Middy and Ensign Part 67

Tom Long glanced at Miss Linton, and for answer tightened his sword belt, and then examined the chambers of his revolver.

"I'm ready, sir," he said, and he set his teeth, for he felt that he should not come back alive. Still he was a soldier, and he accepted his duty without flinching, though it did need an effort to be calm.

Just then, as he was about to ask what men he should choose, all ears being attentive to catch the faintest sound from beyond the trees--_Boom--crash_! went a big gun report and the blow it struck, coming almost simultaneously; and as in his excitement Tom Long sent his cap high in air, there was another echoing report, with a familiar beating and panting sound.

"The steamer's off!" Tom Long cried. "Hurrah!"

Discipline was forgotten for the moment, and every man shouted with delight, his cheery "Hurrah!" the cheers being renewed directly after by the following reports of the steamer's guns; and they knew by the beat of the engines that she was going up stream, firing as she went, evidently in pursuit of a prahu.

They had plenty of evidence directly after that the Malays had been beaten, for hurrying parties kept coming from the far side of the island where the engagement had taken place, and as Captain Smithers scanned these with his gla.s.s, he could see that their slight garments were soaking wet, baju and sarong clinging to their limbs, and showing that they had had to swim ash.o.r.e.

This was all proof of their having had a thorough beating; and now, with the steamer no longer aground, but ready to come to their help, the spirits of all rose at as rapid a rate as they had gone down.

But it was to be no time of rest for them. Captain Smithers, to meet the difficulty of there being no water to be obtained, save by going under fire to the spring, or making a dash for the river, had been giving orders for the sinking of a well in a corner of the fort, when word was pa.s.sed from sentry to sentry of the advance of the enemy. Then shots were fired, at first scattered, then rapidly; and it was at once evident, that in revenge for their defeat afloat, the crews of some of the prahus had joined those on the island in a general attack.

The earth-works were well-made, but they required more men to successfully defend them, and after keeping the enemy at bay by a well-directed fire for some time, Captain Smithers, seeing signs of an approaching rush, and knowing well that this must result in severe loss upon his own side, quietly began to draw his little force away from the earth-works, till he had half in the barracks at the loopholes, from which they began a steady fire over the heads of those at the earthen wall, who, in their turn retired half at a time, the first half joining those who had gone before.

Then as the Malays began to realise that the force at the earthen wall was very weak, and showed signs of coming on to carry it by storm, the defenders delivered a sharp volley and dropped out of sight, stooping down and running across to the barracks' white walls. On seeing that they had given way, the Malays set up a loud cry of triumph, and dashed forward, spear in hand, to occupy the deserted earth-works. They were met by a sharp fire from the barracks, which staggered them for the moment, but they rushed on, and sheltered themselves in the ditch, throwing a few spears at the hindmost of the retreating party; but without effect, for the little garrison was soon shut in and able for the time to defy their a.s.sailants.

It was evident, however, that they were not to be left in peace, for the Malays now swarmed around them, and dozens might have been shot down; but Captain Smithers gave orders that the fire should be reserved till they attacked.

Just as they had finished the barricading of the entrance, a cloud of smoke was seen rising from the side of the residency, and this was followed by flames, leaving no doubt that the pleasant little house had been fired by the Malays; and Captain Smithers frowned as he determined to administer severe punishment to the enemy, if for this act alone.

Every opportunity was given him for the administration of the chastis.e.m.e.nt, the Malays exposing themselves freely, running out of shelter to fire, and then retreating again. Sometimes a fierce demonstration was made by spear-armed men, who came boldly up as if to attack, but soon fell back unmolested, for Captain Smithers felt that no end was to be obtained by simply shooting down a few of the enemy, and his orders were to reserve fire till a fiercer attack was made.

This was not long in coming, and it was made quite unexpectedly, just as, wearied out by his efforts, Captain Smithers had left Tom Long in command, and, yielding to the prayers of the major's wife, had gone in to the mess-room to partake of some refreshment that had been prepared.

He had hardly eaten a mouthful--after visiting first the wounded men, to find them being tended by Rachel Linton and her cousin--before the rattle of musketry and the yelling of the Malays told him that something serious had occurred.

Catching up his sword, he rushed to where he had left Tom Long, and in a few words he learned that from two points the Malays had suddenly commenced their attack, which was now being carried on in so fierce a manner that unless they received a sufficiently severe check to quell their courage, they would force the defences, and overpower the little garrison by sheer weight of numbers.

Fortunate it was that the defences had been so well strengthened, the men firing from behind barricades roughly constructed of tables, the mess forms, and bedding; but in spite of the heavy fire kept up and the number that fell, the Malays dashed up, striving to clamber over, and thrusting their spears through the openings in a way that kept the men back, and nearly crushed the fire that had sputtered from the various loopholes that had been left.

Affairs were growing very serious, for Captain Smithers, who had been going from place to place, advising, cheering, and helping the men, suddenly had his attention drawn to the fact that a large party of Malays were bringing bundles of wood, branches of trees, and handfuls of resin, which they were piling up against the barricaded door.

This he well knew meant fire, and the question arose how it was to be stopped.

"They must never be allowed to light it, my lads, as our lives and those of the ladies would not be worth five minutes' purchase. Cease firing on this side, and reserve your cartridges for any who come to fire the pile."

The men responded with a grim smile, and stood waiting for the party whose duty it would be to try and burn them out; and in this time of mortal peril, when danger of so great a kind stared them in the face, the men stood patiently awaiting their fate, seeming the while to repose the greatest confidence in their captain, and standing ready to obey his orders to the last.

It was a splendid example of what discipline and confidence could effect. The men felt that if their lives were to be saved, it would be through carefully carrying out the wishes of their officers, and hence no murmur was heard, each man's face wearing a grim look of determination, that seemed to be intensified as Sergeant Lund came round laden with cartridges, a packet of which he handed to each in turn.

"Some sergeants," he said, as he finished his task and stood rifle in hand by the group whose duty it was to shoot down the bearers of the dammar-torches that they felt sure would be used, "some sergeants would, I dare say, be shaking hands with all their mates at a time like this, and looking at things as all over; but I don't, my lads, for I've a sort of faith in our luck turning up s.h.i.+ny side outwards; so cheer up, all of you."

"All right, sergeant," was the reply.

"I wouldn't trust too much to luck though, my lads," he continued, "but I'd squint straight along the barrel of my rifle when I fired. You may be very sorry for the Malay chap you shoot at, but I'd shoot him first and be very sorry afterwards."

"Right, sergeant," said Private Sim, who had been fighting very manfully all day; "they needn't come and be a-trying to burn us out unless they like, need they?"

"No, Sim," replied the sergeant; "but they will, and it strikes me that they'll be come before long, too. Isn't that smoke in amongst those bushes there?"

"Smoke it is," said one of the men, excitedly.

"Don't jump about like that, my lad, but keep cool, or you'll be wasting your cartridges," said the sergeant. "Where's the captain? He was here just now."

"Gone round the other side," said Sim. "Here they come, sure enough.

Look; there's a dozen men with torches."

"All right, my lads," said the sergeant. "I don't see that it matters about the captain not being here; you know your duty."

"Yes, sergeant, to shoot down those men."

"No, no, my lads; what you've got to do is to put those torches out, and the way to do it is with the bayonet. Stand ready there to slip over the breast-work, all of you, then a sharp run, and meet them as they come, and then back again under cover."

As he spoke the smoke of the dammar-torches could be seen, and some ten or twelve Malays came running across from the earth-works to set fire to the pile.

There was not a man behind the breast-work whose breath did not come thick and fast at the sight of the lights; for brave as they were, they knew that once the building they defended caught fire, the dry, sun-baked wood must flare away like so much paper; and there were women shut in there with them, whom it was their duty to defend.

It was no wonder then that the men tightly grasped their bayonet-armed rifles, and stood waiting for the command, that did not come. For just as it was upon the sergeant's lips a panting noise was heard, and as every eye was directed up the river, the masts of the steamer were seen coming along above the trees, and for the present the little garrison felt that they were saved.

CHAPTER FORTY NINE.

HOW ALI WENT TO SPY OUT THE LAND.

A tremor of excitement seemed to run through the attacking party; men hurried here and there; the bearers of the dammar-torches paused irresolute, and it was evident to the besieged that contrary orders were being given.

It was also evident to them that the danger signal they were flying was plainly understood upon the steamer, for the noise of the engine had not been heard a minute before there was the heavy report of one of the guns, and almost simultaneously the crash of a sh.e.l.l, which burst over the heads of the thronging Malays, about fifty yards in front of the fort.

No one seemed to be injured, but this dire instrument of warfare caused a complete scare amidst the attacking party: men running in all directions, and then seeming to go over the same ground once again, as a second sh.e.l.l burst with its harsh tearing metallic-sounding crack.

Again came the report of a gun, and the sh.e.l.l burst where the Malays were thickest, sending them scurrying like wild rabbits to the nearest cover, while the steamer now glided slowly down, closer and closer in sh.o.r.e, till at last she covered the river-face of the fort like an outwork, and a cheer rose from the little garrison, and was answered from the "Startler" as the forces, so to speak, combined, ready to act together for their mutual defence.

As the steamer was rapidly moored in her new position, men being sent ash.o.r.e with cables from head and stern to make fast to the great trees a few yards from the bank, a rush at them was made by the Malays, but a few well-directed shots from the marines' rifles were sufficient to keep them at bay till the task was done; and the little garrison now joined hands with the steamer's crew in clearing the s.p.a.ce between them.

The first step taken by Captain Smithers was to regain possession of the outworks--the portion he had given up from being so short of defenders.

This was accomplished without bloodshed; for upon the Malays gathering in force to withstand his efforts, they were scattered by a sh.e.l.l from the steamer, which cleared the way at once. This being done, and a meeting effected full of hearty congratulations, both soldiers and sailors set to work, armed with spades, to throw up a trench from the outworks of the fort to the river, the ditch being so arranged that it took in for safety the trees to which the steamer was moored, and this latter now became as it were the river-face of the fort.

Night had fallen long before the work was left, and this rendered it necessary for a retreat to fort and steamer, for the hours intervening till daybreak, when, no interruption having occurred, the digging was resumed, every man toiling with his rifle at his side till the task was done.

The next question was whether it would not be safer for all to take possession of the steamer, even though the extra defences had been made.

Lieutenant Johnson argued that this would be the better plan, as then they could at any time effect a retreat down the river, and make for Singapore or Penang.