The Tapu Of Banderah, George Lewis Becke [easy novels to read TXT] 📗

his two fellow-conspirators. Then the three of them hailed the schooner. A boat put off and took them on board.

*****


An hour or two later Blount returned along the beach from Lak-a-lak, and walked slowly up the path to his house. Just as he entered the door the sounds of revelry came over to him from the schooner, whose lights were beginning to glimmer through the quick-falling darkness of the tropic night. Some one on board was playing an accordion, and presently he caught the words of a song--

"Remember, too, the patriots' gore That flecked the streets of Baltimore; Maryland, my Maryland."

"Burrowes only sings that when he's very drunk," he said to himself, as he sat down to drink a cup of coffee brought to him by his eldest daughter Taya. "No doubt he and that anointed sweep Bilker are having a very happy time together."

"Father," said the girl in the native tongue, as he put down his cup, "Banderah is here. He came but now, and will not come inside, but waits for thee in the copra-house, lest he be seen talking to thee."

"What the devil is wrong?" muttered Blount, as without waiting to touch the coffee prepared for him he went outside to the copra-house.

In half an hour he and the native chief came out together, and as they stood for a minute in the broad streak of light that streamed out from the lamp on the table in the big room, Taya, who sat in the doorway, saw her father's face was set and stern-looking.

"Shed thou no blood, Banderah," he said in the native tongue, "not even that of these two dogs who have eaten and drunk in my house for four years."

"Challi,{*} that is hard. Already are my people thirsty for the blood of this dog of a captain--he who stole thirty and one of my people. And because of my brother, who was stolen with them, have I promised them vengeance. But the other two who are with him on the ship I will spare."


* Charlie.


"As you will. And as for these two dogs who have planned to kill me, with them I shall deal myself. If, when the schooner saileth away from here, these men go not with her, then shall I shoot them dead."

"Good," and then grasping the white man's hand, the chief pressed his nose to his, and vanished in the darkness.



IV ~ "DEATH TO THEM BOTH!"

Early on the following morning Messrs. de Vere and Morcombe-Lycett--the latter being now quite recovered--informed Mr. and Mrs. Deighton that, having heard from the two traders there was good shooting at the big swamp, they were going there under the guidance of Banderah and a party of natives; and shortly after breakfast the chief, accompanied by a number of his people, appeared.

"I will send with you two of my best men," said Mr. Deighton, indicating a couple of his pet converts, who stood by dressed for the occasion in white starched shirts and black coats, but minus trousers, of which garments the pet converts had divested themselves, knowing that they should have to wade through the swamp.

But suddenly, to the missionary's astonishment, Banderah, with a savage look, bade them stay where they were. He had, he said, plenty of men, and did not need Mr. Deighton's servants.

Presently the two yachting gentlemen, arrayed in a very stylish sporting get-up, appeared with their breach-loaders and cartridge-belts, and waving their hands gracefully to the missionary and his wife, disappeared with Banderah and his dark-skinned companions into the dense tropical jungle, the edge of which was within a very short distance of the mission station.

For about an hour the Honourable Morcombe-Lycett and Mr. de Vere, with Banderah leading the way, walked steadily onward through the jungle. Not a word was spoken among the natives who followed close at their heels, and Banderah himself, in answer to their frequent questions, replied only by monosyllables..

At last they came out of the stifling heat of the thick jungle, and saw before them a great reedy swamp, the margin fringed by a scanty growth of cocoanut and pandanus palms. Out upon the open patches of water, here and there showing upon the broad expanse of the swamp, they saw large flocks of wild duck feeding and swimming about, betraying not the slightest fear at their approach.

"By Jove, Baxter," said Mr. de Vere to his friend, "looks good enough, doesn't it? I wonder if these blasted niggers will go in for us."

"Of course they will. But let us have a drink first. Here, you, bring us that basket. I wonder what sort of tucker old Godliness has given us. He's not a bad sort of an ass. His wife, too, isn't bad."

"Bah," and Mr. de Vere twirled his long, yellow moustache, "you're always finding out something nice in the face of every woman you come across. Wait until we get up to Japan; then you can amuse yourself with a new type of woman. Be a bit of a change for you after the Melbourne and Sydney peroxided-hair beauties. Here, nigger, give me that corkscrew."

"I say, Dalton," suddenly remarked his friend, "'pon my soul I believe we are making a mistake in going to Japan. You may be sure that we'll have a lot of trouble awaiting us there."

"Not a bit of it Before we get there every one will have read the cable news that we have been seen in Callao, and no one in Yokohama will ever think of associating Mr. Herbert de Vere and the Honourable Morcombe-Lycett--just arrived from Manila _via_ Singapore in the Spanish mail-steamer--with--er--hum--the two gentlemen who arrived at Callao from Tahiti, after successfully diddling the Australian financial public of thirty thousand quid."

"But what are we going to do with the schooner at Manila?"

"Sell her, my innocent! Sell her to our esteemed friend, Mr. Moses Steinberg, who has assisted me in previous financial transactions--before I had the pleasure of meeting my present valued colleague, the Honourable Mr. Morcombe-Lycett--and who is now taking care to inform the world that we are living in South America."

"And how are we going to account for our boxes of sovereigns? Two mining speculators don't usually carry about heavy sums in gold."

"All managed, my boy. My friend, Mr. Moses Steinberg, will see to that. The ten thousand sovereigns will be valuable gold specimens from Queensland, and will be placed on board the North German Lloyd's steamer at Singapore for safe conveyance to London, where you and I, my dear boy, will follow it And there also we shall find, I trust, an additional sum of fifteen thousand lying to our credit--the proceeds of our honest toil."

"What are you going to do with Sykes?"

"Give him L500 and tell him to hold his tongue. He's a thundering rascal, and we must pay to shut his mouth."

Then the two proceeded to discuss their lunch, and as they ate and drank and talked and laughed, Banderah and three or four of his men whispered together.

"Seize them from behind and bind them tightly," said the chief, "but kill them not, for that I have promised to Challi."

The Honourable Morcombe-Lycett had just finished his last glass of bottled beer and wanted to smoke. He had taken out his cigar-case, and, wondering at the sudden silence which had fallen upon their native guides, turned round to see where they were, and saw swiftly advancing upon himself and his companion some half a dozen stalwart natives. In that momentary glance he read danger, and quick as lightning--for he was no coward--he seized his loaded gun, which lay beside him, and fired both barrels one after another, at not ten yards' range.

A chorus of savage yells answered the shots, as two of the natives fell, but ere he could reload or Dalton could fire there came a fierce rush of all the dark-skinned men upon them, and, struggling madly for their lives, they were borne down.

And then the lust of slaughter overcame their fierce assailants, and despite Banderah and two or three of his most trusted men, a club was raised and fell swiftly upon the white, fair forehead of "Mr. de Vere" as he sought to tear away his hands from the vice-like grasp of two huge natives who held them.

"Death to them both!" cried a thin-faced, wrinkled old man named Toka; "_hutu_:{*} for the lives of the thirty and one." Then springing out from the rest, he swung a short-handled, keen-bladed hatchet over his head, and sank it into the brain of the wretched Baxter.


* Synonymous with Maori _utu_--revenge.


"Stand thou aside, Banderah, son of Paylap," screamed the old man, waving the bloody hatchet fiercely at him. "I, old Toka, the priest, will to-day again show the men of Mayou how to drink the blood and eat the flesh of the long pigs the gods have given into our hands," and again he buried the weapon in Baxter's breathless body. And as Banderah looked at the old man's working face, and saw the savage mouth, flecked with foam, writhing and twisting in horrible contortions, and then saw the almost equally dreadful visages of the rest of his men, he knew that the old, old lust for human flesh had come upon them.

So, with the one idea of saving Blount and the missionary and his wife, he turned and fled through the forest towards the beach.



V ~ THE TAPU OF BANDERAH

The Rev. Wilfrid and Mrs. Deighton were at lunch, talking about the genial manners and other qualifications of their guests, when suddenly they heard a rapid step on the verandah, and Blount dashed into the room.

His face was white with excitement, and they saw that he carried his revolver in his hand.

"What in heaven's name is wrong, Mr. Blount? Why are you armed----"

"For God's sake don't ask me now! Our lives are in danger--deadly, imminent danger. Follow me to my house!"

"But, my dear sir," began Mr. Deighton, "I do not see--I fail----"

"Man, don't talk! Do you think I do not know what I am saying? Your two friends are both murdered. Banderah is now at my house, too exhausted to tell me more than to come and save you."

"Dear, dear me! Oh, this is dreadful! Let us, Alice, my dear, seek Divine----"

"You fool!" and the trader seized the missionary by the arm as he was about to sink upon his knees. "Stay here and pray if you like--and get your throat cut In ten--in five minutes more, every native except Banderah will be here ready to burn and murder. I tell you, man, that our only chance of safety is to reach my house first, and then the schooner. Come, Mrs. Deighton. For God's sake, come!"

Pushing past the missionary, he seized Mrs. Deighton by the hand and descended the steps. They had scarcely gone two hundred yards when they heard a strange, awful cry peal through the woods; and Mr. Deighton shuddered. Only once before had he heard such a cry, and that was when, during the early days of the mission, he had seen a native priest tear out the heart of a victim destined for a cannibal feast, and hold it up to the people.

Suddenly little Mrs. Deighton gasped and tottered as they hurried her along; she was already exhausted. Then Deighton stopped.

"Mr. Blount... go on by yourself. We