CHAPTER V
The Order of Merit
"Bad cess to you, you young varmint!" exclaimed Barney, waking with astart. "What do you say at all?"
"Ba-lofundu bao ya! Boloko!"
"Be jabers if I know what you'd be meaning. Off! Run! Nando! Andit's pitch dark it is."
The boy scampered, Pat still at his heels. The dog had evidently beenimpressed by Samba's warnings, for he ran silently, without growl orbark. They came to the spot where Nando lay, beneath a spreadingacacia. Samba shook him without ceremony.
"Ba-lofundu bao ya!" he cried. "Betsua! Betsua!"[1]
Nando growled and bade him be off; but when the boy poured his storywith eager excitement into the big negro's sleepy ears, Nando at lastbestirred himself, and hurried to Mr. Martindale's tent, bidding Sambaremain at hand.
"Samba him uncle, berrah bad man, come to fight," said Nandobreathlessly when Jack came to the door of the tent. "Bad man go roundround, hide in trees, come like leopard. Massa gone 'sleep: massa himmen all lib for big sleep; Boloko shoot; one, two, massa dead all same."
"What, what!" said Mr. Martindale, flinging off his rug. "Anotheralarm, eh?" He pressed the button of an electric torch and threw abright light on the scene.
"An attack in force this time, uncle," said Jack. "Some black fellowsare coming to surprise us in the rear."
"How many are the villains?" said Mr. Martindale, pulling on histrousers.
"Two, free, hundred, fousand."
"A dozen all told, I suppose! Well, we'll fight 'em."
"Rather risky that, uncle," said Jack. "There may be more than adozen, after all, and our men are not armed: we two couldn't do muchagainst a hundred, say."
"True. Why was I such a fool? That Britisher at Matadi said I'dbetter arm my men, and I wish I'd taken his tip. We're in a tightcorner, Jack, if the nigger is correct. Here, Nando, are you sure ofthis?"
"Sartin sure, sah. Me see fousand fifty black men creep, creep 'longribber, sah: big lot guns, 'Bini guns, massa, go crack, crack. Comeall round, sah; run like antelope: no time for massa run away."
Nando's face expressed mortal terror; there was no doubt he believed inthe reality of the danger.
"How did they come?" asked Mr. Martindale.
"In boat, sah."
"Where are they?"
"Small small up ribber, sah."
"And I suppose you've alarmed the camp?"
"No, sah, no. Me no tell one boy at all."
"Well, it looks as if we're going to be wiped out, Jack. We can'tfight a hundred armed men. If our fellows were armed, we might lay atrap for 'em; but we aren't strong enough for that. But perhaps if weshow we're ready for 'em, and they're not going to surprise us, theymay sheer off."
"Then why not take the offensive, uncle?"
"What d'you mean?"
"Attack the canoes while the most of them are marching round. They'dhear our shots and bolt back, as sure as a gun."
"That's slim. We'll try it. Go and wake Barney, Jack."
Barney, however, was already on his way to the tent, Jack explained thesituation to him.
"Here's a revolver, Barney," said Mr. Martindale, as the Irishman cameup. "You must do the best you can if there's a rush. Jack and I aregoing right away to the river: you're in charge."
Barney handled the revolver gingerly.
"Sure I'd feel more at home wid me shillelagh!" he muttered as he wentaway. Mr. Martindale turned to the negro.
"Now you, Nando, lead the way."
The man's eyes opened wide with fear.
"Me plenty sick in eyes, sah," he stammered. "Me only see small small.Boy Samba him eyes berrah fine and good, see plenty quick, massa; heshow way."
"I don't care who shows the way," said Mr. Martindale, too muchpreoccupied with his hunting rifle and ammunition to notice theinconsistency between Nando's statement and the story he had alreadytold. Nando called to Samba and told him what was required, and theparty set off, the boy going ahead with Pat, Mr. Martindale and Jackfollowing with their rifles, and Nando in great trepidation bringing upthe rear.
Mr. Martindale puffed and panted as he scaled the bluff, and breathedvery hard as he followed Samba down the rough descent to the brink ofthe river. When they came to comparatively level ground they halted.
"How far now?" asked Mr. Martindale, in a whisper.
"Small small, massa," replied Nando.
"Well, Jack, when we come near these precious canoes we'll fire bothbarrels one slick after the other, then reload."
"And go at them with a rush, uncle?"
"Rush! How can I rush? I'm pretty well blown already. But I couldfetch wind enough to shout. We'll shout, Jack. Nando, you'll bawlyour loudest, and the boy too. If I know these niggers they'll bolt.And look here, Jack, fire in the air: we don't want to hit 'em. Ifthey stand their ground and resist, we can fire in good earnest; butthey won't."
They took a few cautious steps forward, then Samba ran back, clutchedNando by the arm and whispered--
"Boat dah, sah," said the negro, under his breath. "Oh! me feel plentysick inside!"
"Hush! Howl, then, when we fire. Now, Jack, ready? I'll let off mytwo barrels first."
Next moment there was a flash and a crack, followed immediately by asecond. Nando and Samba had begun to yell at the top of their voices.Mr. Martindale bellowed in one continuous roll, and Pat added to thedin by a furious barking. The noise, even to those who made it, wassufficiently startling in the deep silence of the night. Jack firedhis two shots, but before his uncle had reloaded there was a yell fromthe direction of the canoes, then the sound of men leaping on shore andcrashing through the bushes. Immediately afterwards faint shouts camefrom the forest at the rear of the bluff.
"We've done the trick," said Mr. Martindale with a chuckle. "Now we'llget back. They've had a scare. Let's hope we shall have no moretrouble to-night."
He flashed his electric torch on the river bank below, and revealedfive large canoes drawn up side by side.
"There must be more than a hundred of them," he added. "Each of thosecanoes can carry thirty men."
On the way back to the camp, they heard renewed shouts as the men whohad marched into the forest broke out again in a wild dash for thethreatened canoes. The camp was in commotion. Barney was volublyadjuring the startled natives to be aisy; but they were yelling,running this way and that, tumbling over one another in the darkness.The sight of Mr. Martindale's round red face behind his electric torchreassured them; and when Nando, who had now quite recovered hisspirits, told them that he, with the white men's assistance, had put toflight twenty thousand bad men and Boloko, they laughed and slappedtheir thighs, and settled down in groups to discuss the event and makemuch of Nando during the rest of the night.
There was no more sleep for any of the party except Samba. He,satisfied that his new friends were safe, curled himself up on his matwith the inseparable terrier, and slept until the dawn. But Mr.Martindale sat smoking in his tent, discussing the events of the nightwith his nephew.
"I don't like it, Jack. We're on top this time, thanks to a littlebluff. But there must have been a large number of them to judge by thecanoes and the yells; and but for that fellow Nando we might easilyhave been wiped out. And from what Nando says they are thosevillainous forest guards of the Concession. What's the meaning of it?It may be that the Concession have repented of their bargain and wantto keep me out, or perhaps Elbel is terrified lest I shall expose himwhen I get back to Boma. Either way, it seems as if we're going tohave a bad time of it."
"I don't think it can be Elbel's doing, uncle. It's such a risky gameto play, your expedition being authorized by his own people."
"I don't imagine Elbel is such a fool as to attack us officially. Hecan always disavow the actions of those natives. At any rate, I shallmake a point of getting rifles for the men as soon as I can."
"They can't use them."
"Of course they can't; but you'll ha
ve to turn yourself into a musketryinstructor. Meanwhile I must give that fellow Nando some sort ofreward. It will encourage him and the others too."
When daylight broke Mr. Martindale went down to the river while Barneywas preparing breakfast. There was no trace of the enemy. Presumablythey had set their canoes afloat and drifted down stream in thedarkness. They had no doubt reckoned on surprising the camp, and theircalculations had been upset by the certainty of meeting withresistance, the fact that the travellers were poorly armed beingforgotten in the panic bred of the sudden uproar in the night.
After breakfast Mr. Martindale had the men paraded in a semicirclearound the tent, and, sitting on a stool in front of it, with Jack onone side and Barney on the other, he called Nando forward.
"We are very much pleased with your watchfulness, Nando."
The negro grinned, and with a ludicrous air of importance translatedthe sentence to his comrades.
"It is due to you that we were not surprised in the dark: you did verywell, and set an excellent example to the men."
"Me plenty clebber, sah, oh yes!"
"I shall take care in future to have our camp more closely guarded, andpunish any carelessness. But now, to show how pleased I am with you, Iam going to give you a little present."
Nando's mouth spread from ear to ear. He translated the announcementto the negroes, looking round upon them with an expression oftriumphant satisfaction that tickled Jack's sense of humour. Barneyhad shut one eye; his lips were twitching.
"But before I do that," went on Mr. Martindale, "I want you to tell ushow you came to discover the enemy in the darkness."
Nando for a moment looked a little nonplussed, scratching his head andshifting from foot to foot. Then inspiration seized him; heelaborately cleared his throat, snapped his fingers, crossed his armson his brawny chest, and began--
"Me no get sleep, me get up and go round about, fink see if massa'sfings all right. Me stop, go sick inside; one, two eyes like twinkletwinkle look down out of tree." He waved his arm towards the acaciaunder which he had been sleeping. "Me fink dis plenty bad; what forman lib for hide in tree and look at Nando? Me no 'fraid, no, no; mewalk all same, like me no see nuffin. Yah! me see all same, wait longtime, man no fit for see Nando. Bimeby man come down like snake,creep, creep, 'long, 'long; me go too, what for? 'cos man plenty badman, him go 'Bini gun, him go into wood. What for? Muss see; s'posehe go fetch bad man and shoot massa? He no come dis way 'less he libfor do bad fings. Him got 'Bini gun, me got spear; no good! Me no'fraid. Plenty debbils in forest! Me no 'fraid. Massa say Nando lookafter fings; all same: Nando look after, no 'fraid, 'Bini gun, debbilsand all. What for? Massa him Nando him fader and mudder. S'pose badmen shoot; s'pose debbil come; all same: muss do what massa say, lookafter fings, look after massa. Me no 'fraid!"
Again Nando paused and scratched his head, looking troubled. Then hisface cleared; he took a deep breath and continued--
"Me go 'long 'long after bad man. He come to place no trees, grass allsame: one, two, twenty, fousand bad men dah. Bad man say 'Kwa te! Kwate!'[2] Dey talk, oh yes! whish! whish! same as trees when wind maketalk. Me get behind tree; me hab got two, four, twenty ears. Melisten! Dey say come, creep, creep, bring 'Bini gun; white man all'sleep; black man come, no nise, shoot: oh my gracious! White man alllib for dead! Me no 'fraid!"
"Who was the chief of these bad men?" interrupted Mr. Martindale.
"Boloko, sah!--Samba him uncle."
"But how could you tell that in the dark?"
"Dey hab got light: one, two, twenty tiny small fire on stick."
"Torches, he means, I suppose," said Mr. Martindale. "How did you findyour way back in the dark?"
"Yah! Me know all 'bout dat. Me lib long time in forest, oh yes! Mefight little tiny men; dey plenty small, plenty good fighter all same;shoot one, two, free arrow; one, two, free fings gone dead. Me fightdem; so me find way like leopard."
"Well, you're a clever fellow, and you did very well. Here is apresent for you."
He took from his pocket a huge bone-handled penknife, and displayed itsvarious parts one by one: four blades, a corkscrew, a file, a hook, andan awl. Nando's eyes opened wide with delight; he chuckled gloatinglyas one after another these treasures came to view. Mr. Martindale wasshutting them up before handing over the knife when Barney steppedquietly forward, touched his cap and said--
"If you plase, sorr, before you part wid this handsome presentation,will I have yer leave to ax Mr. Nando wan question?"
"Why, you can if you like," said Mr. Martindale in surprise.
"Thank you, your honour. Now Mr. Nando, would you plase tell us if youate a big supper uv maniac last night?"
"Manioc, Barney," corrected Jack with a smile.
"Sure that's what I said, sorr! Would you plase tell his honour, Mr.Nando?"
The man looked in amazement from one to another. He seemed to suspecta pitfall, but was puzzled to make out the bearing of the question.
"Sure I speak plain. Did ye, or did ye not, eat a big supper uvanything at all last night?"
"Me eat plenty little manioc," said Nando, thinking he was expected todefend himself against a charge of gluttony. "Me no pig like commonblack man."
"And you did not get a pain?"--here Barney helped out his meaning withpantomime--"nor dream all that terrible wild stuff you have just beentelling us?"
"Me no can dream!" cried Nando, indignantly. "Me say true fings allsame."
"Sure, thin, if your supper didn't give ye the nightmare, mine did.Begorra! 'twas a mighty terrible dream I dreamt, indeed, Mr. Nando. Idreamt you was snoring like a pig--like a common black pig, to be sure;and there came a little spalpeen uv a black bhoy, a common black bhoy,and shook ye by the shoulder, and called 'Baa! Baa! Bloko!' and somemore I disremimber now; and thin----"
Nando, who had been looking more and more uneasy, here interrupted,hurriedly addressing Mr. Martindale--
"Me plenty sick inside, sah," he said, pressing his hands to the pit ofhis stomach. "Me eat plenty too much manioc all same."
Crestfallen and abashed the big fellow slunk away, Jack roaring withlaughter, Mr. Martindale looking on in speechless amazement.
"Begorra, sorr," said Barney, "'tis a born liar he is. He was fast inthe arms uv murphies, or maniac, speaking by the card, till the bhoySamba woke him up. 'Twas Samba, sorr, that spied the enemy, and 'twasme little darlint uv a dog that gave the first alarm. Give a dog hisdue, sorr, and if you plase, give Samba the knife."
Mr. Martindale first looked annoyed, then broke into hearty laughter.He called for Samba, who came up smiling, with Pat at his heels.
"Where's that villain Nando?" cried Mr. Martindale. "He shall come andinterpret."
In response to a summons Nando came from behind the crowd of natives.He had recovered his composure, and translated with glib and smilingunconcern the story which Samba told. Only when Mr. Martindale handedSamba the knife did the negro look sorry.
"Me no lib for eat too big lot manioc nudder time," he said glumly, ashe went away.
[1] Wake up!
[2] Hush!