‘We might have seen the Tower of Babel, that reached to the sky,’ said Lucy-Ann. ‘Should we, Bill?’
‘Not from this river. Babylon is miles away,’ said Bill. ‘Look – here comes nightfall – and out come the stars!’
‘And we can see the gleam of the fires now, outside the huts, through the trees,’ said Dinah. ‘I love the evenings here. That little group of village houses looks most picturesque now – but I know if we went and sat near them they wouldn’t look so nice. It’s a pity.’
‘Spitty!’ said Kiki, at once. ‘Spitty, spitty, spitty.’
‘I didn’t say that, Kiki,’ said Dinah. ‘I said “It’s a pity.” Don’t be rude!’
‘Spitty,’ said Kiki, working herself up in a crescendo. ‘Spitty spitty, SPITTY . . .’
‘Be quiet,’ said Jack, and tapped her on the head.
‘Spitty!’ repeated Kiki at once, and went off into a shriek of laughter. Tala burst into laughter too, and his huge guffaw made them all jump. He thought Kiki was the funniest thing he had ever met, and was always bringing her titbits. He brought her one now – a piece of pineapple out of a tin. She took it in one foot, and shook the juice from it.
‘Don’t!’ said Dinah. ‘I don’t like pineapple juice down my neck, Kiki. Do be good.’
‘Good, good, goody good,’ said Kiki, and nibbled daintily at the pineapple. ‘Good boy, goodbye, good morning, good afternoon, good . . .’
Tala roared again, and Bill motioned him away. He would have stood all evening watching Kiki if he had been allowed to.
‘Are you going ashore tomorrow or tonight, Bill?’ asked Mrs Cunningham.
‘Tonight, I think,’ said Bill. ‘The man I want to talk to may be out all day – and anyway I’d rather talk to him at night, with no one about.’
Bill went off about nine o’clock, slipping like a shadow through the trees. He had been told how to find the man he wanted, and any villager would direct him to the house, which was built alongside a big store.
‘I think I’ll turn in,’ said Mrs Cunningham, after a while. ‘I don’t know why this air makes me feel so sleepy, but it does. You turn in too, children – and remember your mosquito-nets!’
Dinah was already yawning. She and Lucy put up their net not far from Mrs Cunningham, arranging it over their mattress on the deck. The boys were not sleepy and hung over the side of the launch, talking in whispers. Tala could be heard snoring at the other end of the boat.
‘Wonder how Bill’s getting on,’ said Jack, in a low tone. ‘Shall we wait up for him?’
‘No. Better not. He may be pretty late,’ said Philip. ‘Let’s turn in now. It must be about half-past ten. Where’s our net? Oh, you’ve got it. Good. Come on then.’
They lay down on their mattress, glad to feel cool after the heat of the day. It was very peaceful lying there, hearing the small lappings of the river, and a night-bird calling out suddenly, or a fish jumping in the darkness.
Jack went drifting off to sleep, and began to dream of enormous palaces and golden gates, and vast store-houses of treasure. Philip tossed and turned, listening for Bill.
Ah! There he was! Philip heard a noise as if someone were creeping on to the launch, trying to keep as quiet as possible. He listened for Bill to pour a glass of lime-juice for a last drink as he always did. But no sound came. Bill must have decided to turn in at once.
Another small sound made him sit up suddenly. Was that Bill? Somehow it didn’t sound like him. Bill was big and heavy, and no matter how quiet he tried to be, he always made some noise. Surely he would have made more noise than this? If it wasn’t Bill – then who was it?
Philip rolled quietly off his mattress and pushed aside the mosquito-net. He sat on the bare floor of the deck and listened again. Yes – someone was creeping about! Someone in bare feet.
It couldn’t be Tala. He had bare feet – but Philip could quite well hear his snores at the other end of the boat. Was it – was it that man who had asked them questions about Bill, come to snoop about? Or could it possibly be the snake-charmer, come for a revenge of some sort? No – that was impossible, surely!
Philip listened once more. A small sound came to him again, this time down in the cabin of the launch. He crept silently over the deck, only the stars showing him the way.
He came to the top of the hatchway steps that led down to the cabin, and listened again. Yes, someone was down there – and it sounded as if the someone was helping himself to food. And drink too! There was a noise exactly like someone drinking!
Philip thought it was probably some person from the group of houses beyond the trees. What should he do? Wake Tala? That might be a bit of a job, and Tala would probably wake up in a fright and yell, which might give the intruder time to get away!
Then a bright thought came to Philip. Of course – he could close the hatchway and catch the thief that way! So he tried to shut it down, but it was tightly fastened back, and he couldn’t move it. He decided to creep back to Jack and wake him. Together they would be a match for any native.
He crept back very quietly, stopping every now and again to listen for any other sounds from the intruder. He half thought he heard one behind him and listened again. No. Nothing.
On he went, and rounded the corner that led to his mattress, coming out of the shadow into the starlight.
And then he saw a black shadow standing in front of him! A shadow that seemed to look at him and recognize him. It flung itself on him, and held him tightly, while he struggled to shake it off.
‘Boss!’ said the shadow. ‘Boss, Oola follow you. Oola here, boss. Oola here!’
The sound of Oola’s voice woke everyone up – everyone, that is, except the snoring Tala. Mrs Cunningham sat up at once. Jack leapt off his mattress and found himself entangled in his mosquito-net. The girls sat up with hearts thumping loudly. What was happening?
Jack switched on a torch, and Dinah felt about for hers. Mrs Cunningham threw aside her net, and flashed her own torch in the direction of the noise. It lighted up a queer sight!
Philip was standing on the deck, and little Oola was kneeling in front of him, his arms clasping Philip’s knees so tightly that the boy couldn’t move!
‘Let go!’ said Philip. ‘You’re waking everyone up. What on earth have you come here for?’
‘Oola yours, boss,’ said the small voice. ‘Oola belong you. Not send Oola away.’
‘Philip! What is all this?’ called Mrs Cunningham. ‘Where’s Bill? Isn’t he back yet?’
‘No, Mother!’ said Philip. ‘This is the kid we rescued from that snake-charmer we told you about – the one who was beating him. He’s followed us all the way here!’
‘Oola follow boat, all way, all way, Oola run,’ said Oola.
‘Good gracious! Fancy running all the way down the banks of the river!’ said Jack. ‘Poor little creature! He seems determined to be near you, Philip. Oola, are you hungry?’
‘Oola eat down there,’ said the little boy, pointing towards the hatchway. ‘Oola no food two, three days.’
Mrs Cunningham examined him by the light of her torch, and exclaimed in horror. ‘Why, he’s absolutely covered in bruises and weals – and he’s as thin as a rake. Poor little thing! Has he really run all the way after the boat to find you, Philip?’
‘Seems so,’ said Philip, finding his heart suddenly full of pity and affection for this strange little creature. He couldn’t bear to think of him clambering through the bushes by the riverside all day long, trying to follow the boat – hungry, thirsty, tired and sore. All because Philip had rescued him from his hateful uncle! Perhaps nobody had ever been kind to him before.
Suddenly a voice came from the bank. ‘Hallo! Are you all still up? I hope you didn’t wait for me.’
It was Bill. He leapt on to the launch, saw Oola kneeling on the deck and stopped in amazement.
‘Whatever’s all this? What’s happening?’ he demanded. ‘Who’s this come to visit us in the middle of the night?’
r />
11
Oola and his present
Oola crouched down at the sound of Bill’s loud voice. Philip felt him trembling against his knees. He pulled him up. ‘It’s all right,’ he said. ‘Don’t be frightened. Bill, this is that kid we rescued this morning from the snake-charmer. He’s followed us all the way here, running along the banks.’
Bill stared in astonishment. ‘But – he can’t do this!’ he said. ‘Climbing on board someone else’s boat in the middle of the night! Has he stolen anything? Some small kids are taught to steal as soon as they can walk.’
‘He took some food from the cabin. He says he hasn’t had any for two or three days,’ said Lucy-Ann. ‘Bill, he seems to think he wants to be Philip’s servant. Whatever are we to do?’
‘He’ll have to go,’ said Bill. ‘It’s just a trick to get on the boat. No doubt his snake-charmer uncle has put him up to this, and is waiting for his share of the goods! Clear off, now, boy! Quick!’
Oola was so scared that he could hardly walk. He left Philip and stumbled over the deck towards the jetty. As he passed Mrs Cunningham, she put out her hand to the stumbling boy, and caught him, so that he came to a standstill. She turned him round gently so that he stood in the light of her torch, with his back towards Bill.
‘Bill – look!’ she said. And Bill looked, and saw the poor thin little body, with the bruises all over it. He gave an exclamation.
‘Good heavens! Who did that? Poor little creature, he looks half-starved. Come here, Oola.’
Oola came, half reassured by the kinder tone in Bill’s voice. Bill shone his torch on him, and the boy blinked. ‘Why did you come, Oola?’ asked Bill, still stern. ‘Tell me the truth and nothing will harm you.’
‘I come to find him,’ said Oola, and pointed to Philip. ‘I make him my boss. Oola his servant. Oola bring present for boss.’
Bill looked him over. Except for the dirty cloth round his waist, Oola had nothing to bring!
‘You bring no present,’ said Bill. ‘Why do you lie, Oola?’
‘Oola spik truth,’ said the boy. ‘My boss, he say he like snake. Very much like snake. So Oola bring one. Bargua snake!’
And, to everyone’s horror, Oola slid his hand into his waist-cloth and brought out a slim, wriggling green snake, spotted with bright red and yellow!
‘Its mouth isn’t sewn up!’ yelled Jack. ‘Look out, everybody! Look out, Oola, you fathead! It’s a poisonous snake. Its bite will kill you!’
Dinah shot to the hatchway, ran down and locked herself into a cupboard, trembling all over. A bargua! One of the most poisonous snakes there were! How COULD Oola wear it round him like a belt! She felt quite sick.
Oola still held the snake, which writhed about in his hand, opening its mouth and showing its forked tongue.
‘Throw it overboard, Oola!’ shouted Bill. ‘For goodness’ sake, throw it overboard! Are you mad?’
‘Oola bring present for boss,’ said Oola obstinately. He lifted the snake towards Philip, who retreated at once. He liked snakes. He was not afraid of them. But to take hold of a poisonous one which was already frightened and full of anger would be a crazy thing to do!
‘THROW IT OVERBOARD!’ yelled Bill, terribly afraid that somebody would get bitten. ‘You silly little idiot!’
‘Snake not bite,’ said Oola. ‘All poison gone. See!’
To everyone’s horror he forced open the snake’s mouth. Philip bent down and looked inside, suddenly feeling that the snake might not be dangerous after all. He looked for the poison-gland and the duct that led down to the hollow tooth out of which poison pours when a snake bites.
He looked up again in the midst of a dead silence. ‘The snake’s not poisonous,’ he said, and he calmly took it from Oola. ‘Someone has cut the ducts that take the poison from the poison-glands to the teeth. It’s a horrible trick, because it usually means that the snake dies in three or four weeks’ time. Oola – who did this?’
‘Old woman,’ said Oola. ‘Oola tell her my boss wants bargua snake, and she give Oola this one. Safe snake, boss, not like snake-mouth sewn up. You like this one?’
Philip was now talking to the snake in his special ‘animal’ voice, and it was attending, lying quite still in his hands.
‘Poor thing!’ said Philip. ‘All because of me you have been injured! You have no poison in you now, but you will die because of that. You shall live with me and be happy till then. Oola, you must never have such a thing done to snakes again! It’s cruel!’
‘Yes, boss,’ said Oola humbly. He looked round fearfully at Bill. ‘Oola stay?’ he enquired. ‘Oola boss’s man. Belong him,’ and he pointed at Philip.
‘All right – you can stay for the night anyhow,’ said Bill, feeling quite exhausted with all this. ‘Come with me. I’ll wake Tala and you can sleep with him.’
‘Go, Oola,’ said Philip, seeing the boy hesitate, and Oola went.
‘I wanted to put some ointment on his back,’ said Mrs Cunningham. ‘Poor little mite! Oh, Philip – have we got to have that snake living with us now?’
‘I’ll keep it in my pocket,’ said Philip. ‘I won’t let it out unless I’m alone, or with Jack. It’s quite harmless, Mother. Mother, can we let Oola stay with us? He can help Tala and I’ll see that he’s not a nuisance. I can’t imagine why he has attached himself to me.’
‘Well, you rescued him from that awful uncle of his, didn’t you!’ said Lucy-Ann.
‘We’ll see what Bill says,’ said Mrs Cunningham. ‘He’ll do what he can for him, I know. Where’s Dinah?’
‘Probably locked in the broom cupboard!’ said Jack. ‘I’ll go and see.’
Dinah was still in the cupboard, feeling rather ashamed of herself now, but not daring to come out till someone fetched her. She was most relieved to see Jack.
Jack decided not to tell her yet that Philip had the snake. She might kick up a terrible fuss and have a violent quarrel with Philip. Better have all that in the morning, not now, when everyone was tired and upset.
‘Come on out, Di,’ he said, opening the door. ‘Don’t worry! The snake wasn’t even poisonous! The poor thing has had its poison-ducts cut, so no poison can run down to the hollow fangs. We had all that fright for nothing.’
‘I don’t believe it,’ said Dinah. ‘It’s still poisonous. You’re just making that up to get me out!’
‘No. It’s true, Dinah!’ said Jack. ‘Do come out. Everybody wants to go to bed now. Oola has gone to sleep with Tala. He’s absolutely determined to be Philip’s servant, poor little boy!’
Dinah imagined that the snake had also gone with Oola, and she consented to come up on deck again. Soon everyone had settled under their mosquito-nets and were soon asleep. What an extraordinary evening!
In about half an hour, when Tala was snoring loudly again, a small figure crept over the launch to where the boys slept. It was Oola. He had come to be near his ‘boss’! He curled himself up on the bare deck at Philip’s feet, and closed his eyes, perfectly happy and at peace. He was with his ‘boss’. He was guarding him! No one could come near Philip without waking Oola.
In the morning Tala, as usual, awoke first. He remembered the episodes of the night and looked for Oola. The boy was gone. He nodded his head in satisfaction. Had he not told Mister Bill that boys like that were no good? But Mister Bill had said, ‘He sleeps with you, he will stay here.’ And now the boy was gone, and Tala was right.
He prepared breakfast, planning what to say to Bill. ‘Sir, Tala right. Tala spoke true. Boy gone.’
Tala was therefore extremely surprised and disappointed to see Oola curled up at Philip’s feet. He gave him a push with his foot and Oola was up on his feet at once, ready to defend Philip.
‘You go back there,’ said Tala fiercely, in his own language, but under his breath so as not to wake anyone. He nodded towards his own quarters. Oola shook his head and sat down by Philip again. Tala raised his hand as if to strike him and Oola slid away deftly, running to hide.
/> But as soon as Tala went away Oola came back to Philip again, and sat looking down at the sleeping boy with so much pride and admiration in his face that Philip would have been quite embarrassed to see it.
The snake was safely in a little basket beside him. Oola scratched his finger against the basket and whistled very softly. The snake hissed and tried to get out.
‘You are my boss’s snake,’ Oola told it, in his own language. ‘You belong him, Oola belong him!’
What a to-do at breakfast when Dinah realized that the snake now belonged to Philip, and he was going to keep it. She gave such a shriek when its head peeped out of his pocket that everyone jumped. ‘Philip! I won’t have you keep that snake. You know how I hate snakes. Bill, tell him he mustn’t. Bill, I do so hate them. I shan’t stay a minute longer on this boat if you say he can keep it. I’ll go back to the hotel!’
‘All right, Dinah,’ said Bill mildly. ‘There’s no need to go up in smoke. I shan’t stop you from going back to the hotel if you are so distressed. I’ll get Tala to run you back with a note to the hotel manager. You should be quite all right there, especially as he has two nice old English ladies coming to stay at his hotel this week to do some painting. They’ll look after you.’
Dinah couldn’t believe her ears. What! Bill would actually let her go back – all alone – instead of ordering Philip not to keep the snake?
‘I’ll call Tala now, shall I?’ said Bill.
Dinah went brilliant red, and looked at him with tears in her eyes. ‘No,’ she said. ‘I’d – I’d rather put up with the snake than leave you all. You know that. You win, Bill.’
‘Good girl, Dinah,’ said Bill, with a sudden smile. ‘Now – what are our plans for today? And WHAT are we going to do with Oola?’
12
Good news for Oola
Oola had been sent to have breakfast with Tala. Tala was very offhand with him, and kept him strictly in his place. He liked children, but this boy had no business here, on his boat, thought Tala.
Oola did his best to please Tala. He listened to all that he had to say, only spoke when he was spoken to, and put himself at the man’s beck and call, running here and there at top speed for him.