Under the Waves - Robert Michael Ballantyne (red queen ebook .TXT) 📗

a wild cat and grappled with him. At that moment a third Malay glided on the scene, brandished his spear, and stood by the swaying combatants awaiting a favourable opportunity to thrust his weapon into the white man's back. He stood right under the branch in which the ladies were concealed. Miss Pritty saw his intention and felt convinced he would succeed. In desperate alarm at the danger of her protector, and horrified at what she was about to do, she grasped the pirate by the hair and tore out a large handful, at the same time uttering shriek upon shriek mingled with appalling bursts of hysterical laughter.

This saved Rooney, who turned just in time to protect himself, but as he did so six more pirates leaped upon the scene and overpowered him. They also sprung up the tree, and quickly brought down the ladies.

Poor Miss Pritty had gone fairly off into violent hysterics by that time. She was carried down in the arms of a pirate, into whose hair she had permanently fastened her ten fingers, while she filled the woods with unearthly cries.

Before any advantage, however, could be taken of this success, a cheer was heard close at hand. Next moment, Edgar Berrington burst on the scene, followed by the captain of the gun-boat and a body of men. The pirates did not await them, but fled instantly.

"Fire a volley, lads," shouted the captain.

The men obeyed, and one or two yells told that it had not been without effect, nevertheless, all the miscreants escaped with the exception of Miss Pritty's captive, who, unable to clear himself from her close embrace with sufficient speed, was collared and throttled into submission by Edgar.

"We'll divide our force here," said the captain. "I'll follow them up a while with some of the boys, and you, Mr Berrington, will return with the rest to the gun-boat, in charge of the ladies."

Edgar was about to object, but the captain silenced him at once with:--

"Come, sir, you're under my orders. Do what I bid you."

There was no resisting this, so Edgar turned, not unwillingly, and gave his arm to Aileen, who seized it with a grateful eagerness that sent a thrill of delight through all his frame.

"Come along, my lads," he cried. "Take care of Miss Pritty, poor thing!" he added, turning to Rooney.

The Irishman obeyed. He stooped and lifted her in his arms. She had been lying in a state of semi-insensibility with her eyes tightly shut. The moment she felt herself being lifted, she clutched her protector by the hair, and held on, shrieking.

"Ay, tug away, cushla!" said Rooney, as he moved after his friends, "it's not much of _that_ ye'll manage to root up."

"Have you seen my father?" asked Aileen, anxiously, as they moved on together.

"He is safe," answered Edgar; "I found him exhausted in the hut which he told me you had occupied, and had him conveyed on board the gun-boat."

"Thank God!" exclaimed Aileen, fervently, "but," she added, with a slight shudder, "it seemed to me as if his mind had been unhinged--and-- and he was wounded."

"A mere scratch on the temple," said Edgar, "yet sufficient, with surrounding circumstances, to account for the temporary madness that assailed him. Fear not, Aileen, he is safe now, through God's mercy, and you shall soon be safe beside him."

A feeling of deep gratitude and restfulness stole over the poor girl's spirit, and she almost wept for joy as they stepped into a small boat, and were rowed over the calm water to the gun-boat, which lay, black and still, under the deep shadow of a bank of luxuriant foliage.

"My child," said Mr Hazlit, sadly, as they reclined together on the couches of the little cabin, while Edgar sat on a camp-stool near them, Miss Pritty having been consigned to the captain's berth, "they tell me that this fearful work is not yet over. There is to be more fighting and bloodshed."

"How? What do you mean, papa?"

"Tell her, Mr Berrington."

"We have just had news sent us by a fast row-boat from a town about sixty miles along the coast that a large fleet of pirate-prows have been seen off the coast. They have taken several trading prows, and captured many men belonging to the Sarawak territory, besides several Chinamen. When our captain completes his work on shore here, he intends to start at once in chase of these pirates, in the hope of destroying them and freeing their slaves."

"God help us," said Aileen, "it seems as if men in this part of the world, gloried in pouring out blood like water."

"Some of them undoubtedly do. Perhaps it may reconcile your mind to the destruction of these miscreants to know that for every one killed there will probably be saved the lives of dozens--if not hundreds--of innocent men and women, whom he would have murdered, or doomed to hopeless slavery, in the course of his wicked career."

As Edgar spoke, the sound of oars was heard. Presently the captain and his men leaped on deck. The moorings were cast loose, our hero took his station at the engine, and the gun-boat glided swiftly down the river, leaving the pirate stronghold in flames.


CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.


LIFTS THE CURTAIN SLIGHTLY AS TO PIRATICAL DOINGS IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.

Silently they glided on, until the shades of evening fell, and the brilliant stars came out. Silently, for the gun-boat went at half-speed; silently, for her engines were good and new, and worked softly without the jarring of age or mal-construction; silently, because those on board were in a tranquil mood, and did not raise their voices above a low murmur.

"How romantic," said Aileen, in a low tone, as she sat by the stern-rail and watched the gleaming track left by the screw; "how enjoyable, if we could only forget what has just passed, and the object we have in view. The world is a mystery!"

"Is this the first time you have thought so?" asked Edgar, who leaned on the rail near her.

"Well, I think it is," she replied, with a sad smile; "at least it is the first time I have been deeply impressed with the thought."

"It is a very old thought," returned the youth, musingly. "Philosophers from the earliest times have recorded it. Thoughtful men and women of all ages have expressed it. Young people of all generations fancy they have discovered it. The Bible is a key which opens up much of it, and makes it plain; but much still remains in mystery, and I suppose will continue so to remain, till Time merges in Eternity."

"Do you think such mystery undesirable?" asked Aileen.

"No. It is desirable, else God would not have left it there. `Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?' There is a need be, I doubt not, for mystery, and there is no need for our being distressed by it, for what we know not now we shall know hereafter. But there is much cause for anxiety lest we, either through wilful ignorance, or carelessness, or stupidity, should allow that to remain involved in mystery which is made plain by revelation. The way of salvation was an insurmountable mystery to me once, but since you gave me that poor man's Testament, Aileen, it has become very plain and very dear to me, through Jesus Christ."

Aileen thanked God in her heart, and a thrill of gladness filled her, but before she could utter a word in reply, the captain came forward and said in a low tone:--

"Stop the engine, Mr Berrington. We'll lie by in this creek till day-break."

Edgar went below. The vibrating of the boat ceased, and an awful stillness seemed to sink down upon her as she glided into a little creek or bay, which was deeply shaded by mangrove trees.

But the silence did not last long. It was still three hours from daylight, and the captain employed the time in preparations for the action which he anticipated on the following day. The yards were sent down; the decks were cleared of all useless incumbrances; the guns were got ready; and an attempt was made, to some extent, to disguise the vessel, so that, in the event of the pirates being found, the gun-boat might get as near as possible without her true character being discovered. The men, meanwhile, who were not engaged in such work, busied themselves in sharpening cutlasses and cleaning small arms, while they conversed in an undertone. All was activity and order, without fuss or needless noise--the result of a man of the right stamp being in command.

"It's a brush we'll be havin' soon," said Rooney Machowl, with a flash of the eye which told that he inherited a little of his nation's love of fighting.

"Looks like it," replied Maxwell, who sat beside his friend in the midst of a group of the Malay crew, rubbing up his cutlass with much interest.

"Does anybody know how many of a crew we have altogether?" asked Rooney.

"I heard the captain say to Mr Berrington," answered Joe Baldwin, who was busy cleaning a rifle, "that we've got ninety men all told, which is quite enough for a 180-ton vessel. With these and seven guns we should be more than a match for all the pirates of the eastern seas."

"Ho!" exclaimed Ram-stam, looking up from the weapon he was engaged on with an amused expression, "you know noting of pirits of dem seas. Hi! Hi! Wait."

Ram-stam said this with the air of one who held the decided opinion that when he _had_ waited Joe would have his views enlarged.

"What, are they such bold fellows?"

"Ho yis, vely muchee bold. Ca'es for noting. 'Flaid of noting. Doos a'most anyting--'cept what's good."

"Swate cratures," murmured Rooney; "I hope we'll be introdooced to aich other soon."

As it is desirable that the reader should have a little more extended knowledge of the miscreants referred to, we will retrace our steps in time a little, and change the scene.

On one of those sweltering mornings in which the eastern seas appear to have a tendency to boil under the influence of the sun, three piratical junks might have been seen approaching a small island which lay on the sea as if on a mirror. They were propelled by oars. The largest of these junks was under command of our red-jacketed acquaintance, Pungarin. It was what is termed double-banked, and the oars were pulled by "slaves," that is to say, the crews of trading vessels recently captured.

Pungarin had more slaves than he knew what to do with on that occasion. He had been unusually successful in his captures. All the white men taken had at once been slaughtered, also all who attempted to give the pirates trouble in any way, including those who chanced to be too weak, ill, or old to work. In regard to the rest, each man was secured to his place at the oar by means of a strip of cane, called rattan, fastened round his neck, and a man was appointed to lash them when they showed symptoms of flagging. This the unhappy wretches frequently did, for, as on a former