CHAPTER XVIII
THE AVALANCHE
'What I'd like to know, sir,' said Grinson, as they re-entered theenclosure, 'what I 'd like to know is, why them Germans, Trousers andthe rest, took it into their heads to try this little game when ourbacks was turned, meaning Mr. Hoole and me?'
'You think they wouldn't have tried it if they hadn't known you wereaway?' said Trentham, checking a smile.
'Well, sir, two 's two; you can't get over that. If the whole crew hadcome, 't 'ud 'a been different; but with the Raider away, Trousershadn'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 perhapsHahn wanted to distinguish himself in the absence of his commander. Itwould have been a good stroke to recover the slaves, you know.'
'That's it, sir,' cried Grinson, slapping his thigh. 'Likewise andmoreover he was riled with Ephraim what defied him, and so he folds hisarms and scowls under his eyebrows and hisses through his clenchedteeth, "I will have my revenge." I 've seed that on the stage many atime.'
'We 'll grant that Hahn is a villain; but I fancy they had a verypractical object in making this raid. Perhaps they 've been unlucky onthe sea lately, must have coal, and would rather get the natives to digit 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, Ireckon.'
'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 tobusiness. Be ready to come with me.'
The chief was at first disposed to regard the recent victory asdecisive; but Trentham managed to convince him that a still more seriousattack might have to be met, and induced him to take the needfulmeasures of defence. It was arranged that at the first sign of dangerthe whole population of the village should be withdrawn into the innerenclosure, where they would have the protection of the wall. The objectof the defence must be to hold the wall until help came. There was apossibility, of course, that Hoole might not succeed in his mission.The engine might fail; even if he reached a port there might be no forceavailable for hunting the Raider. Trentham was not blind to thedifficulties of the position; but it was essential to keep up a show ofconfidence, and to take all possible steps to hold the ground.
Less than an hour after Flanso's return Trentham set off with Grinsonand half a dozen natives, among whom was Lafoa, for the cove. Theymarched cautiously, in case any of Hahn's party were still lingering inthe forest; but the Germans had evidently been daunted and had returnedto their base.
Trentham had decided to make for the spot where he had organised Meek'srelease. While affording a good post of observation, it was difficult ofaccess from the beach, and even if discovered by the enemy he would haveplenty of time to escape into the forest behind. He gave a wide berthto the sentry-box above the cove, crept round through almostimpenetrable thickets, and had nearly reached the slope strewn withboulders when there came faintly on his ear the characteristic rattle ofa 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 apoint where he could peep over at the cove beneath without much risk ofbeing detected. The Raider was anchored almost in the same position aswhen he had last seen her; smoke was pouring from her funnel. There wasmuch activity both on deck and on the shore. The donkey-engine waslifting, not coal, but stores from the ship's boats lying under herside. Men were carrying boxes and bales from the shed to the shore.Everybody was moving with an air of bustle and haste. It was impossibleto doubt that the vessel was about to leave the cove: the settlement wasto be abandoned.
An hour or two earlier Trentham would have rejoiced to know that theRaider was departing. But at this moment he felt only annoyance,disappointment, positive anger. Within a few short hours Hoole, unlessbaulked by ill-luck, would guide a British vessel to the cove, and theRaider would meet a well-deserved fate. It seemed that the Germans hadtaken alarm on seeing their seaplane flying eastwards, obviously underother than German control. They had suspected the nature of itsmission, and having a wholesome dread of what might befall them, haddetermined to forestall the inevitable. With all his heart Trenthamwished that he could hold the vessel at her anchorage. But he could donothing to interfere with the bustling preparations below. The Raiderwas getting up steam; the stores were being methodically hoisted andstowed; before very long the vessel would disappear round the horn ofthe cove, and he could only watch her impotently.
'Flanso's people won't be bothered any more; that's one good thing,' hethought, as he began to climb up the slope. Picking his way, hestumbled, and clutched at one of the boulders to maintain his footing.The rock swayed slightly. Trentham stood still for a moment, restinghis hand on it. An observer would have noticed that his brow suddenlycleared, his eyes danced, a flush spread over his cheeks. Then withquick movements, yet careful to keep under cover, he clambered up andrejoined 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 themfrom the cover of the trees, the others quickly rolled a number of thelargest boulders to a part of the slope which, as nearly as he couldgauge the position, was directly above the Raider. It was no easymatter to move unseen from the sheds. Some of the most promising of theboulders had to be neglected. But the noise below was great enough tosmother the sounds of the men's swift movements, and they were notinterrupted. Presently, over a space of more than a hundred yards, therewere ranged in three orderly rows, each row being about twenty pacesfrom the next, a collection of rocks of all shapes and sizes andweights, from knobs of a few pounds to boulders so heavy as to need theunited efforts of several men to move them. One of these, indeed,almost escaped from the grasp of the three men handling it, and Trenthamfelt a cold thrill at the imminence of a premature descent. ButGrinson's brawny arms arrested the monster in the nick of time, and hesecured it temporarily by means of smaller rocks wedged between it andthe earth. Blowing hard, he came to Trentham's side.
'"Shust in time!" as old Trousers would say, sir,' he remarked. 'All'sready, 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 hadno drill, d' ye see. Might as well be horse marines, in a manner ofspeaking.'
'Not so bad as that, Grinson. They have done very well, so far. Lafoaseems 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 upnearly everything, and we had better start operations. I 'll climb downto the left yonder, where I 'll be out of the way, but can observeresults without being seen myself. I 'll give the signal by lifting myhand; 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 hegained the spot he had pointed out. Grinson and the natives postedthemselves at equal intervals behind the first row of the displacedboulders. A boat filled with boxes of ammunition was putting off fromthe shore. All of the crew who were not already on board the vesselwere moving down from the sheds; apparently their work was finished.Trentham gazed seawards; there was no sign of the seaplane or of anyship. He raised his hand. Grinson instantly gave a mighty shove to thehuge boulder behind which he was standing, and it began to bump down theslope. The natives were not quite so prompt, but after only a fewseconds' delay five other boulders of smaller bulk started forward.Four reached the bri
nk almost together, the fifth rolled a few yards,then stopped. But a few moments later there were five resoundingsplashes in quick succession as the rocks plunged into the sea.
GRINSON GAVE THE BOULDER A SHOVE IN THE DESIREDDIRECTION.]
Eagerly watching the result of his scheme, Trentham was disappointed tosee that the missiles had fallen short of the Raider. But all work onthe vessel ceased; a bale of goods that was being hoisted by thedonkey-engine stopped half-way; the men on board gazed in surprise upthe cliff, those in the boat stopped pulling. The angle of the slopewas such that the men above were invisible; there was nothing to showthat 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 showertumbled over the edge, one of the boulders falling plump on the bridgeof the vessel, knocking away a portion of the rail, missing the captainby a foot or two, and crashing through the window of his cabin. Two wentclean 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 abrief interval another set of boulders followed, and then another, untilthe 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 ledup the cliffs.
Trentham began to feel anxious. Very little damage had yet been done;the boulders varied greatly in shape and weight, and their trajectoryafter leaving the edge was equally various. Some rolled sideways; one,indeed, took an extraordinary tortuous course to the right, and struckthe roof of the nearest hut, which was shivered into fragments. Thosethat had fallen nearest to the vessel were the larger rocks from thesecond row, and Trentham signalled to Grinson to deal with thoseremaining. He felt that the sands were running out; but there werestill a few minutes before the Germans rushing up the steep androundabout path could reach the head of the slope.
'A little more to the left!' he shouted to Grinson, realising thatnothing was now to be gained by silence.
'Ay, ay, sir!' roared the seaman, shoving a knobby rock in the desireddirection.
Trentham held his breath as he watched its flight. Before he wasprepared for it there was a thunderous crash; the boulder had struck theside of the vessel a few feet below the rail, within twenty feet of thebows, passing clean through the plates, and leaving a huge rent. Almostimmediately afterwards another boulder crashed through the deck slightlyabaft the funnel. There was an instant rush of steam; apparently it hadsmashed through one of the boilers.
WITH A THUNDEROUS CRASH IT STRUCK THE SIDE OF THE VESSELA FEW FEET BELOW THE RAIL.]
Among the crew surprise had become consternation, and now developed intopanic. Men rushed from below and sprang overboard. Others were runningwildly about the deck. The captain had gone forward with one of hisofficers to see the extent of the damage there. Water was pouringthrough the side. Trentham, judging that the vessel was at any ratedisabled, 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 itscourse and was hurtling in his direction. He stopped to throw a lastglimpse below; the boulder which he had so narrowly escaped carried awaythe donkey-engine, and ricochetted from the deck into the sea.
'Well done!' he cried, and ran to assist Grinson to topple over one ofthe large rocks which had supported the rope on the night of Meek'srelease.
'That's riddled 'em!' shouted Grinson, as the noise of shattered metalrose from below.
'She can't get away!' panted Trentham. 'They 're coming up the cliff; wemust run for it.'
Collecting the men, he dashed up the few remaining yards of the slopeand headed them into the forest just as a German seaman came in sightnear the end of the ledge.
'"Shust in time!" Trousers, my son,' chuckled Grinson. 'We give her agood battering, sir?'
'Cut open her side, broke a boiler, and drowned the donkey-engine. Whatmore 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.'