Middy and Ensign

by George Manville Fenn

His journey of about half a mile, measured by his twisting and turning, was one series of hairbreadth escapes. A dozen times over he had to turn and come back over almost precisely the same ground to avoid a party of Malays, who seemed ready to spring out of the earth on all sides of him, but still, thanks to the thick growth, he was unseen. Such a journey on their first landing would have been impossible, but as the men were hardly ever allowed to go on the mainland, they had, by way of compensation, pretty free access to the jungle portion of the little island, and in consequence they had trampled down the dense vegetation, and forced paths here and there through the cane brakes when snake hunting.

At last, dripping with perspiration, Gray reached the head of the island, and lay half exhausted in a dense clump of canes, listening to the washing of the river as its waters divided a dozen or so of paces from where he lay.

He could not see the river on account of the thick growth, but it sounded very cool and pleasant; and now, having won his way thus far, he longed for the plunge and swim down to the steamer.

He reckoned that a minute’s law would place him beyond the reach of spears, however ably thrown; and as to the enemy’s rifles or muskets, he did not think they would be able to hit him as he swam with the rapid stream. Still he did not move, for he was so heated by his exertions that he dreaded risking cramp or shock from the sudden immersion.

Everything was so still in the hot afternoon sunshine, that the whirring noise of the insects seemed quite loud. Beautiful blue-billed gapers, all claret and black and white, flitted about, catching glossy metallic-looking beetles; little green chatterers, with their crested heads, flew from spray to spray; and tiny sun-birds, in their gorgeous mail of gold and bronze and purple, flew from flower to flower in search of honey. Now and then a scaly glistening lizard rustled by him, and twice over a snake crawled right across his body and away into the grass. Then a flock of the little lovebird paroquets came and settled in a tree hard by, piping, whistling, and chattering as they climbed and swung head downwards, or flew here and there; while upon some bushes close at hand sat a pair of the lovely rose-breasted trogons, with their grey reticulated wings and beautiful cinnamon backs.

It was a glorious scene for a lover of nature, so delicate were the many tints of green, so pure the sky above; while to add to the beauty of the place a flock of rose-tinted doves settled in the palms, and cooed as mellowly as if this were in some park in the young soldier’s far-off home.

So lovely was everything around that Gray closed his eyes, and was ready to ask himself whether the idea of danger was not all a dream, and that it was but fancy to suppose that bloodthirsty men were swarming in the island, ready to slaughter the inhabitants to a man.

The sharp crack of a rifle, and then of half a dozen more, dissipated the dream, and with a sigh as he thought of the danger of those at the station, Gray unclosed his eyes, rose to his hands and knees from where he had been lying, and began to force his way softly amidst the canes.

It was no easy task till he came to a track, evidently that made by a crocodile in coming and going from the river. He paused for a moment, shuddering as he thought of his danger; then drawing the dirk, ready for a blow at the monster’s eyes, should he encounter one, he crawled on, reached the water’s edge in safety, parting the canes to peer up and down the river in search of danger, and seeing none.

From where he crouched the steamer was not visible, but he knew that a little bold swimming would soon show her lying below; and, all the while feeling very much like as if he were a frog about to plunge into a stream haunted by pike, he lowered himself towards the water, gazed for a moment into its depths, and then plunged in.