CHAPTER IV
A CROCODILE INTERVENES
Major Norton opened his mouth to cry a warning; but Wargrave grasped hisarm and said hurriedly:
"Don't shout, sir! Don't wake her! She'd be too confused to move."
Then he thrust his field-glasses into the adjutant's hand.
"Watch for the strike of my bullet, Ray," he said.
He threw himself at full length on the ground and pressed a cartridgeinto the breech of his rifle. His companions stood over him as he cast ahurried glance forward and adjusted his sight, muttering:
"Just about four hundred yards."
The crocodile was nearly broadside on to him; and even at that distancehe could see the scaly armour covering head, back and sides, that woulddefy any bullet. The unprotected spot behind the shoulder was hiddenfrom him; the only vulnerable part was the neck. Wargrave laid his cheekto the butt and sighted on this.
The crocodile crept on inch by inch, dragging its limbs forward with theslow, stealthy movement of its kind when stalking their prey on land.The horrified watchers saw that the terrible snout with its protrudingfangs was barely a yard from Mrs. Norton's feet. Raymond's hands holdingthe glasses to his eyes trembled violently. The Resident shook as withthe palsy; and he stared in horror at the crawling death that threatenedthe sleeping woman.
Wargrave fired.
As the rifle rang out the creeping movement ceased.
"You've hit him, I'll swear," cried Raymond. "I didn't see the bulletstrike the ground."
Wargrave rapidly worked the bolt of his rifle, jerking out the emptycase and pushing a fresh cartridge into the chamber. He fired again.
"That's got him! That _must_ have got him!" exclaimed Raymond.
The crocodile lay still. Frank leapt to his feet and, rifle in hand,dashed down the incline. At that moment Mrs. Norton awoke, turned on herside, raised her body a little and suddenly saw the horrible reptile.She sat up rigid with terror and stared at it. The brute slowly openedits huge mouth and disclosed the cruel, gapped teeth. Then the iron jawsclashed together. With a shriek the woman sprang to her feet, but stoodtrembling, unable to move away.
"Run! Run!" shouted Wargrave, springing down the slope towards her.
Behind him raced Raymond, while her husband, who was unable to runfast, followed far behind.
Mrs. Norton seemed rooted to the spot. But she turned to Wargrave withoutstretched arms and gasped:
"Save me, Frank! Save me!"
With a bound he reached her, and, as she clung to him convulsively,panted out:
"It's all right, dear. You're safe now."
He pushed her behind him, and bringing the rifle to his shoulder, facedthe crocodile. The brute opened and shut its great jaws, seeming to gaspfor air, while a strange whistling sound came from its throat. Its bodyappeared to be paralysed.
"It can't move. You've broken its spine," cried Raymond, as he reachedthem. "Your first shot it must have been. Look! Your second's torn itsthroat."
He pointed to the neck and went round to the other side. From a jagged,gaping wound where the expanding bullet had torn the throat, the bloodspurted and air whistled out with a shrill sound.
Wargrave turned to Violet and took the terrified woman, who seemed onthe point of fainting, in his arms.
"All right, little girl. It's all right. The brute's done for."
She pulled herself together with an effort and looked nervously at thecrocodile. Then she released herself from Frank's clasp and said,smiling feebly:
"What a coward I am! I'm ashamed of myself. Where's John? Oh, here heis. Doesn't he look funny?"
The Resident, very red-faced and out of breath, had slowed down into ashambling walk and was puffing and blowing like a grampus. As he came upto them he spluttered:
"Is it safe? Is it dead?"
"It's harmless now, sir," answered Raymond. "It's still living but itcan't move. The spine's broken, I think."
The Resident turned to his wife. The poor man had been in agony whileshe was in danger; but now that the peril had passed he could onlyexpress his relief in irritable scolding:
"How could you be so foolish, Violet?" he asked crossly. "The idea ofgoing to sleep near the tank! Most unwise! You might have been eatenalive."
His wife smiled bitterly and glanced at the grumbling man with acontemptuous expression on her face.
"Yes, John, very inconsiderate of me, I daresay. But how was I to knowthat there was a _mugger_ (crocodile) in the tank?"
Then for the first time she realised the nearness of the water.
"Good gracious! I thought I was much farther--how did I get so close toit? Did I slip down in my sleep?"
"No; there are the trees," said Raymond. "It's extraordinary. The wholetank seems to have shifted."
The Resident was mopping his bald scalp and lifted his hat to let thegusty wind cool his head. A sudden squall blew the big pith sun-helmetout of his hand. Wargrave caught it in the air and returned it to itsowner.
"By Jove! it's a regular gale," he said. "I think I know what'shappened. This wind's so strong that it's blown the water of the tankbefore it and actually shifted the whole mass thirty or forty yards thisway."
"Yes, I've known that to occur before with shallow ponds," said Raymond."I've heard the passage of the Red Sea by the Israelites and thedrowning of Pharaoh's Army explained in the same way. It's said that thecrossing really took place at one extremity of the Bitter Lake throughwhich the Suez Canal passes."
Major Norton was staring at the far end of the tank now left bare.
"There may be some interesting insects stranded on the bottom uncoveredby the receding water," he said, abstractedly, and was moving away tosearch for them when Wargrave said disgustedly:
"Don't you think, sir, that, as Mrs. Norton has had such a shock, thesooner we get off the better?"
"Yes, yes. Very true. But you can order the camels to be saddled whileI'm having a look," replied the enthusiastic collector. "I really mustgo and see. There may be some very interesting specimens there."
And he hurried away. His wife smiled rather bitterly as he went. Thenshe turned to the two subalterns.
"But tell me what happened? How did the _mugger_ come here? How was Isaved?"
Raymond rapidly narrated what had taken place. Violet looked at Wargravewith glistening eyes and held out her hands to him.
"So you saved my life. How can I thank you?" she said gratefully. Herlips trembled a little.
Frank took her hands in his but answered lightly:
"Oh, it was nothing. Anyone else would have done the same. I happened tobe the only one with a rifle."
Raymond turned away quickly and walked over to the crocodile. Neither ofthem took any notice of him. Violet gazed fondly at Wargrave.
"I owe you so much, Frank, so very much," she murmured in a low voice."You've made my life worth living; and now you make me live."
He was embarrassed but he pressed the hands he held in his. Then hereleased them and tried to speak lightly.
"Shall I have the _mugger_ skinned and get a dressing-bag made out ofhis hide for you?" he said, smiling. "That'd be a nice souvenir of thebrute."
She shuddered.
"I don't want to remember him," she cried, turning to glance at thecrocodile. "Horrid beast! I can't bear the sight of him."
The _mugger_ certainly looked a most repulsive brute as it lay stretchedon the ground, its jaws occasionally opening and shutting spasmodically,the blood from its wounded throat spreading in a pool on the sun-bakedearth. It was evidently an old beast; and skull and back were coveredwith thick horny plates and bosses through which no bullet couldpenetrate. The big teeth studded irregularly in the cruel jaws wereyellow and worn, as were the thick nails tipping the claws at the endsof the powerful limbs.
"The devil's not dead yet. Shall I put another bullet into him?" saidWargrave.
"It's only wasting a cartridge," replied his friend. "He can't do anymore harm. When the men come we'll have him cut o
pen and see what he'sgot inside him."
Violet shuddered.
"Oh, do you think he has ever eaten any human being?" she asked, gazingwith loathing at the huge reptile.
"Judging from the way he stalked you I should think he has," answeredRaymond. "Hullo! here comes one of the camel-drivers with some of thevillagers. They'll be able to tell us about him."
On the rim of the basin appeared a group of natives moving in theirdirection. Suddenly they caught sight of the crocodile, stopped andpointed to it and began to talk excitedly. One of the local peasants ranback shouting. The rest hurried down for a closer view of the reptile. Achorus of wonder rose from them as they stood round it. The Mahommedancamel-driver exclaimed in Hindustani:
"_Ahre, bhai! Kiya janwar! Pukka shaitan!_ (Ah, brother! What an animal!A veritable devil!)"
As the villagers spoke only the dialect of the State, Raymond used thisman as interpreter and questioned them about the crocodile. Theyasserted that it had inhabited the tank for many years--hundreds, saidone man. It had, to their certain knowledge, killed several womenincautiously bathing or drawing water from the tank. As women are notvalued highly by the poorer Hindus this did not make the _mugger_ veryunpopular. But early in that very year it had committed the awful crimeof dragging under water and devouring a Brahmini bull, an animal devotedto the Gods and held sacrosanct.
By this time the crocodile had breathed its last. Raymond measured itroughly and found it to be over twelve feet in length. The peasantsturned the great body on its back. Wargrave saw that the skinunderneath was too thick to be made into leather, so he bade them cutthe belly open. The stomach contained many shells of freshwater crabsand crayfish, as well as a surprising amount of large pebbles, eithertaken for digestive purposes or swallowed when the fish were beingscooped up off the bottom. But further search resulted in the finding ofseveral heavy brass or copper anklets and armlets, such as are worn byIndian women. Some had evidently been a long time in the reptile'sinterior.
When the camels had come and the party was preparing to mount and startback home, a crowd of villagers, led by their old priest, bore down uponthem. Learning that Frank was the slayer of the sacrilegious crocodilethe holy man hung a garland of marigolds round his neck and through theinterpreter offered him the thanks of gods and men for his good deed.And to a chorus of blessings and compliments he rode away with hiscompanions.
So ended the incident--apparently. But consequences undreamed of by anyof the actors in it flowed from it. For imperceptibly it brought achange into the relations between Mrs. Norton and Wargrave andeventually altered them completely. At first it merely seemed tostrengthen their friendship and increase the feeling of intimacy. ToViolet--they were Violet and Frank to each other now--the saving of herlife constituted a bond that could never be severed. He had preservedher from a horrible death and she owed Wargrave more than gratitude.
Hitherto she had often toyed with the idea of him as a lover, and thethought had been a pleasant one. But it had hardly occurred to her to bein love with him in return. In all her life up to now she had neverknown what it was to really love. She had married without affection. Hergirlhood had been passed without the mildest flirtation; for she hadbeen brought up in a quiet country village where there never seemed tobe any bachelors of her own class between the ages of seventeen andfifty. Even the curate was grey-haired and married. She had made up forthis deprivation during the voyage out to India and her season inCalcutta; but, although she had found many men ready to flirt with her,Norton's proposal was the only serious one that she had had and sheaccepted him in desperation. She had never felt any love for him. Shedid not realise that he had any for her; for, although he reallyentertained a sincere affection of a kind for her, it was so seldom andso badly expressed that she was never aware of its existence. Since hermarriage she had had several careless flirtations during her visits toher relatives in Calcutta; but her heart was not seriously affected.
She never acknowledged to herself that any gratitude or loyalty was duefrom her to her husband. On the contrary she felt that she owed him, aswell as Fate, a grudge. She was young, warmblooded, of a passionatetemperament, yet she found herself wedded to a man who apparently neededa housekeeper, not a wife. Her husband did not appear to realise that awoman is not essentially different to a man, that she has feelings,desires, passions, just as he has--although by a polite fiction theprudish Anglo-Saxon races seem to agree to regard her as of a morespiritual, more ethereal and less earthly a nature. Yet it is only afiction after all. Violet was a living woman, a creature of flesh andblood who was not content to be a chattel, a household ornament, a pieceof furniture. It was not to be wondered at that she longed to enter intowoman's kingdom, to exercise the power of her sex to sway the other andto experience the thrill of the realisation of that power. Often in herloneliness she pined to see eyes she loved look with love into hers. Shewas not a marble statue. It was but natural that she should long forLove, a lover, the clasp of strong arms, the pressure of a man's broadchest against her bosom, the feel of burning kisses on her lips, theglorious surrender of her whole being to some adored one to whom she wasthe universe, who lived but for her.
Now for the first time in her life her errant dreams took concreteshape. At last she began to feel the companionship of a particular mannecessary for her happiness. She had never before realised thepleasure, the joy, to be derived from the presence of one of theopposite sex who was in sympathy, in perfect harmony with her nature.
In her lonely hours--and they were many--she thought constantly ofWargrave; his face was ever before her, his voice sounding in her ears.She usually saw her husband--absorbed in his work and studies--only atmeals; and as she looked across the table at him then she could not helpcontrasting the heavy, unattractive man sitting silent, usually readinga book while he ate, with the good-looking, laughter-loving playfellowwho had come into her life. She learned to day-dream of Wargrave, towatch for his coming and hate his going, to enjoy every moment of hispresence. He had brought a new interest into her hitherto purposelesslife, the life that he had preserved and that consequently seemed tobelong to him. New feelings awakened in her. The world was a brighter,happier place than it had been. It pleased her to realise what it allmeant, to know that the novel sensations, the fluttering hopes andfears, the strange, delightful thrills, were all symptoms of thatlonged-for malady that comes sooner or later to all women. She knew atlast that she loved Wargrave and gloried in the knowledge. And she neverdoubted that he loved her in return.
Did he? It was hard to tell. To a man the thought of Love in theabstract seldom occurs; and the realisation of the concrete fact thathe is in love with some particular woman generally comes somewhat as ashock. He is by nature a lover of freedom and in theory at least resentsfetters, even silken ones. And Wargrave had never thought of analysinghis feelings towards Violet. He was not a professional amorist and,although not a puritan, would never set himself deliberately to makelove to a married woman under her husband's roof. He was fond of Mrs.Norton--as a sister, he thought. She was a delightful friend, a realpal, so understanding, so companionable, he said to himself frequently.It had not occurred to him that his feelings for her might be love. Hehad often before been on terms of friendship with women, married andsingle; but none of them had ever attracted him as much as she did. Hehad never felt any desire to be married; domesticity did not appeal tohim. But now, as he watched Violet moving about her drawing-room orplaying to him, he found himself thinking that it would be pleasant toreturn to his bungalow from parade and find a pretty little wife waitingto greet him with a smile and a kiss--and the wife of his dreams alwayshad Violet's face, wore smart well-cut frocks like Violet's, and showedjust such shapely, silken-clad legs and ankles and such small feet indainty, silver-buckled, high-heeled shoes. And he thought with an inwardgroan that such a luxury was not for a debt-ridden subaltern like him,that his heavily-mortgaged pay would not run to expensive gowns, silkstockings and costly footwear.
Yet
it never occurred to him that Violet cared for him nor did it enterhis mind to try to win her love. But he felt that he would do much tomake her happy, that saving her life made him in a way responsible forit in future; and he knew that she was not a contented woman. Hissympathy went out to her for what he guessed she must suffer from herill-assorted union.
But soon he had no need to surmise it; for before long Violet began toconfide all her sorrows to him and the recital made his heart bleed forone so young and beautiful mated to a selfish wretch who was as blind toher suffering as he was to her charm. The younger man's chivalry was upin arms, and he felt that such a boor did not deserve so bright a jewel.At times Frank was tempted to confront the callous husband and force himto open his dulled eyes to the bravely-borne misery of his neglectedwife and realise how fortunate he ought to consider himself in being theowner of such a transcendent being. But the next moment the infatuatedyouth was convinced that Norton was incapable of appreciating so rare awoman, that only a nature like his own could understand or do fulljustice to the perfections of hers. Such is a young man's conceit. Herejoiced to know that his poor sympathy could help in a measure to makeup to Violet for the happiness that she declared that she had missed inlife. And so he gladly consented to play the consoler; and she, for thepleasure of being consoled, continued to pour out her griefs to him.
But if Frank was unconscious of the danger of his post as sympathisingconfidant to another man's young and pretty wife, others were not. Herhusband, of course, was as blind as most husbands seem to be inAnglo-Indian society. For in that land of the Household of Three, theEternal Triangle, it is almost a recognised principle that every marriedwoman who is at all attractive is entitled to have one particularbachelor always in close attendance on her, to be constantly at her beckand call, to ride with her, to drive her every afternoon to tennis orgolf or watch polo, then on to the Club and sit with her there. Hisduty, a pleasant one, no doubt, is to cheer up her otherwise solitarydinner in her bungalow on the nights when her neglectful husband isdining out _en garcon_. No _cavaliere servente_ of Old Italy ever had sobusy a time as the Tame Cat of the India of to-day. And the husbandallows it, nay seems, as Major Norton did, to hail his presence withrelief, as it eases the conscience of the selfish lord and master wholeaves his spouse much alone.
But if the Resident saw no harm or danger in the young officerconstantly seeking the society of his pretty wife others did. At firstFrank's well-wishers tried to hint to him that there was likelihood ofhis friendship with her being misunderstood. But he laughed atRaymond's badly-expressed warning and rather resented Major Hepburn'skindly advice when on one occasion his Company Commander spoke plainly,though tactfully, to him on the subject. Then Violet's enemies took ahand in the game. Mrs. Trevor, having failed to decoy him to herbungalow for what she called "a quiet tea and a motherly little chat,"cornered him one afternoon when he was on his way to the Residency andspoke very openly to him of the risk he ran of being entangled in thecoils of such an outrageous coquette as "that Mrs. Norton," as shetermed her. Frank was so indignant at her abuse of his friend that forthe first time in his life he was rude to a woman and snubbed Mrs.Trevor so severely that she went in a rage to her husband and insistedon his taking immediate steps to arrest the progress of a scandal that,she declared, would attract the unfavourable attention of the highermilitary authorities to the regiment.
"Do you realise, William, that you will be the one to suffer?" said theangry woman. "If anything happens, if Major Norton complains, if thatshameless creature succeeds in making that foolish young man run awaywith her, you will be blamed. You can't afford it. You know that theGeneral's confidential report on you last year was not too favourable."
"It wasn't really bad, my dear; it only hinted that I lacked decision,"pleaded the hen-pecked man.
"Exactly. You are not firm enough," persisted his domestic tyrant. "Theywill say that you should have put your foot down at once and stoppedthis disgraceful affair."
"But what can I do?" asked the Colonel helplessly.
"Someone ought to speak to Major Norton at once."
"Oh, my dear Jane, I couldn't. I daren't."
"For two pins I'd do it myself. Mrs. Baird said the other day that itwas our duty as respectable women."
"No, no, no, Jane. You mustn't think of it," exclaimed the alarmed man."I forbid you. You mustn't mix yourself up in the affair. It would becommitting me."
"Then send that impertinent young man away," said Mrs. Trevor firmly. NoGeneral would have accused _her_ of lack of decision. "I used to have ahigh opinion of him once; but after his insolence to me I believe him tobe nearly as bad as that woman."
"Where can I send him?" asked the worried Colonel. "He has done all thecourses and passed all the classes and examinations he can."
"You know you have only to write confidentially to the Staff and informthem that young Wargrave's removal to another station is absolutelynecessary to prevent a scandal; and they'll send him off somewhere elseat once."
Her husband nodded his head. He was well aware of the fact that the Armyin India looks closely after the behaviour and morals of its officers,that a colonel has only to hint that the transfer of a particularindividual under his command is necessary to stop a scandal--and withoutloss of time that officer finds himself deported to the other side ofthe country.
One morning, a week after Mrs Trevor's conversation with her husband,Wargrave, superintending the musketry of his Double Company on the riflerange, was given an official note from the adjutant informing him thatthe Commanding Officer desired to see him at once in the Orderly Room.As Major Hepburn was not present Frank handed the men over to the seniorIndian company commander and rode off to the Regimental Office,wondering as he went what could be the reason of the sudden summons.Reaching the building he found Raymond on the watch for him, whileostensibly engaged in criticising to the battalion _durzi_ (tailor) thefit of the new uniforms of several recruits.
"I say, Ray, what's up?" asked his friend cheerily, as he swung himselfout of the saddle.
The adjutant nodded warningly towards the Orderly Room and dropped hisvoice as he replied:
"I don't know, old chap. The C.O.'s said nothing to me; but he's inthere with Hepburn trying to work himself up into a rage so that he canbully-rag you properly. You'd better go in and get it over."
Wargrave entered the big, colour-washed room. The Colonel was seated athis desk, frowning at a paper before him, and did not look up. MajorHepburn was standing behind his chair and glanced commiseratingly at thesubaltern.
Frank stood to attention and saluted.
"Good morning, sir," he said. "You wanted to see me?"
Colonel Trevor did not reply, but turning slightly in his chair, said:
"Major Hepburn, call in the adjutant, please."
As the Second in Command went out on the verandah and summoned Raymond,Wargrave's heart misgave him. He had no idea of what the matter was; butthe Colonel's manner and the presence of the Second in Command wereominous signs. He wondered what crime he was going to be charged with.
"Shut the doors, Raymond," said the Commanding Officer curtly, as theadjutant entered. The latter did so and sat down at his writing-table,glancing anxiously at his friend.
Colonel Trevor's lips were twitching nervously; and he seemed toexperience a difficulty in finding his voice. At last he took up apaper from his desk and said:
"Mr. Wargrave, this is a telegram just received from Western Army HeadQuarters. It says 'Lieutenant Wargrave is appointed to No. 12 Battalion,Frontier Military Police. Direct him to proceed forthwith to report toO.C. Detachment, Ranga Duar, Eastern Bengal.'"