CHAPTER TWELVE.
A NARROW ESCAPE AND THREATENING CLOUDS.
Their progress after leaving the spot described in the last chapter wasnot so rapid as could have been desired by anxious men, for it wasabsolutely necessary to proceed with extreme caution.
Not only were the Queen's troops out in various directions, but many ofher spies had been seen prowling about, like the evil one they served,seeking whom they could devour. Of this the travellers were made awareat the first villages they came to; and as Ravonino had formerly beenwell-known at the capital, it became necessary for him not only todisguise himself, but to keep as much as possible out of sight.
Disguising himself was not very difficult, owing to the fact that whenhe lived in Antananarivo he had, like his father, worn a bushy beard.This had made him a marked man, for the Malagasy, as a rule, have littlebeard, and what little they possess is usually pulled out by the roots.Since he became a fugitive the guide had shaved closely. This of itselfwent a long way to change his appearance; but when, in addition, he hadmodified the arrangement of his hair, and stained his face of a darkerhue, he had made himself almost unrecognisable, even by his bestfriends. His chief difficulty was with his voice, which had a mellowsweetness in it that resisted modification. However, by keepingsilence, or speaking low, he hoped to escape recognition until he shouldreach the vicinity of the capital, where he had friends who would gladlyreceive and conceal him, even at the risk of their lives.
As to the great object that lay nearest his heart, he hoped to managethat through his friend Laihova, without himself entering the capital.
Our travellers soon reached the inhabited part of the country, where,being surrounded by men and women going about, as well as journeyingtowards the Antananarivo market with provisions, etcetera, they ceasedto attract much attention. Of course the Englishmen were subjects ofcuriosity--sometimes of inquiry,--but as Laihova reported that they weremen who had been cast on the southern coast of the island, and whom hewas guiding to the capital, suspicion was not aroused.
Laihova at this point became leader of the party, in order to enable theguide more easily to fall into the background; and he was all the morefitted for the position in that he had acquired a smattering of Englishfrom his friend Ravonino, and could both understand much of what wassaid to him and also make himself pretty well understood by his whitefriends.
This part of the journey was by no means without adventure, sometimes ofa kind that filled them with anxiety.
One evening they approached a small hamlet, or group of cottages, wherethey learned, among other things, that two of the Queen's spies were atthat moment in the neighbourhood, searching for two ladies of the Courtwho had fled because Ranavalona had threatened them with imprisonment.
"Are they young?" asked Ravonino, forgetting his caution in his anxiety.
"I know not," replied the man who had informed them of the fact. "Ithink some one told me they were not young--but I forget."
The guide said no more. He regretted having said so much, for the manglanced at him suspiciously.
Affecting an air of unconcern he turned away and bade his comradesfollow.
"Come," he said, when out of ear-shot of the man, "we must pass throughthis village quickly, for we know not in what house the spies may havetaken up their quarters."
"But, don' you tink," suggested Ebony, "dat we five could wallop anyoder five men in de univarse, to say not'ing ob two spies?"
A grim smile was all the reply that the guide gave him, as he walkedquickly along the path that led out of the hamlet.
"I have a friend," he said to Mark, "who lives in a solitary cottagehalf-a-mile further on. He is rich, and, I think, a Christian man--butsecretly, for fear of the Queen. We will call at his house in passing."
As he spoke, they approached a large house by the roadside, the owner ofwhich, a brown old gentleman, was enjoying himself with his wife andfamily in front of it.
"Is that your friend?" asked Mark.
"No; he lives in the house just beyond. We shall see it on clearingthis group of trees."
The track which they were following led close past the large house abovereferred to, necessitating compliance with a custom of the country,which greatly surprised, and not a little amused, the Englishmen.
We have spoken of the residence as a house, because it belonged to oneowner, but it would be more correct to call it a farm-steading, or agroup of buildings. Except among the very poorest people, a Malagasyfamily has usually two or three houses in its enclosure--frequentlymore, for young married people often live beside their parents, and somehouses are appropriated to slaves, while others are used as kitchens,etcetera, the whole being surrounded by a wall of clay. Where a houseis near the public road they have usually a little square platform,called the _fijerena_, in an angle of the wall, or at the gate, withsteps leading up to it. Here the family sits, when the work of the dayis over, to watch--and, doubtless, to criticise--the passers-by; also todo the polite according to Malagasy ideas, for it must be told thatthese people are very courteous. Even the poorest have a naturaldignity and ease of manner about them.
As our travellers approached the house they were observed with muchinterest by the brown old gentleman and his comfortable-lookingwife, and his pretty little light-brown daughter, and a veryuncomfortable-looking elderly female with her head tied up, who were allsquatted on the _fijerena_.
When within hearing Laihova stopped, and said in the politest tone andmanner possible--
"Will you allow me to pass, sir?"
"Pray proceed, sir," replied the old gentleman, with a gracious smile.
This interchange of civilities was entirely formal, and stood in theplace of the Englishman's opening remarks on the weather, to which aMalagasy would as soon think of referring, in this connection, as hewould to the hatching of crocodiles' eggs.
Then followed the conventional inquiry, "How are you? How is it withyou?" which politenesses, in a number of variations unknown to Westernspeech, would have been continued, in ordinary circumstances, until thepassers-by were beyond the range of hearing; but the appearance of theEnglishmen induced the brown old gentleman on this occasion to beg thetravellers to stop and accept his hospitality. This they declined todo, with many expressions of regret, on the ground that their businessat the capital was urgent.
"It would have gratified me much," said the old gentleman, "to haveentertained you. But you are all well, I hope?"
"Yes, we are very well," answered Laihova; "and how do _you_ feel?"
"I feel as well as possible. And is it well with _you_?"
"It is well with us. But it does not seem to be well with the lady,"returned Laihova, glancing at the uncomfortable female with her headtied up.
"No, it is not well with her. She has toothache on the north side ofher head. Farewell," said the brown old gentleman, re-squatting on the_fijerena_, as the travellers moved on; "may you live," he shouted afterthem, when nearly out of ear-shot, "and reach old age."
Great was the amusement of our travellers at all this, especially whenRavonino explained about the toothache. "You must know," he said, "thatalmost all the houses in the central provinces of the island are builtwith their length running north and south, or nearly so, and the peopleuse the points of the compass in describing the position of things.Thus, if they tell a slave to look for a thing in the house, they willsay, Look in the north, south, east, or west corner, or side; and theyapply this rule to the person also. I once heard the member of amission from England told by his host that some rice was sticking to hismoustache. The missionary wiped the wrong side. `No,' said the host,`it is on the _southern_ side of your moustache.'"
"Do you know," said Mark Breezy, "that is not so strange to me as youmight suppose; for I was once told by a friend who lived in the ScottishHighlands, that an old woman there actually said to her that she hadtoothache on the east side of her head!"
Further comment on this point was arrested by their
coming suddenly insight of the house where the guide's friend dwelt.
"You had better stay here at the edge of this wood, while I go forwardalone," said the guide; "because although the man is kind, and hasalways professed to be my friend, I am not quite sure of him. It iswell to be cautious. If I wave my hand to you, come up to the house,all will be well. If things don't seem favourable I will return toyou--but keep close; don't show yourselves needlessly. You see, myfriend is an officer of the palace. If friendly he can be very usefulto us, if unfriendly he can be dangerous."
"But why run risk by going near him at all?" asked Mark.
"We _must_ run risk when life and death are in the balance," replied theguide, shortly.
Concealed by the bushes, the travellers watched their companion as hewent up to the house. Before he reached it a man opened the door andstepped out. Suddenly this man seemed to burst into a furious passion.He grasped Ravonino by the throat, almost threw him on his back, and,seizing a stick, began to belabour him violently, while two other menappeared at the door of the house, and, from their inordinate laughter,seemed fully to enjoy the scene.
"Hi!" exclaimed Ebony in shrill falsetto, as he jumped up in blazingwrath, intending to rush to the rescue, but Hockins grasped his woollyhead and pulled him back.
"Obey orders, you black grampus! D'ee think he's a babby as can't takecare of himself? Didn't he tell us to keep close?"
Great as had been the surprise of the watchers at this sudden andunprovoked assault, it was as nothing compared with their astonishmentwhen they saw their guide fairly turn tail and run towards them, closelyfollowed by the furious man, who continued to thrash him all the time.
As Ravonino drew near, the angry man seemed to have exhausted himself,for he fell behind, and finally stopped. The guide ran on at full speeduntil he reached the wood, but did not even then slacken his speed. Ashe ran past his friends, however, he exclaimed in a sharp, stern voice--
"Follow me!"
Laihova obeyed with the unquestioning readiness of a faithful hound.The others followed suit with the open eyes of perplexity and amazement!
Reaching a sequestered dell in a few minutes, Ravonino suddenly stoppedand turned round with a calm air of satisfaction.
"Well, dis am de most awrful supprise I'se had since my mudder give memy fust wollopin'."
The expression on the negro's face rendered the remark needless.
"It was well done," said the guide, seating himself on the trunk of afallen tree.
"A'most too well done!" returned Hockins, with a touch of sarcasm.
"Do you know," continued the guide gravely, "I've had a narrow escape?The two men you saw laughing at the door are the very men we have beentrying to avoid,--the Queen's spies,--whom I have long known, and whowould certainly have discovered me in spite of my shaved and stainedface if we had come to talk to each other in the same room. Luckily myfriend is smart as well as true. He knew my voice at once. To havetalked with me, or warned me, or let me enter his house, would have beenfatal. His only resource lay in thrashing me off his premises--as youhave seen. How he will explain matters to the spies I know not, but Ican trust him for that."
"Das most awrful clebber!" exclaimed Ebony, his every feature broadeningwith delight at the success of the ruse.
"But what are we to do now?" asked Mark.
"Wait till he comes here. He told me to wait."
"What! Told you?"
"Ay--you don't suppose he let his tongue lie idle while he was using hisstick. Of course I was myself taken aback at first when he seized me bythe throat, but two or three muttered words in the midst of his angeropened my eyes, and I ran at once. All the way as he ran after andbelaboured me he was giving me important information in furious tones!The spies are only staying with him for a short rest. When they aregone he will come and find us here."
"He's a born actor," said Hockins.
"True--and he acted some of his blows heavier than I could have wished,in his anxiety to impress his information on me!" said the guide.
"What is his name?" asked Mark.
"Fisatra. He is named after a great chief who lived in this districtnot long ago.--But here he comes to speak for himself."
At that moment a tall, fine-looking man, of very dark complexion, andclad in the ample folds of a beautiful lamba, approached them. Hiswhole countenance was wrinkled with the lines of fun, and his brilliantteeth glistened as he smilingly held out his hand to the Englishmen, andasked them to accept his hospitality.
As they passed into the house they saw two slave-girls pounding rice ina large wooden mortar, with two enormous wooden pestles, while thesavoury steam that arose from some invisible kitchen served to put afiner edge on their already sharpened appetites.
When the mats were spread, and the feast was being enjoyed, Ravoninoasked the host how he had got rid of the spies, and how he managed toexplain his conduct without raising their suspicions.
"Nothing easier," said Fisatra, while his broad shoulders heaved with aninward chuckle. "You know that I used to be feared in the palace indays gone bye because of my violent nature, and the way in which I usedto knock about the furniture and make the household slaves--sometimesthe household troops--scurry when I was in a rage. Yet I'm sure youknow very well, (he looked sheepishly innocent here), that I never wasan angry man--at least not a cruel one. But that's all changed. I amone of _your_ set now, though no one suspects it. Since I met MrEllis--"
"Is Mr Ellis here just now?" interrupted Ravonino, anxiously.
"Not now," answered Fisatra; "he departed some weeks ago, but I believehas not yet left the coast. And now there is no check on the Queen'sviolence. Well, as I was about to say, I took to the old habit inpretence, as you have seen, and when I returned from thrashing you Iwent storming through the house, kicking about the pots and pans, andfoaming at the mouth in such a way that I not only stopped the spieslaughing, but put them in fear of their lives."
Again the fun-wrinkles corrugated the visage of Fisatra, and his mightyshoulders heaved with internal explosions.
"After I had calmed down a bit," he continued, "the spies ventured toask timidly if that was a great enemy that I had beaten. This set meinto, a worse passion than ever. `Enemy?' I shouted `no--no--not anenemy--he--he's a--a--' but I got no further than that, for I didn'tknow what to say, and I wouldn't lie, so I took to foaming and stampingagain! At last I said, `Don't speak to me about him--excuse me, myfriends; I can't stand it--and--and the rice is nearly ready. You mustbe hungry!' I said this with a look and tone as if another fit wascoming on. They excused themselves. `No,' they said, `we are nothungry, and we have yet far to go this day before the sun descends. TheQueen's orders will not wait.' And off they went, glad to get out of myway. Truly, if it is sinful to get in a rage, it is useful sometimes toact it! So now, my friends, eat--eat--while you have the chance, andfear not the return of the spies!"
"Tell me," said the guide, anxiously, "are you sure that Rafaravavy isstill safe?"
"She is still safe--but no one knows how long that may be, for she isfearless, and utters the forbidden prayers even in the presence of theQueen. If it had not been for the love that Ranavalona bears her, shewould have been tossed from the `rock of hurling' long ago."
"Faithful, even unto death," said the guide, with a look and tone inwhich pathos and triumph were strangely blended.
"She has not yet been tried to that extent, but if she is, God willenable her to stand firm," said Fisatra, whose grave child-likesincerity, when talking of religious subjects, was not less impulsivelyhonest and natural than were the outbursts of his fun when anotherhumour stirred his feelings.
The "rock" to which he alluded was a frightful precipice at one side ofthe city from which criminals were usually hurled--a spot which ishallowed by the blood of many Christian martyrs who perished thereduring the long reign of that tyrant queen Ranavalona.
"Has then the queen forbidden the Christians to pray?" asked Ravon
ino.
"Have you not heard?--but of course you have not, being an outlaw andhaving only just returned. Recently a very bad fit has come over theQueen. You know that for some years past there have been a few Frenchpeople living in Antananarivo, who by their knowledge and skill inmechanics and mercantile matters have made themselves useful to ourgovernment. These men lately tried to dethrone the Queen, on pretenceof delivering the country from her cruelties, and establishing a `FrenchProtectorate.' They gained over some of our chief men, collected in oneof their houses a large quantity of weapons and ammunition, and had evenfixed the night when the palace was to be invaded, the Queen seized, andthe Protectorate set up. Fortunately the plot came to my knowledge. Isay fortunately, because a bad queen is better than a FrenchProtectorate, for the first will die, but the latter might never end!Well, I at once informed the Queen, who had the conspirators seized andbanished from the country for ever. Among them were a Roman Catholiclady and two Jesuits. The anger of the Queen was of course very great,and she has had, as I have said, a very bad fit against the Christians;for, as these unprincipled conspirators have the name though none of thereality of Christians, she naturally mixed us all up together--and Iknow not what the end will be, but I have much fear, because the Queenis very angry."
"Has she done nothing yet?" asked Ravonino.
"Nothing--except threaten and fume. But when the black cloud isoverhead, and muttering thunder is heard, one knows too well what toexpect--especially when one has been exposed to the storm in formeryears."
"The sun is shining behind the black cloud and it will break throughwhen the Master wills," said Laihova, joining in the conversation forthe first time that evening, and looking earnestly at his friendRavonino, as if the words were meant for his ear alone--as indeed theywere.
"Thanks, thanks, my friend, for the comforting words," said Ravonino,"and I take shame to myself that my faith is so weak."
"You will spend the night with me?" said their host to the guide.
"No, Fisatra, I dare not delay. Even now I may be too late. I willjourney all night."
Ravonino rose quickly and prepared to go. The others followed hisexample, and soon the party was proceeding rapidly along the high-roadtowards the capital, under a cloudless sky and a galaxy of twinklingstars.