Blown to Bits: The Lonely Man of Rakata, the Malay Archipelago

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

  TELLS OF THE JOYS, ETCETERA, OF THE PROFESSOR IN THE SUMATRAN FORESTS,ALSO OF A CATASTROPHE AVERTED.

  Fortunately the weather continued fine at first, and the light windfair, so that the canoe skimmed swiftly over the wide sea that separatesBorneo from Sumatra. Sometimes our travellers proceeded at night whenthe distance between islets compelled them to do so. At other timesthey landed on one of these isles when opportunity offered to rest andreplenish the water-casks.

  We will not follow them step by step in this voyage, which occupied morethan a week, and during which they encountered without damage severalsqualls in which a small open boat could not have lived. Reaching atlast the great island of Sumatra--which, like its neighbour Borneo, islarger in extent than the British Islands--they coasted alongsouthwards, without further delay than was absolutely necessary for restand refreshment, until they reached a port where they found the steamerof which they were in search just about to start on its return voyage.Van der Kemp committed his little craft to the care of the captain, who,after vainly advising his friend to take a free passage with him to theStraits of Sunda, promised to leave the canoe in passing at TelokBetong. We may add that Spinkie was most unwillingly obliged toaccompany the canoe.

  "Now, we must remain here till our friend Verkimier arrives," said thehermit, turning to Nigel after they had watched the steamer out ofsight.

  "I suppose we must," said Nigel, who did not at all relish thedelay--"of course we must," he added with decision.

  "I sees no `ob course' about it, Massa Nadgel," observed Moses, whonever refrained from offering his opinion from motives of humility, orof respect for his employer. "My 'dvice is to go on an' let depurfesser foller."

  "But I promised to wait for him," said the hermit, with one of hiskindly, half-humorous glances, "and you know I _never_ break mypromises."

  "Das true, massa, but you di'n't promise to wait for him for eber an'eber!"

  "Not quite; but of course I meant that I would wait a reasonable time."

  The negro appeared to meditate for some moments on the extent of a"reasonable" time, for his huge eyes became huger as he gazed frowninglyat the ground. Then he spoke.

  "A `reasonable' time, massa, is such an oncertain time--wariable, so tospeak, accordin' to the mind that t'inks upon it! Hows'eber, if you's_promised_, ob coorse dat's an end ob it; for w'en a man promises, he'sbound to stick to it."

  Such devotion to principle was appropriately rewarded the very next dayby the arrival of the trading prahu in which the professor had embarked.

  "We did not expect you nearly so soon," said Nigel, as they heartilyshook hands.

  "It vas because zee vind freshen soon after ve set sail--ant, zen, vemade a straight line for zis port, w'ereas you possibly crossed over,ant zen push down zee coast."

  "Exactly so, and that accounts for your overtaking us," said the hermit."Is that the lad Baso I see down there with the crew of the prahu?"

  "It is. You must have some strainch power of attracting frondship, Vander Kemp, for zee poor yout' is so fond of you zat he began to entreatme to take him, ant he says he vill go on vit zee traders if you refuseto let him follow you."

  "Well, he may come. Indeed, we shall be the better for his services,for I had intended to hire a man here to help to carry our things. Muchof our journeying, you see, must be done on foot."

  Baso, to his great joy, thus became one of the party.

  We pass over the next few days, which were spent in arranging andpacking their provisions, etcetera, in such a way that each member ofthe party should carry on his shoulders a load proportioned to hisstrength. In this arrangement the professor, much against his will, wascompelled to accept the lightest load in consideration of his liabilityto dart off in pursuit of creeping things and "bootterflies" at amoment's notice. The least damageable articles were also assigned tohim in consideration of his tendency at all times to tumble into bogsand stumble over fallen trees, and lose himself, and otherwise get intodifficulties.

  We also pass over part of the journey from the coast, and plunge withour travellers at once into the interior of Sumatra.

  One evening towards sunset they reached the brow of an eminence which,being rocky, was free from much wood, and permitted of a wide view ofthe surrounding country. It was covered densely with virgin forest, andthey ascended the eminence in order that the hermit, who had been therebefore, might discover a forest road which led to a village some milesoff, where they intended to put up for the night. Having ascertainedhis exact position, Van der Kemp led his followers down to thisfootpath, which led through the dense forest.

  The trees by which they were surrounded were varied and magnificent--some of them rising clear up seventy and eighty feet without a branch,many of them had superb leafy crowns, under any one of which hundreds ofmen might have found shelter. Others had trunks and limbs warped andintertwined with a wild entanglement of huge creepers, which hung infestoons and loops as if doing their best to strangle their supports,themselves being also encumbered, or adorned, with ferns and orchids,and delicate twining epiphytes. A forest of smaller trees grew beneaththis shade, and still lower down were thorny shrubs, rattan-palms,broad-leaved bushes, and a mass of tropical herbage which would havebeen absolutely impenetrable but for the native road or footpath alongwhich they travelled.

  "A most suitable abode for tigers, I should think," remarked Nigel tothe hermit, who walked in front of him--for they marched in single file."Are there any in these parts?"

  "Ay, plenty. Indeed, it is because I don't like sleeping in theircompany that I am so anxious to reach a village."

  "Are zey dangerows?" asked the professor, who followed close on Nigel.

  "Well, they are not safe!" replied the hermit. "I had an adventure withone on this very road only two years ago."

  "Indeed! vat vas it?" asked the professor, whose appetite for anecdotewas insatiable. "Do tell us about it."

  "With pleasure. It was on a pitch-dark night that it occurred. I hadoccasion to go to a neighbouring village at a considerable distance, andborrowed a horse from a friend--"

  "Anozer frond!" exclaimed the professor; "vy, Van der Kemp, zee countryseems to be svarming vid your fronds."

  "I have travelled much in it and made many friends," returned thehermit. "The horse that I borrowed turned out to be a very poor one,and went lame soon after I set out. Business kept me longer than Iexpected, and it was getting dark before I started to return. Ere longthe darkness became so intense that I could scarcely see beyond thehorse's head, and could not distinguish the path. I therefore let theanimal find his own way--knowing that he would be sure to do so, for hewas going home. As we jogged along, I felt the horse tremble. Then hesnorted and came to a dead stop, with his feet planted firmly on theground. I was quite unarmed, but arms would have been useless in thecircumstances. Suddenly, and fortunately, the horse reared, and nextmoment a huge dark object shot close past my face--so close that its furbrushed my cheek--as it went with a heavy thud into the jungle on theother side. I knew that it was a tiger and felt that my life, humanlyspeaking, was due to the rearing of the poor horse."

  "Are ve near to zee spote?" asked the professor, glancing from side toside in some anxiety.

  "Not far from it!" replied the hermit, "but there is not much fear ofsuch an attack in broad daylight and with so large a party."

  "Ve are not a very large party," returned the professor. "I do not zinkI would fear much to face a tiger vid my goot rifle, but I do not relishhis choomping on me unavares. Push on, please."

  They pushed on and reached the village a little before nightfall.

  Hospitality is a characteristic of the natives of Sumatra. Thetravellers were received with open arms, so to speak, and escorted tothe public building which corresponds in some measure to our westerntown-halls. It was a huge building composed largely of bamboowooden-planks and wicker-work, with a high thatched roof, and it stood,like all the other
houses, on posts formed of great tree-stems whichrose eight or ten feet from the ground.

  "You have frunds here too, I zink," said Verkimier to the hermit, asthey ascended the ladder leading to the door of the hall.

  "Well, yes--I believe I have two or three."

  There could be no doubt upon that point, unless the natives wereconsummate hypocrites, for they welcomed Van der Kemp and his party witheffusive voice, look and gesture, and immediately spread before thempart of a splendid supper which had just been prepared; for they hadchanced to arrive on a festive occasion.

  "I do believe," said Nigel in some surprise, "that they are lighting upthe place with petroleum lamps!"

  "Ay, and you will observe that they are lighting the lamps with Congrevematches--at least with matches of the same sort, supplied by the Dutchand Chinese. Many of their old customs have passed away, (among othersthat of procuring fire by friction), and now we have the appliances ofwestern civilisation to replace them."

  "No doubt steam is zee cause of zee change," remarked the professor.

  "That," said Nigel, "has a good deal to do with most things--from thesinging of a tea-kettle to the explosion of a volcano; though,doubtless, the commercial spirit which is now so strong among men is theproximate cause."

  "Surely dese people mus' be reech," said the professor, looking roundhim with interest.

  "They are rich enough--and well off in every respect, save that theydon't know very well how to make use of their riches. As you see, muchof their wealth is lavished on their women in the shape of ornaments,most of which are of solid gold and silver."

  There could be little doubt about that, for, besides the ornamentsproper, such as the bracelets and rings with which the arms of the youngwomen were covered, and earrings, etcetera,--all of solid gold andnative-made--there were necklaces and collars composed of Spanish andAmerican dollars and British half-crowns and other coins. In short,these Sumatran young girls carried much of the wealth of their parentson their persons, and were entitled to wear it until they should berelegated to the ranks of the married--the supposed-to-be unfrivolous,and the evidently unadorned!

  As this was a region full of birds, beasts, and insects of many kinds,it was resolved, for the professor's benefit, that a few days should bespent in it. Accordingly, the village chief set apart a newly-builthouse for the visitors' accommodation, and a youth named Grogo wasappointed to wait on them and act as guide when they wished to traverseany part of the surrounding forest.

  The house was on the outskirts of the village, a matter of satisfactionto the professor, as it enabled him at once to plunge into his belovedwork unobserved by the youngsters. It also afforded him a betteropportunity of collecting moths, etcetera, by the simple method ofopening his window at night. A mat or wicker-work screen divided thehut into two apartments, one of which was entirely given over to thenaturalist and his _materiel_.

  "I vil begin at vonce," said the eager man, on taking possession.

  And he kept his word by placing his lamp on a table in a conspicuousposition, so that it could be well seen from the outside. Then he threwhis window wide open, as a general invitation to the insect world toenter!

  Moths, flying beetles, and other creatures were not slow to accept theinvitation. They entered by twos, fours, sixes--at last by scores,insomuch that the room became uninhabitable except by the man himself,and his comrades soon retired to their own compartment, leaving him tocarry on his work alone.

  "You enjoy this sort of thing?" said Nigel, as he was about to retire.

  "Enchoy it? yes--it is `paradise regained!'" He pinned a giant moth atthe moment and gazed triumphant through his blue glasses.

  "`Paradise lost' to the moth, anyhow," said Nigel with a nod, as he badehim good-night, and carefully closed the wicker door to check theincursions of uncaptured specimens. Being rather tired with the day'sjourney, he lay down on a mat beside the hermit, who was already soundasleep.

  But our hero found that sleep was not easily attainable so close to aninexhaustible enthusiast, whose every step produced a rattling of thebamboo floor, and whose unwearied energy enabled him to hunt during thegreater part of the night.

  At length slumber descended on Nigel's spirit, and he lay for some timein peaceful oblivion, when a rattling crash awoke him. Sitting up helistened, and came to the conclusion that the professor had upset somepiece of furniture, for he could hear him distinctly moving about in astealthy manner, as if on tip-toe, giving vent to a grumble ofdissatisfaction every now and then.

  "What _can_ he be up to now, I wonder?" murmured the disturbed youth,sleepily.

  The hermit, who slept through all noises with infantine simplicity, madeno answer, but a peculiar snort from the negro, who lay not far off onhis other side, told that he was struggling with a laugh.

  "Hallo, Moses! are you awake?" asked Nigel, in a low voice.

  "Ho yes, Massa Nadgel. I's bin wakin' a good while, larfin' fit tobu'st my sides. De purfesser's been a-goin' on like a mad renoceros formore'n an hour. He's arter suthin', which he can't ketch. Listen! Youhear 'im goin' round an' round on his tip-toes. Dere goes anoder chair.I only hope he won't smash de lamp an' set de house a-fire."

  "Vell, vell; I've missed him zee tence time. Nevair mind. Have at youvonce more, you aggravating leetle zing!"

  Thus the unsuccessful man relieved his feelings, in a growling tone, ashe continued to move about on tip-toe, rattling the bamboo flooring inspite of his careful efforts to move quietly.

  "Why, Verkimier, what are you after?" cried Nigel at last, loud enoughto be heard through the partition.

  "Ah--I am sorry to vake you," he replied, without, however, suspendinghis hunt. "I have tried my best to make no noice, but zee bamboo flooris--hah! I have 'im at last!"

  "What is it?" asked Nigel, becoming interested.

  "Von leetle bat. He come in vis a moss--"

  "A what?"

  "A moss--a big, beautiful moss."

  "Oh! a moth--well?"

  "Vell, I shut zee window, capture zee moss, ant zen I hunt zee bat withmy bootterfly-net for an hour, but have only captured him zis moment.Ant he is--sooch a--sooch a splendid specimen of a _very_ rar' species,zee _Caelops frizii_--gootness! Zere goes zee lamp!"

  The crash that followed told too eloquently of the catastrophe, andbroke the slumbers even of the hermit. The whole party sprang up, andentered the naturalist's room with a light, for the danger from fire wasgreat. Fortunately the lamp had been extinguished in its fall, so that,beyond an overpowering smell of petroleum and the destruction of a goodmany specimens, no serious results ensued.

  After securing the _Caelops frithii_, removing the shattered glass,wiping up the oil, and putting chairs and tables on their legs, theprofessor was urged to go to bed,--advice which, in his excitement, herefused to take until it was suggested that, if he did not, he would betotally unfit for exploring the forest next day.

  "Vy, it is next day already!" he exclaimed, consulting his watch.

  "Just so. Now _do_ turn in."

  "I vill."

  And he did.