“Well, Resident,” replied the sugar-planter in a serious tone, “I must tell you that I do not feel at all safe. You know, of course, that here in India the outlying settlers always are the first victims of these native plots; and that if such a rising as I apprehend were to break out, all Europeans would be ruthlessly massacred. My grounds,” he continued, “lie far away, and, in case of a sudden outbreak, it would take two days at least for either police or military to reach me. I shall therefore esteem it a great favour if you will grant me some kind of protection. Send me a few policemen whom I can trust, I will see to the arming of the men.”
“Policemen! my dear sir. What are you talking about? What would be the use of them?” asked the Resident with a compassionate smile; for he had by this time completely regained his self-possession. “You are creating fanciful dangers. It is, in fact, absurd to talk in this manner.”
“I know what I know,” rejoined the sugar-factor, “and I say without any hesitation, that the reports which have reached me do not appear to me at all fanciful or incredible.”
“All right!” said van Gulpendam carelessly.
“You must excuse me, Resident,” insisted the sugar-planter, “but I think that if you were living with your family in that lonely spot you would not talk in quite such an easy way.”
Although our friend van Gulpendam was not precisely the stuff that heroes are made of, yet he was not by any means a coward. He felt, moreover, perfectly well that the moment had arrived to payer de sa personne. What might be said at Batavia should it be suspected that he felt the slightest distrust or fear?
“All nonsense!” cried he in the same sarcastic and careless manner. “Come now, my dear sir, to prove to you how certain I am that there is nothing wrong, I invite myself and my wife to go and stay with you for a fortnight on your plantation. I know you keep a pretty good galley, do you accept my offer?”
“With the greatest pleasure in the world, Resident,” eagerly cried the planter.
He felt sure that the Resident of the district would take care to come under a sufficient escort of police.
“Very well, then,” replied van Gulpendam; “as soon as ever these festivities are over at Santjoemeh, I will let you know; and then you may get a couple of rooms ready for us.”