of their reconnaissance, the two men waited for a quarter of an hour or -so, then struck up the cliff some distance to the left of the spot where -the sentry had appeared, and wormed their way to the path, far beyond -his box, by a wide circuit. It was almost dark by the time they -rejoined the natives. They marched a few miles until night descended -upon them; then they rested for a while, discussing the results of their -expedition. - -'I 'm afraid the chief will be disappointed at our returning without his -son,' said Trentham, 'but I hope he 'll see reason. We couldn't -possibly have rescued him.' - -'Clearly not,' said Hoole. 'There wasn't time to discover exactly where -the Germans keep their slaves. I guess we 'll have to reconnoitre -again, from the other side, before we can see our way clear. The -absence of the Raider would help us considerably, for there appeared to -be only about half a dozen Germans on the spot. I wish I could have -seen whether that fellow cracking the whip was Hahn.' - -'Why?' - -'Well, we don't owe the skunk a great deal; besides, he 's got my -watch.' - - - - - CHAPTER IX - - COMPLICATIONS - - -'Does my eye squint, Ephraim, me lad?' asked Grinson, looking up into -the face of his taller companion. - -Meek gazed so earnestly at his questioner that his eyes converged. - -'I don't see no sign of it, Mr. Grinson,' he said, 'and I wouldn't -suppose as how you 'd be visited with that affliction at your time of -life.' - -'That's what I thought. Then why the mischief can't I hit that tree?' - -Meek looked sadly at the tree in question, as if mutely reproaching it -for declining to be hit. - -'Maybe there 's a bias in the spear, like in bowls,' he said. 'My spear -'s just the same, for dash me if I can hit the trunk neither.' - -The two seamen, with half a dozen natives, were on outpost duty in a -glade a few miles on the seaward side of the village. Trentham had -reported the result of his reconnaissance to the ailing chief, who -realised at once that an attempt to release his men by force from an -enemy equipped with the fire magic that his ancestors had lost was bound -to fail. When Trentham pointed out that the Germans would probably make -further raids, to increase the number of their slaves, and suggested the -propriety of establishing outpost stations where watch might be kept, he -assented, and agreed that Grinson and Meek should take their turns with -the rest. Each band of natives chosen for this duty was accompanied by -one who belonged to the chief's own caste, so that Meek's dread of being -eaten, though not wholly removed, was a good deal lessened. The two men -beguiled the tedious hours by practising spear-throwing under the -tuition of the natives, but after three days had gained little skill. -Grinson was more vigorous than accurate in his casts, while Meek, -handling his spear as if it were a paper dart, could throw neither far -nor straight; he was a model of patient ineptitude. - -'I tell you what it is, Ephraim,' said the boatswain, sitting on the -grass, 'spears ain't tools for Christians, and I 'd scorn to demean -myself to these poor heathens, what knows no better. We 'll leave 'em -to 'em, me lad. Not that they 'd be any good if the Germans come with -guns.' - -'D' you think they will, Mr. Grinson?' - -''Course they will, if they come at all. I don't know what the gents -mean by sticking on here. We can't do no good, and if they 'd listen to -me we 'd slip off and chance our luck.' - -'Aye, my vittals don't agree wi' me. I 'm falling away, Mr. Grinson. -Look here.' - -Meek was drawing together the band of his trousers to show how much he -had fallen away, when Hoole came into the glade. - -'Grinson, come with me,' he said. 'I want you to relieve Mr. Trentham -at a new post we 've fixed up about a mile away. Carry on till I come -back, Meek; I 'll relieve you then for a spell.' - -Meek looked far from happy when left alone with the natives. Having -nothing else to do, he picked up his spear and resumed his feeble -practice. While he was so engaged, the natives, who had been seated, -solemnly watching him, suddenly sprang to their feet and gazed -expectantly towards the trees. Meek had heard nothing, and as he ambled -forward to retrieve his spear he was startled by the silent appearance -of Kafulu, one of the men who had been captured. Still more amazed was -he to see that the Papuan carried a rifle. - -The natives greeted their comrade with cries of joy, and crowded about -him, plying him with questions. In a few moments they fell silent, and -listened intently as Kafulu eagerly addressed them. Meek, a little in -the background, watched his gestures, wondering what he was saying, and -why he continually brandished the gun. Presently Kafulu turned and -pointed in the direction from which he had come, and then Meek noticed -that his back was seamed with scarcely healed weals. His attention was -immediately diverted, for among the trees at which Kafulu was pointing -he caught sight of the faces of several white men, who appeared to be -making signs of friendship. Now thoroughly alarmed, he turned to flee; -but the Germans issued suddenly from the forest; one of them made a sign -to Kafulu, who sprinted across the glade with some of his companions, -sprang upon Meek from behind, and hauled him back. - -[Illustration: KAFULU SPRANG UPON MEEK FROM BEHIND.] - -'Mr. Grinson. Ahoy, Mr. Grinson!' shouted Meek. - -His last word was smothered by a big hand laid across his mouth, and his -eyes widened with amazement when he looked into the face of his captor. -There were six Germans, armed with rifles. Forming a guard round the -natives, they hurried them into the forest, with Meek helpless in their -midst. - -About an hour later Hoole and Trentham returned to the spot. - -'Hullo! There's no one here,' said Trentham. 'Meek understood that he -was to wait here until relieved?' - -'Yes. He looked a trifle uneasy, but he wouldn't desert his post. -Surely----' - -'They couldn't resist the temptation, you mean? I hope it's not so bad -as that. Let us see if we can trace the way he 's gone. Here 's his -spear on the ground.' - -'And here are his footprints. By gum, Trentham, look here: a good many -European boots have been treading the grass. They came from the forest, -and went back again. Germans, sure!' - -'It looks like it. But it's unaccountable. The natives are too -sharp-eared to have been taken by surprise. They ought to have got Meek -away in time.' - -'I 'll be shot if they haven't gone too! These are prints of bare feet, -aren't they?' - -'There 's no doubt about that. They _must_ have been surprised and -collared, without a shot fired. This is pretty bad, Hoole.' - -'I guess they wanted more miners. Wonder they haven't raided the village -long before this.' - -'I suppose they didn't think it worth while to come so far from the cove -and make an organised raid. Bows and spears wouldn't be much use -against firearms, of course; but the Germans might have lost a few men -in a regular attack, and they preferred to snap up small parties here -and there.' - -'Any good going after them?' - -'Not an atom. You may be sure they 're armed, and we have--one -revolver. Things are in a deuce of a mess, Hoole. If the natives are -such poor scouts we stand to lose more of these outposts. We shall have -to drop the scheme. And the immediate thing now is to go and bring -Grinson back; he 'll be mad at losing Meek. We had better talk things -over with him, and see if anything can be done; for the life of me I -can't think what.' - -Trentham's contempt of the Papuans' scouting ability was not justified, -as he would have known could he have heard and understood what Kafulu -had said to his comrades. He had told them that the white men had the -fire magic of which they had heard. It was hidden in the stick he -showed them. If they would work for the white men, they too would be -given sticks like the one he carried, and then they would be the lords -of the village. Kafulu was Hahn's dupe and decoy. - -When Grinson heard that his companion of twenty-five years had been -captured, his eyes became moist, and at first he seemed incapable of -speech. Then his lips were pressed together rigidly; he flung away his -spear, snatched out his knife, and cried: - -'Which way, sir? Let me get at 'em.' - -'You 'd do no good, Grinson,' said Trentham. 'They 'd shoot you down.' - -'But 'tis Ephraim, sir--the lad as has been wi' me all over the seven -seas. I can't fool about and do nothing when my mate is digging coal -for those blackguard Germans. I put it to you, young gentlemen----' - -'Yes, we understand; but you must see that we three are not in a -position to attack goodness knows how many men armed with rifles. We -should only be killed or collared too. The sole chance of rescuing -Meek----' - -'Say the word, sir,' said Grinson as Trentham paused. - -'Well, I confess I see no chance at the present moment; but at any rate -it will be hopeless if we get into the Germans' clutches ourselves. -Some plan may occur to us. Meanwhile let us get back. I 'm afraid the -chief will be cut up at the loss of more of his men.' - -With the natives of the outposts they set off towards the village. Long -before they reached it there came through the forest a long-drawn -mournful howl, or rather a chorus of howls, like the cries of hundreds -of dumb animals in pain. Ejaculations broke from the lips of the -natives. They looked at one another with expressions of dismay, then -set off at a trot, howling as they went. - -'They 've already got wind of it at the village,' said Hoole. 'Perhaps -one or two fellows escaped.' - -''Tis worse than that, sir,' said Grinson. 'It means death. I heard the -niggers howl like that, the time I was at Moresby. It fair chills your -blood, though they 'll laugh like hyenas as soon as the funeral's over.' - -Hurrying on, with the horrible sound growing ever louder, they arrived -at the village, and found the whole population assembled in front of the -stockade, rocking themselves to and fro, and howling incessantly. Dark -looks greeted the white men as they passed through the midst of the -throng and entered at the open gate. Within, all was silent. No one -was to be seen except the medicine-man, who was just issuing from the -chief's house. He stalked slowly through the enclosure and out at the -gate. Then the people emerged from their huts, and a number of the -elder men formed up in procession and marched slowly into the house. -When they had disappeared, the interpreter came up to Trentham. - -'Chief fella, he gone dead,' he murmured. - - - - - CHAPTER X - - THE CAST OF THE DIE - - -An hour after the white men's return, they watched from their hut the -funeral procession winding towards the gate. Some of the younger men -led the way; then followed four bearers, with the body of the dead chief -encased in his sleeping-mat. Behind marched his relatives and the whole -of the population of the enclosure, the men wearing towering -head-dresses of feathers, the women carrying small branches. - -'Shall we follow?' asked Hoole. - -'Perhaps the people would like it,' replied Trentham. - -But when they reached the gate at the tail of the procession they were -stopped by the interpreter. - -'New chief he say no come alonga,' said he. 'Me fella people say old -chief he die alonga you; all proper mad.' - -'That accounts for their scowls as we came in,' remarked Trentham. 'I -suppose the medicine-man accuses us of giving the evil eye. But the new -chief, whoever he is, evidently doesn't want us to be pulled to pieces.' - -'Things are going from bad to worse,' said Hoole. 'Our news won't make -them better pleased with us. I guess there 'll be trouble.' - -The death of the chief and the absence of his son had in fact kindled a -slumbering spark of revolt in the Papuan community. A chief in New -Guinea at no time wields great authority over his tribe, and the -prestige of the dominant caste had already fallen low. Authority was -assumed by a cousin of the dead man, but he had no moral qualities to -support it. After the funeral, when Trentham reported to him, through -the interpreter, the capture of the outpost, his agitation bordered on -hysteria. The Papuans already connected their recent misfortunes with -the arrival of the white men, who, they declared, were in league with -the white men from the ship, and were responsible for the capture of -their leader Kafulu and the late chief's son. The disappearance of the -outpost would confirm their dark suspicions, and the fact that Meek also -had gone would seem to them proof of collusion. - -Trentham offered to relieve the chief of anxiety by quitting the place -with his companions, but this suggestion only increased his distress, -and it dawned upon Trentham that he was inclined to cling to the white -men as upholders of his feebleness. How feeble he was became apparent -before Trentham left the house. A number of the Papuans came to the -outer gate and demanded an interview with their new chief. On being -admitted, their spokesman recounted the disasters that had befallen the -tribe since the strangers came, and insisted on the two younger men -being given to them for a cannibal feast. Was it not the custom, they -asked, within the memory of the elder men, for a sacrifice to be made on -the death of a chief? The victims were at hand. As for the fat man who -bore the totem mark on his shoulder, they must spare him, but being a -white man he must be sent away; let him go into the forest. - -The chief was on the point of yielding, in the hope of gaining -popularity with his unruly subjects, when one of the elder patricians -interposed. The late chief had spared the white men, he said; they were -friends of Flanso, who would rightfully have succeeded his father; and -if Flanso returned he would certainly vent his wrath on any one who did -them harm. This firm stand on the part of a man of weight caused the -unstable chief to veer. With an effort to assume a firm and dignified -attitude he dismissed the deputation, who retired in undisguised -dissatisfaction and anger. - -It was only after they had departed that Trentham learnt from the -interpreter what their object had been, and how their request had been -received. Watching the scene intently, he had noted the indecision of -the chief and the mischief that blazed in the eyes of the Papuans. - -'I 'm afraid there 's trouble brewing,' he said on returning to his hut. -'The new chief's a man of straw; he 'll give way to the cannibals one of -these times, and then----' - -'I guess we won't wait for that,' said Hoole. 'We should be no worse -off in the forest, and I vote we clear out one dark night and take our -chance.' - -'What about Ephraim, sir?' asked Grinson. 'I say nothing about you two -gentlemen, but only speak for myself, and I swear I won't leave these -'ere parts without Ephraim.' - -'Sure,' said Hoole. 'I 'm with you all the time. But you 'll allow it -requires a little consideration, Grinson, and my proposition is that we -all put on our thinking caps and see if we can hit on one of those -cunning plots you read of in story-books. I only wish I had a pipe. -Smoke clears the air.' - -Trentham smiled; Grinson opened his tobacco-box. - -'Chewing won't do the trick, I suppose, sir,' he said. 'I 've enough -twist for two quids.' - -'No, no; I 've never chewed anything hotter than gum,' said Hoole. -'Keep your baccy, man. I say, it's time for our supper. They 're late -this evening. Do they keep a fast after a funeral?' - -'I fancy I hear 'em coming now, sir. Maybe it's an extra spread.' - -But the native brought only the food to which they were accustomed, and -of which they were heartily tired. It was dark by the time they had -finished their meal. They had no light, but they squatted on their -mats, chatting quietly until sleepiness should steal upon them. The -sounds from beyond the stockade died down as usual; it seemed, indeed, -that stillness had fallen upon the village earlier than on any previous -night. Grinson was the first to close his eyes; the other two were -still talking in low tones when a sudden commotion from the direction of -the gate caused them to spring up and rush to the doorway, where Grinson -immediately joined them. They could see nothing in the darkness, but -the cries of the two men who always stood on guard were drowned by a -chorus of savage yells. Men were heard rushing across the enclosure; -then came the whistling of spears and sharp cracks of clubs falling on -solid skulls. - -'The beggars outside are attacking the stockade,' said Trentham. - -''Tis rank mutiny and rebellion,' growled Grinson. 'Shall we lend a -hand, sir?' - -Hoole had whipped out his revolver. - -'Hold hard,' said Trentham; 'we may want that for a later occasion. I -think we had better let them fight it out. For one thing, we 're not -used to their weapons; then, if we take sides, we 're hopelessly done -with the Papuans, and shouldn't dare to show our faces among them.' - -'But we 'll have to fight for our lives if they break in,' said Hoole. -'We might get away now.' - -'I don't think they 'll break in. The stockade 's very stout. Don't -you think we might turn the crisis to account?' - -'How do you mean?' - -'Let us wait a little and see how the fight goes. Whichever side wins, -I think we may have a trump card.' - -They stood listening to the din, which appeared to be concentrated in -the neighbourhood of the gate. It lasted only a few minutes. The -sentries had detected the stealthy approach of the Papuans in the nick -of time. The stockade was manned before the attack gathered force; its -stout timbers resisted all the onslaughts of the undisciplined savages, -who drew off, baffled, carrying away those who had been disabled by the -weapons of the defenders. - -'Now 's the time for us to chip in,' said Trentham. 'It's clear that we -are responsible, partly at any rate, for the situation. The Papuans -suspect us of complicity with the Germans; they are angry because they -can't feast on us; and they believe it's due to us that their friends -have been captured. The present chief is no good; he 'll either give way -to them in the end, or will ultimately be beaten by sheer weight of -numbers. Nothing will restore the position but the return of the -rightful chief--that young fellow Flanso.' - -'Who 's a prisoner,' remarked Hoole. - -'Exactly. Well, we must rescue him and the other prisoners, including -Meek. By that means we shall please everybody.' - -'You 've got a plan?' - -'An idea came into my head suddenly just now when the fight was going -on. With care and luck it may work. If you like it, I 'll go and see -the chief, and we can start to-morrow.' - -During the next twenty minutes the three men were engaged in an earnest -discussion. Then Trentham made his way to the chief's house, where most -of the important men of the community were assembled. Half an hour -later he returned to his friends. - -'It's all right,' he said. 'By Jove! talking pidgin is the most tiring -job I know. In the morning the chief will make an oration at the gate. -He 's not at all keen on his new job, and would like to see Flanso back. -He believes the rebels will be willing to give us a chance. Then it's -up to us.' - -The chief turned out to be better as an orator than as a man of -action--Cicero rather than Coriolanus, as Trentham suggested. His -speech brought about an instant change of feeling in the Papuans. If -the white men restored Kafulu and his comrades to them, they would let -bygones be bygones. If Flanso also was restored to his people, they -would dutifully accept his authority. - -Two hours after sunrise the whole population, a silent throng, gathered -at the sides of the track to watch the white men start on their -enterprise. Three stalwart natives accompanied them, each of whom -carried, wound about his body, a long coil of grass rope. Grinson was -himself again. - -'Good-bye, old ugly mug,' he cried as he passed the man who had -discovered his totem mark. 'Wait till the clouds roll by. Farewell, -sweet maid'--to a hideous old woman; 'for they all love Jack, and you -'ll meet us coming back, and there 'll be dancing with the lasses on the -green, oh! It pleases 'em, sir,' he said, apologetically, to Trentham, -'though they don't understand, poor heathens. But I 've been told I 've -got a very good singing voice.' - -'Let's hope you won't sing another tune before the day 's over,' said -Trentham. - - - - - CHAPTER XI - - THE ORDEAL OF EPHRAIM MEEK - - -Meek's mind worked slowly. For some little time, as he marched -shorewards among his fellow captives, he realised merely the fact that -he was a prisoner in the hands of the Germans. He did not ask himself -why he had been captured, or throw his imagination forward in an effort -to forecast his fate. With his usual shambling gait he trudged on, -glancing now at the Papuans, now at the Germans, and occasionally -stroking his thin whiskers in the manner of one who finds the world a -great puzzle. - -Presently illumination came to him. Fixing his eyes on the stout figure -of the man who led the party, he muttered 'Trousers!' and thought of Mr. -Grinson. Yes, to be sure, this was the extraordinary mariner who had -swum ashore from a wreck without soiling his trousers, who had been -saved from the cannibals' cooking pot, and had mysteriously disappeared -when leading his rescuers to Mushroom Hill. His trousers were not so -clean as they had been; there were black smudges on them. What would -Mr. Grinson say to that? - -Before Meek had got much further in his cogitations, he found himself -fully occupied in keeping his footing on a rugged zigzag path that -scored the surface of a steep downward slope. Then, lifting his eyes, -he beheld the sea, and below, in a still cove, a vessel painted bright -blue lying close inshore, and moored stem and stern. In shape she -resembled the raider which had sunk the _Berenisa_ a few weeks before, -but she had had a new coat of paint. Meek saw at a glance that she had -steam up, and wondered whether she was short-handed and he had been -impressed to make up her complement. - -A turn in the path shut the vessel from his view, but opened up another -scene. On the left a number of natives were felling small trees, in -charge of a European who every now and then cracked a long whip. 'I -don't hold with nigger-driving!' thought Meek, shaking his head as he -passed on. - -The path becoming easier, he was now able to think of something more -than his feet. ''Tis the Raider,' he said to himself, 'though never did -I see a ship of her tonnage painted sky blue afore. Trousers is a -German, without a doubt. Now what 's he think he 's going to do with -me? I 'll not sign on with a German pirate--never!' - -Another turn brought the cove again into view. The seaplane had just -risen from the surface, and was now soaring towards the western horn. A -few seconds afterwards Hahn and his party reached the sentry, who -saluted, looking curiously at Meek. Hahn struck to the left, and -presently, after another steep descent, came to the broad ledge on which -natives were moving up and down, carrying baskets out of a shallow -tunnel. The full baskets were tipped over on to the beach, then taken -back to the tunnel to be refilled. In charge of the toilers was a -sturdy German seaman, who had a rifle slung over his back and held in -his right hand a long, evil-looking whip. - -Meek's ideas were becoming clarified. As a seaman he knew what a great -expenditure of coal was involved in keeping the Raider with steam up, -even though the fires were banked. Clearly the Germans had been scouring -the neighbourhood for men to work the seam which they had discovered in -the cliff side. But he was still wondering what he had to do with all -this, when he received a rude shock. - -'Another batch for you, Hans,' said Hahn in German to the overseer. -'There 's an Englishman among them as you see. It's almost time to -knock off now. Put him in the compound with the rest; we 'll set him at -work to-morrow.' - -The man grinned. Herding the new batch of prisoners into an enclosure -like a sheep pen, adjacent to the mouth of the tunnel, he drew a hurdle -across the entrance, and returned to superintend the last operations of -the day. Hahn, meanwhile, had descended to the beach and entered the -officers' shed. - -Meek, of course, had not understood what Hahn had said. Without -suspicion of the morrow's destiny, he found himself penned up with half -a dozen black men, and felt the indignity of his position. - -'Like sheep!' he muttered. 'Like sheep! What would Mr. Grinson say?' - -He was no longer beset by fears of being eaten. The natives squatted -apart, talking among themselves, and watching their comrades on the -ledge. If Meek could have understood their speech, he would have known -that they were already suspicious of Kafulu, who had quitted them a -little while before. Was it for this that he had enticed them away--to -carry heavy baskets of black rock from a dark fearsome hole? How long -would it be before they received the firesticks promised them? Their -comrades looked unhappy. How quiet they were! How they shrank away when -they passed the man with the whip! Where was Flanso? - -Presently a whistle sounded below. The men who had empty baskets set -them down against the wall of the ledge and stood in line. Those whose -baskets were full tipped their contents on to the beach, and joined -their fellows. From the mouth of the tunnel streamed the niggers, -blinking as they came into the light. Wearily they dragged themselves -to their places in the line--silent, cowed, miserable. Among them was -Flanso, and at sight of him the six natives in the pen drew in their -breath. His cheeks were hollowed; his skin was no longer a glistening -bronze, but the dull black of coal dust. - -The German counted the men as they formed up. When he had counted -twenty-eight he cracked his whip, and the limp nerveless creatures -turned to the right and marched into the pen, where they flung -themselves down in utter dejection. They scarcely heeded the newcomers; -only Flanso started on seeing Meek, and turned upon him a look of -agonised inquiry, of which the seaman was unconscious. - -A few minutes later four seamen came from below, each carrying two -pails. They set these down within the pen, and at a signal from Hans -the natives approached one by one, and took their food in their hands. -Each man had as much as his two hands would hold of a sort of thick -porridge. When Meek's turn came, he shook his head. - -'No, it ain't proper,' he said. 'Not for a white man. I can't do it.' - -Hans knew no English, but Meek's objection was obvious. He laughed, and -when the seamen returned with pails of water he said to them: 'The -English swine won't eat out of his hands. Tell the quarter-master.' - -They jeered at Meek, took up the empty pails and departed. When they -came back for the water-pails, one of them carried a basin of porridge, -a spoon, and a mug of water, which he handed to Meek with an oath. While -Meek ate his supper the Germans stood around him, uttering flouts and -jibes, which, being incomprehensible, did not spoil his appetite. When -he had finished they left with the utensils, another man came to relieve -Hans for the night, and the prisoners were left in the pen until it was -almost dark. Then the sentry cracked his whip, the natives sprang to -their feet and lined up, and Meek looked on in astonishment as they were -marched into the tunnel, the entrance to which, when all had gone in, -was closed by means of a stout wooden grating. He was left alone in the -pen. - -'I don't rightly know if this is what they call slavery,' he murmured, -'but it do seem so. I don't hold with it. What would Mr. Grinson say?' - -The night was chilly, and Meek slept uneasily. Once he was awakened by -a flash from a lantern, and saw another German staring at him curiously. - -'Aha, John Bull!' said the man with a grin. - -Meek turned over and went to sleep again. - -When he awoke, cramped and stiff, in the morning, the natives were -filing into the pen. Breakfast was a repetition of supper, and after the -meal Hans appeared, and drove the men back to their work. Three of the -new prisoners were sent into the tunnel to dig, the other three were -made carriers. Meek was again left alone. - -About ten o'clock Hahn came up, with two of his fellow officers, who -stared at Meek, laughed, talked in their own language, and departed, -leaving Hahn behind. - -'Your, name is Meek, I zink so?' said the German. - -'Ay, Ephraim Meek, that's my name.' - -'So! Veil, Ephraim Meek, never I exbected to haf ze bleasure to see you -again. Ze ozers--vere are zey?' - -Meek looked at him for a few moments in silence. The German was not -aware, then, that the other three had been with him in the native -village. Slow-witted though he was, Meek had an inspiration. To tell -the truth might harm his friends. He had a brief struggle with his -conscience, decided for a compromise, and said: - -'I don't know. They may be eat.' - -'So!' Hahn looked pleased. 'Zey vere fatter as you. Ze niggers keep -you to fatten, eh? Veil, Ephraim Meek, I save you, see? I bring you -here. You are safe. Of course, you must make yourself useful. You -shall eat, zerefore shall you vork. You shall find a pick or a -basket--and zere is blenty of coal.' - -Meek stroked his whiskers, looked at the German, then shook his head. - -'No; I can't do it,' he said. 'Not coal.' Hahn laughed. - -'You do look like a broken-kneed horse,' he said. 'Not equal to ze -niggers; but you haf strength enough for zis job.' - -'Not coal,' Meek repeated, in his mournful tones. - -'Vy not coal? You are afraid to soil ze hands? Ach! Is coal more -dirty as ze tar of your ropes? A seaman's hands! Ha! ha! You are funny -man, Meek!' - -Hahn laughed heartily; it seemed to him a very good joke. Meek, -however, had thrust his hands into his pockets and set his lips -doggedly. - -'Come,' said Hahn impatiently. 'Zis is to vaste time. You shall----' - -'True, it is waste time,' Meek interrupted. Speaking with a firmness -which Grinson would hardly have recognised, he went on: 'I 'll dig no -coal for Germans, not I. I 'll not soil my hands with it. Not for -German pirates. Never in the world.' - -For a few moments Hahn stared at the seaman as though he were a strange -animal, a curiosity in the natural world. Then he guffawed scornfully. - -'So!' he ejaculated. 'You are a lord, eh? A prince, eh? You vill not -vork, eh? And you exbect to haf good food for nozink, a broken-kneed -swine of a sailor. Hans,' he cried, speaking in German, 'take this -hound of an Englishman and tie him to yonder stump, and leave him there -until he comes to his senses. He refuses to work. Not a morsel of -food, not a drop of water. See to that!' - -The man grinned, laid aside his whip, came into the pen, and seized Meek -by the arm. And then Meek belied his name. His mild countenance was -transfigured. Wrenching his arm from the German's grasp, he doubled his -fist, and let out with a drive that sent the man staggering back against -the fence. Though his frame was slight, and his legs were neither -shapely nor firm, he had not served a lifetime at sea without developing -a certain muscular force. But his active resentment, natural as it was, -was nevertheless unwise. The two Germans sprang on him together. His -struggles were vain. Twisting his arms, his captors dragged him out of -the pen to the tree-stump which Hahn had indicated, and in a minute had -lashed him firmly to it. Hahn kicked him; the other picked up his whip -and flicked the helpless prisoner, then rushed among the natives, who -had halted to watch the scene, and smote right and left among them. -With a parting jeer, Hahn descended the path to the beach, leaving Hans -in charge. - -Meek's face was towards the sea, and he had a full view of the ledge and -of the cove below. The natives passed in and out of the tunnel, -glistening with perspiration, urged to utmost exertion by fear of the -merciless whip. They tipped their baskets over the brink of the ledge, -coughing as clouds of black dust rose and enveloped them. On the beach -some of the Raider's crew moved idly about. At the door of the shed Hahn -stood talking to an officer, apparently the captain of the vessel; they -both glanced up at the ledge, laughed, and evidently found amusement in -discussing the plight of their victim. Meek noticed that there were no -uniforms among the Germans, but a something indefinable in their air and -gait bred the conviction that they were men of the navy. - -It was not long before Meek was suffering torture from the heat and his -bonds. He could not move either arms or legs; his throat was filled -with coal dust; he longed for water to moisten his parched lips. Now -and then the overseer passed him, grinning in his face, uttering words -of mockery which affected Meek only by their tone. To him it was so -much ugly bad language. He spoke no word, did not deign to beg for -mercy, even though, as the hours passed, he felt that exhaustion and -presently death itself must overtake him. In this time of trial it -appeared that a new spirit had assumed possession of him--or rather the -old spirit of British seadogs, the spirit that would scorn to show sign -of flinching. - -About midday Hahn came up to the ledge, and stood with arms akimbo, -contemplating his prisoner. - -'You see?' he said. 'You haf now enough? You vill obey?' - -Meek gazed at him out of haggard eyes, but said never a word. - -Hahn pointed to a man carrying a well-loaded tray into the officers' -shed below. - -'Blenty of food. Beer--English beer. A pint of 'alf-an'-'alf, eh? -Zere is zome for you--ven you get coal. I am not hard, no. You say you -vill dig, and I loose you--you shall haf a glass beer before you dig; -zat is not hard? You say yes?' - -Meek moved his tongue over his dry lips. - -'Not for German pirates!' he muttered huskily. - -'Pirates, you dog!' cried Hahn with a fierce scowl, and seemed to be -about to argue the point, but changed his mind. Cursing Meek as an -English fool, he went away. - -During the greater part of the day Meek was partly shaded from the sun -by the cliff towering behind him; but in the afternoon the rays beat -upon his head, and his agony increased. With all his strength of will -he resisted the faintness that threatened to overpower him. He felt -that he must not give way before these black men, who passed up and down -hour after hour until his bloodshot eyes were dazzled. - -The time came for work to cease. Again the natives were herded into the -pen, and the seamen brought them their food. The Germans jeered at the -helpless prisoner as they passed him; one of them dangled a pail of -water under his eyes. Then exhausted nature could endure no more. -Meek's head lolled forward. Hans rushed up, looked at him, and called -down to the beach that the Englishman had fainted. - -'Fling a pail of water over him!' shouted Hahn. 'I am coming.' - -[Illustration: THE GERMAN FLUNG A PAIL OF WATER OVER THE UNCONSCIOUS -MEEK.] - -When Hahn appeared, Meek had revived. - -'You are a fool!' cried the German angrily. He was feeling very sore. -Meek had been the theme of discussion in the officers' mess, and Hahn -had had to endure a good deal of heavy raillery on his account. He was -told that he had been sent out to catch niggers; why had he burdened -himself with a pig of an Englishman? Where had he found the man? How -had a solitary Englishman, a seaman, come to be among natives in this -remote part of the island? They supposed he had been shipwrecked; then -why had Hahn not left the man to meet his fate among cannibals? Hahn -was in a difficulty, because he had said nothing about the other white -men, told nothing about his rescue by them. His escape from the -cannibals, according to his story, had been due to his own ingenuity. -He could not satisfactorily account for Meek, and he wished that, -instead of bringing him as a prisoner, he had knocked him on the head or -shot him at once. - -Now, however, he was actuated by another motive. The Englishman, to his -vast surprise, had defied him, and his fellow-officers had chaffed him -about it. The Englishman's spirit must be broken. - -'You are a fool,' he repeated. 'You bring all zis on yourself.. You -shall haf food to-night; I am not hard, but you shall be tied up still. -It is German discipline. To-morrow must you vork--understand? You are -bad example to ze ozers. Zere is ze night for zinking. You shall zink. -In ze morning you shall haf sense, and vork.' - -'Never!' cried Meek hoarsely. 'Not coal. Not for German pirates!' - -'Pig! I say you shall zink about it all night,' roared Hahn, -exasperated. 'To-morrow you shall vork, or I vill shoot you dead. -Understand?' - -Meek made no reply. Hahn savagely bade Hans give him a little food and -order the sentries to keep an eye on him during the night. Then he -returned to the beach, and Meek was left to contemplate the prospect of -twelve hours' torture before a bullet put an end to it all. - - - - - CHAPTER XII - - THE LEDGE - - -About an hour before sunset, two men were warily feeling their way among -the boulders that strewed the steep declivity above the ledge. Slowly -they moved downwards, rarely rising to their full height, but stooping -as they dodged in and out between the largest of the stones, and heeding -their feet with strained watchfulness. They were Trentham and Hoole. -Grinson, with the rest of their party, had been left in hiding near the -burnt village, unwillingly; but Trentham had remarked that his bulky -form was ill suited to reconnaissance work; a call would be made on his -resources later. - -The calm surface of the cove was spread out nearly two hundred feet -below them. They could see two of the sheds, a few men moving about, -and the seaplane lying high up on the beach; but the Raider, moored near -the innermost shore, was at present invisible. Nor could they see the -ledge, almost perpendicularly beneath them, but now and then they heard -the crack of the overseer's whip, and the crash of coals as they fell -upon the beach. In front of them the air was slightly darkened by dust -wafted up the face of the cliff. - -As they climbed lower they moved still more slowly and cautiously, often -pausing to rest. At one of these halts Trentham leant against a large -boulder, and started back in haste as it moved, swaying slightly and -noiselessly like those rocking stones which are to be found here and -there on our coasts, and which, insecurely poised though they seem, are -rarely moved from their seats. The risk of disturbing the boulder and -betraying his presence brought a momentary pallor to his cheeks. When -they moved on again, they tested every upstanding rock before putting -any pressure upon it, and found more than one which very little force -would cause to fall. - -The boulders gave effective cover from observation from the beach, and -the contour of the cliff hid them from the sentry on the cliff path -several hundreds of yards away. But presently the descent became -steeper; they caught sight of the top of the Raider's wireless mast; the -sounds from the ledge and the beach grew more distinct and the dust -cloud denser. They seemed to have come to the end of the scattered mass -of boulders, and peering over, they saw a fairly smooth slope, too steep -to climb, lacking in cover, and ending in a sharp edge between fifty and -sixty feet below. Any boulders that in times past may have rolled here -had found no lodgment, or, at any rate, must have long since fallen into -the cove. - -While they were crouching behind the lowest of the boulders, wondering -how they could determine the exact position of the prisoners, they heard -a shout from beyond the ledge, followed by an answering call, fainter, -more distant. They shrank back, half fearing that they had been seen; -but the shouts were not repeated, and there was no sign of excitement -among the men on the beach. - -A few minutes later, apparently from a spot immediately beneath them, -came the sound of a voice speaking in loud tones, yet not so clearly -that they could distinguish the words. It broke off once or twice, and -they listened for an answering voice, but heard none. Then one shouted -word struck distinctly upon their ears. 'Pig!' Stretching forward, -they strained their hearing. 'You shall zink all night ... shoot you -dead. Understand?' - -There was silence. Trentham's and Hoole's eyes met. - -'Hahn?' murmured Trentham. - -Hoole nodded. - -'Bullying Meek,' he whispered. - -Trentham cast his eye along the irregular line of boulders. A few yards -from the spot where they were crouching, two jagged rocks, between four -and five feet high and about three feet wide at the base, stood almost -parallel with the edge of the slope, and about two feet apart. Crawling -to them, Trentham pushed them gently from behind, then more firmly, -finally with all his strength. They did not yield by the smallest -fraction of an inch. Carefully marking their position, the two men -clambered back among the boulders, gained the top of the ridge more -quickly than they had descended, and hastened to rejoin their party, -guiding themselves by the trunks of trees and bushes which Hoole had -been careful to 'blaze' as they came. There was just light enough to -see the marks. - -When they regained the thicket where they had left the others, Grinson -came forward eagerly to meet them. - -'Any luck, sir?' he asked anxiously. 'Did ye find Ephraim?' - -'We know pretty well where he is,' replied Trentham. - -'Safe and sound?' - -'That I can't say exactly, but he 's sound enough to make Hahn call him -a pig.' - -'Pig! A lamb like Ephraim! By thunder, sir, if I get my fingers on -that there Hahn I 'll teach him! Ephraim a pig! Blast my-- - -'Steady, Grinson,' interrupted Hoole. 'Meek isn't damaged by Hahn's -abuse. Things are more serious than that. From what we overheard, it's -pretty sure that Meek has refused to do something that Hahn ordered.' - -'Good lad! I 'll----' - -'Wait. Hahn has given him all night to think it over; he threatens to -shoot him.' - -Grinson was silenced. His heat was quenched by speechless care. Fixing -his eyes anxiously on Trentham, he said quietly: - -'Anything you order, sir.' - -'We 'll save him if we can,' said Trentham. 'We 've hard work in front -of us, but with care and good fortune--by the way, Hoole, can you find -your way back in the dark?' - -'The moon 's up, my son. She 's riding low, but she 'll last long -enough for this stunt, I reckon.' - -'Good! Now, Grinson, cut a stout pole from a tree--as strong as you can -find, three to four feet long.' - -'Ay, ay, sir!' responded the boatswain, whipping out his knife. - -While he was gone about his task, Trentham explained to Lafoa, the -interpreter, that the position of the prisoners had been roughly -located, and asked him to inform the rest of the party. They would have -to march to the cliff in the waning moonlight, keeping absolute silence, -and be ready to do instantly and exactly what they were ordered. The -safety of their chief Flanso and his fellow prisoners would depend on -their prompt obedience. - -On Grinson's return, Trentham ordered one of the men to unwind the rope -from his body, and the boatswain to fasten one end of it to the pole. -He then slung the pole over a thick branch of a tree, and bade half the -party of natives hang on to it, while Grinson and the other half held -the loose end of the rope. The test being satisfactory, and the rope -having been wound over the pole, they formed up in single file, and, -Hoole leading, set out over their former tracks for the cliff. Not a -word was spoken. The bare feet of the natives made no sound; the -footsteps of the white men could scarcely have been heard if any -watchers had been lurking in the bush. The rays of the moon, near its -setting, gave Hoole light enough to distinguish the blazed trees, and -they marched rapidly. Presently the prevailing stillness was invaded by -the soft rustle of the surf, and they caught sight of the glistening -path of the moonlight stretching far across the sea. Slackening his -pace a little, so as to reduce the slight sounds made by the white men's -boots, Hoole led the party unerringly to the crest of the boulder-strewn -slope. There they halted. - -There were whispered explanations and instructions. Grinson, in spite -of his anxiety for Meek, was a little daunted by the difficulties of the -plan unfolded to him. The exact position of the prisoners on the ledge -was unknown. A sentry would certainly be on guard. An incautious -movement, the accidental disturbance of a stone, a misjudgment of -distance in the dark, might involve not only the failure of the scheme, -but death to its authors. Trentham did not minimise the dangers; they -had all been canvassed by Hoole and himself; indeed, he was prepared to -find that some factor which he had been unable to take into account -would render his plan unworkable. - -'But we are not going to attempt the impossible, Grinson,' he said. 'We -shall first discover what 's possible, and then--well, you 're not the -man to jib at a risk.' - -'True, sir, and Ephraim is worth it. I 'll say no more.' - -They waited until the sinking moon gave just light enough to see the two -rocks which Trentham and Hoole had marked on their previous visit; then -they stole down the slope among the boulders. For greater security the -white men had removed their boots. On reaching the furthermost of the -boulders they halted again. Trentham placed the log of wood across the -gap between the two rocks, and got Grinson to loop the loose end of the -rope under his armpits. When the moon had wholly disappeared below the -hills behind, and the face of the cliff was dark, he crawled inch by -inch down the bare slope, and peeped cautiously over the edge. - -The cove, the beach, the ledge--all were now within his range of vision. -His eyes were first attracted by lights below. There was a glimmering -lamp on the Raider's deck forward; the deck appeared to be unoccupied, -and no lights shone from the portholes. All three sheds were -illuminated, and from the murmur of voices Trentham guessed that the -Germans were at their evening meal. No one was moving on the beach. -Then he noticed a slight intermittent glow some distance away on his -right; behind it a face was momentarily lit up. Without doubt it -proceeded from the pipe of the sentry on the ledge. Trentham recalled -the position as he had seen it from the other side of the cove when he -made his first reconnaissance. The sentry was evidently posted at the -inner end of the ledge, where one path led to the beach, another wound -round the cliff. These were the only avenues of escape; the other end -of the ledge was blocked. The fact that the sentry was smoking argued -that discipline was less strict here than it would have been on board -ship; probably vigilance also was less rigid. What had the Germans to -fear from their cowed slaves, and the natives of the village they had -terrorised? - -Withdrawing his eyes from this extremity of the ledge, Trentham could -just distinguish the outlines of baskets laid against the cliff wall. -Then he started, and felt his pulses quicken. Surely that pallid object -below him, a little to his left, was a man's face. He closed his eyes, -and reopening them after a few moments found that he could see more -clearly. Beyond doubt a white man was standing close against the wall. -His attitude was peculiarly rigid. The explanation flashed upon -Trentham; Meek was tied up. - -Trentham looked up and down the ledge for the native prisoners. Black -though they were, he expected to be able to discover them, even in the -darkness, by some movement or sound. He was as much perplexed as -surprised at discerning no sign of them. Where, then, were they kept? - -Meek, however, was his first concern. How long had the seaman been tied -up? Was he conscious, and able to assist in his release? It was -impossible to tell. Wriggling along the edge of the slope until he was -exactly over Meek's position, Trentham took a short peg from his pocket, -drove it into the soil, and attached to it a thin line of fibre which he -had brought with him. Then, holding the line, he crawled carefully up -the slope, and rejoined his party. - -In a few whispered words he related the extent of his discoveries. - -'Better 'n we could expect, sir,' murmured Grinson, with a long breath -of relief. 'If the look-out is smoking----' - -'Yes,' interrupted Trentham, 'but we mustn't rely too much on that. He -may be relieved at any minute; we can't tell. We must get to work while -the men are still feeding. Ready, Hoole?' - -'Sure!' was the reply. - -Following the guiding line, of which Grinson now held the upper end, the -two men crept down the slope. Grinson understood that the line would be -used to signal how to deal with the thicker rope, which was coiled round -the log laid across the two rocks. When they reached the edge, Trentham -transferred the coil of rope from his own arms to those of Hoole, who -was to descend first on to the ledge. They were both conscious that -this was a critical moment. A fall of earth as the rope strained over -the edge could hardly fail to arouse the sentry. A man issuing from one -of the sheds might notice, even in the dark, the white clothes of the -climber, stained though they were. The first misfortune might be -avoided with care; the second was at the mercy of chance. - -Hoole felt with his hand for a hard smooth spot upon the edge, over -which the rope might pass without risk of displacing earth. Then he -peered along the ledge from end to end. The sentry was still smoking; -no one was visible but Meek. Sounds of talking came from the shed, -punctuated by the regular recurring swish of the surf. - -'Good luck!' Trentham whispered. - -Hoole gave three jerks on the thin line he carried, then slid over the -edge. The rope tightened under his armpits; the natives above slowly -paid it out. He sank out of sight, and it seemed an age to Trentham -before two jerks signalled that he had reached the ledge. A few seconds -later a single jerk indicated that the rope might be drawn up. When it -came over the edge, Trentham instantly passed the loop over his -shoulders, repeated the signal for lowering, and in half a minute was -standing beside Hoole, close against the cliff wall. - -Both were panting with excitement. No fresh sound was added to those -they had already heard; their descent had been unperceived. - -Each went at once about the task previously agreed on. Hoole took a few -paces towards the sentry, and revolver in hand, stood on guard, while -Trentham, with quick, silent cuts of his knife, released the -half-unconscious seaman. - -'Not a word, Meek,' whispered Trentham, as he placed the loop under the -man's shoulders. 'Grinson is waiting for you above.' - -He jerked on the line. Meek slowly ascended, and his clothes being -dark, his form could scarcely be distinguished against the cliff. He -had only just disappeared over the edge when a light was suddenly thrown -on the beach by the opening of the door of one of the sheds. There was -a burst of louder talking, and a group of seamen issued forth, and -ambled down to a dinghy lying a few yards above the surf. Hoole and -Trentham slipped silently down, and lay flat against the wall. They -heard the scrape of the boat as it was hauled over the sand, the clatter -of boots as the men climbed into it, then the rattle of oars in the -rowlocks. The men were boarding the Raider; from her deck they might -see movements on the ledge. Was this to be the end of the adventure? - -For a few minutes the voices of the Germans rose from the vessel; then -they ceased, and Hoole, raising his head cautiously, saw that the deck -was clear. - -'Now for the sentry!' he whispered. - -Foreseeing that the native prisoners, when they should be discovered and -released, might hail their deliverance with shouts of joy, Trentham had -arranged with Grinson that Lafoa, the interpreter, should be lowered to -the ledge when he gave the signal. But he had not expected any -difficulty in finding the prisoners' whereabouts. The presence of the -sentry showed that they were somewhere on the ledge, and he felt some -anxiety lest they were near the German, and would be disturbed as Hoole -went forward to deal with him. For this reason, when Hoole was about to -grope his way along the ledge, Trentham detained him by a whisper, and -signalled to Grinson by means of the line. A minute later he heard a -sound above as the Papuan came dangling down at the end of the rope--a -sound so slight that it could not have been heard by the sentry amid the -rustle of the surf. He caught Lafoa about the body, released him from -the rope, and then, in the briefest sentences of which pidgin English is -capable, instructed him in the part he was to play presently. - -Hoole started, stealing along inch by inch under the cliff wall, taking -advantage of its inequalities and of the baskets which were ranged in -line against it. He had gone forward only about a dozen yards, however, -when Trentham, who could just distinguish his form, saw him halt, -crouching low. The sentry's pipe was still emitting its glow at regular -intervals as the man puffed. It was clear that he had not been -disturbed, and Trentham, wondering why Hoole had stopped, stole forward -to join him, carrying the rope with which Meek had been bound. - -The American was lying almost flat, peering between the bars of a wooden -grating that covered a hole in the cliff. - -'Listen!' he whispered, as Trentham came up behind him. - -And then Trentham heard, from behind the grating, sounds of deep -breathing, as of many men asleep. Nothing could be seen in the pitch -blackness within; but the two men concluded that they had found the -place in which the natives were confined. Worn out by long hours of -fatiguing work to which they were unused, the prisoners, no doubt, were -sleeping the heavy sleep of exhaustion. - -Hoole was about to go forward, when he was arrested by a sound some -distance ahead. He dropped flat again, and taking up handfuls of coal -dust, rubbed it all over his clothes. Trentham followed his example. -They now identified the sound as footsteps; in a few moments they heard -a voice, then a tapping. - -'Sentry being relieved; knocking out his pipe,' Hoole whispered. - -They lay watching, listening, with their hearts in their mouths. Would -the Germans come to look at the man they had tied up? Or would the -relieving sentry be satisfied by his comrade's report that all was well, -and take up his post without investigation? If both should come along -the ledge together, it was hopeless to expect that they could be -silenced without one or other having time to give the alarm. They might -even see the white clothes, in spite of the coating of coal dust, before -they came within reach. A single shout would arouse the Germans below, -and all would be over. - -The footsteps drew nearer; two voices were heard. The new sentry -exchanged a few words with his comrade; then the heavy boots of the -latter rang on the path leading downwards to the beach. The risk was -halved! A match was struck; the newcomer lit his pipe, and for a minute -or two paced up and down a short stretch of the ledge. Hoole hoped that -he would soon tire of this, and sit, as his comrade presumably had done, -smoking placidly, dreaming perhaps of a little cottage somewhere in the -Fatherland. - -But presently the slow footsteps approached. The scent of tobacco smoke -touched the nostrils of the waiting men. The sentry was coming to look -at his prisoner. Trentham and Hoole crawled back silently a few yards, -and effaced themselves as well as they could behind the baskets. The -German came slowly on, humming between his closed lips. He reached the -tunnel, and stood at the grating for a few moments; the watchers saw the -reflection of his glowing pipe on his face as he pressed it close -against the bars. Humming again, he sauntered on towards the post where -Meek had been tied, walking outside the line of baskets, and passing the -hidden men within a couple of yards. - -Now was the critical moment. Feeling that the whole success of the -enterprise hung on the next few seconds, Hoole pulled himself together, -got to his feet, and noiselessly on his stocking soles tip-toed after -the German. From below came the restless murmur of the surf. Hoole's -footsteps could not have been heard, yet the German, perhaps moved by -that strange sense one has of being followed, was on the point of -turning round, when a hard fist caught him with the force of a -sledge-hammer behind his right ear, and he fell like a log. Trentham, -who had followed stealthily, instantly dashed forward, and before the -stunned man regained consciousness he was bound hand and foot with the -rope that had tortured Meek, and a gag, torn from Hoole's coat, was -firmly wedged between his teeth. - -[Illustration: NOISELESSLY ON HIS STOCKING SOLES TIP-TOED AFTER THE -GERMAN.] - -Leaving him where he lay, the two men summoned Lafoa to join them, and -led him to the tunnel. Groping over the grating, Hoole discovered the -wooden bolt with which it was fastened, quietly removed the cover, and -signed to Lafoa to go in. - -There was another moment of tense anxiety. Grunts, ejaculations, the -stir of movement, were heard from the depths of the tunnel. Something -fell with a sharp crack--a pick which one of the men had displaced. At -the mouth of the tunnel it sounded like a pistol shot, and Hoole and -Trentham swung round and looked apprehensively towards the beach. All -was still, there. No doubt the wash of the sea was loud enough to -smother the single sharp sound at a distance. - -It was evident that Lafoa had intelligently grasped his instructions, -for the natives, as they filed out, though their movements were quick -and urgent, made scarcely a sound. In a long string they followed -Trentham to the spot where the rope dangled over the wall of the ledge. -Trentham found that his hands were trembling as he slid the rope over -the shoulders of the first man. If only he could have multiplied the -rope! Each ascent would take at least half a minute. How many men were -there? What might not happen before they were all in safety above? One -by one he looped them, saw them rise, caught the descending rope. -Hoole, who had counted them out, came up to them and whispered -'Thirty-four.' More than a quarter of an hour must elapse before the -last man had ascended, and some of those at the end of the line were -showing signs of restlessness, grunting, sighing, clicking with their -tongues. Moment by moment Trentham expected some of them to whoop with -excitement. 'Make all fella no talkee!' he whispered to Lafoa, and the -man went along the line muttering fierce threats. - -The thirty-fourth man had gone. Lafoa followed him, then Hoole. Not a -sound had been heard from below but the murmur of the sea and the -muffled voices of the men in the sheds. With intense relief, and the -feeling that fortune could hardly betray them now, Trentham looped -himself and signalled to be hoisted. He was barely half way to the top -when a sharp clatter above made his blood run cold. Crack followed -crack, then for a second there were a number of dull thuds, and finally, -a tremendous crash on the ledge below, waking echoes around the cove. -One of the natives, in climbing among the boulders, had displaced a -large rock. - -The doors of the sheds were burst open. Lights shone across the cove. -Men came rushing out, calling to one another, to the sentry above, to -the men on the Raider. 'Faster! Faster!' Trentham cried inwardly, as he -was jerked upward. He was just over the edge when a blinding light -swept across the face of the cliff. The searchlight's beams fell full -upon Trentham's white-clad form. Slipping out of the loop, he scrambled -on hands and knees up the sloping ascent towards the boulders. Below -him there was a sputtering rattle, and he felt himself splashed with -earth and stones as the rain of machine-gun bullets pecked at the cliff. -Something hot stung his leg; he crawled faster; in another moment his -shoulders were grasped by sinewy hands, and Grinson and Hoole between -them lugged him over the brink and behind the protecting boulders. - -'Thanks be for all mercies!' panted Grinson. 'And as for that clumsy -lubber that kicked down the rock----' - -'Shoo!' whistled Hoole, 'it's time, sure, to cut and run!' - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - - A FORCED LANDING - - -'For goodness' sake keep them quiet!' gasped Trentham, clambering up -among the boulders to the top of the slope. The native prisoners, -hysterical in their joy, were laughing and shouting and smacking their -thighs. - -'Say, Lafoa,' said Hoole, 'tell that chief of yours to stop the -hullabaloo. Black fella no talkee this time.' - -Flanso gathered his men together, and reduced the hubbub somewhat. -Meanwhile Trentham had gained the top. - -'We must get out of reach at once,' he said. 'The searchlight's no good -to them now, nor the machine-gun; but if these fellows make such a row -the Germans will track us.' - -'We make for the village?' asked Hoole. - -'Not directly; the Germans are sure to put men on the paths. But I -fancy they won't risk a regular pursuit in the dark, and if we get away -from the coast and avoid the direct route to the village, we shall at -any rate not run into them. How 's Meek?' - -'Just alive, sir, that's all I can say,' replied Grinson. 'What they -'ve been doing to him----' - -'Can he walk?' Trentham interrupted. - -'Says he ain't got no feeling in his legs. But what's the odds? I 'll -heave him across my back. Lucky you 're lean, Ephraim, me lad!' - -'Come, let's start at once. Where's Lafoa?' - -He explained his plan to the interpreter, who imparted it to the young -chief, and the whole party moved off silently into the forest, Grinson -mounting Meek pickaback. - -Trentham's inferences as to the actions of the enemy were better -justified than he knew. All the Germans with the exception of Hahn had -been thrown into a state of utter consternation by the discovery that -Meek was not the only white man in their neighbourhood. Hahn, professing -himself to be as much surprised as the rest, had discreetly held his -tongue. Consequently the commander, ignorant of the number of the -rescuers, had contented himself with posting parties of the crew on the -paths which the fugitives must cross to regain their village, postponing -organised pursuit until the morning. - -It was slow going in the darkness. Several of the natives who had been -longest enslaved were weak from overwork, ill-treatment, and -confinement. The stronger among them, eager to press on, were -restrained by fear of the dark and the necessity of helping the weaker. -Hoole noticed that Trentham was limping. - -'Hurt your leg?' he asked. - -'Got a bullet, I think, but it's nothing.' - -'Shucks! Let me have a look at it right now. You might bleed to -death.' - -He knelt down and groped for the wound. - -'The bullet has ploughed up a bit of your calf,' he said in a minute or -two. 'Lucky it's no worse. Wait half a second while I tie it up; then -I guess you can go on till we strike some water.' - -They went on, struggling over rough country amid thick bush and trees. -Even the natives were at a loss in the darkness. They could not choose a -definite direction, and it seemed obvious to the white men that some of -them would soon collapse. Grinson was panting under his load, light -though it was, but steadfastly refused to allow the others to take turns -with him. At length, coming to a patch of open ground, Trentham called -a halt. - -'We ought to be pretty safe now,' he said, 'and had better camp here -till the morning. With daylight some of the natives will be able to take -their bearings.' - -They lay down on the rough grass, already wet with dew. - -'How d' you feel, Ephraim?' asked Grinson, bending over the seaman. - -'I felt worse when I had typhoid,' said Meek faintly. 'What a lot of -trouble I do give you, Mr. Grinson--a lot of trouble. And I ain't said -a word of thanks to the gentlemen.' - -'Don't bother about that,' said Trentham. 'Get to sleep if you can.' - -'Ay, go to sleep at once, Ephraim; d' ye hear, me lad?' said Grinson. - -'I 'll try, Mr. Grinson, and if so be I dream horrors----' - -'Dream! What's dreams? Why, many's the times I 've been drownded in my -sleep. Dreams make me laugh. (I 'll get him off, sir,' he whispered to -Trentham. 'A yarn of mine has done it afore now!) I remember once I -dreamed as how I 'd got into a Salvation meeting; they was singing a -hymn, but the man as played the trumpet--why, somehow the trumpet turned -into a beer bottle, and I found I was playing the trumpet myself. They -all come up and thanked me afterwards for my beautiful music, and then -all of a sudden I was left alone, and couldn't find my hat. While I was -hunting for it, that there trumpet fellow rushed in and pushed a -rolled-up parcel into my hand. "Very good hat!" says he, and when I -opened it, bless you, 'twas nothing but a tea-cosy.... He 's off now, -sir. What have those devils been doing to my Ephraim?' - -'We 'll hear all about it to-morrow. You had better sleep yourself, -Grinson. Tell yourself a yarn.' - -'No, sir; that's not my way. I counts over the number of sweethearts I -'ve had, and by the time I 've got to the third or fourth I 'm dead off; -they was so dull.' - -It was a comfortless night on the open ground, with neither fires nor -wraps to defend them against the chill air. Either Hoole or Trentham -was always on guard, together with relays of the natives. By the -exertion of his authority Flanso kept his men fairly quiet; but the -white men were on thorns lest even the subdued murmurs of voices should -reach the ears of possible scouts. - -At dawn the party was marshalled. It had been arranged that the weaker -men among the natives should make for the village by a round-about -route, in charge of Grinson and Meek, and led by Lafoa. Trentham and -Hoole intended to wait a while with Flanso and the rest, and then to -scout more directly eastward in order to keep watch on the Germans. - -They were just about to start when the natives pricked up their ears, -and Flanso managed to make the white men understand that they were -alarmed by a noise in the air. A few seconds later Hoole declared that -he heard the seaplane's engines. Trentham signed to the natives to take -cover in the surrounding bush, and with Hoole posted himself at the edge -of the forest, where he might hope to escape observation. Presently the -seaplane soared over the clearing, a few hundred feet above the ground, -and after circling once or twice made off south-eastwards in the -direction of the village. - -'They won't see our men in the forest,' remarked Trentham, 'but we had -better start. If they drop a bomb on the village, there 'll be a -frightful panic.' - -They hurried among the trees to re-form their party, but found that the -natives, scared by the noise of this aerial monster, had disappeared. -Only one man remained, Flanso himself, armed with a spear taken from one -of those who had accompanied the white men from the village. Under his -guidance they set off rapidly. - -It was perhaps a quarter of an hour later that Hoole caught sight of a -native among the trees on his left hand, and thinking it was one of the -missing men, shouted to him. The man at once dashed away, uttering a -shrill cry. - -'Kafulu!' cried Flanso excitedly, and was on the point of springing -after the traitor when a shot rang out, and a number of Germans came -into view almost directly in front of them. The three men instantly -darted away to the right, pursued by more shots, and ran until they were -out of breath. - -'We 've outrun them,' said Trentham; 'must have gone twice as fast as -they, burdened with their rifles. I must rest a bit; my leg is rather -groggy.' - -There was no sound of pursuit. Presently they moved on again, but had -not gone far before they once more heard the hum of the seaplane, -apparently approaching from the south. Screened by the trees, they did -not check their march until Hoole suddenly exclaimed: - -'Say, Trentham, that machine 's sure in difficulties.' - -'Is it? How do you know?' - -'Listen!' returned Hoole with a smile. - -The humming was intermittent, spasmodic, and presently ceased -altogether. - -'They 're coming down,' said Hoole, 'and not far away. Let 's have a -look at it.' - -'Better push on,' said Trentham. - -'But it 'll do us good if the machine crashes. I 'd be glad to know -it's out of action. Come on!' - -They turned in the direction in which the sound was last heard. Through -the close-growing trees it was impossible to see far, and Trentham -privately thought the search a waste of time; but after only a few -minutes' walk they came to the edge of an open space sloping down to a -stream some twenty feet wide. - -'It will be hereabout,' said Hoole, detaining the others at the top of -the slope. 'But I guess this trickle isn't wide enough to float it. Let -us separate, and scout along the line of bushes here, up and down -stream.' - -In a few minutes Flanso, who had gone northward, returned to the others, -and told them by signs that he had discovered the machine. Creeping -back with him, they came to a bend in the stream, and there discovered -the seaplane, resting partly on two small trees, partly on a bed of -rushes, and awkwardly tilted. The two airmen had left their seats, and -were talking together on the bank, apparently consulting a compass. -Every now and again they glanced apprehensively into the bush on both -sides. Then they returned to the seaplane, walked round it, put their -shoulders against the fuselage, and tried to lift it. One of them took -out his revolver, and was on the point of firing it into the air, when -his companion hastily interposed. The two men had a brief altercation. -Finally the one who had been about to fire appeared to yield to the -other's warning, and they both sat down on the shelving bank, discussing -the position over again. - -Sheltered by the dense vegetation above the watercourse, Trentham and -his companions had watched their movements with interest. The tenor of -their discussion was easily divined. The seaplane could not be salved -without help, but they hesitated to leave it, fearful of its being -discovered by the natives, with whom, as they now knew, were white men. -If they parted company, which was to return to the cove? The one left -would be less able to defend himself and the machine. A revolver shot -might have brought assistance from the Germans; on the other hand, it -might attract a horde of cannibals. What were they to do? - -As they sat on the bank, they were sideways to the three men watching -them only a few feet above. - -'Let's rush them!' whispered Hoole suddenly. - -He seized Flanso's spear, pushed his revolver into Trentham's hand, and -before the latter could utter a word, either in assent or in -remonstrance, the American was half-way down the slope. Trentham had no -choice but to back him up, and he dashed after his friend with scarcely -a moment's delay. - -The Germans heard the sound of Hoole's movements through the bush, -turned their heads and sprang up. One of them raised his revolver to -fire, but Hoole, now only three or four yards away, launched his spear. -His sudden action flurried the German's aim, his shot flew wide, and the -next moment he fell back, cursing, and tearing the spear from his -shoulder. His companion, seeing Trentham rushing at him with levelled -revolver, hesitated a moment, and caught sight of Flanso swooping down -immediately behind the Englishman. - -[Illustration: ONE OF THE GERMANS RAISED HIS REVOLVER, BUT BEFORE HE -COULD FIRE, HOOLE LAUNCHED THE SPEAR AT HIM.] - -'Hands up!' cried Trentham, taking advantage of the man's momentary -hesitation. - -Up went his hands. - -'Guess we 'll borrow your revolvers, gentlemen,' said Hoole, picking up -the weapon dropped by the wounded man. Trentham took the other man's -from his belt. 'Keep your eye on them, Trentham,' Hoole went on, 'while -I kind of size up this machine of theirs.' - -Trentham and Flanso stood guard over the Germans while the unwounded man -bathed his comrade's arm and bound up his wound. Meanwhile Hoole -examined the seaplane in a manner that took Trentham by surprise. There -was a sureness, a purposefulness about him; he seemed to know exactly -what he was looking for. Indeed, he pulled the engine about, as -Trentham afterwards told him, as if he were its maker. A very few -minutes' inspection sufficed to make him wise, as he put it. - -'Not much wrong,' he said, coming over to Trentham and smiling. 'I -guess I can put it right. But we 'll want help to get it on to the -stream--yonder there, where it widens. Shall we start for home?' - -'And these gentlemen will come as our prisoners?' - -'Sure. We haven't any coal for them to dig, but they can start on -yams.' - -'Ve are officers; it is not correct for officers to vork,' said one of -the Germans. - -'Say, is that so? You 're a lazy lot? Well now! And yet you 'll make -a chief dig coal for you--a chief who 's as big a man here as your -Kaiser in Berlin. Well, you surprise me! Come along, Trentham. Let's -hurry.' - -'How far are we from the coast?' asked Trentham of the Germans as they -started. - -'Eight or nine mile,' was the surly response. - -'Bully!' exclaimed Hoole. 'With luck we 'll have time to salve the -machine before it's found. Step along, Flanso!' - -'Ze niggers vere ve go--are zey cannibals?' asked one of the Germans -anxiously. - -'Yes,' replied Trentham. 'They nearly ate us. They mistook us for -Germans.' - -The prisoners asked no more questions. - -Soon after leaving the seaplane, Hoole pointed out why it had come down -in this part of the forest. The stream widened into a small lake, on -which, when their engine failed, the Germans had tried to alight. -Unable to reach it, they had been forced to come down on the bank of the -stream. - -Flanso scouted ahead, every now and then stopping to listen for signs of -the Germans. Once, when they were rounding a spur where the vegetation -was thin, Trentham clapped his hand over the mouth of one of the Germans -just as he was about to shout. - -'We 'll have to gag this fellow, Hoole,' he said. - -'Sure. Another rag from my coat. And look you here, you officers, if -you make a sound, barring a natural grunt, we 'll leave you to our -friend Flanso. See?' - -'The native yonder,' explained Trentham. 'You had him on your ledge, you -know.' - -The threat was enough. For the rest of the march the Germans were -docility itself. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - - AN INTERLUDE - - -At the entrance to the village the returning party found Grinson alone, -standing in the middle of the path, his knife in his right hand, a spear -in his left, and a dozen other spears on the ground beside him. Neither -Meek nor any of the natives was to be seen. - -'What's the meaning of this, Grinson?' asked Trentham. - -'Ignorance, sir--just ignorance, poor heathens!' replied the boatswain, -cocking his thumb towards the village. 'That there airy plane sailed -over a while ago, and the savages all did a bunk, screeching like one -o'clock, though I roared myself black in the face telling 'em 'twas only -a sort o' bird. 'Twas no good; like as I 've seed cows and sheep bolt -with their tails up from a railway train. They was scared stiff, there -'s no mistake; and I 'spect they 're hiding their heads somewhere.' - -'And Meek?' - -'I sent Ephraim straight into our hut, sir, and seeing as how the whole -place was left undefended, like, I took up my station here. Germans, -sir?' he added in a whisper, winking towards the prisoners. - -'Yes; their machine came down. We 'll leave them in your charge, as we -want to take a gang back to bring in the machine. You had no trouble on -the way home?' - -'Not a bit, sir, except that they 've no notion whatever of the proper -way of marching--more like a lot of colts they was; but there, I hadn't -the heart to correct 'em, they was so uncommon pleased to be free -again.' - -The party had not interrupted their march. Grinson had picked up his -spears and fallen in step beside Trentham. As they passed along the -path, from behind the huts and the midst of the plantations native heads -appeared one by one, and when the timorous people recognised their young -chief they came bounding out with yells of delight, until by the time -the inner enclosure was reached the whole population had joined the -procession. At the gate the patricians were assembled, headed by the -temporary chief. They welcomed Flanso with some show of dignity, and -conducted him to the chief's house, bowing low as he entered the -doorway. The two prisoners were placed under guard in an empty hut, and -then Trentham hurried after Flanso, and with the aid of the interpreter -explained the course of action which had been arranged between himself -and Hoole during the homeward march. - -Trentham found himself contending with the natives' absolute -incomprehension of the value of time. Flanso was already occupied in -discussing with his elders the details of his approaching installation. -No western monarch could have been more deeply absorbed in the -ceremonies that were to inaugurate his reign. The hardships from which -he had been rescued, the dangers that still threatened him and his -people, seemed to have vanished from his mind, and it was only by dint -of patience and pertinacity that Trentham succeeded in capturing his -attention. - -He pointed out that the Germans, enraged at the loss of their prisoners, -would certainly seek to regain them, and also to wreak vengeance upon -the community; nor would their animus be lessened when they discovered -that their airmen had fallen into the enemy's hands. - -'Chief say Toitsche fella no belongina find out that,' said the -interpreter, after an interruption from Flanso. 'Black fella belongina -eat white fella chop-chop.' - -'Tell chief what he say all belongina gammon,' cried Trentham, and -proceeded to explain as well as he could from the slender resources of -pidgin English that the Germans might be valuable at least as hostages. -It took some time to get this theory understood and accepted; then it -was an equally long and difficult task to persuade him that the seaplane -would be of any value to him. What was the good of it? It only -frightened his people. To fetch it involved the risk of falling into -the power of the Germans. Trentham managed to make him understand that -the loss of the machine would greatly cripple the enemy's operations; -and further, that if Hoole succeeded in repairing it, it might be used -to bring help from friendly white men, who would eat up the Germans, and -deliver the natives for ever from them. Flanso was rather impressed by -these statements, though he said that his people would probably prefer -to eat up all the Germans themselves; and Trentham realised the danger -of employing metaphorical language. Ultimately he brought Flanso to -concede his request--to despatch a party of able-bodied men to transport -the seaplane from its present position to the village. - -'I feel utterly done up,' he said, mopping his brow, when he returned to -the others. 'Jabbering pidgin English for an hour is worse than penal -servitude. And it's such frightful loss of time; the Germans may have -discovered the machine by now.' - -'Don't worry,' said Hoole. 'It was flying so low that I guess they -couldn't have seen it come down, and when they miss it they may hunt for -it for a day or two in the forest and not find it, except by a fluke. I -don't figure out that they 'll have all the luck. Anyway, choose your -men, and I 'll take 'em out; you 've done your share of the business. I -'ll take Grinson, he 's a hefty man, and may have a notion or two.' - -Fortunately the chief's obstinacy had no counterpart among the Papuans -outside the enclosure. The released prisoners had done nothing since -their return except relate over and over again the details of their -sufferings and the manner of their escape. Their friends listened -awestruck to the tale, and gasped as they heard of the dangling rope, -the lightning which had gleamed upon the cliff, the crackling thunder, -the strange stones that flew singing through the air; and they looked -with wondering admiration upon the white men who had saved their -fellows, not only from the tyrants who had enslaved them, but even from -the powers of nature which those tyrants had at command. Trentham and -Hoole thus found themselves to be regarded with veneration, and when the -interpreter, prompted by Trentham, explained that the white men required -the services of twenty strong men to bring in the great sea-bird which -was another part of the enemy's magic, there was no lack of volunteers -eager to undertake the work. Another score were selected as scouts, and -when these understood that the object to be carried was bulky, and could -not easily be conveyed through thick forest, they announced that they -knew a way less obstructed by vegetation, which would be more -convenient, though less direct. - -Under their guidance the party reached the stream some distance above -the spot where the seaplane lay. Feeling their way cautiously along the -bank, they came at length in sight of the machine, which to all -appearance remained exactly as it had been left. Hoole took the -precaution to post a screen of scouts around the position to give -warning if the enemy should approach, then he sent Grinson to detach the -wings. A handy man, like all British seamen, Grinson soon accomplished -his task, with the aid of tools discovered among the airmen's outfit. -Within a shorter space of time than Hoole had deemed possible the work -was finished. The wings were entrusted to two men apiece; the body of -the machine was hoisted on the shoulders of the rest of the party; and -although they met with considerable difficulties at rough and steep -places on the return journey, once being saved from catastrophe only by -the succour of Grinson's sturdy muscles, they bore their burden without -mishap to the village, and carried it up the central path amid the -joyous shouts of the populace. Some of the men, now that the strange -bird was evidently helpless, showed their bravery by casting their -spears at it, and their dexterity by failing to hit any of the bearers. -At this Hoole fairly lost his temper, and rushed among the throng, -smiting them right and left with his fists. This unusual mode of -correction was effectual. The men who were sent spinning picked -themselves up with an air of surprise, while their comrades shouted with -laughter, in which the culprits themselves by and by joined. For -safety's sake Hoole had the machine carried into the inner enclosure, -where it was inspected with more decorum and shyness by the patricians, -and with contempt by the medicine-man, who demonstrated his assurance by -stroking the petrol tank and afterwards licking his greasy fingers. The -grimaces he made were so much like those he was accustomed to display -for professional purposes that his discomfort passed unnoticed except by -the white men. - -Trentham came out of his hut rubbing his eyes. - -'Yes, I 've been asleep,' he said, in answer to Hoole's inquiring look. -'A pretty warden of the camp I should make. But the fact is, these -people are hopeless. I tried to make them understand that the Germans -might be upon us at any minute--no good! They appear to be entirely -taken up with some sort of mumbo-jumbo, and can't attend to anything -else. So I simply gave in, trusting that if the Germans did appear the -people would be scared into reasonableness. The wall, of course, is -proof against anything less than a four-pounder.' - -'Well, I guess you did right,' said Hoole, 'and after thirty odd hours -without it, a little sleep would comfort me some. As to the Germans, I -'m pretty sure they 'll do a bit of reconnoitring before they attack. -The surprise of those two airmen wasn't put on; it's clear that Hahn -said nothing about us, and they 'll be wondering how many there are of -us. And so, my son, we must persuade Flanso to keep some scouts out -with their eyes lifting. With proper notice we could put up some sort -of defence. But I hope we 'll get away before it comes to that.' - -'You can repair the machine, then?' - -'I reckon I can, if I can get hold of a forge. But I 'm dead tired, so I -'ll turn in, if you 'll keep your eyes open a while. So long!' - -That evening, as the four men sat together once more in their hut, the -two younger drew from Meek the story which he had already related to -Grinson on the way home. It was a very colourless narrative--a recital -of the cold facts in the fewest possible words, without a touch of -passion or indignation. Grinson, however, was not the man to leave his -mate's story unadorned. - -'He 's an 'ero, gentlemen, that's what Ephraim is!' he declared. 'If -ever he gets back to the old country, I lay the name of Ephraim -Meek--ay, and his picter too--will be in all the newspapers. I 'll see -to that. And the cinemas too; by gosh, I hear 'em now, the cheers of the -little kiddies and the sobs of the women and gals when they see Ephraim -tied up, like that chap as defied the lightning, bidding of them German -ruffians to do their worst; he 'd never dig coal for them, not him! -P'r'aps one of you young gentlemen will make a pome out of it, like that -one about "the boy stood on the burning deck," you remember, or one I -used to know years ago when I went to school, about a British Tommy. I -don't rightly recollect it, but 'twas a Tommy in some heathen land as -wouldn't bob his head to an idol, or thing of the sort, though they -killed him for it. 'Twud be a shame if Ephraim wasn't put into some -pome too--an 'ero like him!' - -'I ain't got the figger of an 'ero, Mr. Grinson,' said Meek. 'Now if it -was you--a-going off singing to be eat--that 'ud made a picter. I -couldn't sing if 'twas me--I 'm sure I couldn't.' - -'Why, that was only like a sheep bleating on the way to the -slaughter-house--'eroes don't baa. Ain't I right, gentlemen?' - -'What do you say, Hoole?' said Trentham, feeling somewhat at a loss. - -'Well,' drawled Hoole, 'I guess heroes ain't _cheap_, anyway, and I 'm -proud to know two, that's sure.' - - - - - CHAPTER XV - - DUK-DUK - - -Trentham took turns with Hoole and Grinson to keep watch through the -night, leaving Meek to the recuperative force of sleep. No untoward -incident disturbed the hours of darkness, but there was a good deal of -noise in the village, the men chattering incessantly. - -'Reminds me of the meetings of our old Urban District Council,' remarked -Grinson once, when Hoole relieved him. 'Fust one, then another, then -all together--and nothing settled after all.' - -'I guess they 're fixing something,' replied Hoole. 'In my country -there 's a good deal of clack when we elect a new president. It's a new -chief here, you know.' - -'Which it means a coronation, p'r'aps, or a beano of some sort, sir. -Well, we 'll see, if we live long enough. Good night, sir.' - -Hoole had taken the precaution to have the seaplane placed near the hut. -In the morning, as soon as it was light, he made a more thorough -examination of the machine than had been possible before. - -'What precisely is wrong with it?' asked Trentham. - -'Luckily not much,' said Hoole. 'These Huns are no sports or they 'd -have risked the few miles back to the cove. A couple of flying wires -are broken--that 's nothing--but see here, the water jacket round this -cylinder is cracked; the water (for cooling purposes, of course) will -all run out, and cause the engine to overheat. That's why they came -down, though, as I said, I 'd have risked it; all the same, it wouldn't -be safe to risk a flight of any length, and the thing must be repaired. -The mischief is, we 've got no solder, and you can't mend a crack in -metal without that, or something equivalent.' - -'But you said, when you first saw it, that it _could_ be repaired.' - -'Well, yes, I did; forgetting for the moment where we are. You haven't -seen anything in the shape of a forge anywhere around, have you?' - -'No, but I suppose they must have one, or they couldn't make their -spears. I 'll ask the interpreter.' - -But the word _forge_ was unknown to the interpreter, and Trentham's -effort to explain in pantomime, by blowing an imaginary pair of bellows, -proved fruitless. - -'Well, I 'll go and look around,' said Hoole. 'And meanwhile, old son, -don't you think you 'd better persuade the chief to send out some -scouts? If the Germans do have a notion to attack us, five minutes' -warning would give us time to get every one inside the wall.' - -'I 'll try. He may be more amiable than he was last night.' - -Hoole perambulated the village for some time before he discovered what -he sought. At last, however, within a narrow enclosure behind the huts, -he noticed a young man sitting on a frame-like chair, and vigorously -working two long sticks up and down. A low fence prevented Hoole from -seeing the object of these energetic movements, but a little smoke and -an acrid smell like that which comes from a blacksmith's forge drew him -nearer, and looking over the fence, his eyes gleamed at what he saw. - -In front of the native stood two long cylinders of bamboo, about three -feet high. From a hole in the base of each ran a thin bamboo pipe; the -two pipes converged and met at a small heap of glowing charcoal, which -burnt more brightly with each thrust of the sticks as the native worked -them alternately up and down in the cylinders. Hoole jumped over the -fence, and eagerly examined this primitive forge. At the lower end of -each of the sticks was fastened a huge bunch of feathers, resembling a -mop; and these, pumped up and down, caused a considerable draught, by -means of which the smith blew his fire to a heat sufficient to soften -iron. - -'Eureka!' cried Hoole, exulting. - -He dashed back to the chief's enclosure, got his permission to have the -forge brought within the wall, and in half an hour was busily engaged in -the preliminary work of repairing the water jacket. - -'It will be done by this evening,' he explained to Trentham. 'To-morrow -I 'll be off to Wilhelmshafen or any other old place where I can find a -white man, and then----' - -'There 's enough petrol?' - -'Enough for the flight out; I 'll get more when I land. Say, though, we -shall have to take the machine to the sea. She can't run off, has only -floats. That's a pity--waste of time, not to speak of the risk of -coming up against the Germans.' - -'But there 's an opportunity of getting the machine carried to the sea -without a special journey. I 've heard some news while you were away. -It appears that some sort of ceremony inaugurating the new chief is to -take place at our old wreck to-night. All these Frenchified men are -going with him in procession, with a certain number of the other -fellows. We must get him to let his men carry the 'plane at the same -time.' - -'They go down the chimney?' - -'Yes; it's the nearest way.' - -'The narrow way that leads to destruction! How on earth are we to get -the machine down there?' - -'With ropes, man. We 've tested the quality of their ropes already, and -the women work so uncommonly fast that they 'll have new ropes the right -length in plenty of time. I 'll go and see the chief about it at once. -He 's very much preoccupied, and vastly self-important, but he allowed -me to send out scouts, as you suggested, and I dare say I can talk him -over.' - -Flanso was quite willing that the seaplane should form part of his -procession. His vanity appeared to be flattered; he was as much pleased -as a Lord Mayor of London who has secured some novelty for his show. But -when the carriers had been chosen, an unforeseen difficulty arose. The -medicine-man, whose office gave him access to the chief at all times, -strutted into Flanso's house, where the elders of the community were -discussing the details of the approaching ceremony, and vigorously -protested against the seaplane being allowed to leave the village. In a -vehement oration he declared that the strange bird must have some -connection with the totem of the tribe, and that while it remained with -them the village would be safe from hostile attack. Some of the elders -backed him up, and Flanso, torn between his own superstitions and his -sense of loyalty to the white men who had rescued him, sought relief -from his perplexities by sending for Trentham, and putting the case -before him. - -Trentham had sufficient diplomacy to conceal his amusement, and also a -certain irritation at the threat to his scheme. - -'Tell chief,' he said to the interpreter, 'medicine-man fella he savvy -lot. Big bird belongina totem all right; all same big bird he fly long -way, bring back lot of white fella; they fight bad white fella this -side, eat bad white fella all up.' - -At this moment, unluckily, one of the scouts returned with the report -that the big ship no longer lay in the cove, and that all the white -fellas had disappeared. Grinning with triumph, the medicine-man -instantly claimed that this fact proved his case; the loss of the big -bird had evidently rendered the enemy helpless, and there was nothing -further to be feared from them. Trentham, surprised as he was at the -departure of the Raider, and suspecting that the Germans were probably -setting a trap, strained his vocabulary of pidgin to the utmost to -counteract the medicine-man's arguments, and ultimately prevailed on the -chief to abide by the promise he had given. The medicine-man and his -supporters were patently annoyed. They left the hut in undisguised -ill-humour, and Trentham had an uneasy feeling that they would still -give trouble. - -The procession was to start soon after sunset, so that it might reach -the wreck in time for the ceremony to take place at the height of the -moon. It was late in the afternoon before Hoole had completed his -repairs, and after making a good meal the four white men were sitting in -their tent, awaiting the moment for starting. - -'What's up, Trentham?' asked Hoole. 'You look very sick.' - -'I 've been thinking we 're mugs, that's all,' said Trentham. 'With the -chief and all his fighting men away, and us too, what defence has the -village if the Germans take it into their heads to attack?' - -'Gee! I 've been so busy that I hadn't given it a thought. But the -Germans are out for slaves; they won't find any able-bodied men here.' - -'That's true; but you saw what they did to that village in the forest. -They 're capable of burning the whole place down, and shooting the women -and children, from sheer revenge and spite. Hadn't we better wait till -the chief returns before we start on our own scheme?' - -For a few moments Hoole pondered in silence. - -'The Raider has gone,' he said at length. 'This means that there can't -be many Germans left behind; for, of course, they haven't all gone. If -the natives didn't see any, it's because they 're still searching in the -woods for the seaplane. Is it likely that the few left will attack? -There is a risk, I admit, and my proposition is that you remain here -with Meek and give an eye to things, while I take Grinson to fix on the -planes and see me off. The sooner I get help the better, and the -opportunity seems too good to be missed. What do you say?' - -'Very well. I should have liked to see the ceremony, but--we simply -can't leave the most helpless of the people to the Huns' tender mercies. -What in the world is this?' - -At this exclamation the others, whose backs were towards the gate, -turned about. Through the gate was filing an extraordinary procession. - -'By cripes!' said Grinson. 'Is it Jack in the Green, or Guy Fawkes -Guy?' - -A line of a dozen uncouth figures was slowly approaching. Above legs -bared to the thighs bulged a mass of leaves nine or ten feet in -circumference, crowned by a headdress like a candle extinguisher, from -which rose a pole, fantastically coloured, four or five feet in height, -with tufts of feathers and leaves at the top. Except the legs, no part -of the human form could be seen. - -These strange figures came slowly across the enclosure, until they -reached the seaplane, the chief and all his men watching them in dead -silence. Encircling the machine, they stooped until the leaves touched -the ground; then, at a harsh cry from their leader, they leapt into the -air and began to dance; their leafy clothing rustled; the poles wobbled -and swayed; their legs bent and straightened; and as they swung round -and round the seaplane they uttered shrill cries ever increasing in -intensity. The white men looked on in amazement. What was the meaning -of these antics? Flanso and his men seemed to be impressed. Trentham -beckoned to the interpreter. - -'What all this?' he asked. - -'This duk-duk,' replied the man in an awed whisper. - -'Duk-duk! What is duk-duk?' - -'Big medicine. Duk-duk dance; that say big bird no go away; white fella -all belongina afraid.' - -Hoole whistled. - -'That's the stunt, is it? By gosh, Trentham, it must be that old -medicine-man thinking he 'll scare us stiff. He 's gotten a kind of -affection for the machine. Well, Grinson, come along with me.' - -He rose slowly, walked towards the seaplane, dodging between two of the -dancers, and got into the seat behind the engine. Grinson had followed -him. - -'Just go to the propeller, Grinson,' he said, 'and swing it round five -or six times when I give you the wink.' - -The dancers had drawn closer to the machine, yelling more shrilly than -ever. Hoole watched them with a smile as they circled round. Suddenly -he gave the sign; Grinson caught the propeller, and with a heave of his -brawny arm swung it about. Hoole nodded to him to step aside. The -leader of the dance was just approaching, when there was a roar; Hoole -had started the engine, and the propeller whizzed round with -ever-increasing velocity. The dancer stopped short; before he could -collect himself or retreat the air set in motion by the whirring -propeller smote him with hurricane force, stripping the leaves from his -body, and whirling his headdress, pole and all, across the enclosure. -There stood revealed the lean, naked form of the medicine-man. He threw -up his hands as if to defend his face from the blast; then, with a yell -of fury, he sprinted to the gate, followed by the rest of the dancers. - -[Illustration: THE LEADER OF THE DANCERS WAS JUST APPROACHING WHEN THERE -WAS A ROAR, AND THE WHIRRING PROPELLER SET UP A HURRICANE WHICH CAUGHT -AT HIS DRESS.] - -A great roar of laughter burst from the spectators, hitherto silent, and -from the crowd which had gathered outside. - -'I guess the duk-duk won't quack so loud in future!' said Hoole, -rejoining the others. - -The medicine-man's attempt to retain the seaplane and demonstrate his -own importance had ignominiously failed. His erstwhile supporters had -no more to say. The carriers were called up; the chief's procession was -formed, and when the red moon rested on the horizon they set forth -solemnly towards the ancestral wreck. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI - - FLIGHT - - -'I don't think nothing of this 'ere percession, sir--nothing at all,' -said Grinson, tramping beside Hoole. 'It ain't my idea of a -percession--not by a long chalk. I 've seed hundreds of Lord Mayor's -Shows, and King George a-going to be crowned. They was somethink -like--everybody moving like clockwork, 'cept the horses, and they did -their best. But these 'ere cannibals ain't got a notion o' keeping -step. Look at 'em! What's the good of their drums, I 'd like to know? -Why don't they tap out the left-right, as you may say, so 's they will -march proper?' - -'Well, I guess they 're children of nature,' said Hoole with a smile. - -'Brought up very bad, then, that's all I can say, sir. I 'm glad I 'm -not a child of nature, but of respectable parents, and uncles and aunts -the same. My old Aunt Maria, now, she was real respectable, and no -mistake. I used to go and see her when I was a nipper. Fust thing she 'd -do, she 'd wipe me nose. It ain't much of a nose--not like -Ephraim's--p'r'aps he didn't have his wiped so often, so it growed -better.... Why, save us, sir--did you hear that?' - -Both the men turned round. From the rear of the procession came the cry -of a white man in mortal peril. The moonlight, striking along the leafy -avenue through which they were passing, revealed the hideously painted -faces of the Papuans, some of whom were carrying live pigs for the feast -on the shore. Again rose the startling cry. The two men, stepping among -the trees to avoid hindering the march, walked back quickly, and -presently saw, among the black faces, the pale, terrified features of -the German prisoners, whom rough hands were dragging along at the tail -of the procession. An explanation of their presence flashed upon Hoole. -Baulked of their human prey before, the cannibals had determined that -this time the custom of their tribe should be followed. The inauguration -of their chief should not pass without its human sacrifice. - -'Hi, you blackguards! What about my goose?' cried Grinson, and was -rushing to the rescue when Hoole detained him. - -'It's no use tackling these hobos,' said the latter. 'They 'd fly at -you like dogs. Keep pace with them; I 'll run on and talk to the -chief.' - -Hoole sprinted up the line, past the Papuans, carrying food and -cooking-pots, past the drummers and the men who bore the seaplane, past -spearmen and dancers, and the retinue of patricians who followed -immediately behind Flanso. Laying a hand on the chief's arm, he -remembered that the interpreter had been left in the village, and -wondered nervously how he was to make Flanso understand. To speak in -English would be useless; he knew but a word or two of the native -language. Suddenly he remembered the chief's remote French extraction, -and the impression made on his father by Trentham's use of French. -Could that be turned to account? To explain in French what he desired -was beyond him, even if Flanso could understand a continuous speech; -what alternative was there? Perhaps if he could remember some French--a -French poem, say--and declaim it with appropriate gestures, it might -produce the moral effect which was the first necessity at the moment. -Hoole was a good elocutionist and amateur actor. Racking his memory for -things learnt at school, he could recall but one poem, a song of -Beranger's that had taken his fancy. He posted himself at the head of -the procession, and facing Flanso, spread his arms to signify that no -further advance was to be made. Impressed by his determined mien, the -natives halted. And then Hoole, raising himself to his full height, -began to recite: - - 'Il etait un roi d'Yvetot, - Peu connu dans l'histoire.' - -Rolling the r, he pointed dramatically to the moon, - - 'Se levant tard, se couchant tot, - Dormant fort bien sans gloire.' - -Here he shot out his right hand towards the village. The natives -gasped. - - 'Et couronne par Jeanneton - D'un simple bonnet de coton: - Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! - Quel bon petit roi c'etait la! - La, la!' - - -He accompanied the refrain with a rhythmical clapping of hands; then, -without waiting for the mystic effect to dissipate itself, he grasped -the chief by the arm, and led him back along the halted line to the spot -where the Germans stood paralysed in the hands of their captors. -French, he feared, would hardly serve him now; but he pointed to the -prisoners, and repeated '_Pas manger; pas manger!_' in a fiercely -authoritative voice, winding up with _'En arriere!_' and pointing -towards the village, from which they had come but a quarter of a mile. -Then, stepping firmly up to the group of Papuans, he seized the arm of a -big man who clutched one of the Germans, and with a dexterous twist -forced him to relax his hold. The men snarled, but Flanso, who by this -time had apprehended what the white man was driving at, sternly ordered -the prisoners to be released. - -'You must take them back, Grinson,' Hoole said. 'Their hands are tied; -I 'll fasten them to you so that they can't get away. Take them back -and hand them over to Mr. Trentham; then catch us up. Bring Lafoa back -with you.' - -'Ay, ay, sir. I 'll take a spear, case of accident. And I won't be -long behind you.' - -Hoole, sweating at every pore, as he afterwards said, gave an off-hand -indication of approval to Flanso, and the march was resumed. - -It was a slow and wearisome journey through the forest, and Grinson, -accompanied by the interpreter, caught up the procession before it had -advanced another mile. Many times the bearers of the seaplane had to -rest; in some places trees and shrubs had to be cut down to allow its -passage, and Hoole had many an anxious moment, fearing that the wires -would be bent or broken through the carelessness of his inexperienced -carriers. But the edge of the cliff was reached without serious mishap, -and in a much shorter time than he had believed to be possible. The -route chosen by Flanso was in fact shorter by many miles than that by -which Hahn had led the party weeks before. - -The covering over the top of the chimney had been removed, and Flanso -and his men nimbly climbed down one by one. Hoole allowed all to -descend except the carriers, Grinson, and the interpreter; then he set -to work to ensure the safe lowering of the machine and its detached -planes. With the interpreter's aid he got the men to make a stout -platform of saplings extending some feet beyond the edge of the cliff, -with a hole at the chimney top. The body of the machine was secured to -two stout ropes which were carried round trees. Hoole had a third rope -with a sling in which to put his feet, and this he tied firmly to a -trunk. - -'Now, Grinson,' he said, 'you will be in charge here, and woe betide you -if you fail me! I 'm going to let myself down into the chimney. When I -give the word, lift the machine gently over the cliff and lower away; I -'ll keep an eye on it and fend it off the rocks. That's all clear?' - -'As clear as good beer, sir, and I only wish I had some, I 'm that dry. -Ephraim says there 's----' - -'Oh, hang Ephraim! Stand by!' - -He swung himself into the chimney and shouted 'Lower away.' - -'The next ten minutes,' he told Trentham afterwards, 'were an age--an -epoch. I heard Grinson yo-hoing to the natives above; he never stopped -for a moment. How he managed to control those savages I don't know. -Down came the machine, and there was I, swinging on the rope, clinging -with one hand while I guided the machine with the other. Once it -dropped suddenly on one side, and I feared the whole caboodle would -crash to the ground; but Grinson bellowed like a hurricane, the thing -righted itself, and my heart was banging against my ribs like a steam -hammer. Well, we got the fuselage down at last; the planes were a -simpler proposition, and by and by Grinson joined me on the beach, as -proud as a peacock. "I done that in fust-rate style, sir," says he with -a broad grin. "You can bear me out, sir."' - -Hoole was so much occupied in putting the machine together by the light -of the moon that he saw little of the native ceremony. There was -drumming and dancing; at one moment the chief, followed by a group of -his men, marched solemnly to the wreck, and after tramping seven times -round the broken mast, descended to the cabin. On his return he was -welcomed with a frenzied shout. Then fires were lighted under the -cooking-pots, the dance was kept up until the viands were ready, and the -feast was prolonged until the moon had travelled half-way round the sky. -Satiated, the natives flung themselves on the sand and slept. - -'Well, sir,' said Grinson, sitting beside Hoole, close under the cliffs, -'all I can say is, it's a wonder to me how they could stow away so much -boiled pork without mustard or a pint of beer.' - -Morning dawned. Hoole had the seaplane carried down to the sea. The -tide was rising; the sea was choppy; waves of considerable size were -breaking on the beach. - -'I hope she 's seaworthy, sir,' said Grinson, eyeing the machine -anxiously. - -'That we 'll soon discover,' replied Hoole. 'You know what you have to -do. When I 've pumped up and sucked in, you 'll give the propeller half -a dozen turns; then I 'll switch on, and you 'll skip away, or you 'll -get a dose like the medicine-man.' - -The whole body of natives was lined up on the beach, watching the white -men with simple curiosity. Suddenly one of them gave a shout, and -pointed out to sea. - -'By the powers, sir, here's the Blue Raider,' cried Grinson. - -The vessel had appeared round the western horn of the bay, and was -standing in as close as possible to the shore. - -'They must have seen us,' said Hoole. 'Rank bad luck! Think I 'd pass -for one of the Germans, Grinson? They 're too far off to distinguish -features.' - -'You might, sir, though I 'm ashamed to say it; but what about me? I 'm -a good deal too broad in the beam.' - -'But you 're half in the water. I 'll try making signs, just to keep -'em quiet, for if they 're suspicious and get their guns on to me, I 'm -a dead man, sure!' - -Partly concealed by the overshadowing planes, Hoole waved his arms in -imitation of the Morse signals. From the vessel, which had now hove to, -a boat was lowered, and pulled towards the beach. - -'Now, Grinson, I must cut,' said Hoole. 'I 'll start towards them; that -will diddle them, I hope; and before they make up their minds I 'm an -enemy, I guess I 'll be out of range. Ready?' - -Grinson whirled the propeller; Hoole made contact and switched on, the -engine started with a roar, and the seaplane glided forward in the -direction of the approaching boat. Cries of wonder broke from the throng -of natives as the strange bird rose into the air. When clear of the -water it turned suddenly eastwards, and flew rapidly at a low altitude -along the coast. The boat stopped. A signal was fired from the vessel -in the offing. The seaplane continued on its eastward course. There was -a loud report which sent the natives scurrying to the foot of the cliff, -and a shell burst a few yards behind the seaplane. A few moments later -a shell dropped on the beach, sending up a great shower of sand and -rocks. The natives scattered, some making for the chimney, others taking -cover among the rocks and undergrowth. Grinson stood for a while with -arms akimbo at the edge of the beach, as though defying the gunners; -then a crackle of rifle fire from the boat sent him too rushing for the -chimney. He had only just reached it when a shell fell plump into the -wreck, scattering its timbers far and wide. A howl of wrath and dismay -burst from the natives, and they began to swarm up the chimney, full in -view of the occupants of the boat, but concealed from the Raider by a -bulge in the cliff. Bullets rained on the rocks, but the rolling of the -boat rendered marksmanship difficult, and only one or two of the men -suffered slight wounds as they climbed up. Grinson was the last to -leave the beach. When he reached the summit he stood for a moment or -two on the platform, gazing with a grim smile at the Raider. - -'Blue you are, and well you may look it!' he cried. 'Row back, you -lubbers; such darned bad shooting I never did see, and I 'll take my -davy as your goose 'll soon be cooked. Mr. Hoole has gone to fetch the -sauce. Ahoy, ugly mugs! Wait for me! I don't want to be marooned in -this 'ere forest.' - -And he set off at a trot to overtake the natives, who were already -disappearing among the trees. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII - - THE ATTACK ON THE VILLAGE - - -In the haste of their flight from the dangerous beach the natives had -left drums, cooking-pots, and other impedimenta behind, and had now -nothing but their weapons to carry. Marching light, they showed a most -ungentlemanly want of consideration for Grinson. 'They 're no -gentlemen, Ephraim, me lad, that's flat,' he said later (they had gone -several miles before he overtook them), 'and me panting and sweating -like any think! I must 'a lost five pounds, if an ounce.' - -As soon as he had recovered breath, he took place by Flanso's side at -the head of the procession, and quite unaware that he was transgressing -etiquette, kept pace with the chief, conversing by the way. - -'What I can't make out, Flanso, old man,' he said, 'is what this Mr. -Hoole is--what he was brought up to, like. He 's only a nipper, so to -speak it, 's far as years go, and by his own account he was just larking -round these 'ere seas, with more money than wits, _I 'd_ say. Well, -then, what I want to know is, how does he know about these 'ere -airyplanes or seaplanes, or whatever you call 'em, handles 'em as easy -as I might handle a ship's boat, and no gammon? I know you don't -understand a word of what I'm saying, matey, not being born such; but I -'m just letting off steam, d' ye see? In course I wouldn't say all this -to the young gent's face, my manners being good as a general rule; but -it ain't good to keep your thoughts bottled up, like, 'cos they might -bust out sudden like the cork out of a bottle o' beer that's stood too -near the fire, and then where 'd we be, Flanso, me boy?' - -Flanso appeared to be gratified by the seaman's speech, and smiled -amiably. - -'You ain't half a bad-looking chap, Flanso, and if you 'd take that -stick out of your nose and learn to wash yourself you 'd be quite -handsome. 'Tis a strange world, and no mistake. There 's my Ephraim, a -good lad as cleans hisself regular like a true Christian, and speaks -English as well as I does myself, but nobody could say he 's a beauty; -and then there 's you--'orrible dirty, speaks like a monkey, and yet got -a face on you as would make your fortune if so be you went into the -Guards. - -'Things is arranged very rum, Flanso, and there 's no understanding of -'em. Them two Germans, now--they 're pretty enough with their blue eyes -and flaxen hair, just the sort the girls go silly over; but their -'earts, Flanso--their 'earts is blacker than you, old man. Yet I don't -know--p'r'aps--but what's the good o' spekylatin'? Things is a puzzle, -and we ain't got the brains for to work it out.' - -He shook his head, and fell into a reverie from which he was suddenly -awakened by a distant rifle shot. Instantly he became the man of action -again. He swung round, signed to the natives to halt, and put his -fingers to his lips enjoining silence. Then he hastened down the line -until he had discovered Lafoa. - -'Here, you!' he said. 'You makee all fellas hold their jaw and come -bunko arter me, see? Bad fellas fightee; we go see what's up. See?' - -The interpreter nodded, and hurried to Flanso, who gave orders in his -own tongue. It was clear that he looked to Grinson for leadership. More -shots rang out ahead. - -'That's a revolver,' murmured Grinson. 'Mr. Trentham! Spears. Bows and -arrows.' He looked round at the natives. 'May be some good. Fust -thing is to find out exactly what's what. Here, you, how far off--how -muchee way--your village?' - -The interpreter did not understand him. Grinson groaned. - -'Well, makee all black fellas hidee in bushes, so no one can see. -Savvy?' - -This appeared clear, for the natives, at a word from Lafoa, scattered, -and in a few moments were invisible. - -'Now come alonga me,' continued Grinson. 'Flanso too. Come on!' - -Flanso leading, they wormed their way stealthily through the forest -growth. The sounds of conflict grew as they progressed. Presently they -were conscious of the smell of burning, and thin trails of smoke were -wafted among the trees. Coming to the outskirts of the village, they -beheld several huts blazing. At first they saw no human being, but -advancing cautiously through the thick bushes that spread behind the -huts, they came upon a Papuan squatting on the ground and rocking -himself with pain. A question from Flanso elicited an account of what -had happened. An hour or two before, the outlying scouts had discovered -a number of white men marching towards the village. They had hastened -back with the news, and the white men in the village had ordered all the -people to withdraw into the inner enclosure. The enemy had come upon -them before they were all within the wall. Some of the people had been -killed, some wounded, others had escaped into the forest. The huts had -been fired, and the enemy had rushed towards the gate, but had hurriedly -retreated before a shower of arrows and the fire-magic that met them. -They had posted themselves among the trees, and a little while before -had begun to shoot their hot stones over the wall. - -Lafoa interpreted this as well as he could to Grinson, who, however, -seemed to understand the position instinctively. He bade Lafoa hasten -back to the men halting in the forest a quarter of a mile behind, and -bring up all the young warriors. While the man was absent Grinson sat -down at the foot of a tree, stretched out his legs, folded his arms, and -pondered. There had not been time for the Raider to reach the cove and -land her crew, therefore the attackers must be relatively few in number. -They were armed with rifles; probably the rifles had bayonets; -therefore, though few in number, they were much more than a match for a -throng of untrained savages with no better weapons than bows and arrows -and spears. - -'Which I mean to say,' said Grinson to himself, 'that is if we don't -come to close quarters, whereas and however 'tis numbers what tells in a -rush, such as boarding a vessel when you 're close alongside and Admiral -Nelson piped all hands to repel boarders--or t'other way about, for -'twas us what boarded the enemy, must 'a been, being British. That's one -point settled, Flanso, old man; we 've got to board 'em, take 'em abaft, -otherwise about the rump or stern, and lively too, not forgetting that -Mr. Trentham is for'ard banging away with his revolver, and we stand a -good chance of being bowled over in mistake, and apologies are no use, -and it's our look-out, and no blame to anybody. Now I come to think of -it, that point's fust and last, for if we rush 'em and don't win, why, -then nothing matters no more, and we 're all booked for the pearly gates -and no mistake. Things are getting pretty hot by the sound of it, and I -'m afraid that there revolver have give out, and--ah! here come the -boarding party.' - -Lafoa stole through the brushwood followed by twenty or thirty young men -of the higher caste, all moving as silently as wild animals. - -'Tell 'em to lay snug--otherwise doggo--while you and me and the chief -go for'ard and do a bit of spying,' said Grinson. - -He crept forward with the two men, and came presently to a spot among -the trees where it was possible to get a fairly clear view of the -fighting. A number of Germans were laying piles of brushwood at the -foot of the wall; others were breaking holes in it, or enlarging slight -gaps between the logs; others were bringing up more brushwood from the -forest, while reports and flashes high up in some trees overlooking one -side of the enclosure showed that snipers had been posted to pick off -the garrison. For the moment none of the defenders were visible. -Grinson guessed that Trentham, having exhausted or all but exhausted his -ammunition, was reserving himself for the inrush which without firearms -it was impossible to prevent. - -'There 's Trousers!' thought Grinson, catching sight of Hahn, who -appeared to be superintending operations. 'If I don't give him a -dusting----' - -He stole back to the waiting natives, whispering instructions to Lafoa -on the way. Half a dozen men were told off to creep through the bush and -deal with the snipers in the trees, Grinson judging that in the dense -undergrowth a native with a bow and a spear should be a match for a -white man in a tree, even though armed with a rifle. The rest of the -men were ordered to follow him noiselessly to the edge of the clearing -in front of the wall, and to dash at the enemy when he gave the word. -The slight sounds of their movements were smothered by the reports of -the rifles and the hacking at the wall. - -On reaching the spot, Grinson perceived that the Germans were massing -for a determined push. At the sound of Hahn's whistle they sprang on to -the piles of brushwood and attempted to swarm up and over the wall. -Grinson could just see Trentham above the top, swinging a huge native -club. While he was looking, the pendulum swing of the weapon disposed of -two Germans who had come within its formidable sweep. To right and -left, however, several of the enemy had got a footing on the wall, in -spite of the spears hurled by the older and weaker natives who alone had -remained in the village. - -Then Grinson let out a bellow like the blast of a fog-horn, and sprang -from the shelter of the trees with a spear in each hand, followed by the -horde of natives, yelling and screeching. The Germans turned in alarm to -discover what was threatening them, dropped to their knees, and raised -their rifles. Only a few of them fired; the rest, disconcerted by the -shower of arrows and spears which the natives let fly at them as they -ran, dropped their rifles and fled helter-skelter among the trees, -Flanso leading his men in hot pursuit. - -[Illustration: GRINSON LET OUT A BELLOW LIKE THE BLAST OF A FOG-HORN, -AND SPRANG FROM THE TREES, FOLLOWED BY A HORDE OF NATIVES.] - -Grinson had made straight for Hahn, hurled one of his spears at him, -which missed, and coming to close quarters, lunged at him with the -other. But as he reached forward, a bullet from one of the snipers who -had not yet been dislodged from his tree struck the boatswain on the -arm. He spun round and fell on his face, just as Trentham, with Meek -and a score of natives, came rushing out at the gate. Hahn had raised -his revolver to shoot the fallen seaman, but catching sight of Trentham, -he snapped an ill-aimed shot at him, then took to his heels and followed -his men into the forest. - -Trentham dispatched Lafoa to recall the natives, fearing that the -Germans would rally and outmatch them in a running fight; then he -returned to Grinson, who had sat up, and was trying to pull off his -coat. - -'Just a tickler, sir,' said the boatswain, grinning. 'I 'd a sort of -feeling that I 'd be wounded in the house of my friends, as you may say, -them being Bible words and all correct. Easy all! That's off. My -goose is all right, praise be! Missed it by an inch, your lucky shot -did, sir.' - -'My shot? I didn't fire.' - -'I 'm sure I beg your pardon, and won't say no more about it, though I -'d a notion you fired at Trousers and missed. This 'ere scratch won't -spoil my beauty sleep, anyway. Mr. Hoole, sir? He got off like a bird, -not but what they didn't have a go at him; the Raider, sir--most -unfortunate, she come up just as we was getting ready for the kick-off, -as you may say. The old wreck's blown to blazes, but no more harm done, -and I lay Mr. Hoole by this time have got somewhere, though where that -may be remains to be seen.' - -'Thankful I am as you 're not killed, Mr. Grinson,' said Meek, who had -come up from behind. - -'Same to you, Ephraim, me lad. The only fly in my gizzard is that -Trousers has got off; but we 'll dust him yet, Ephraim. No, I don't -want no help; I 'm sound on my pins, and my arm don't hurt so bad as -vaccination. What I _would_ like is a pint o' beer, but I might as well -cry for the moon. Things is a great puzzle, Ephraim!' - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII - - THE AVALANCHE - - -'What I'd like to know, sir,' said Grinson, as they re-entered the -enclosure, 'what I 'd like to know is, why them Germans, Trousers and -the rest, took it into their heads to try this little game when our -backs was turned, meaning Mr. Hoole and me?' - -'You think they wouldn't have tried it if they hadn't known you were -away?' said Trentham, checking a smile. - -'Well, sir, two 's two; you can't get over that. If the whole crew had -come, 't 'ud 'a been different; but with the Raider away, Trousers -hadn't got enough men for the job, unless he knew we were short-handed, -and I don't see nohow he could have known that.' - -'They must be desperately in want of coal, one would think. Or perhaps -Hahn wanted to distinguish himself in the absence of his commander. It -would have been a good stroke to recover the slaves, you know.' - -'That's it, sir,' cried Grinson, slapping his thigh. 'Likewise and -moreover he was riled with Ephraim what defied him, and so he folds his -arms and scowls under his eyebrows and hisses through his clenched -teeth, "I will have my revenge." I 've seed that on the stage many a -time.' - -'We 'll grant that Hahn is a villain; but I fancy they had a very -practical object in making this raid. Perhaps they 've been unlucky on -the sea lately, must have coal, and would rather get the natives to dig -it than dig it themselves. In that case we may expect another attack. -How far was the Raider away when you last saw her?' - -'From fifteen to twenty sea-mile, sir. She 's back in harbour by this, I -reckon.' - -'Then I think we had better reconnoitre. I 'll have a word with Flanso; -now that his ceremony is over, he 'll probably be able to attend to -business. Be ready to come with me.' - -The chief was at first disposed to regard the recent victory as -decisive; but Trentham managed to convince him that a still more serious -attack might have to be met, and induced him to take the needful -measures of defence. It was arranged that at the first sign of danger -the whole population of the village should be withdrawn into the inner -enclosure, where they would have the protection of the wall. The object -of the defence must be to hold the wall until help came. There was a -possibility, of course, that Hoole might not succeed in his mission. -The engine might fail; even if he reached a port there might be no force -available for hunting the Raider. Trentham was not blind to the -difficulties of the position; but it was essential to keep up a show of -confidence, and to take all possible steps to hold the ground. - -Less than an hour after Flanso's return Trentham set off with Grinson -and half a dozen natives, among whom was Lafoa, for the cove. They -marched cautiously, in case any of Hahn's party were still lingering in -the forest; but the Germans had evidently been daunted and had returned -to their base. - -Trentham had decided to make for the spot where he had organised Meek's -release. While affording a good post of observation, it was difficult of -access from the beach, and even if discovered by the enemy he would have -plenty of time to escape into the forest behind. He gave a wide berth -to the sentry-box above the cove, crept round through almost -impenetrable thickets, and had nearly reached the slope strewn with -boulders when there came faintly on his ear the characteristic rattle of -a donkey-engine. - -'The Raider 's back in the cove, Grinson,' he said. - -'Ay, ay, sir, and hoisting coal, seemingly.' - -Bidding Grinson keep the natives under cover near the head of the slope, -Trentham stole forward, dodging among the boulders, until he reached a -point where he could peep over at the cove beneath without much risk of -being detected. The Raider was anchored almost in the same position as -when he had last seen her; smoke was pouring from her funnel. There was -much activity both on deck and on the shore. The donkey-engine was -lifting, not coal, but stores from the ship's boats lying under her -side. Men were carrying boxes and bales from the shed to the shore. -Everybody was moving with an air of bustle and haste. It was impossible -to doubt that the vessel was about to leave the cove: the settlement was -to be abandoned. - -An hour or two earlier Trentham would have rejoiced to know that the -Raider was departing. But at this moment he felt only annoyance, -disappointment, positive anger. Within a few short hours Hoole, unless -baulked by ill-luck, would guide a British vessel to the cove, and the -Raider would meet a well-deserved fate. It seemed that the Germans had -taken alarm on seeing their seaplane flying eastwards, obviously under -other than German control. They had suspected the nature of its -mission, and having a wholesome dread of what might befall them, had -determined to forestall the inevitable. With all his heart Trentham -wished that he could hold the vessel at her anchorage. But he could do -nothing to interfere with the bustling preparations below. The Raider -was getting up steam; the stores were being methodically hoisted and -stowed; before very long the vessel would disappear round the horn of -the cove, and he could only watch her impotently. - -'Flanso's people won't be bothered any more; that's one good thing,' he -thought, as he began to climb up the slope. Picking his way, he -stumbled, and clutched at one of the boulders to maintain his footing. -The rock swayed slightly. Trentham stood still for a moment, resting -his hand on it. An observer would have noticed that his brow suddenly -cleared, his eyes danced, a flush spread over his cheeks. Then with -quick movements, yet careful to keep under cover, he clambered up and -rejoined Grinson. There was a brief, rapid conversation between them. -Grinson's broad face expressed in turn surprise, doubt, determination, -glee. Lafoa was given an order. Then, while Trentham directed them -from the cover of the trees, the others quickly rolled a number of the -largest boulders to a part of the slope which, as nearly as he could -gauge the position, was directly above the Raider. It was no easy -matter to move unseen from the sheds. Some of the most promising of the -boulders had to be neglected. But the noise below was great enough to -smother the sounds of the men's swift movements, and they were not -interrupted. Presently, over a space of more than a hundred yards, there -were ranged in three orderly rows, each row being about twenty paces -from the next, a collection of rocks of all shapes and sizes and -weights, from knobs of a few pounds to boulders so heavy as to need the -united efforts of several men to move them. One of these, indeed, -almost escaped from the grasp of the three men handling it, and Trentham -felt a cold thrill at the imminence of a premature descent. But -Grinson's brawny arms arrested the monster in the nick of time, and he -secured it temporarily by means of smaller rocks wedged between it and -the earth. Blowing hard, he came to Trentham's side. - -'"Shust in time!" as old Trousers would say, sir,' he remarked. 'All's -ready, but I won't answer for what 'll happen when you say "go."' - -'We must do our best and trust to luck.' - -'That's not my meaning, sir. It's these 'ere ugly mugs. They 've had -no drill, d' ye see. Might as well be horse marines, in a manner of -speaking.' - -'Not so bad as that, Grinson. They have done very well, so far. Lafoa -seems to understand what is needed, and if you set them a good example, -I dare say they 'll follow it. The Germans seem to have cleared up -nearly everything, and we had better start operations. I 'll climb down -to the left yonder, where I 'll be out of the way, but can observe -results without being seen myself. I 'll give the signal by lifting my -hand; the rest is with you and the natives.' - -'Ay, ay, sir. It 'll be a bit of a "tamasha," as they say out east.' - -Trentham clambered down the slope under cover of the boulders, until he -gained the spot he had pointed out. Grinson and the natives posted -themselves at equal intervals behind the first row of the displaced -boulders. A boat filled with boxes of ammunition was putting off from -the shore. All of the crew who were not already on board the vessel -were moving down from the sheds; apparently their work was finished. -Trentham gazed seawards; there was no sign of the seaplane or of any -ship. He raised his hand. Grinson instantly gave a mighty shove to the -huge boulder behind which he was standing, and it began to bump down the -slope. The natives were not quite so prompt, but after only a few -seconds' delay five other boulders of smaller bulk started forward. -Four reached the brink almost together, the fifth rolled a few yards, -then stopped. But a few moments later there were five resounding -splashes in quick succession as the rocks plunged into the sea. - -[Illustration: GRINSON GAVE THE BOULDER A SHOVE IN THE DESIRED -DIRECTION.] - -Eagerly watching the result of his scheme, Trentham was disappointed to -see that the missiles had fallen short of the Raider. But all work on -the vessel ceased; a bale of goods that was being hoisted by the -donkey-engine stopped half-way; the men on board gazed in surprise up -the cliff, those in the boat stopped pulling. The angle of the slope -was such that the men above were invisible; there was nothing to show -that the fall of the boulders was not accidental. - -Meanwhile, however, Grinson and his party had run up to the second row, -and while the Germans were discussing the phenomenon another shower -tumbled over the edge, one of the boulders falling plump on the bridge -of the vessel, knocking away a portion of the rail, missing the captain -by a foot or two, and crashing through the window of his cabin. Two went -clean over the ship; the other two fell a little short of the port side, -and threw a great volume of water into the half-empty boat. After a -brief interval another set of boulders followed, and then another, until -the missiles fell in a continuous shower. The captain roared an order; -the grinding of the anchor chain was heard, and the men on shore, -carrying rifles, rushed up the beach towards the winding path that led -up the cliffs. - -Trentham began to feel anxious. Very little damage had yet been done; -the boulders varied greatly in shape and weight, and their trajectory -after leaving the edge was equally various. Some rolled sideways; one, -indeed, took an extraordinary tortuous course to the right, and struck -the roof of the nearest hut, which was shivered into fragments. Those -that had fallen nearest to the vessel were the larger rocks from the -second row, and Trentham signalled to Grinson to deal with those -remaining. He felt that the sands were running out; but there were -still a few minutes before the Germans rushing up the steep and -roundabout path could reach the head of the slope. - -'A little more to the left!' he shouted to Grinson, realising that -nothing was now to be gained by silence. - -'Ay, ay, sir!' roared the seaman, shoving a knobby rock in the desired -direction. - -Trentham held his breath as he watched its flight. Before he was -prepared for it there was a thunderous crash; the boulder had struck the -side of the vessel a few feet below the rail, within twenty feet of the -bows, passing clean through the plates, and leaving a huge rent. Almost -immediately afterwards another boulder crashed through the deck slightly -abaft the funnel. There was an instant rush of steam; apparently it had -smashed through one of the boilers. - -[Illustration: WITH A THUNDEROUS CRASH IT STRUCK THE SIDE OF THE VESSEL -A FEW FEET BELOW THE RAIL.] - -Among the crew surprise had become consternation, and now developed into -panic. Men rushed from below and sprang overboard. Others were running -wildly about the deck. The captain had gone forward with one of his -officers to see the extent of the damage there. Water was pouring -through the side. Trentham, judging that the vessel was at any rate -disabled, and that it was time to be gone, turned to climb up the slope, -and wriggled hastily aside to avoid a boulder which had swerved in its -course and was hurtling in his direction. He stopped to throw a last -glimpse below; the boulder which he had so narrowly escaped carried away -the donkey-engine, and ricochetted from the deck into the sea. - -'Well done!' he cried, and ran to assist Grinson to topple over one of -the large rocks which had supported the rope on the night of Meek's -release. - -'That's riddled 'em!' shouted Grinson, as the noise of shattered metal -rose from below. - -'She can't get away!' panted Trentham. 'They 're coming up the cliff; we -must run for it.' - -Collecting the men, he dashed up the few remaining yards of the slope -and headed them into the forest just as a German seaman came in sight -near the end of the ledge. - -'"Shust in time!" Trousers, my son,' chuckled Grinson. 'We give her a -good battering, sir?' - -'Cut open her side, broke a boiler, and drowned the donkey-engine. What -more I don't know; but she 's crippled.' - -'My cripes! What a tale to tell my Ephraim! I only wish the lad could -'a seen it hisself.' - - - - - CHAPTER XIX - - AT ARM'S LENGTH - - -Within the mazes of the forest the little party had no fear of pursuit, -and they marched rapidly homeward with the alacrity of men conscious of -success. They had gone only a few miles when Trentham heard the -unmistakable purring of the seaplane's engine. At that spot the trees -formed a canopy overhead through which the sky could scarcely be seen; -but at his bidding Lafoa ordered one of the natives to climb a lofty -trunk and discover if possible in what direction the machine was flying. -The sound had long been inaudible when the man came to the ground again -and reported that the strange bird had not soared within sight. - -They pushed oh, and were met some little distance from the village by -Hoole himself. - -'Been scalp-hunting?' he said with a smile. - -'No; playing bowls. But what's your news?' asked Trentham. 'Ours will -keep.' - -'Well, I guess it might be worse. I made Wilhelmshafen, and had to run -the gauntlet of a score or so of rifles. It seems they 'd heard a thing -or two about the seaplane, and had already reported to one of your -warships that's cruising somewhere east. I didn't dare land till I 'd -dropped a note telling 'em who I was. There's no warship within miles; -but as soon as they had heard my story they rose to the occasion; they -'re some sports. The only vessel they had around was a tramp; she might -make ten knots in the ordinary way, but could be speeded up to twelve, -perhaps, by frantic stoking; so the engineer said. The skipper started -coaling at once; he had her cleared of everything that could be spared, -and the crew volunteered to a man.' - -'But, my dear fellow, a tramp! She 'd no more offensive weapon, I -suppose, than a hose.' - -'That's correct; but, of course, the skipper had no notion of fighting -the Raider. His idea was to steal up along the coast and lie doggo while -his men came across country and got you away. At the same time he did -what was possible by way of armament. There was a number of machine-guns -on shore, left by the Germans when they hauled down their flag to the -Australians. He put them aboard, and some Australian gunners were keen -to join in this stunt, along with a crowd of young fellows who swore -they were all crack shots, and a trader or two. Altogether there are -between thirty and forty men coming along. She wasn't ready, of course, -when I left; but with good luck she 'll lie off the shore eastward by -sunrise to-morrow. Stealing up through the night she 's a good chance of -escaping notice, and unless the Raider makes an early morning trip you -'ll get away without trouble. Of course, if she is spotted--well, we -know what the Raider's guns can do.' - -'The tramp has only to keep out of range; the Raider 's crippled.' - -'You don't say! Did she run aground?' - -Trentham related the morning's events. - -'Bully!' cried Hoole. 'Say, what's to prevent our making a good bag of -Germans? You think the Raider will sink?' - -'There can't be much question of that. They had carried most of their -arms on board, and probably those went down with the vessel; the men -would waste their time trying to save her. But there were some armed -men still on shore, and they might rescue a certain number of rifles -before the ship went down. As I came along I tried to decide what I 'd -do myself in the Germans' place. They are marooned; they must guess that -you flew off for help, and expect to have to deal with some sort of -force. The question is, will they surrender or fight?' - -'Well, I don't know the inside of a German's mind, so I can't say; but I -know what I 'd do. I wouldn't surrender without a fight; and if I saw -the odds against me, I 'd make tracks inland, live on the country, and -hold out. The Germans are so cocksure of winning the war that I guess -they 'll do that.' - -'I came to the same conclusion. It's not as if they were traders; they -'re naval men, and I can't imagine their giving in tamely. Well, then, -we shall have to prepare for a fight.' - -'How do you mean? - -'They 've lost the greater part of their provisions, and will have to -replace them. What better chance than to quarter themselves by main -force on the nearest village, which is our friend Flanso's, and compel -the people to provide for them? Incidentally also take vengeance for -the smashing of their vessel. We can't leave Flanso in the lurch.' - -'I guess you 're right. Some of those young fellows at Wilhelmshafen -were spoiling for a fight, and were real disgruntled when the skipper -showed 'em they 'd have no chance against a well-armed raider. They 'll -be ready enough to take a hand in beating off the Germans if they attack -the village.' - -'If they arrive in time. We may have to face the music before they get -here, and I don't much like the prospect. Thanks to Grinson, we did -very well against Hahn's handful this morning, but it will be quite -another thing to deal with fifty or sixty, perhaps more, a good -proportion armed with rifles. Your revolver ammunition is all spent; we -'ve got the revolvers of the two prisoners, that's all.' - -'I brought three revolvers along and a few rounds of cartridges; very -little good they 'll be against two or three score rifles. We 'll be -back of the wall, of course, which is something to the good.' - -'By the way, we heard your seaplane. Where is it?' - -'Away yonder. I came down on that pond the Germans failed to strike. I -guess they heard her too, and may waste time trying to find her, which -will give us a chance to set our defences in order. Say, shall we get -along?' - -They hurried on. The natives of their party had preceded them, and were -surrounded by groups of excited villagers to whom they were expounding -the method by which the white men had destroyed the enemy's vessel. A -noisy throng followed Trentham and his friends to the gate of the inner -enclosure, and when they had disappeared, started a victory dance up and -down the broad path. - -Lafoa's aid was once more enlisted by Trentham in explaining the -situation to the chief. More intelligent than his subjects outside, -Flanso was under no illusion about the danger that threatened his -village. His own experiences while in the hands of the Germans left him -in no doubt as to the fate in store for his people if the enemy got the -better of them, and he was ready to accept Trentham's suggestion that -all but the fighting men should be at once sent away southward into the -forest, where they would be at least out of harm's way until the issue -was determined. But when he consulted some of his counsellors he at -once encountered the strenuous opposition of the medicine-man, who had -not forgiven Hoole for having made him cut so sorry a figure at the -duk-duk dance. He protested that the new danger threatening the village -was due to the stupidity of the white men. Why had they destroyed the -blue vessel, and prevented the enemy from going away? They were already -responsible for the destruction of the wreck that had been preserved and -cherished by the chief's forefathers from the beginning of the world. -They had prevented the human sacrifice customary at the inauguration of -a new chief. They were meddlers, and all the misfortunes that had -befallen the village were due to them. - -Such was the gist of the medicine-man's harangue, though these few -sentences by no means represent the torrent of words which poured from -his lips. Nor could any one but a cinematograph operator properly -depict the extraordinary grimaces of his features and the violent -gestures with which he emphasised his denunciations. His right hand -wielded a heavy nail-studded mace, and as his excitement grew he -stepped, or rather danced, nearer to the group of white men, twirling -the mace, tossing it in the air, striking the ground with it. Ignorant -though they were of his language, the white men could not mistake the -purport of his speech, and two of them noticed with some anxiety that he -was making an impression on some members of his native audience. -Grinson, however, felt nothing but amusement. A broad grin spread over -his face as he listened and watched, and the more excited the -medicine-man became the more pleasure the seaman took in the -performance, giving utterance now and then to his sentiments with sundry -ejaculations and cat-calls. - -At last a sudden change came over his expression. The medicine-man in -his frenzy had drawn very near to Hoole, and to give point to one of his -statements he thrust his mace forward at the full length of his arm, so -that Hoole only escaped a blow by stepping quickly back. It was -uncertain whether the man had intended to attack him, but the suspicion -was too much for Grinson. His lips snapped together; with a great roar -he hurled himself at the orator, struck the mace from his hand, and -caught him round the waist and hoisted him above his head. The sinews -of the seaman's arms cracked; for some seconds he held the native aloft, -as if hesitating whether to cast him to the ground. Terrified into -silence, the man wriggled; the spectators looked on open-mouthed. -Grinson grew purple with exertion; then he laughed. Gradually he -lowered his arms, stretched to full length, and gently laid the man at -Hoole's feet. - -'Windbag!' he muttered, passing his hand across his sweating brow, then -setting his arms akimbo and looking down at the still figure. - -Gasps of amazement broke from the natives. The medicine-man lay for -half a minute; when Grinson stooped and picked up the fallen mace he -closed his eyes as if expecting a blow. - -'A very neat little bobby's bludgeon, sir,' said Grinson, sticking the -mace under his arm. 'Move on, there!' - -The medicine-man opened his eyes, and seeing that Grinson had turned -aside he crawled slowly away, rose to his feet, and sidled into his hut. - -The colloquy he had interrupted was resumed. So great was the -impression made by Grinson's display of strength that the natives were -ready to agree to anything the white men proposed. It was arranged that -the non-combatants should be sent away; a number of huts and trees near -the wall on the outside should be razed, provisions brought into the -inner enclosure. A few weak spots in the wall were strengthened, and by -nightfall everything that was possible had been done to prepare for -attack. Scouts meanwhile had been sent out in the direction from which -attack might be expected. These were withdrawn as soon as it became -dark, and the whole able-bodied population was brought within the wall. - -Trentham recognised the futility of attempting any definite tactical -measures with a rabble of undisciplined natives. - -'They must fight in their own way, if there is to be a fight,' he said -to Hoole. 'Let alone the impossibility of giving orders with only one -interpreter, we should only worry them by trying to lick them into -shape. We must rely on their common sense.' - -'Just so. It's up to them to keep the enemy out, and that's all that -matters. A word as to not exposing themselves--that's all we can do, -except set 'em a good example.' - -'As to that, you 'd be useful here, old man; but I fancy you 'd be even -more useful if you went off in the seaplane and guided the steamer into -the cove. With the Raider sunk, she could quite well run in and land -her crew on the Germans' beach; they 'd get here quicker then than if -they landed at a spot we don't know the way from.' - -'Well, I guess we 'll wait and see,' said Hoole. 'We 'll take turns to -do sentry-go through the night. If nothing happens, I 'll very likely -take a run out in the morning. The tramp won't be far away then, -anyhow.' - - - - - CHAPTER XX - - THE LAST RAID - - -'Ephraim, have you made your will, me lad?' asked Grinson, sitting in -the hut with Meek in the early hours of the morning. - -'Never did I think of such a thing, Mr. Grinson,' replied Meek. ''Tis -only lords and skippers as make wills.' - -'That 's where you 're wrong, me lad. Specially now. For why? 'Cos -'tis the dooty of every man to make his will afore going into action.' - -'S'pose he ain't got nothing to leave, and no widders nor orphans to -purvide for?' - -'It don't make no difference. Besides, every man's got something. Lord -Admiral Nelson, as you 've heard of, had a glass eye, and 'tis said he -left it to his footman, as he once caught nicking, to remind him that -there 's always an Eye beholding of the evil and the good, besides his -heart to the country.' - -'Well, I never!' - -'Not but what there 's a mighty big risk in making your will. There was -once a chap I knowed as made his will and died next day--fell off a -ladder, he did, and his mates said he might 'a been alive to this day -only for the will. Likewise a skipper I once sailed with left his craft -to be sold and divided among the crew; uncommon skipper he was; and she -went down next voyage, and not insured. Ah! 'tis a solemn thought, -making your will.' - -'What put making wills and such into your head just now, Mr. Grinson?' - -'Well, it's like this. The gentlemen expects what you may call a battle -royal afore the day 's out, and you 've got to look at it sensible. We -come all right out o' that scrap yesterday, but 'twas only Trousers and -a few more, and we took 'em by surprise, d' ye see? Things will be -different if all them Germans come up together; the odds ain't even, -Ephraim.' - -'True. I can bear ye out in that, Mr. Grinson. I don't hold with -fighting--not with guns.' - -'No more do I, 'cos I never shot a gun in my life. But this 'ere -truncheon of old ugly mug's is as good as a gun, if it gets a chance; -which I mean to say firing off guns ain't fighting at all, to my way of -thinking. Darbies or sticks--that 's all right; the best man wins; but -with guns--why, any little mean feller as would give you best if you -looked at him may do you in from a distance, hiding behind a haystack, -p'r'aps, or up a tree. No, Ephraim, that ain't fighting, not by a long -chalk.' - -'And have you made your own will, Mr. Grinson?' - -'No, I ain't, and I 'm sorry for you, me lad, for I meant to leave you -my old parrot as sits on his perch in Mother Perkins's parlour. You -remember Mother Perkins, what said she 'd be glad to mind the bird, 'cos -his language was so beautiful and reminded her of me?' - -'Ah! I wish I could speak like you, Mr. Grinson, but there--I never -could do it, not if I tried ever so. But you don't think you 're going -to be killed?' - -'Well, you see, I 'm twice as broad as you, and so the chances is -against me, with guns. It's only fair, after all, 'cos in a real fight I -could take on two, p'r'aps more; I should say more, with this 'ere -truncheon. I ain't got no presentiments, Ephraim; but what is to be is, -and in case they knock a hole in me I do hereby declare and pronounce as -my old parrot is to belong to you and no one else, and so you 'll tell -Mother Perkins.' - -'I don't like to think of it, Mr. Grinson, but if so be as you 're -killed and I ain't, I 'll look after that bird as if 'twas you, and -think of you whenever it speaks.' - -'Only if it speaks decent, Ephraim. I won't deny it picked up a few -unholy words afore I bought it, and they come out sometimes; you can't -help it.' - -The seamen, though they had recently returned from sentry-go, were -wakeful, and talked on till morning, exchanging reminiscences of their -years of comradeship. At sunrise they joined Trentham and Hoole, and -were allotted posts within the walls, if the Germans should attack. -Scouts had already been sent out into the forest, to keep watch in the -direction from which the enemy was likely to come. - -During the night the position had been thoroughly discussed between -Trentham and Hoole. The latter, though reluctant to leave his friend to -bear the brunt of any fighting that might take place, at last agreed -that probably the best service that he could render was to hasten the -arrival of the steamer. About nine o'clock he set off with two natives -for the lake where he had left the seaplane. Little more than two hours -later Trentham heard the hum of the engine. The seaplane passed over -the village, going eastward and skimming the tree-tops. From the signs -made by Hoole, Trentham understood that the Germans were on their way, -and this preliminary intimation was confirmed soon after noon, when the -scouts came running in. Their report that a great host of the bad men -was approaching aroused great excitement among the natives, who, proud -of their easy victory on the previous day, showed little sign of -understanding the nature of the ordeal they were to pass through. Some -of them were for sallying out and meeting the Germans in the forest; but -Flanso had intelligence enough to perceive the danger of breaking up his -force, and at Trentham's suggestion he concentrated the greater number -of his men near the gate, where the enemy's main attack was likely to be -made. A few were stationed at other points along the circuit of the -wall, to give notice if surprise attacks were attempted elsewhere than -in front. - -Trentham had persuaded the chief to place under Grinson's command about -a score of the men whom he had led on the day before. His leadership -then, and his subsequent display of muscular strength in dealing with -the medicine-man, had won their admiration; and the fact that he bore -their totem mark on his shoulder was a great factor in inspiring them -with confidence. Even without Lafoa's assistance Grinson seemed to be -able to make them understand his wishes. - -'You had better hold your men in reserve, Grinson,' said Trentham. 'Put -them in a central position--about the chief's house, say; and keep them -out of the fight until they can come in with decisive effect.' - -'For the knock-out, as you may say, sir,' Grinson replied. 'I -understand. But begging your pardon, I ain't to remain in a state of -absolution if I see a chance--you don't mean that, sir?' - -'Not at all,' answered Trentham, who was by this time able to understand -the seaman's sometimes recondite phraseology. 'All I mean is that I -don't want you to take part in every scrimmage, but only when you see -the rest of us hard pressed. Where 's your revolver, by the way?' - -'I give it to Ephraim, sir.' - -'But he had one; we have five altogether now.' - -'True, sir; but the long and short is that I feel much more at home with -this 'ere truncheon or knuckle-duster. With the pistol I might miss, -not being used to such things; but with this'--he lifted it, eyeing it -with affection--'with this I can be sure, by the feel.' - -'Is Meek a good shot?' - -'He couldn't hit a hay-stack, sir; but, talking between our two selves, -we thought Ephraim was the man to keep his eye on you and be ready to -give you another pistol when the fust is empty. I don't mind saying -'twas my idea, 'cos Ephraim ain't quite hisself yet arter that night on -the ledge, only he 's got such a spirit that nothing would 'a kept him -out of it if so be he didn't believe he was more useful otherways, and -he believes that now, though I won't answer for how long it will last.' - -The simple dispositions that were alone possible had barely been made -when Trentham, looking out over the wall beside the gate, saw a man -bearing a white flag advancing unaccompanied along the broad central -path through the village. In a few seconds he recognised the square, -solid face of Hahn. The German, who appeared to be unarmed, halted -beyond range of revolver shots, and waving his flag, shouted: - -'Hi, hi! Somevon speak.' - -'What do you want, Hahn?' Trentham called. - -'I speak for Captain Holzbach, of ze Imperial German Navy,' said Hahn. -'Ze captain bresent his gompliments and say zat he admire very much ze -clever vay his ship is sunk, and zink ze vite men shall now be friendly, -because we must all remain on zis island until ze var end. He vish to -buy food, and say if ze savages come out and sell, he pay good price, -and zey shall be safe.' - -Trentham was under no illusion as to the German's good will; but wishing -to temporise, partly with a view to the avoidance of further fighting, -partly to allow for the arrival of the expected help, he replied: - -'On behalf of the chief of this village I am willing to strike a -bargain. If you, Hahn, and three other officers will come inside, -unarmed, as hostages, a sufficient supply of provisions shall be sent -out to you, on condition that you leave this part of the country, and -engage not to molest the people.' - -Whatever Hahn may have expected, it was clear that he was surprised at -the terms offered. After a slight hesitation he said: - -'It is not right zat German officers shall place zemselves in ze hands -of savages, vat eat men.' - -'But I am not a savage, and I guarantee that you shall not be eaten. -You have good reason for being sure of that, Hahn.' - -The German appeared to be annoyed at the allusion to his rescue from the -dancing party on the beach. - -'It is absurd!' he cried. 'Ze dignity of German officers vill not -permit zem to do vat you say.' - -'Then I am afraid that you must repeat to your captain that we cannot -trade with him.' - -'You know vat you do? Of us zere are fifty or sixty, viz rifles. You -zink savages viz spears any good? Ve are not hard; but if it is var, -zen----' - -'Threats are useless, Hahn,' Trentham interrupted. 'We know your idea -of war. I have nothing more to say. You have my terms: you had better -consult your superior officer.' - -The German glared, turned on his heel, and walked away. The breathless -silence which had held the natives during the colloquy was broken by -shouts of triumph; but Trentham sent Lafoa to explain matters to the -chief, and asked him to keep his men in readiness for the assault which -could not long be delayed. It was clear to him that Hahn's mission had -been intended to lead to the opening of the gate and the division of the -garrison. He had no doubt that if the natives had been decoyed outside -their wall, the Germans would have rushed the place. - -For some time after Hahn's departure there was no sign of hostilities. -Then the Germans could be heard shouting to one another in the forest -north of the village, and with the voices mingled the sound of -wood-cutting. None of the enemy came in sight, and Trentham could only -conjecture the nature of their operations. - -Nearly two hours passed. The natives grew more and more noisy and -restless. They could not understand why they were still cooped up in the -enclosure. At length, however, after a brief cessation of all sounds in -the forest, there was a sudden whistle, followed by the sharp crack of -rifles, and from the trees facing the northern side of the village the -Germans rushed forward in open order, on a front of nearly a quarter of -a mile. The defenders, as Trentham had ordered, remained out of sight. -He himself watched the enemy through a loophole in the log wall. - -They were variously armed. Some had rifles with bayonets; others -cutlasses, others axes. Some carried roughly constructed ladders. As -they drew nearer, Trentham noticed that these last, as well as the -officers at different parts of the line, were armed with rifles. They -came on steadily and silently until they were almost within effective -bow-shot; then they halted, the officers collected and consulted -together. It appeared that they were somewhat at a loss how to proceed -against an enemy whom they could not see, and whose defences they had no -means of battering down. The pause was of short duration. Another -volley was fired, with the intention doubtless of overawing the natives -rather than of doing effective damage. A few men behind the walls were -slightly injured by splinters; none were incapacitated, and all, with a -self-restraint that Trentham had not expected, remained quietly at their -posts until the enemy should come to close quarters. - -After discharging their rifles, the Germans surged forward again, moving -very rapidly, but maintaining a regular line. Trentham wondered why -they were spread out so widely instead of concentrating on a limited -section of the wall. In a few moments he saw through their plan. It -had been desired to weaken the defence by compelling the natives to man -a longer stretch of the wall than was the actual object of attack. The -Germans suddenly contracted their front, no doubt calculating to reach -the wall a few invaluable seconds before the defenders could mass at the -threatened section. - -They were now within range of the natives' weapons, and in close order -presented a target which even Grinson, despite his want of skill with -the spear, could hardly have missed. Obeying a preconcerted signal from -Trentham, Flanso at last gave his panting warriors the word they had -eagerly awaited. They sprang on to the platform that lined the foot of -the wall, and was just high enough to bring their heads a few inches -above the top. A shower of arrows and spears burst upon the advancing -enemy. Many of them fell, but the rush was not stayed. There was no -answer from their rifles; their orders evidently were to force their way -into the defences with cold steel. Another flight of arrows equally -failed to check them. With disciplined energy they swept forward to the -wall, and having reached it were in comparative safety from the weapons -of the men within. Quickly they set their ladders against the barricade -and began to swarm up with the agility of seamen. Where there were no -ladders they mounted on one another's backs. They gained the top, and -then began a furious struggle, so confused that Trentham was never able -to give a clear account of it. - -[Illustration: QUICKLY THEY SET THEIR LADDERS AGAINST THE BARRICADE, AND -BEGAN TO SWARM UP.] - -The Germans had the advantage of discipline, the higher position, and -better weapons. The natives on the other hand, were more numerous, but -lacked cohesion. They plied their spears manfully, but these were a poor -defence against clubbed rifles, bayonets, swords, revolvers. Only their -numbers saved them from utter defeat from the moment when the enemy -gained a footing on the wall. Trentham ran along the line, making play -with his revolver wherever the Germans were thickest. A group of -natives had attached themselves to him, and when he had disposed of two -or three of the enemy with rapid shots, the Papuans took advantage of -the Germans' momentary bafflement and with their spears cleared a few -feet of the wall. - -But he could not be everywhere at once. While he had been engaged at -this spot, some fifty yards beyond, the Germans, having beaten off the -natives who had tried to thrust them from the wall, had jumped down, and -were pressing forward over the bodies of the fallen towards the centre -of the enclosure. Trentham and Flanso had marked the danger at the same -moment. With a resonant shout the latter dashed towards the enemy at -the head of a body of picked men, and the Germans, outnumbered and -unable to withstand the fury of his onset, fell stubbornly back. -Satisfied that Flanso could hold his own for a time, Trentham dashed on -to another point where half a dozen Germans in line were driving back -with their bayonets the few survivors of the natives who had been unable -to hold the wall. At this moment he was somewhat perturbed at hearing -shouts and firing from a distant quarter which he had not known to be -attacked. He had no time to find out what was happening there, but -hoped that Grinson had been on the alert. On the point of plunging into -the fray, he found that he had emptied both the revolvers he had brought -with him. He snatched up a spear, but as he rose from stooping Meek's -tremulous voice sounded in his ear. - -'Mr. Grinson said I was to bring 'em, sir.' - -The man thrust two revolvers into his hands, then took the spear and -followed him. - -The natives were falling back before the serried bayonets. From the -wall behind Germans were leaping one after another as fast as they could -climb the ladders on the other side. One of them, pausing on the top, -fired his rifle point-blank at Trentham, but a comrade climbing after -him jostled him at the critical moment; the shot flew wide, and, unknown -to Trentham, struck Meek, who fell heavily near the foot of the wall. -With a couple of shots Trentham disposed of the man who had fired at him -and another who had just descended; then he turned to help the natives -whom the pitiless bayonets were demoralising. - -At this moment Hahn, with bayonet outstretched, came heavily towards him -from the side. Trentham flashed a shot at him, and as he stumbled past, -hard hit, wrenched the rifle from his grasp and hurried on. Coming upon -the Germans from the rear, he shot down one after another; the natives, -cheered by his presence, rallied, and flinging themselves on the -survivors, disposed of them with their spears and sent reeling back -others who had just sprung from the wall. - -But other Germans were swarming over on each side. At three or four -points little groups had found their footing and were more than holding -their own, while others, astride on the top, were firing on the -defenders and strewing the ground with their victims. Trentham saw with -sinking heart that the natives were everywhere giving way and falling -back towards the chief's house. The Germans on the flank farthest from -him were beginning to form up in line, with the evident intention of -carrying all before them in a final charge. Fully occupied in helping -his immediate followers to repel a swarm of Germans who were pouring -over the wall in his neighbourhood, Trentham saw the imminence of total -defeat which he now felt powerless to avert. - -Facing the wall, he suddenly heard, above the general din of the -conflict, the deep bellow of Grinson's war-cry. He turned quickly and -saw the seaman, with his sleeves turned up, wielding his huge mace, and -followed by a score of yelling natives, charging along at the foot of -the wall. Swinging his mighty weapon as easily as if it had been a -walking-cane, Grinson fell upon the flank of the Germans who were -preparing to charge. Now he plied the mace in wide sweeps that cleared -a path as a sickle through grain; now he gave point with the massive -studded head; now he swung it over his head like a blacksmith's hammer. -Revolvers were flashed at him, but he hurled himself along unscathed. -The Germans on the wall dared not fire at him for fear of hitting their -own men. And Trentham was amazed to see, close behind him, the hideous -figure of the medicine-man, advancing with grotesque leaps and whirling -his arms with extraordinary contortions. - -The enemy huddled together, some still fighting, others merely seeking -to escape from this human battering-ram. They began to retire in -Trentham's direction; the natives in their front, taking heart, closed -in; and Trentham, feeling that at this critical moment he might leave -the wall unguarded, led his men to meet the discomfited enemy. Taken -thus in front and on both flanks, so crowded together that those of them -who had firearms were unable to use them, the Germans became a -disorganised mob. Heedless of the shouts of their officers, of whom one -or two had entered the enclosure, while the others were either on the -wall or outside, they sought safety in flight. Many of them were cut -down before they gained the wall. The rest clambered over, abandoning -their weapons that impeded them, and fled helter-skelter into the -forest, pursued by the natives led by Flanso himself. - -Grinson sat down with his mace across his knees, wiped his streaming -brow, and looked with a sort of amused curiosity at sundry gashes and -stabs on his arm. - -'Might 'a been worse, sir,' he said. 'Would you believe it? Ugly mug -has stuck to me like a brother. Which it proves, if you want a man to -love you, just knock him down. But where's my Ephraim, sir? What's -become o' the lad?' - - - - - CHAPTER XXI - - JUSTICE - - -Some twenty minutes after the flight of the Germans two figures appeared -at the farther end of the village, and walked quickly up the central -path. Trentham, sitting just outside the gate, waved his hand and -started to meet them. Hoole flourished his hat in reply, and turned to -speak to the man accompanying him. - -'Let me name to you Captain Rolfe, of the _Wanda_, old man,' said Hoole, -when Trentham joined them. - -'Pleased to meet you, sir,' said the seaman, clasping Trentham's hand in -a crushing grip. 'We 're in at the death, and that's about all we can -say for ourselves. You carry off the honours, sir.' - -'Thanks, captain,' said Trentham. 'It was my friend Josiah Grinson who -dealt the finishing stroke; I 'll introduce him to you presently.' - -'The boatswain bold, as they say in the song,' added Hoole. - -'Mr. Hoole has told me about him,' said the captain, 'and I 'll be glad -to give him a berth.' - -'You must take Meek too,' said Trentham with a smile. 'They 've been -together twenty-five years or so, and I 'm sure nothing will part them -now. At the present moment Grinson is acting as nurse. Meek was -unlucky enough to get hit; not seriously, I 'm glad to say; but he -wasn't in very good condition, and appears to have fainted from loss of -blood. Grinson found him on the field, and after an explosive moment he -carried him off to our hut. Grinson is a big burly fellow, with a heart -as tender as a woman's.' - -'A mixture you 'll often find among sailormen, if I may say so,' said -the captain. 'But Grinson mustn't have all the credit, you know, Mr. -Trentham. That dodge of yours with the Raider----' - -'Is she sunk?' asked Trentham. - -'Sunk by the stern; all below water except a bit of her fore deck and -her funnel. But she can be salved, and there 'll be something to share -out, or I 'm a Dutchman.' - -'You came into the cove?' - -'I did, sir, and anchored within half a cable's length of the Raider. A -couple of Germans on shore flung up their hands at once, and we marched -up under Mr. Hoole's lead without delay. You 're surprised to see no -more of us, but the fact is, we met the Germans running for their lives. -They were glad enough to surrender, for these savages don't know the -meaning of mercy, and I 'm afraid they had already killed a number of -them before we came on the scene. However, my ship's company--the -queerest mixture I ever commanded--are marching the rest of them down to -the cove, and as I 've plenty of cargo space on board, I gave 'em orders -to drop them into the hold; by this time to-morrow we 'll hand 'em over -in proper form as prisoners of war. I take it you 're ready to come -with us?' - -'Quite, I can assure you. But I think we ought to bury the German dead -first. These people are cannibals.' - -'Burying 's no good; they 'd dig 'em up as soon as our backs were -turned. We can't give them seamen's burial, the sea being so far away. -The only thing left is to burn them; certainly we couldn't leave them -for a cannibal feast. And we had better set about it while most of the -savages are away; there 'll be less trouble. Oh! here we are. A most -uncommon native village. A few photographers will take a trip out here -when your story is known. That's Grinson, I suppose. Who 's the fellow -with him?' - -Grinson was walking towards the hut, accompanied by the medicine-man -carrying water in a huge banana stalk. Trentham laughed. - -'That's the village doctor,' he said. 'A thorn in our flesh until -Grinson tamed him by a sort of strong man exhibition. Now he 'll follow -Grinson like a dog.' - -'Natural philosophy,' said Hoole. 'The Germans will be the better for a -dose of the same physic. It's a low order of intelligence that admits -no superiority but brute force, and I guess you must deal with people as -you find 'em. Ahoy, Grinson! How 's Meek?' - -'Doing well, sir,' roared Grinson. He came towards the three men, the -medicine-man trotting behind, and said in a confidential whisper, 'You -must humour poor Ephraim a bit, gentlemen. He 's got it fair fixed in -his mind as there 's no justice in this world, and nothing 'll shake -him.' - -'Why?' asked Trentham. - -''Cos he was knocked out afore he began to fight. I never knowed -Ephraim so obstropolous. He 'll hardly speak civil to me; says I kep' -him out of it on purpose, a-holding revolvers as any funk could 'a done; -and then, when he 'd picked up a spear in spite o' me, blest if he -wasn't spun round directly afore he had a chanst. I told him wounds is -honourable, and he rounded on me; "Honour be deed," says he, most -unusual language for Ephraim; "they never give me a chanst; there's no -justice in this world, not a morsel." Humour him, gents, if you 'll be -so kind, and I dare say with time he 'll be the same lad again.' - - -Twelve hours later, under a brilliant moon, the little tramp _Wanda_ -puffed out of the cove on her voyage eastward. Trentham, the centre of -an interested group, was relating in detail the story of the past weeks. -Some distance away, sitting on the deck with his back against a coil of -rope, Grinson, in tones much subdued, talked to Meek, slung in a hammock -before him. - -'Yes, Ephraim, Mr. Hoole came out in his true colours at last, just -afore he flew away, which I mean to say he's true blue, and not a -deceiving coat o' paint like that there Raider, though I own he did take -us in, but no great sin. He 's a inventor, Ephraim; invented something -as 'll make them airyplanes terrible engines o' mischief, and when I -said as how there was enough mischief in the world----' - -'There 's no justice in it.' - -'I was coming to that. When I said as how there was enough mischief in -this wicked world, he laughed, he did, and said what he 'd invented -would do for sewing machines when the war 's over. Now ain't there -justice in that? Look at it straight, Ephraim, me lad. The Germans -must be beat, or what's the good of anythink? Well, then, this notion o' -Mr. Hoole's will help to beat 'em; Mr. Trentham says it's certain. -Well, then, it's a good thing, and good things didn't oughter be wasted, -so when the war 's over he just reverses the engine, as you may say, and -then it's sewing machines what 'll make shirts and other peaceful -things. Ain't there justice in that?' - -'I never had a chanst.' - -'No, and I feel for you; I wouldn't like it myself. But there 's more -justice. By what Cap'n Rolfe says, they 're calling for hands for the -Royal Navy, and I 'm going to sign on, and in course you 'll sign on -too. Well, now, s'pose you 'd got your chanst, and been killed, like -Trousers--'cos a savage speared him arter Mr. Trentham made him -helpless--you might a' been killed; then you wouldn't have got my poll -parrot, and you wouldn't 'a been alive to sign on with me, and no chanst -then o' beating the Germans and making 'em sick o' themselves, and -medals and all. Look at it straight, Ephraim, and you 'll see 'tis all -justice, to say nothing of merciful Providence.' - -'I don't rightly see as I can bear you out, Mr. Grinson,' said Meek -sleepily. - -'But you will, Ephraim, you will, me lad.... He 's going off, sir,' -Grinson whispered as Trentham came up. 'Gripes! what a job I 've had! -But he 'll be all right in the morning.' - -Trentham won the Military Cross at the Battle of the Somme; Hoole was on -the point of starting for Berlin when the armistice was broached; -Grinson and Meek have hunted submarines in an armed trawler. Meek has -been led to trace the hand of what he calls Justice from the moment when -the Blue Raider sank the _Berenisa_ to the moment when, following -somewhat sheepishly his more self-assured companion, he shambled through -the courtyard of Buckingham Palace to receive his medal from the hand of -the King. - - - - Printed by T. and A. CONSTABLE, Printers to His Majesty - at the Edinburgh University Press - - - - - ---- - - - - - A Select List of Booths for - Young People: Published by - Humphrey Milford, Oxford - University Press - - - - Stories of the Great War - - _Crown 8vo, with Illustrations in Colour._ - - -By HERBERT STRANG - - Tom Willoughby's Scouts: A Story of the Fight for East Africa. - Fighting with French - With Haig on the Somme - The Blue Raider: A Story of Adventure in the Southern Seat. - A Hero of Liege - Frank Forester: A Story of the Campaign in Mesopotamia. - Through the Enemy's Lines - Carry On! - Burton of the Flying Corps - - -By CAPTAIN CHARLES GILSON - - On Secret Service: A Story of Espionage. - In Arms for Russia - - -By JOHN FINBARR - - At All Risks - - -By JOSEPH BOWES - - The Young Anzacs - The Anzac War Trail - The Aussie Crusaders - - - - Books about the Great War - - -Scouting Thrills: A Book of Actual Experiences on the Western Front. - -By Capt. G. B. McKEAN, V.C., M.C. With Foreword by Lieut.-Gen. Sir R. -E. W. TURNER, V.C., K.C.B., K.C.M.G., D.S.O. - - -The Empire in Arms - -Edited by HERBERT STRANG. A book descriptive of the British Army and -Navy, and the Colonial and Native Forces of the Empire, giving detailed -information of the personnel, the weapons and the work of all the -Services. With numerous illustrations. Crown 410, cloth. - - -Heroes of the Flying Corps - -By C. GRAHAME-WHITE and HARRY HARPER. - - - - Books for Boys - - - By HERBERT STRANG - -"_Boys who read Mr. Strang's works have not merely the advantage of -perusing enthralling and wholesome tales, but they are also absorbing -sound and trustworthy information of the men and times about which they -are reading._"--DAILY TELEGRAPH. - - -A Gentleman-at-Arms - -A Story of Elizabethan Days. Eight plates in Colour by CYRUS CUNEO, and -thirty-eight line drawings by T. H. ROBINSON. - -This book is unique in literature for boys. It relates the adventurous -career of an Elizabethan gentleman, in a style carefully modelled on the -simple prose of the century which produced the Authorised Version of the -Bible No previous writer for boys has ever attempted a similar -achievement Apart from its romantic and exciting incidents, this story -has great value by reason of its historical and geographical -information, and its exceptional style! - - -Sultan Jim - -Empire Builder. Coloured illustrations by CYRUS CUNEO. - -Asia and Australia have been the scene of Mr. Strang's most recent -romances of Empire. In this book he turns to Africa, where the -colonising activity of rival powers is raising problems of the greatest -interest and importance. The presence of a young Englishman in one of -the debatable lands at a time of upheaval and international rivalry -enables him to uphold the interests of the Empire against formidable -opposition. The story is brimful of adventure, and its moral is that of -patriotic self-sacrifice. - -"Father Christmas brings many good things in his train, but it is -doubtful if he brings anything better in its own way than a new story by -Mr. Herbert Strang. The multitude of his youthful readers are likely to -find their most insatiable thirst for adventure satisfied by this new -volume."--_Bookman_. - - -The Air Patrol - -A Story of the North-West Frontier. Illustrated in Colour by CYRUS -CUNEO. - -In this book Mr. Strang looks ahead--and other books have already proved -him a prophet of surprising skill--to a time when there is a great -Mongolian Empire whose army sweeps down on to the North-West Frontier of -India. His two heroes luckily have an aeroplane, and with the help of a -few Pathan miners they hold a pass in the Hindu Kush against a swarm of -Mongols, long enough to prevent the cutting of the communications of the -Indian army operating in Afghanistan. The qualities which marked Mr. -Strang's last long story, "The Air Scout," and won extraordinarily high -commendation from Lord Roberts, Lord Curzon, and others, as well as from -the Spectator and other great journals, are again strikingly displayed; -and the combination of thrilling adventure with an Imperial problem and -excellent writing, adds one more to this author's long list of -successes. - -"An exceptionally good book, written moreover in excellent -style."--_Times_. - -"The 'Air Patrol' is really a masterpiece."--_Morning Post_. - - -The Air-Scout - -A Story of National Defence. Illustrated in Colour by W. R. S. STOTT. - -The problems of National Defence are being discussed with more and more -care and attention, not only in Great Britain, but also in all parts of -the Empire. In this story Mr. Strang imagines a Chinese descent upon -Australia, and carries his hero through a series of exciting adventures, -in which the value of national spirit, organisation, and discipline is -exemplified. The important part which the aeroplane will play in -warfare is recognised, and the thousands of readers who have delighted -in the author's previous stories of aviation will find this new book -after their own heart. - -LORD ROBERTS writes: "It is capital reading, and should interest more -than boys. Your forecast is so good that I can only hope the future may -not bring to Australia such a struggle as the one you so graphically -describe." - -LORD CURZON writes: "I have read with great pleasure your book, 'The -Air-Scout.' It seems to me to be a capital story, full of life and -movement: and further, it preaches the best of all secular gospels, -patriotism and co-operation." - -"We congratulate Mr. Strang on this fine book--one of the best fighting -stories we bare road."--_Morning Post_. - - -Rob the Ranger - -A Story of the Fight for Canada. Illustrated in Colour by W. H. -MARGETSON, and three Maps. - -Rob Somers, son of an English settler in New York State, sets out with -Lone Pete, a trapper, in pursuit of an Indian raiding party which has -destroyed his home and carried off his younger brother. He is captured -and taken to Quebec, where he finds his brother, and escapes with him in -the dead of the winter, in company with a little band of New Englanders. -They are pursued over snow and ice, and in a log hut beside Lake -Champlain maintain a desperate struggle against a larger force of -French, Indians, and half-breeds, ultimately reaching Fort Edward in -safety. - - -One of Clive's Heroes - -A Story of the Fight for India. Illustrated in Colour, and Maps. - -Desmond Burke goes out to India to seek his fortune, and is sold by a -false friend of his, one Marmaduke Diggle, to the famous Pirate of -Gheria. But he escapes, runs away with one of the Pirate's own vessels, -and meets Colonel Clive, whom he assists to capture the Pirate's -stronghold. His subsequent adventures on the other side of India--how -he saves a valuable cargo of his friend, Mr. Merriman, assists Clive in -his fights against Sirajuddaula, and rescues Mr. Merriman's wife and -daughter from the clutches of Diggle--are told with great spirit and -humour. - -"An absorbing story.... The narrative not only thrills, but also weaves -skilfully out of fact and fiction a clear impression of our tierce -struggle for India."--Athaeneum. - - -Samba - -A Story of the Congo. Illustrated in Colour. - -The first work of fiction in which the cause of the hapless Congo native -is championed. - -"It was an excellent idea on the part of Mr. Herbert Strang to write a -story about the treatment of the natives in the Congo Free State.... -Mr. Strang has a big following among English boys, and anything he -chooses to write is sure to receive their appreciative -attention."--Standard. - -"Mr. Herbert Strang has written not a few admirable books for boys, but -none likely to make a more profound impression than his new story of -this year."--Scotsman. - - -Barclay of the Guides - -A Story of the Indian Mutiny. Illustrated in Colour by CYRUS CUNEO. -With Maps. - -Of all our Native Indian regiments the Guides have probably the most -glorious traditions. They were among the few who remained true to their -salt during the trying days of the great Mutiny, vying in gallantry and -devotion with our best British regiments. The story tells how James -Barclay, after a strange career in Afghanistan, becomes associated with -this famous regiment, and though young in years, bears a man's part in -the great march to Delhi, the capture of the royal city, and the -suppression of the Mutiny. - - -With Drake on the Spanish Main - -Illustrated in Colour by ARCHIBALD WEBB. With Maps. - -A rousing story of adventure by sea and land. The hero, Dennis -Hazelrig, is cast ashore on an island in the Spanish Main, the sole -survivor of a band of adventurers from Plymouth. He lives for some time -with no companion but a spider monkey, but by a series of remarkable -incidents he gathers about him a numerous band of escaped slaves and -prisoners, English, French and native; captures a Spanish fort; fights a -Spanish galleon; meets Francis Drake, and accompanies him in his famous -adventures on the Isthmus of Panama; and finally reaches England the -possessor of much treasure. The author has, as usual, devoted much -pains to characterisation, and every boy will delight in Amos Turnpenny, -Tom Copstone, and other bold men of Devon, and in Mirandola, the monkey. - - -Palm Tree Island - -Illustrated in Colour by ARCHIBALD WEBB. - -In this story two boys are left on a volcanic island in the South Seas, -destitute of everything but their clothes. The story relates how they -provided themselves with food and shelter, with tools and weapons; how -they fought with wild dogs and sea monsters; and how, when they have -settled down to a comfortable life under the shadow of the volcano, -their peace is disturbed by the advent of savages and a crew of mutinous -Englishmen. The savages are driven away; the mutineers are subdued -through the boys' ingenuity; and they ultimately sail away in a vessel -of their own construction. In no other book has the author more -admirably blended amusement with instruction. "Written so well that -there Is not a dull page in the book."--_The World_. - - -Herbert Strang's Romances of Modern Invention - -Bach of the following stories is concerned with some particular -discovery of Modern Science, such as the aeroplane and the submarine, -which it made use of in the working out of the plot; and the heroes of -these adventures, who face dangers that were unknown in olden times, -cannot fail to make a strong appeal to boys of to-day. - - -The Flying Boat - -Illustrated in Colour. - -The flying boat is a logical development of the hydroplane. At a -sufficiently high speed, the hydroplane leaves the water and becomes a -hydro-aeroplane. The possession of such a machine gives the hero of the -story (the scene of which is laid in China) opportunities of highly -exciting adventures, and incidentally the chance of rescuing an old chum -who has fallen into the hands of Chinese revolutionaries. - -"The book is alive with vigorous action from cover to cover. 'The -Flying Boat' is a rattling good story."--_Bookman_. - - -The Motor Scout - -A Story of Adventure in South America. Illustrated in Colour by CYRUS -CUNEO. - -In the interest aroused by the solution of the problem of flying, the -motor bicycle has been entirely overlooked by story-writers. Happily -Mr. Herbert Strang has now thought of making it the pivot of a story, -the scene of which is one of the Latin States of South America. Mr. -Strang tells the story of an Irish boy who is living in this State just -at the time when one of the periodical revolutions breaks out. He is -forced to take sides, and with the help of his motor-cycle is able to -assist his friends, but not without running risks unknown to scouts -provided with less novel means of traversing the country. "A really fine -story, full of life, and one that any boy can enjoy."--_Outlook_. - - -Round the World in Seven Days - -The Story of an Aeroplane. Illustrated in Colour by A. C. MICHAEL. - -"This is a book which any boy would revel in, and which people who are -no longer boys will read with equally breathless -interest."--_Educational News_. - - -The Cruise of the Gyro-Car - -Illustrated in Colour by A. C. MICHAEL. - -(The Gyro-Car, which is a road vehicle or a boat at pleasure, is the -logical outcome of the gyroscope applied to the bicycle.) - - -Swift and Sure - -The Story of a Hydroplane. Illustrated in Colour by J. FINNEMORE. - -"It is one of the most exciting of this season's works for boys, every -page containing a thrill, and no boy will leave it to a second sitting -if he can help it."--_Teacher_. - - -King of the Air - -or, To Morocco on an Aeroplane. Illustrated in Colour by W. E. WEBSTER. - -"One of the best boys' stories we have ever read."--_Morning Leader_. - -"The best book of its kind now in existence."--_Manchester Guardian_. - - -Lord of the Seas - -The Story of a Submarine. Illustrated in Colour by C. FLEMING WILLIAMS. - -"The excitement lasts from cover to cover."--_Manchester Courier_. - - - - BOOKS FOR BOYS - - By CLAUDE GRAHAME-WHITE AND HARRY HARPER - - -Heroes of the Air - -Illustrated in Colour by CYRUS CUNEO; also from photographs. - -This book deals with the labours and exploits of those who have played -an Important part in bringing about the conquest of the air. It not -only contains personal memoirs of the men themselves, but traces the -progress of aerial flight from the early gliders to the aeroplanes of -to-day. The story of the experiments of those who first essayed to -fly--the problems that long baffled them and the difficulties they -overcame--together with the accounts of the daring feats of modern -aviators, make a stirring narrative, and carry the history of heroism -and endurance a stage further forward. - -"This will prove a great attraction to a multitude of readers who wish -to read of deeds of great daring and very narrow escapes."--_Nation_. - - -With the Airmen - -Illustrated in Colour by CYRUS CUNEO, and with numerous black-and-white -illustrations and diagrams. - -Mr. Grahame-White has not only repeatedly proved his skill and daring as -a pilot, but the well-known type of biplane bearing his name shows that -he is in the forefront of designers and constructors. With his -practical and technical knowledge is combined the somewhat rare ability -to impart his knowledge in a form acceptable to boys, as he has already -shown in his "Heroes of the Air." This time he has written a vade mecum -for the young aeroplanist, who is conducted to the aerodrome and -initiated into all the mysteries of flying. The structure of the -aeroplane, the uses of the different parts, the propulsive mechanism, -the steering apparatus, the work at a flying school, the causes of -accidents, and the future of the aeroplane are all dealt with. - -"It is surely one of the most entertaining books on a technical subject -that have ever appeared, as well as one of the most instructive and -comprehensive."--_Nation_. - - - - By CAPTAIN CHARLES GILSON - - -The Sword of Freedom - -A Story of the English Revolution. Illustrated in Colour by FRANK -GILLETT, R.I. - -"The Sword of Freedom" deals with a critical period of English History: -the downfall of the House of Stuart. In his grasp of the political -situation in this country before the coming of William of Orange, as -well as in his descriptions of contemporary life and manners, Captain -Gilson shows himself to be not merely a recorder of stirring events, but -an historian of no mean order. At the same time the story is exciting -enough to please the most exacting, and the adventures of Sir Richard -Vyse, who is arrested for complicity in the plot to bring over the -Prince of Orange, and confined in the Tower, from which he makes a -daring escape, will be followed with breathless interest. - -"It is a most spirited tale and holds the reader from start to -finish."--_Guardian_. - - -The Spy - -A Story of the Peninsular War. Illustrated in Colour by CYRUS CUNEO. - -To the work of story-writing Captain Gilson brings a remarkable -combination of talents: an unrivalled knowledge of military history, an -imagination that never flags, a dramatic literary style, and a keen -sense of humour. These qualities are seen to perfection in "The Spy." -The hero, Sir Jeffery Jones, Bart., when a boy of sixteen, secures a -commission in a famous foot regiment, then under orders to sail for -Portugal under the command of Sir Arthur Wellesley. His first encounter -with the enemy takes place before he is fifty miles from home, for on -the road to London he pursues and comes near to capturing a spy in the -pay of Bonaparte. Several times subsequently the paths of the two -cross, and eventually Sir Jeffery is the means of thwarting the -Frenchman's schemes. He takes part in much of the fighting in the -Peninsula, and, at the storming of Badajoz and elsewhere, renders his -country good service. - -"Every boy who loves tales of war and perilous enterprise--and what boy -does not?--will read 'The Spy' with unqualified enjoyment."--_Bookman_. - - -The Lost Empire - -A Tale of Many Lands. Illustrated in Colour by CYRUS CUNEO. With Map. - -This is the story of a middy who was taken prisoner by the French at the -time of the Revolution. While in Paris he obtained possession of -Napoleon's plans for the capture of India, and, after many adventures, -was the means of frustrating that ambitious scheme. - - -The Lost Column - -A Story of the Boxer Rebellion. Illustrated in Colour by CYRUS CUNEO. - -At the outbreak of the great Boxer Rebellion in China, Gerald Wood, the -hero of this story, was living with his mother and brother at Milton -Towers, just outside Tientsin. When the storm broke and Tientsin was -cut off from the rest of the world, the occupants of Milton Towers made -a gallant defence, but were compelled by force of numbers to retire into -the town. Then Gerald determined to go in quest of the relief column -under Admiral Seymour. He carried his life in his hands, and on more -than one occasion came within an ace of losing it; but he managed to -reach his goal in safety, and was warmly commended by the Admiral on his -achievement. - - -The Pirate Aeroplane - -Illustrated in Colour by C. CLARK, R.I. - -The heroes of this story, during a tour in an entirely unknown region of -Africa, light upon a race of people directly descended from the Ancient -Egyptians. This race--the Asmalians--has lived isolated from other -communities. The scientific importance of this discovery is apparent to -the travellers, and they are enthusiastic to know more of these strange -people; but suddenly they find themselves in the midst of exciting -adventures owing to the appearance of a pirate aeroplane--of a -thoroughly up-to-date model--whose owner has learnt of a vast store of -gold in the Asmalians' city. They throw in their lot with the people, -and are able in the end to frustrate the plans of the freebooter. - -"The story is a riot of adventure. There is the groundwork of a -complete new novel on every page."--_Manchester Guardian_. - - -The Lost Island - -Illustrated in Colour by CYRUS CUNEO. - -A rousing story of adventure in the little-explored regions of Central -Asia and in the South Seas. The prologue describes how Thomas Gaythorne -obtained access to a Lama monastery, where he rendered the monks such -great service that they bestowed upon him a gem of priceless value known -as Gautama's Eye. Soon after leaving the monastery he was attacked and -robbed, and only narrowly escaped with his life. "The Lost Island" -describes the attempt of one of Thomas Gaythorne's descendants to -re-discover the missing gem; and he passes through some remarkable -adventures before he succeeds in this quest. - - -The Race Round the World - -An Account of the Contest for the L100,000 Prize offered by the Combined -Newspaper League. Coloured Illustrations by CYRUS CUNEO, and a map of -the route of The Swallow. - -Old Silas Agge has invented a new motor spirit, far more potent than -petrol, and with this secret in his possession he has no doubt that he -will win the L100,000 offered by a Newspaper League to the winner of the -Aeroplane Race round the World. But a foreigner, with whom Silas has -had business relations, succeeds in obtaining, first, the design of the -aeroplane which the old man has built, and next, a sufficient quantity -of the new spirit to carry him round the world. The race thus becomes a -duel between these two rivals. Guy Kingston, a daring young aviator and -nephew to Silas, pilots his uncle's aeroplane, and at every stage of the -race finds himself matched against an unscrupulous adversary. The story -of the race is exciting from beginning to end. Readers of Captain -Gilson's earlier books will be particularly happy in renewing -acquaintance with Mr. Wang, the great Chinese detective. - -"Suggestive of Jules Verne in his most ambitious and fantastic -vein."--_Athenaeum_. - -"Boys will like it, and they will want to read it more than -once."--_Scotsman_. - - - - SCHOOL STORIES BY DESMOND COKE - - -The Bending of a Twig - -Illustrated in Colour by H. M. BROCK. - -When "The Bending of a Twig" was first published it was hailed by -competent critics as the finest school story that had appeared since -"Tom Brown." It is a vivid picture of life in a modern public school. -The hero, Lycidas Marsh, enters Shrewsbury without having previously -been to a preparatory school, drawing his ideas of school life from his -imagination and a number of school stories he has read. How Lycidas -finds his true level in this new world and worthily maintains the -Salopian tradition is the theme of this most entrancing book. - -"A real, live school story that carries conviction in every -line."--_Standard_. - -"Mr. Desmond Coke has given us one of the best accounts of public school -life that we possess.... Among books of its kind 'The Bending of a -Twig' deserves to become a classic."--_Outlook_. - - -The School Across the Road - -Illustrated in Colour by H. M. BROCK. - -The incidents of this story arise out of the uniting of two -schools--"Warner's" and "Corunna"--under the name of "Winton," a name -which the head master fondly hopes will become known far and wide as a -great seat of learning. Unfortunately for the head master's ambition, -however, the two sets of boys--hitherto rivals and enemies, now -schoolfellows--do not take kindly to one another. Warner's men of might -are discredited in the new school; Henderson, lately head boy, finds -himself a mere nobody; while the inoffensive Dove is exalted and made -prefect by reason of his attainments in class work. There is discord -and insurrection and talk of expulsion, and the feud drags on until the -rival factions have an opportunity of uniting against a common enemy. -Then, in the enthusiasm aroused by the overthrow of a neighbouring -agricultural college, the bitterness between them dies away, and the -future of Winton is assured. - -"This tale is told with a remarkable spirit, and all the boys are real, -everyday characters drawn without exaggeration."--_British Weekly_. - - -The House Prefect - -Illustrated in Colour by H. M. BROCK. - -This story of the life at Seiton, a great English public school, mainly -revolves around the trouble in which Bob Manders, new-made house -prefect, finds himself, owing to a former alliance with the two wild -spirits whom, in the interests of the house, it is now his chief task to -suppress. In particular does the spirited exploit with which it -opens--the whitewashing by night of a town statue and the smashing of -certain school property--raise itself against him, next term, when he -has been set in authority. His two former friends persist in still -regarding him as an ally, bound to them by their common secret; and, in -a sense, he is attracted to their enterprises, for in becoming prefect -he does not cease to be a boy. It is a great duel this, fought in the -studies, the dormitories, upon the field. - -"Quite one of the books of the season. Mr. Desmond Coke has proved -himself a master."--_World_. - -"Quite the best school story of the year."--_Morning Leader_. - - - - By A. C. CURTIS - - -The Voyage of the "Sesame" - -A Story of the Arctic. Illustrated in Colour. - -The Trevelyan brothers receive from a dying sailor a rough chart of a -locality where much gold is to be found in the Arctic regions. They set -out in quest of it, but do not have things all their own way, for some -rival treasure-seekers have got wind of the enterprise, and endeavour to -secure the gold for themselves. There is a race between the two -expeditions, and fighting takes place, but the crew of the Sesame are -victorious, and after enduring great hardships amongst the ice, reach -home safely with the gold on board. - - -The Good Sword Belgarde - -or, How De Burgh held Dover. Coloured Illustrations by W. H. C. GROOME. - -This is the story of Arnold Gyffard and John Wotton, pages to Sir Philip -Daubeney, in the days when Prince Lewis the Lion invaded England and -strove to win it from King John. It tells of their journey to Dover -through a country swarming with foreign troops, and of many desperate -fights by the way. In one of these Arnold wins from a French knight the -good sword Belgarde, which he uses to such good purpose as to make his -name feared. Then follows the great siege of Dover, full of exciting -incidents, when by his gallant defence Hubert de Burgh keeps the key to -England out of the Frenchman's grasp. - - - -By FRANK H. MASON, R.B.A. - - -A Book of British Ships - -Written and Illustrated by FRANK H. MASON, R.B.A. - -The aim of this book is to present, in a form that will readily appeal -to boys, a comprehensive account of British shipping, both naval and -mercantile, and to trace its development from the old wooden walls of -Nelson's time down to the Dreadnoughts and high-speed ocean liners of -to-day. All kinds of British ships, from the battleship to the trawler, -are dealt with, and the characteristic points of each type of vessel are -explained. - - - - By GEORGE SURREY - - -Mid Clash of Swords - -A Story of the Sack of Rome. Coloured Illustrations by T. C. DUGDALE. - -Wilfrid Salkeld, a young Englishman, enters the employ of Giuliano de -Medici, the virtual ruler of Florence, whom he serves with a zeal that -that faint-hearted man does not deserve; he meets Giovanni the -Invincible; and makes friends with the great Benvenuto Cellini. He has -many a fierce tussle with German mercenaries and Italian robbers, as -well as with those whose jealousy he arouses by his superior skill in -arms. - - -A Northumbrian in Arms - -A Story of the Time of Hereward the Wake. Illustrated in Colour by J. -FINNEMORE. - -Harold Ulfsson, companion of Hereward the Wake and conqueror of the -Wessex Champion in a great wrestling bout, is outlawed by the influence -of a Norman knight, whose enmity he has aroused, and goes north to serve -under Earl Siward of Northumbria in the war against Macbeth, the -Scottish usurper. He assists in defeating an attack by a band of -coast-raiders, takes their ship, and discovering that his father has -been slain and his land seized by his enemy, follows him into Wales. He -fights with Griffith the Welsh King, kills his enemy in a desperate -conflict amidst the hills, and, gaining the friendship of Harold, Earl -of Wessex, his outlawry is removed and his lands restored to him. - - - - By Rev. J. R. HOWDEN, B.D. - - -Locomotives of the World - -Containing sixteen plates in Colour. - -Many of the most up-to-date types of locomotives used on railways -throughout the world are illustrated and described in this volume. The -coloured plates have been made from actual photographs, and show the -peculiar features of some truly remarkable engines. These peculiarities -are fully explained in the text, written by the Rev. J. R. Howden, -author of "The Boy's Book of Locomotives," etc. - - - -By JOSEPH BOWES - - -The New-Chums - -A Story of Adventure in Australia. Illustrated in Colour. - -The "New-Chums" is a capital story of rough-and-tumble adventure in the -"Territory," as the little-known northern region of the Australian -continent is called. Mr. Bowes knows this region thoroughly, and much -of the "New-Chums" is evidently based upon personal experience. His -knowledge of the aborigines, too, is extensive, and he is able to -describe their mode of life, their customs and curious beliefs in -detail. They figure largely in this story, for the two heroes, after -suffering shipwreck, fall into the hands of natives, who spare their -lives and treat them with rough kindness. The boys pass through many -strange experiences in company with the tribe, and have some exciting -adventures before they find their way back to their own people. - - -Comrades - -Illustrated in Colour by CYRUS CUNEO. - -This book describes the adventures of three boys in the northern -territory of Australia, whither they go with their uncle to gain health -and acquire experience of farming and stock-raising. The life that -awaits them is interesting and varied. They go on expeditions in search -of natural history specimens, and assist in rounding-up cattle. Their -great opportunity of adventure presents itself when a party of natives -drive off a considerable number of cattle. The boys start in pursuit, -and go through some dangerous scouting operations before they return -successful. - - - - By WILLIAM J. MARX - - -For the Admiral - -Illustrated in Colour by ARCHIBALD WEBB. - -The brave Huguenot Admiral Coligny is one of the heroes of French -history. Edmond le Blanc, the son of a Huguenot gentleman, undertakes to -convey a secret letter of warning to Coligny, and the adventures he -meets with on the way lead to his accepting service in the Huguenot -army. He shares in the hard fighting that took place in the -neighbourhood of La Rochelle, does excellent work in scouting for the -Admiral, and is everywhere that danger calls, along with his friend -Roger Braund, a young Englishman who has come over to help the cause -with a band of free-lances. - -This story won the L100 prize offered by the Bookman for the best story -for boys. - - - - - THE ROMANCE SERIES - - -The Romance of the King's Navy - -By EDWARD FRASER. New Edition, with Illustrations in Colour by N. -SOTHEBY PITCHER. - -"The Romance of the King's Navy" is intended to give boys of to-day an -idea of some of the notable events that have happened under the White -Ensign within the past few years. There is no other book of the kind in -existence. It begins with incidents afloat during the Crimean War, when -their grandfathers were boys themselves, and brings the story down to a -year or two ago, with the startling adventure at Spithead of Submarine -64. One chapter tells the exciting story of "How the Navy's V.C.'s have -been won," the deeds of the various heroes being brought all together -here in one connected narrative for the first time. - -"Mr. Fraser knows his facts well, and has set them out is an extremely -interesting and attractive way."--_Westminster Gazette_. - - -The Romance of the King's Army - -By A. B. TUCKER. - -A companion volume to "The Romance of the King's Navy," telling again in -glowing language the most inspiring incidents in the glorious history of -our land forces. The charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman, the -capture of the Dargai heights, the saving of the guns at Maiwand, are a -few of the great stories of heroism and devotion that appear in this -stirring volume. - -"We cannot too highly commend this beautiful volume as a prize-book for -schoolboys of all classes."--_School Guardian_. - - -The Romance of Every Day - -By LILIAN QUILLER-COUCH. - -Here is a bookful of romance and heroism; true stories of men, women, -and children in early centuries and modern times who took the -opportunities which came into their everyday lives and found themselves -heroes and heroines; civilians who, without beat of drum or smoke of -battle, without special training or words of encouragement, performed -deeds worthy to be written in letters of gold. - -"These stories are bound to encourage and inspire young readers to -perform heroic actions."--_Bristol Daily Mercury_. - - -The Romance of the Merchant Venturers - -By E. E. SPEIGHT and R. MORTON NANCE. - - -Britain's Sea Story - -By E. E. SPEIGHT and E. MORTON NANCE. New Edition, Illustrated in -Colour by H. SANDHAM. - -These two books are full of true tales as exciting as any to be found in -the story books, and at every few pages there is a fine illustration, in -colour or black and white, of one of the stirring incidents described in -the text. - - - - By MEREDITH FLETCHER - - -The Pretenders - -With Coloured Illustrations by HAROLD C. EARNSHAW. - -A tale of twin-brothers at Daneborough School. Tommy Durrant (the -narrator) has been a boarder for about a year, when Peter arrives upon -the scene as a day-boy. The latter's ill-health has prevented him -joining the school before, and, being a harum-scarum youngster, his -vagaries plunge Tommy into hot water straight away. The following week, -unaware of all the mischief he has made, the newcomer, who lives with an -aunt, urges his twin to change places one night for a spree. Tommy -rashly consents, and his experiences while pretending to be Peter prove -both unexpected and exciting. - -"Mr. Meredith Fletcher is extremely happy in his delineation of school -life."--_People's Journal_. - - - -The Complete Scout - -Edited by MORLEY ADAMS, with numerous Illustrations and Diagrams. - -This is a book intended primarily for boy scouts, but it also possesses -an interest for all boys who like out-of-door amusements and scouting -games. It contains many articles by different writers on the various -pursuits and branches of study that scouts are more particularly -interested in, such as wood-craft, tracking, the weather, and so on, and -the book should form a sort of cyclopedia for many thousands of boys who -hail Baden-Powell as Chief Scout. - - - By D. H. PARRY - - -Kit of the Carabineers - -or, A Soldier of Marlborough's. Illustrated in Colour by ARCHIBALD -WEBB. - -This story tells how Kit Dawnay comes under the notice of the Duke of -Marlborough while the latter is on a visit to Kit's uncle, Sir Jasper -Dawnay, an irritable, miserly old man, suspected, moreover with good -reason, of harbouring Jacobite plotters and of being himself favourable -to the cause of the exiled Stuarts. - -Kit, instructed by the Duke, is able to frustrate a scheme for the -assassination of King William as he rides to Hampton Court, and the -King, in return for Kit's service, gives him a cornet's commission in -the King's Carabineers. He goes with the army to Flanders, takes part -in the siege of Liege; accompanies Marlborough on those famous forced -marches across Europe, whereby the great leader completely hoodwinked -the enemy; and is present at the battle of Blenheim, where he wins -distinction. - -"The story bristles with dramatic incident, and the thrilling adventures -which overtake the young hero, Kit Dawnay, are enough to keep one -breathless with excitement."--_Bookman_. - - - By W. H. G. KINGSTON - - -Hurricane Hurry - -Coloured Illustrations by ARCHIBALD WEBB. - -This is one of W. H. G. Kingston's best books in the sense that it has -an atmosphere of reality about it, and reads like the narrative of one -who has actually passed through all the experiences described; and this -is no mere illusion, for the author states in his preface that the -material from which the story was built up was put into his hands by a -well-known naval officer, who afterwards rote to the position of -admiral. Mr. Hurry enters the navy as midshipman a few years before the -outbreak of the American War of Independence, and during that war he -distinguishes himself both on land and sea. - - -Will Weatherhelm - -Coloured Illustrations by ARCHIBALD WEBB. - -A splendid tale of the sea, full of incident and adventure, and a -first-rate account of the sailor's life afloat in the days of the -press-gang and the old wooden walls.. The author reveals his own ardent -love of the sea and all that pertains to it, and this story embodies a -true ideal of patriotic service. - - - - By G. A. HENTY - - -In Times of Peril - -A Story of India. Illustrated in Colour by T. C. DUGDALE. - -Major Warrener and his children are stationed at Sandynugghur when news -arrives that the native troops at Meerut have mutinied and murdered all -the Europeans there and are marching upon Delhi. Almost immediately the -Major's house is attacked and his family flee for their lives. The -Major himself and some of his companions are taken prisoners, but only -for a short time, for his sons, Ned and Dick, disguising themselves as -Sepoys, are able to rescue them. The party after an anxious time fall -in with a body of English troops who are on the way to relieve Delhi. -Dick and Ned are in Cawnpore when the Europeans are attacked, but they -escape by swimming instead of trusting themselves in boats. They take -part in the storming of Delhi, which had been taken by the natives, and -in the relief of Lucknow. The end of the Mutiny finds the whole family -once more united. - - - - - Edited by HERBERT STRANG - - -Early Days in Canada -Pioneers in Canada -Early Days in Australia -Pioneers in Australia -Early Days in India -Duty and Danger in India - -Each book contains eight plates in Colour. - -The story of the discovery, conquest, settlement, and peaceful -development of the great countries which now form part of the British -Empire, is full of interest and romance. In this series of books the -story is told in a number of extracts from the writings of historians, -biographers, and travellers whose works are nut easily accessible to the -general reader. Each volume is complete in itself and gives a vivid -picture of the progress of the particular country with which it deals. - - - - - BOOKS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS - - - HERBERT STRANG'S LIBRARY - -This is a new series of standard books for boys and girls, comprising -the great works of history, fiction, biography, travel, science, and -poetry with which every boy and girl should be familiar, edited by Mr. -HERBERT STRANG. - -Each volume is prefaced by a short introduction, giving a biographical -account of the author, or such information concerning the book itself as -may be useful and interesting to young readers. Notes, maps, and plans -are given where necessary. - -The text of the books, many of which were not written primarily for -children, is carefully edited both in regard to matters that are -inherently unsuitable for their reading, and to passages that do not -conform to modern standards of taste. In these and other respects the -Editor will exercise a wide discretion. - -The Library is illustrated with colour plates, reproduced by -three-colour process from designs by H. M. BROCK, JAMES DURDEN, A. WEBB, -and other well-known artists. - -The following volumes are now ready:-- - - Adventures in the Rifle Brigade By Sir John Kincaid - Westward Ho! By Charles Kingsley - The Life of Wellington By W. H. Maxwell - The Boy's Country Book By William Howitt - Mungo Park's Travels - The Coral Island By R. M. Ballantyne - True Blue By W. H. G. Kingston - Little Women By Louisa Alcott - Good Wives By Louisa Alcott - Tales from Hans Andersen - Stories from Grimm - Tom Brown's Schooldays By Thomas Hughes - The Life of Nelson By Robert Southey - Quentin Durward By Sir Walter Scott - A Book of Golden Deeds By Charlotte M. Yonge - A Wonder Book By Nathaniel Hawthorne - What Katy Did By Susan Coolidge - What Katy Did at School By Susan Coolidge - What Katy Did Next By Susan Coolidge - Ivanhoe By Sir Walter Scott - Curiosities of Natural History By Frank Buckland - Captain Cook's Voyages - The Heroes By Charles Kingsley - Robinson Crusoe By Daniel Defoe - Tales from Shakespeare By Charles and Mary Lamb - Peter the Whaler By W. H. G. Kingston - Queechy By Elizabeth Wetherell - The Wide Wide World By Elizabeth Wetherell - Tanglewood Tales By Nathaniel Hawthorne - The Life of Columbus By Washington Irving - Battles of the Peninsular War By Sir William Napier - Midshipman Easy By Captain Marryat - - - - - Books for Girls - - - By CHRISTINA GOWANS WHYTE - - -Uncle Hilary's Nieces - -Illustrated in Colour by JAMES BURDEN. - -Until the death of their father, the course of life of Uncle Hilary's -nieces had run smooth; but then the current of misfortune came upon -them, carried them, with their mother and brothers, to London, and -established them in a flat. Here, under the guardianship of Uncle -Hilary, they enter into the spirit of their new situation; and when it -comes to a question of ways and means, prove that they have both courage -and resource. Thus Bertha secretly takes a position as stock-keeper to -a fashionable dressmaker; Milly tries to write, and has the satisfaction -of seeing her name in print; Edward takes up architecture and becomes -engrossed in the study of "cupboards and kitchen sinks"; while all the -rest contribute as well to the maintenance of the household as to the -interest of the story. - -"We have seldom read a prettier story than ... 'Uncle Hilary's Nieces.' -... It is a daintily woven plot clothed in a style that has already -commended itself to many readers, and is bound to make more -friends."--_Daily News_. - - -The Five Macleods - -Illustrated in Colour by JAMES DURDEN. - -The modern Louisa Alcott! That is the title that critics in England and -America have bestowed on Miss Christina Gowans Whyte, whose "Story-Book -Girls" they declare to be the best girls' story since "Little Women." -Like the Leightons and the Howards, the Macleods are another of those -delightful families whose doings, as described by Miss Whyte, make such -entertaining reading. Each of the five Macleods possesses an -individuality of her own. Elspeth is the eldest--sixteen, with her hair -"very nearly up"--and her lovable nature makes her a favourite with -every one; she is followed, in point of age, by the would-be masterful -Winifred (otherwise Winks) and the independent Lil; while little Babs -and Dorothy bring up the rear. - -"Altogether a most charming story for girls."--_Schoolmaster_. - - -Nina's Career - -Illustrated in Colour by JAMES BURDEN. - -"Nina's Career" tells delightfully of a large family of girls and boys, -children of Sir Christopher Howard. Friends of the Howards are Nina -Wentworth, who lives with three aunts, and Gertrude Mannering. Gertrude -is conscious of always missing in her life that which makes the lives of -the Howards so joyous and full. They may have "careers"; she must go to -Court and through the wearying treadmill of the rich girls. The Howards -get engaged, marry, go into hospitals, study in art schools; and in the -end Gertrude also achieves happiness. - -"We have been so badly in need of writers for girls who shall be in -sympathy with the modern standard of intelligence, that we are grateful -for the advent of Miss Whyte, who has not inaptly been described as the -new Miss Alcott."--_Outlook_. - - -The Story-Book Girls - -Illustrated in Colour by JAMES BURDEN. - -This story won the L100 prize in the Bookman competition. The Leightons -are a charming family. There is Mabel, the beauty, her nature, strength -and sweetness mingled; and Jean, the downright, blunt, uncompromising; -and Elma, the sympathetic, who champions everybody, and has a weakness -for long words. And there is Cuthbert, too, the clever brother. -Cuthbert is responsible for a good deal, for he saves Adelaide Maud from -an accident, and brings the Story-Book Girls into the story. Every girl -who reads this book will become acquainted with some of the realest, -truest, best people in recent fiction. - -"It is not too much to say that Miss Whyte has opened a new era in the -history of girls' literature.... The writing, distinguished in itself, -is enlivened by an all-pervading sense of humour."--_Manchester -Courier_. - - - -By J. M. WHITFELD - - -Tom who was Rachel - -A Story of Australian Life. Illustrated in Colour by N. TENISON. - -This is a story of Colonial life by an author who is new to English -readers. In writing about Australia Miss Whitfeld is, in a very literal -sense, at home; and no one can read her book without coming to the -conclusion that she is equally so in drawing pen portraits of children. -Her work possesses all the vigour and freshness that one usually -associates with the Colonies, and at the same time preserves the best -traditions of Louisa Alcott. In "Tom who was Rachel" the author has -described a large family of children living on an up-country station; -and the story presents a faithful picture of the everyday life of the -bush. Rachel (otherwise Miss Thompson, abbreviated to "Miss Tom," -afterwards to "Tom") is the children's step-sister; and it is her -influence for good over the wilder elements in their nature that -provides the real motive of a story for which all English boys and girls -will feel grateful. - - -Gladys and Jack - -An Australian Story for Girls. Coloured Illustrations by N. TENISON. - -Gladys and Jack are sister and brother, and, up to the point when the -story opens, they have been the best of friends. Then, however, certain -influences begin to work in the mind of Gladys, as the result of which a -coolness springs up between her and her brother. Gladys puts on a -superior air, and adopts a severely proper attitude towards Jack. -Gladys has been in society, has come to be regarded as a beauty, and has -been made a fuss of; consequently she becomes self-conscious. She goes -to spend a holiday up-country, and here, too, her icily-regular line of -conduct seems bound to bring her into conflict with her -free-and-easy-going cousins. After some trying experiences, Gladys -finds herself In a position which enables her, for the time being, to -forget her own troubles, and exert all her strength on behalf of the -rest. She comes worthily through the ordeal, earns the affection of her -cousins, and Jack rejoices in the recovery of a lost sister. - -"We have a large number of characters all clearly differentiated, plenty -of incident, and much sparkling dialogue."--_Morning Post_. - - -The Colters - -An Australian Story for Girls. Illustrated in Colour by GEORGE SOPER. - -This book deals with a merry family of Australian boys and girls. There -are a good many of them, and to each one Miss Whitfeld has imparted a -distinct individuality. There is Hector, the eldest, manly and -straightforward, and Matt, the plain-spoken, his younger brother. Ruby, -quiet and gentle, with an aptitude for versifying, is well contrasted -with her headstrong, impulsive cousin Effie. The author seizes upon the -everyday occurrences of domestic life, turning them to good account; and -she draws a charming picture of a family, united in heart, while -differing very much in habit and temperament. - - - - By ELSIE J. OXENHAM - - -Mistress Nanciebel - -Illustrated in Colour by JAMES BURDEN. - -This is a story of the Restoration. Nanciebel's father, Sir John -Seymour, had so incurred the displeasure of King Charles by his -persistent opposition to the threatened war against the Dutch, that he -was sent out of the country. Nothing would dissuade Nanciebel from -accompanying him, so they sailed away together and were duly landed on a -desolate shore, which they afterwards discovered to be a part of Wales. -Here, by perseverance and much hard toil, John o' Peace made a new home -for his family, in which enterprise he owed not a little to the presence -and constant help of Nanciebel, who is the embodiment of youthful -optimism and womanly tenderness. - -"A charming book for girls."--_Evening Standard_. - - - A NEW ALBUM FOR GIRLS - - -My Schooldays - -An album in which girls can keep a record of their schooldays. In order -that the entries may be neat and methodical, certain pages have been -allotted to various different subjects, such as Addresses, Friends, -Books, Matches, Birthdays, Concerts, Holidays, Theatricals, Presents, -Prizes and Certificates, and so on. The 'album is beautifully decorated -throughout. - - - By MRS. HERBERT STRANG - - -The Girl Crusoes - -A Story of Three Girls in the South Seas. With Colour Illustrations by -N. TENISON. - -It is a common experience that young girls prefer stories written for -their brothers to those written for themselves. They have the same love -of adventure, the same admiration for brave and heroic deeds, as boys; -and in these days of women travellers and explorers there are countless -instances of women displaying a courage and endurance in all respects -equal to that of the other sex. Recognizing this, Mrs. Herbert Strang -has written a story of adventure in which three English girls of the -present day are the central figures, and in which the girl reader will -find as much excitement and amusement as any boy's book could furnish. - - - By WINIFRED M. LETTS - - -The Quest of the Blue Rose - -Illustrated in Colour by JAMES DURDEN. - -After the death of her mother, Sylvia Sherwood has to make her own way -in the world as a telegraph clerk. The world she finds herself in is a -girls' hostel in a big northern city. For a while she can only see the -uncongenial side of her surroundings; but when she has made a friend and -found herself a niche, she begins to realise that though the Blue Rose -may not be for her finding, there are still wild roses in every hedge. -In the end, however, Sylvia, contented at last with her hard-working, -humdrum life, finds herself the successful writer of a book of -children's poems. - -"Miss Letts has written a most entertaining work, which should become -very popular. The humour is never forced, and the pathetic scenes are -written with true feeling."--_School Guardian_. - - -Bridget of All Work - -Illustrated in Colour by JAMES BURDEN. - -The scene of the greater part of this story is laid in Lancashire, and -the author has chosen her heroine from among those who know what it is -to feel the pinch of want and strive loyally to combat it. There is a -charm about Bridget Joy, moving about her kitchen, keeping a light heart -under the most depressing surroundings. Girl though she is, it is her -arm that encircles and protects those who should in other circumstances -have been her guardians, and her brave heart that enables the word Home -to retain its sweetness for those who are dependent on her. - -"Miss Letts has written a story for which elder girls will be grateful, -so simple and winning is it; and we recognise in the author's work a -sense of character and ease of style which ought to ensure its -popularity."--_Globe_. - - - By ANGELA BRAZIL - - -A Terrible Tomboy - -New Edition. With Coloured Illustrations by N. TENISON. - -Peggy Vaughan, daughter of a country gentleman living on the Welsh -border, is much too high-spirited to avoid getting continually into -scrapes. She nearly gets drowned while birds'-nesting, scandalises the -over-prim daughters of rich up-starts by her carelessness in matters of -dress and etiquette, gets lost with her small brother while exploring -caves, smokes out wild bees, and acts generally more like a boy than a -girl. Naturally enough her father and school mistresses find her very -difficult to manage, but her good humour and kindness of heart make it -impossible to be angry with her for long. At the end of the story, when -the family have become too poor to remain any longer in their old home, -she makes a discovery which enables them to stay there. - - - By E. L. HAVERFIELD - - -Sylvia's Victory - -Illustrated in Colour by JAMES BURDEN. - -Owing to a change in the family fortunes, Sylvia Hughes is obliged to -attend a day school in a small seaside town where she has the misfortune -to make an enemy of the head girl, Phyllis Staunton-Taylor, who regards -Sylvia as one belonging to an inferior set to her own. One day during -the holidays Sylvia swims out and rescues Phyllis, who has got beyond -her depth; but even this fails to establish amity between them, and no -word of Sylvia's heroism gets abroad in the school. It is not until -after she has experienced many trials and heartburnings that Sylvia -learns the reason of Phyllis's apparent ingratitude and friendship is -restored. - - -The Ogilvies' Adventures - -Illustrated in Colour by JAMES BURDEN. - -Hester Ogilvie and her elder, but less energetic, sister, daughters of a -Canadian who is unable to support the whole of his family, are invited -to spend a few years with their English uncle, Sir Hubert Campion, in -order to finish their education. Hester is unable to please her uncle -in any way, as his view of a finishing education differs very much from -her own. At length she runs away to London to make her own living, but -is taken back, and through a great service she does her uncle, he agrees -to help her to carry out her original plans. Finally, he arranges that -the Canadian and English branches of the family shall live together. - -"A most delightful story, which is admirably suited to the average -schoolgirl of to-day."--_Lady's Pictorial_. - - -Audrey's Awakening - -Illustrated in Colour by JAMES BURDEN. - -As a result of a luxurious and conventional upbringing, Audrey is a girl -without ambitions, unsympathetic, and with a reputation for -exclusiveness. Therefore, when Paul Forbes becomes her step-brother, and -brings his free-and-easy notions into the Davidsons' old home, there -begins to be trouble. Audrey discovers that she has feelings, and the -results are not altogether pleasant. She takes a dislike to Paul at the -outset; and the young people have to get through deep waters and some -exciting times before things come right. Audrey's awakening is -thorough, if painful. - -"Is far above the average tale of school and home life."--_Aberdeen Free -Press_. - - -The Conquest of Claudia - -Illustrated in Colour by JAMES BURDEN. - -Meta and Claudia Austin are two motherless girls with a much-occupied -father. Their upbringing has therefore been left to a kindly governess, -whose departure to be married makes the first change in the girls' -lives. Having set their hearts upon going to school, they receive a new -governess resentfully. Claudia is a person of instincts, and it does not -take her long to discover that there is something mysterious about Miss -Strongitharm. A clue upon which the children stumble leads to the -notion that Miss Strongitharm is a Nihilist in hiding. That in spite of -various strange happenings they are quite wrong is to be expected, but -there is a genuine mystery about Miss Strongitharm which leads to some -unforeseen adventures. - -"A convincing story of girl life."--_School Guardian_. - - -Dauntless Patty. - -Illustrated in Colour by DUDLEY TENNANT. - -Patricia Garnett, an Australian girl, comes over to England to complete -her education. She is unconventional and quite unused to English ways, -and soon finds herself the most unpopular girl in the school. Several -times she reveals her courage and high spirit, particularly in saving -the life of Kathleen Lane, a girl with whom she is on very bad terms. -All overtures of peace fail, however, for Patty feels that the other -girls have no real liking for her, and she refuses to be patronised. -Thus the feud is continued to the end of the term; and the climax of the -story is reached when, in a cave in the face of a cliff, in imminent -danger of being drowned, Patty and Kathleen for the first time -understand each other, and lay the foundations of a lifelong friendship. - -"A thoroughly faithful and stimulating story of schoolgirl -life."--_Schoolmaster_. - -"The story is well told. Some of the incidents are dramatic, without -being unnatural; the interest is well sustained, and altogether the book -is one of the best we have read."--_Glasgow Herald_. - - - - By BRENDA GIRVIN - - -The Girl Scout - -Illustrated in Colour by N. TENISON. - -This is the story of a patrol of Girl Scouts, and the service they -rendered their country. Colonel Norton announces that some silver cups, -which he values as souvenirs of the time when he could win races and -gymnastic competitions, have been stolen, and calls on the Boy Scouts to -catch the thief, promising, if they succeed, to furnish their club-room -in time for the reception of a neighbouring patrol. Aggie Phillips, -sister of the boys' leader, hears of this, and at once organises a -girls' patrol to help solve the mystery. In tracing the thief, the -girls manage to entrap two foreigners, who, in all kinds of disguises, -try to get hold of valuable papers in the hands of the Colonel. -Meanwhile the boys continually follow up the tracks left by the girls, -or are purposely misled by Aggie. The girls win the prize but arrange -to join forces with the boys. - -"The modern spirit is admirably shown in this excellent story."--_Lady's -Pictorial_. - - - - By ANNA CHAPIN RAY - - -Teddy: Her Daughter - -Illustrated in Colour by N. TENISON. - -Many young readers have already made the acquaintance of Teddy in Miss -Anna Chapin Ray's previous story, "Teddy: Her Book." The heroine of the -present story is Teddy's daughter Betty--a young lady with a strong will -and decided opinions of her own. When she is first introduced to us she -is staying on a holiday at Quantuck, a secluded seaside retreat; and -Miss Ray describes the various members of this small summer community -with considerable humour. Among others is Mrs. Van Hicks, a lady of -great possessions but little culture, who seeks to put people under a -lasting obligation to her by making friends with them. On hearing that -a nephew of this estimable lady is about to arrive at Quantuck, Betty -makes up her mind beforehand to dislike him. At first she almost -succeeds, for, like herself, Percival has a temper, and can be "thorny" -at times. As they come to know each other better, however, a less -tempestuous state of things ensues, and eventually they cement a -friendship that is destined to carry them far. - - -Nathalie's Sister - -Illustrated in Colour by N. TENISON. - -Nobody knows--or cares--much about Nathalie's Sister at the opening of -this story. She is, indeed, merely Nathalie's sister, without a name of -her own, shining with a borrowed light. Before the end is reached, -however, her many good qualities have received the recognition they -deserve, and she is Margaret Arterburn, enjoying the respect and -admiration of all her friends. Her temper is none of the best: she has a -way of going direct to the point in conversation, and her words have -sometimes an unpleasant sting; yet when the time comes, she reveals that -she is not lacking in the qualities of gentleness and affection, not to -say heroism, which many young readers have already learned to associate -with her sister Nathalie. - - -Nathalie's Chum - -Illustrated in Colour by DUDLEY TENNANT. - -This story deals with a chapter in the career of the Arterburn family, -and particularly of Nathalie, a vivacious, strong-willed girl of -fifteen. After the death of their parents the children were scattered -among different relatives, and the story describes the efforts of the -eldest son, Harry, to bring them together again. At first there is a -good deal of aloofness owing to the fact that, having been kept apart -for so long, the children are practically strangers to each other; but -at length Harry takes his sister Nathalie into his confidence and makes -her his ally in the management of their small household, while she finds -in him the chum of whom she has long felt the need. - -"Another of those pleasant stories of American life which Miss Anna -Chapin Ray knows so well how to write."--_Birmingham Post_. - - -Teddy: Her Book - -A Story of Sweet Sixteen. Illustrated in Colour by ROBERT HOPE. - -"Teddy is a delightful personage; and the story of her friendships, her -ambitions, and her successes is thoroughly engrossing."--_World_. - -"To read of Teddy is to love her."--_Yorkshire Daily Post_. - - -Janet: Her Winter in Quebec - -Illustrated in Colour by GORDON BROWNE. - -"The whole tone of the story is as bright and healthy as the atmosphere -in which these happy months were spent."--_Outlook_. - -"The sparkle of a Canadian winter ripples across Anna Chapin Ray's -'Janet.'"--_Lady's Pictorial_. - - - -By L. B. WALFORD - - -A Sage of Sixteen - -New Edition. Illustrated in Colour by JAMES BURDEN. - -Elma, the heroine of this story, is called a sage by her wealthy and -sophisticated relations in Park Lane, with whom she spends a -half-holiday every week, and who regard her as a very wise young person. -The rest of her time is passed at a small boarding-school, where, as -might be supposed, Elma's friends look upon her rather as an ordinary -healthy girl than as one possessing unusual wisdom. The story tells of -Elma's humble life at school, her occasional excursions into fashionable -society; the difficulties she experiences in her endeavour to reconcile -the two; and the way in which she eventually wins the hearts of those -around her in both walks of life. - - - -By ANNIE MATHESON - - -A Day Book for Girls - -Containing a quotation for each day of the year, arranged by ANNIE -MATHESON, with Colour Illustrations by C. E. BROCK. - -Miss Annie Matheson is herself well known to many as a writer of hymns -and poetry of a high order. In "A Day Book for Girls" she has brought -together a large number of extracts both in poetry and prose, and so -arranged them that they furnish an inspiring and ennobling watchword for -each day of the year. Miss Matheson has spared no pains to secure -variety and comprehensiveness in her selection of quotations; her list -of authors ranges from Marcus Aurelius to Mr. Swinburne, and includes -many who are very little known to the general public. - - - - - Books for Children - - -A Book of Children's Verse - -Selected and Edited by MABEL and LILIAN QUILLER-COUCH. New Edition. -Illustrated in Colour by M. ETHELDREDA GRAY. - -This is a splendid anthology of children's verse. In addition to the -old favourite poems, the volume contains many by modern authors, and -others not generally known. The work of selection has been carried out -with great care, and no effort has been spared to make the volume a -worthy and comprehensive introduction to English poetry. The book is -illustrated by a series of magnificent plates in colour. - - - By LUCAS MALET - - -Little Peter - -A Christmas Morality for Children of any age. New Edition. Illustrated -in Colour by CHARLES E. BROCK. - -This delightful little story introduces to us a family dwelling upon the -outskirts of a vast pine forest in France. There are Master Lepage who, -as head of the household and a veteran of the wars, lays down the law -upon all sorts of questions, domestic and political; his meek wife -Susan; their two sons, Anthony and Paul; and Cincinnatus the cat--who -holds as many opinions and expresses them as freely as Master Lepage -himself; and--little Peter. Little Peter makes friends with John -Paqualin, a queer, tall, crooked-backed old charcoal-burner, whom the -boys of the village call "the grasshopper man"; but this is not -surprising, since Little Peter makes friends with every one he meets, -and all who read about him will certainly make friends with him. - -"It is quite an ideal gift book, and one that will always be -treasured."--_Globe_. - - - - By CHRISTINA GOWANS WHYTE - - -The Adventures of Merrywink - -Illustrated by M. V. WHEELHOUSE. - -This story won the L100 prize in the Bookman competition for the best -story for children. - -This story tells of a pretty little child who was born into Fairyland -with a gleaming star in his forehead. When his parents beheld this star -they were filled with gladness and fear, and they carried their little -Fairy baby, Merrywink, far away and hid him, because of two old -prophecies: the first, that a daughter should be born to the King and -Queen of Fairyland; the second that the King should rule over Fairyland -until a child appeared with a star in his forehead. Now, on the very -day that Merrywink was born, the little Princess arrived at the Palace; -and the King sent round messages to make sure that the child with the -gleaming star had not yet been seen in Fairyland. The story tells us how -Merrywink grew up to be brave and strong, and fearless and truthful. - - - - By MRS. HENRY DE LA PASTURE - - -The Unlucky Family - -New Edition with Coloured Illustrations by C. E. BROCK. - -This is one of the most humorous children's books published in recent -years, and the many awkward dilemmas and diverting experiences which -ensue upon the Chubb family's unexpected rise in the social scale cannot -fail to delight young readers as well as their elders. In the matter of -showing the propensity for getting into mischief these youngsters -establish a record, but their escapades are generally of a harmless -character and lead to nothing very serious. - -"It is a clever and amusing tale, full of high spirits and good-natured -mischief which children not too seriously inclined will -enjoy."--_Scotsman_. - - - - By M. I. A. - - -Sir Evelyn's Charge - -New Edition, Illustrated in Colour. - -"Sir Evelyn's Charge" is one of the most popular books for Sunday School -prizes published within recent years, and has already run into very many -editions. The object of the story is to show how the quiet, unconscious -influence exerted by a little child upon those around him may be -productive of lasting good. This new edition, with a new cover and -colour plates, makes a very attractive gift-book. - - - - THE PENDLETON SERIES - - -The Pendleton Twins - -By E. M. JAMESON, Author of "The Pendletons," etc. With Coloured -Illustrations. - -The adventures of the Pendleton Twins begin the very day they leave -home. The train is snowed up and they are many hours delayed. They have -a merry Christmas with plenty of fun and presents, and in the middle of -the night Bob gives chase to a burglar. Nora, who is very sure-footed, -goes off by herself one day and climbs the cliffs, thinking that no one -will be any the wiser until her return. But the twins and Dan follow -her unseen and are lost in a cave, where they find hidden treasure, left -by smugglers, buried in the ground. Len sprains his ankle and they -cannot return. Search parties set out from Cliffe, and spend many hours -before the twins are found by Nora, cold and tired and frightened. But -the holidays end very happily after all. - -"Miss Jameson's books are written with such humour and lightness of -touch that they hold the young readers, and not only amuse but instruct -them."--_Dundee Courier_. - - -The Pendletons - -By E. M. JAMESON. New Edition. Illustrated in Colour. - -"Young people will revel in this most interesting and original story. -The five young Pendletons are much as other children in a large family, -varied in their ideas, quaint in their tastes, and wont to get into -mischief at every turn. They are withal devoted to one another and to -their home, and although often 'naughty,' are not by any means 'bad.' -The interest in the doings of these youngsters is remarkably well -sustained, and each chapter seems better than the last. With not a -single dull page from start to finish and with twelve charming -Illustrations, the book makes an ideal reward for either boys or -girls."--_Schoolmaster_. - - -Peggy Pendleton's Plan - -By E. M. JAMESON. New Edition. Illustrated in Colour by S. P. EARSE. - -To many young readers the Pendleton children are quite old friends, as -indeed they deserve to be, for they are so merry, so full of fun and -good spirits, that nobody can read about them without coming to love -them. In the opening chapter of this book the family meet together in -solemn conclave to discuss plans for the holidays, which have just -commenced. Every one of them has a favourite idea, but when the various -selections are put to the vote, it is Peggy Pendleton's plan that -carries the day. All the other children think it splendid. What that -plan was, and what strange adventures it led to, are here set forth. - - -The Book of Baby Beasts - -By FLORENCE E. DUGDALE. Illustrated in Colour by E. J. DETMOLD. - -This book contains a series of simple little talks about baby animals, -both wild and domestic. Each chapter is accompanied by a charming -picture in colour by E. J. DETMOLD, whose work as an illustrator is well -known, and whose characteristic delicacy of colouring is faithfully -reproduced. - - -The Book of Baby Dogs - -By CHARLES KABERRY. With nineteen plates in Colour by E. J. DETMOLD. - - -The Book of Baby Pets - -By FLORENCE E. DUGDALE. Illustrated in Colour by E. J. DETMOLD. - -"A valuable family possession, and one which admirably fulfils the role -of guide, counsellor and friend."--_Athenaeum_. - - -The Book of Baby Birds - -By FLORENCE E. DUGDALE. Illustrated in Colour by E. J. DETMOLD. - -"Simply irresistible."--_Observer_. - - -Queen Mab's Daughters - -From the French of JEROME DOUCET. Illustrated by HENRY MORIN. - -This book consists of twelve stories, each concerned with an episode in -the life of one of Queen Mab's daughters. These are very enterprising -and adventurous princesses, somewhat wilful, indeed; and their -activities, innocent though they are, often bring them into hot water. -They fall into the hands of witches and wizards, and are the means of -releasing from enchantment an equal number of princes who have been -changed into bears, eagles, monkeys, and other animals by the powers of -witchcraft. Their adventures are related with the charming daintiness -wherein French fabulists, from Perrault downwards, have excelled; and -the book is a decided acquisition to the store of fairy literature in -which all children delight. - - - By VIOLET BRADBY - - -The Capel Cousins - -Illustrated in Colour in C. E. BROCK. - -The children in the Capel family hear that a cousin from South America -is to live with them until his education is finished. On his arrival he -is found to be very frank and outspoken, accustomed to say just what he -thinks; and as his cousins are more reserved, the misunderstandings are -by no means few. In time, however, he becomes used to English ways, and -his good nature and cleverness win his cousins' admiration and -affection. Mrs. Bradby writes as one who knows children thoroughly, and -her pictures of home life are very charming. - -"The authoress shows a power of depicting a large family of delightful -and quite natural children which recalls the stories of Miss Yonge at -her brightest."--_Church Times_. - -"A very pleasant, natural, and brightly written story."--_Lady_. - - -The Happy Families - -Illustrated by LILIAN A. GOVEY. - -Most children have probably played the game of "Happy Families," and it -is possible that they have woven stories round the grotesque characters -that appear on the cards. This is what Mrs. Bradby has done in this -book, and she has imagined a little girl being suddenly transported to -Happy Family Land and finding herself beset on all hands by the Grits, -the Chips and the Boneses, and all the other members of this strange and -wonderful community. - - - By FLORENCE E. DUGDALE - - (MRS. THOMAS HARDY) - - -In Lucy's Garden - -Illustrated in Colour by J. CAMPBELL. - -Miss Dugdale describes Lucy's garden from month to month, the plants -that grow there, the insects that visit it, and the imaginary beings -with which Lucy peoples it. During the first year Lucy is without any -companion to share her experiences, but at the beginning of the second -year, just when she begins to feel lonely, she makes the acquaintance of -a little boy, Peter, who is staying with his grandmother next door, and -who, too, has grown tired of playing by himself. They gladly arrange -that in future they will play together, as they like each other very -much. Little ones who have gardens of their own will enjoy reading -about Lucy's, especially when they know that she was capable of -understanding what the apple trees and leaves and roses had to tell her -about things in general and themselves in particular. - -"A delightful 'Nature story' written in a charming vein of playful -fancy, and daintily illustrated."--_Lady_. - - - By TERTIA BENNETT - - -Gentleman Dash - -Illustrated in Colour by P. H. JOWETT. - -This is a book that will appeal to all lovers of animals. Gentleman -Dash is a fine collie who lives at a big house with a number of other -dogs and cats. In spite of his handsome appearance, however, Dash -sometimes falls so far from dignity as to run away and steal meat from -butchers' shops. Then he is brought back and punished, and the other -four-footed members of the family come round and offer sympathy--which -is not pleasant. The relations that exist between the various dogs and -cats of the establishment are friendly on the whole, though not -invariably so. In the course of their conversations, the animals throw -fresh light on the problems of life as viewed from the kennel and the -yard. - - - By ALICE MASSIE - - -The Family's Jane - -Illustrated in Colour by JOHN CAMPBELL. - -This is the story of a little girl's search for her lost brothers and -sisters. At first Jane did not know that she had any brothers or -sisters, and she used to feel lonely. Then one day, quite by accident, -she discovered that such was indeed the case, although for some -unexplained reason they did not live at home and she had been kept in -ignorance of them. Then Jane set to work to reunite the dismembered -family. The fact that Jane was only eight, and some of the others were -quite grown up, with children of their own, did not turn her from her -purpose, and eventually her efforts had the happy issue which they well -deserved. - - - - - The Children's Bookcase - - - Edited by E. NESBIT - -"The Children's Bookcase" is a new series of daintily illustrated books -for little folks, which is intended ultimately to include all that is -best in children's literature, whether old or new. The series is edited -by Mrs. E. Nesbit, author of "The Would-be Goods" and many other -well-known books for children; and particular care is given to binding, -get-up, and illustrations. - - -Mrs. Overtheway's Remembrances - -By JULIANA HORATIA EWING. - -A delightful little book of short stories in which "the little old lady" -who lives over the way relates incidents from her girlhood for the -amusement of a young friend. - - -The Little Duke. - -By CHARLOTTE M. YONGE. - - -Sonny Sahib. - -By SARA JEANNETTE DUNCAN (Mrs. Everard Cotes). A charming story of -Anglo-Indian life. - - -The Water Babies. - -By CHARLES KINGSLEY. - - -The Old Nursery Stories. - -By E. NESBIT. - -In this book Mrs. E. Nesbit relates the old stories of the -Nursery--"Cinderella," "Sleeping Beauty," etc. - - -Cap-o'-Yellow. - -By AGNES GROZIER HERBERTSON. - -A charming series of fairy stories by one of the very few modern writers -whose work compares with the classics of fairy-tale literature such as -Grimm and Perrault. - - -Granny's Wonderful Chair. - -By FRANCES BROWNE. - -The author of "Little Lord Fauntleroy" declared this book to be the best -fairy story ever written. Two generations of little readers have been -of the same opinion as Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett. - - - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLUE RAIDER *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/40364 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the -General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and -distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works to protect the -Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a -registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, -unless you receive specific permission. 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