Bunyip Land: A Story of Adventure in New Guinea by George Manville Fenn
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.
HOW I FOUND THAT I HAD A FELLOW-PRISONER.
I have had a good many headaches in my time, but nothing to compare withthe fearful throbbing, that seemed as if I were receiving blow afterblow upon my temples, when I began to come to myself.
I was stupefied and confused, and it took a long time before I recoveredsufficiently to comprehend my position. By degrees, though, I was ableto bear my eyes unclosed for sufficiently long at a time to see that Iwas in some kind of hut, and as I realised all this it seemed that Imust be still a prisoner, and that all my long journeying since was onlya dream.
I began wondering where Jimmy could be, and the doctor, and Jack Penny,and then my head throbbed so violently that I closed my eyes, feeling atthe same time that I had no arms, no legs, nothing but an inanimatebody, and a head that ached with terrible violence as I lay therehalf-stunned.
After a time I must have grown a little more collected, for I awoke tothe fact that I was tightly bound with twisted grass, hand and foot;that I was certainly in a hut, quite a large hut, built of bamboo andmats; and that behind me the light shone in, and somewhere close by thesound arose as of a person sleeping heavily.
I tried to turn round, but the movement caused such intense pain that Idesisted for a time, till my anxiety to know more about my positionforced me to make a fresh effort, and I swung myself over, making myhead throb so that I gladly closed my eyes, while I wrenched my arms andwrists, that were tied behind my back so harshly that I became quiteaware of the fact that I had limbs, as well as an inert body and athrobbing head.
When I could unclose my eyes again I saw that it was getting nearsundown, and that the sunshine was lighting up the limbs of the greattrees beneath which the native village to which I had been brought wasbuilt. From where I lay I looked across a broad opening, around whichwas hut after hut, with its open door facing towards the centre.
There was very little sign of life around, but twice in the distance Isaw a black figure come out of the doorway of a hut and disappearamongst the trees, but it was some time before I could make out fromwhence the heavy breathing came that I had heard.
As far as I could judge it was from some one just outside the entranceto the hut where I lay, but no one was visible, and it seemed to me thatif I could untie the rope that held my wrists and legs there was nothingto prevent my walking out and making my escape.
I had just come to this conclusion when there was a rustling noise as ofa stick passing over twigs and leaves, and a spear fell down across thedoorway.
The next instant I saw a black arm and shoulder come forward, the spearwas picked up, and the black arm disappeared. Then there was ashuffling sound, as of some one settling down in a fresh position, andall was silent, for the heavy breathing had ceased.
"That's my guard," I said to myself, "and he has been, asleep!"
Simple words, but they sent a throb of joy through me, and I began towonder where the doctor was, and what Jack Penny was doing.
Then I thought about Jimmy, and that as soon as I was missed he would besure to hunt me out.
My head began to throb once more horribly, but by degrees the fit diedoff, and I found myself thinking again of escape.
"How foolish of me not to have had a dog!" I thought. "Why, if I hadhad one like Gyp he would have tracked me out by this time."
"They'll find me out sooner or later," I said to myself; "so I need notregret being without a dog. But suppose the savages should attack ourlittle party and make them prisoners too."
This was quite a new idea to me. The doctor and I had thought out agood many possibilities; but that we, who had come in search of one whowas a prisoner, should be ourselves made captives, hardly ever occurredto me.
"That would be a sorry end to our voyage," I thought, and I lay gazingout across the open space, wondering in a dreamy misty way whether mypoor father had been attacked and captured as I had been, and whether Ishould be kept a prisoner, and have to live for the rest of my lifeamong savages.
My head was not so painful then, and I began to feel that if it wouldonly leave off aching and my poor mother would not be so troubled atthis second loss, such a life would be better than being killed,especially as there would always be the chance of escape.
I think I must have sunk into a sort of doze or half stupor just then,for the scene at which I lay gazing grew dim, and it seemed to me thatit must all have been a dream about my meeting with that black boy; andonce more I suppose I slept.
How long I slept I cannot tell, but I can recall being in a confuseddream about home, and going with Jimmy to a neighbour's sheep-run, wherethere was a dog, and Jimmy coaxed him away with a big piece of meat,which he did not give to the dog, but stuck on the end of his spear andcarried it over his shoulder, with the animal whining and snufflingabout, but which was to be reserved until several wallabies had beenhunted out, for that was the aim of the afternoon.
It seemed very tiresome that that dog should be snuffling about me, andscratching and pawing at me, and I was about to tell Jimmy to give thepoor brute the meat and let him go, when his cold nose touched my face,and I started awake, trembling in every limb.
The darkness was intense, and for some minutes, try how I would, I couldnot think.
All sorts of wild fancies rushed through my brain, and I grew more andmore confused; but I could not think--think reasonably, and make outwhere I was and what it all meant.
The past seemed to be gone, and I only knew that I was there, lying withmy arms and legs dead and my head throbbing. There seemed to be nothingelse.
Yes there was--my dream.
It all came with a flash just where it left off, and Jimmy had coaxedthe dog away, and it was here annoying me. But why was it dark?
There was dead silence then, following upon the light pattering sound ofsome animal's feet, and with my brain rapidly growing clearer I began toarrange my thoughts I had even got so far as to recollect dropping offasleep, and I was concluding that I had slept right on into the darknessof night, when there was the pattering of feet again, and I knew nowthat it was no fancy, for some animal had touched me, though it was notlikely to be the dog that Jimmy had coaxed away to go wallaby hunting.
There was a curious snuffling noise now, first in one part of the hut,then in another.
Some animal, then, must have come into the hut, and this, whatever itwas, had been touching and had awakened me. What could it be? Iwondered, as I tried to think what creature was likely to be prowlingabout in the darkness.
It could not be a wild pig, and my knowledge of animal life taught methat it was not likely to be any one of the cat family, for they went sosilently about, while the pattering steps of this creature could beplainly heard.
We had encountered nothing in our journey that suggested itself as beinglikely, and I was beginning to perspire rather profusely with somethingvery much like utter fright, when I heard the creature, whatever it was,come close up and begin snuffling about my legs.
"It's coming up to my face," I thought with a chill of horror seeming toparalyse me, or I am certain that I should have called for help.
So there I lay numbed and helpless, not knowing what to expect, unlessit was to be seized by the throat by some fierce beast of prey, andperhaps partly devoured before I was dead.
I tried to shriek out, but not a sound came. I tried to move my arms;to kick out at the creature; but arms and legs had been bound so longthat the circulation as well as sensation had ceased, and I lay like amass of lead, able to think acutely, but powerless to stir a limb.
The snuffling noise went on; came to my chest, to my throat, to my face;and I could feel the hot panting breath of the creature, smell theanimal odour of its skin; and then, when the dread seemed greater than Icould bear, I felt a moist nose touch my face.
Another moment and I felt that the intruder would be burying its fangsin my throat, and still I could not stir--could not utter sound, but laylike one in a trance.
Then it was right upon me, with its muzzle at my throat, snuffing still,and then it touched my face with its nose again and uttered a low whine.
That sound broke the spell, for I can call it nothing else, and Iuttered the one word:
"Gyp!"
It was magical in its effects, for the faithful beast it was, anduttering a low cry of delight he began nuzzling about my face, lickingme, pawing me, and crouching closer to me, as all the while he kept up aregular patting noise with his tail.
My speech had returned now, and with it a feeling of shame for mycowardice, as I thought it then, though I do not think so hardly aboutit now.
"Gyp, you good old dog!" I whispered. "And so you've found me out!"
I suppose he did not understand my words, but he liked the sound of myvoice, for he continued his eager demonstrations of delight, many ofwhich were exceedingly unwelcome. But unwelcome or no I could not helpmyself, and had to lie there passive till, apparently satisfied thatenough had been done, Gyp crouched close to me with his head upon mybreast.
For a time I thought he was asleep, and thoroughly enjoying theconsolation of his company in my wretched position, I lay thinking ofthe wonderful instinct of the animal, and of his training to be silent,for in spite of the excitement of our meeting he had not barked once.
But Gyp was not asleep, for at the slightest sound outside he raised hishead quickly, and in the deep silence I could hear the great hairy earsgive quite a flap as he cocked them up.
As the noise died away or failed to be repeated, he settled down againwith his head upon my breast till some fresh sound arose--a distant cryin the forest, or a voice talking in some neighbouring hut, when hewould start up again, and once uttered a low menacing growl, which mademe think what an unpleasant enemy he would be to a bare-legged savage.
Once more Gyp uttered a low growl; but after that he lay with his headupon my breast, and I could feel his regular breathing. Then he lifteda paw and laid it by his nose, but evidently it was not a comfortableposition, and he took it down. And there we lay in that black silence,while I wished that dog could speak and tell me where my friends where;whether they had sent him, or whether his own instinct had led him tohunt me out. Whichever way it was, I felt a curious kind of admirationfor an animal that I had before looked upon as a kind of slave, devotedto his master, and of no interest whatever to anyone else.
"Poor old Gyp!" I thought to myself, and I wished I could pat his head.
I kept on wishing that I could pay him that little bit of kindness; andthen at last I seemed to be stroking his shaggy head, and then it seemedthat I was not free to do it, and then all at once it seemed to bemorning, with the sun shining, and plenty of black fellows passing andrepassing to the huts of what was evidently a populous village.
It all looked very bright and beautiful, I thought, seen through theopen door, but I was in great pain. My head had pretty well ceased tothrob, but there was a dull strange aching in my arms and legs. Myshoulders, too, seemed as if they had been twisted violently, and I wasgiddy and weak for want of food.
"Prisoner or no prisoner they sha'n't starve me," I said half aloud; andI was about to shout to a tall savage who was going by spear onshoulder, when I suddenly recollected Gyp and looked sharply round forthe dog, but he was not to be seen.
For the moment I wondered whether I had not made a mistake and dreamedall about the dog; but no, it was impossible, everything was too vivid,and after lying thinking for a few minutes I called to the first blackwho came near.
He stopped short, came to the door, thrust in his head and stared at me,while, for want of a better means of expressing myself, I opened mymouth and shut it as if eating.
He went away directly, and I was about to shout to another when thefirst one came back with a couple more, all talking excitedly, andevidently holding some discussion about me.
This ended by two of them going away, leaving the other to standwatching.
He was a fine stalwart looking fellow, black as Jimmy, but of adifferent type of countenance, and his hair was frizzed and stuck outall round, giving his head the aspect of being twice the size of nature.
As soon as the others had gone he stooped down over me, turning meroughly on my face so as to examine my bound hands.
He wrenched my shoulders horribly in doing this, but it did not seem tohurt my hands in the least, and he finished by unfastening the cords oftwisted grass and making me sit up.
This I did, but with great pain, my arms hanging helplessly down by mysides.
The men soon returned, and to my great delight one had a gourd and theother some plantains, which they put down before me in a morose,scowling way.
I bent towards the gourd, which I believed to contain water; but thoughI tried to take it with my hands I could not move either, and I turnedmy eyes up pitifully to my captors.
The man who had unloosed me said something to his companions, one ofwhom bent down, lifted my right hand, and let it fall again. The secondman followed suit with my left, and I saw before they dropped them againthat they were dark and swollen, while as to use, that seemed to betotally gone.
The man who had remained with me took hold of the gourd and held it tomy lips in a quick angry fashion, holding it while I drank with avidityevery drop, the draught seeming to be more delicious than anything I hadever before tasted.
Setting it aside he looked down at me grimly, and then in a laughingcontemptuous way one of the others picked up and roughly peeled aplantain, holding it out to me to eat.
It was not sumptuous fare, cold water and bananas, but it was a mostdelicious and refreshing repast; while to make my position a little morebearable one of the men now undid the grass cord that was about myankles, setting them free.
The act probably was meant kindly, but when, soon after, they left thecabin, after setting me up and letting me fall again, my wrists andankles began to throb and ache in the most unbearable way, somewhatafter the fashion of one's fingers when chilled by the cold and thecirculation is coming back.
As I sat making feeble efforts to chafe the swollen flesh I became awarethat though unbound I was not to be trusted, for fear of escape, andthat to prevent this a broad-shouldered black with his hair frizzed intotwo great globes, one on either side of his head, had been stationed atthe hut door.
When he came up, spear in hand, I saw that he was tattooed with curiouslines across his chest and back, similar lines marking his arms andwrists, something after the fashion of bracelets.
He looked in at me attentively twice, and then seated himself justoutside the entrance, where he took his waddy from where it was stuckthrough his lingouti or waistband, drew a sharp piece of flint from apouch, and began to cut lines upon his waddy handle in the most patientmanner.
He had been busily at work for some time, when there was a great soundof shouting and yelling, which seemed greatly to excite the people ofthe village, for dozens came running out armed with clubs and spears, tomeet a batch of about a dozen others, who came into the opening frontingmy prison, driving before them another black, who was struggling withthem fiercely, but compelled by blows and pricks of spears to keep goingforward.
Then three men ran at him with grass cords and seized him, but he drovehis head fiercely into one and sent him flying, kicked the second, andthen attacked the other with his fists, regular English fashion, and Iknew now who it was, without hearing the shout the new prisoner utteredand the language he applied to his captors.
Another pair approached, but he drove them back at once, and probablyfeeling' pretty well satisfied that his enemies did not want to spearhim, he stuck his doubled fists in his sides and went slowly round thegreat circle that had collected, strutting insultingly, as if daringthem to come on, and ending by stridin
"Poor old Jimmy!" I exclaimed, proud even to admiration of the black'sgallant bearing. "Who would call him a coward now!"
For a time Jimmy was untouched, and sat upon his heels with his wristsupon his knees and his hands dangling down, but evidently watchfully onthe look-out for an attack. I felt so excited as I sat there that Iforgot my own pain, and had I been able to move I should have made adash and run to my old companion's side; but I was perfectly helpless,and could only look on, feeling sure that sooner or later the blackswould attack Jimmy, and if he resisted I shuddered for his fate.
Sure enough, at the end of a consultation I saw a rush made at thewaiting prisoner, who started up and fought bravely; but he seemed todisappear at once, the little crowd heaving and swaying here and there,and ending by seeming to group itself under a tall tree, from which theyat last fell away, and then it was that my heart began to beat lesspainfully and I breathed more freely, for there was Jimmy bound to thetree trunk, grinning and chattering at his captors, and evidently asfull of fight as ever.
I sank down upon my elbow with a sigh of relief, for I felt that hadthey meant to kill my black companion they would have done it at onceinstead of taking the trouble to bind him to the tree.
And now, oddly enough, while I could hear Jimmy calling his captors byall the absurd and ugly names he could invent, the pain and achingseemed to come back into my wrists and ankles, making me groan as I satand clasped them, a little use having begun to creep back into my arms.
As I rubbed my aching limbs I still had an eye on Jimmy, interest in hisfate making me think little about my own; and as I watched now theblack, now the savages grouped about armed with spear and club, I sawthat his dangerous position had so excited Jimmy that he was quitereckless. He had no means of attack or defence left save his tongue,and this he began to use in another way.
He had abused his captors till he had exhausted his list of availablewords, and now in token of derision he gave me another instance to studyof the childish nature of even a grown-up savage. For, tied uphelplessly there, he put out his tongue at his enemies, thrust it intohis cheeks, and displayed it in a variety of ways.
Jimmy was possessed of a very long tongue, unusually large for a humanbeing, and this he shot out, turned down, curled up at the end, andwagged from side to side as a dog would his tail. At the same time hecontorted and screwed his face up into the most hideous grimaces,elongating, flattening, and working his countenance as easily as if ithad been composed of soft wax, till at times his aspect was perfectlyhideous.
Every moment I expected to see a spear thrown or the savages rush atJimmy with their clubs; but they retained their composure, simply gazingat him, till Jimmy grew weary, and, full of contempt, shouting outsomething about poor black fellow dingoes, and then shutting his eyesand pretending to go to sleep.
My guard was, like me, so intent upon the scene that he did not hear aslight rustling noise in the darker corner of the hut.