The Land of Mystery by Edward Sylvester Ellis
CHAPTER XXVII.
SHUT IN.
The situation in which the visitors to the dominions of King Haffgowere placed, was such as to sharpen their wits to the keenest edge.
After the departure of Fred Ashman, Ziffak talked more plainly with theProfessor and New Englander. The head chieftain told his white friendswhat they had suspected; Haffgo was enraged at Ashman's presumptionwith his daughter. He was in that mood indeed, in which, but for hispromise, he would have hurled his javelin at the youth before he leftthe audience chamber.
Ziffak, however, was hopeful that the anger of his royal brother wouldcool sufficiently to allow the visitors to remain there two days; buthe doubted whether, after all, they would want to stay that long underthe strained condition of things.
When the chieftain took his departure, it was without any hint that hewished to have an eye to the young gentleman, but Grimcke and Longsuspected it, and their conversation became of the gravest character,for they fully realized their peril.
They regretted the mad infatuation of their young friend with Ariel theprincess, and yet they did not blame him, for, as the New Englanderremarked, could they have believed there was any hope for them, theywould have fallen as irrestrainably in love as he.
But they did not, and, therefore, were in a frame of mind to considerthe situation more coolly than the hot-headed lover.
Both agreed that the stroll taken by Ashman was likely to bring abouttrouble, but they were powerless to do anything. Ziffak was the onlyindividual who could manage matters in such an emergency.
It will be remembered that night had fully come at the time of thechieftain's departure. The interior of the room would have beenwrapped in gloom, had not the mother of Ziffak made her appearance andstarted a fire on the hearth at the further end of the apartment.
The white men watched her closely to see how the Murhapas wereaccustomed to secure ignition. But they were disappointed. She rakedaside the ashes until some embers were disclosed beneath, which werereadily fanned into a flame. This caused the apartment to shine with alight like that at mid-day.
She had brought in an earthen vessel of water and began broilingseveral thin slices of meat on the coals. They were quickly finished,and she then handed to each of her guests the prepared meat on anearthen plate. All ate heartily, using their fingers for knives andforks, while the cool water could not have been more refreshing.
Bippo and Pedros had been sleeping and resting so long that theydesired to get out doors. Since they were not likely to be recognizedin the night, if they used caution, Grimcke and Long told them to go,but to take care they did not lose themselves.
They had hardly departed when their hostess also left, passing out bythe rear way. She did not speak, but as she was disappearing, gave thetwo men such a strange look that their suspicions were awakened. Bothat that moment were reflecting upon the ominous news brought them byZiffak.
By a common impulse, both hastened to the rear to learn all they couldabout the building in which they might be compelled to fight for theirlives.
The result was rather pleasing. The structure was heavier and morecompact than the ordinary buildings, and, in addition to the usualopening in front, had one at the rear, through which the womanundoubtedly passed on her way to her royal son.
Neither of these openings were provided with anything in the nature ofa door that could be closed. Whenever the rare occasions arose forsuch a sealing of the inhabitants of a house, it was done by means offurs suspended in front of the entrance.
The white men noted this with quick eyes, and then went back to thefront apartment.
"In the event of attack," said the Professor with the utmost coolness,"you can take the rear door and I the front."
Long nodded his head; he understood and was ready.
They had hardly entered the front apartment, when both were struck bythe unusual chatter of voices on the outside. There must have been alarge gathering of people who were growing excited about something.
The Professor was about to step into the opening to learn what itmeant, when Bippo burst into the apartment, the picture of fright andterror.
"Going to kill us!" was his alarming exclamation; "make me run--almostkill me!"
"Where's Pedros?" asked Long.
"He scared--run into woods--won't come back--run all way to Am'zon!"
"I think he'll have to stop once or twice to get breath before hereaches there," was the characteristic comment of the Professor, whostanding near the door, listened more closely to the threatening wordsand exclamations on the outside.
It sounded singular to recognize more than one expression uttered inEnglish by these people, who, until a few years before were unawarethat such people were living.
But for the proof Ziffak had given of his loyalty the whites might haveconnected his absence with the ugly signs outside; but the confidenceeven of Jared Long in his friendship was unshaken.
"Bippo," said the Professor, speaking with the same quietself-possession he had shown in the first place, "they are going toattack us; more than likely we shall be killed, but there is a chancefor you, because you are dressed like these people, and, so long as youcan keep in the shadow, you can pass for one of them; you can slip outby the opening at the rear without being noticed; steal away, findPedros if you can, and leave."
The eyes of the servant seemed to protrude from his head, as he graspedthe fearful meaning of these words. Then, clutching his spear in hishand, he whisked like a shadow into the rear apartment beyond sight.
Grimcke and Long smiled in each other's face; they could not blame thefellow for thinking of his own safety.
"The music will begin in a few minutes," added the Professor. "I thinkyou had better guard the rear; you understand, Jared, that it's no timeto throw away any powder."
"I don't propose to waste my ammunition," muttered the New Englander,as he stepped softly into the rear apartment.
Only a slight reflection from the fire on the hearth found its way intothat part of the house, which had no window; but by the dim light JaredLong saw a dusky figure come rapidly from the door toward him. He wason the point of raising his gun, when it spoke:
"It's me--Bippo."
"I thought you had left. Why didn't you go?"
"Love my white folks--can't leave 'em, stay die wid 'em."
This sounded very fine, but the New Englander was incredulous. Hebelieved that their servant was more afraid to leave than to stay. Hehad probably taken a look outside and decided that he was safer underthe shelter of those three Winchesters (for the weapon of poor AaronJohnston was still in the possession of his friends).
Long was inclined to ask him to take charge of the extra rifle, and useit in helping to defend themselves; but, recalling the antipathy of thefellow against handling firearms, he decided that he would only throwaway his cartridges.
He, therefore, cautioned him to keep out of the reach of any of themissiles that were likely to come flying into the apartment, and urgedhim, in case he saw any opening, to dart out among the people and dohis best to escape.
Professor Grimcke firmly believed that the impending fight would be tothe death, and that the only issue would be the slaying of himself andcompanion. It was the same danger they had faced many times, with thedifference that this was to be the last.
He surveyed his surroundings, like a general making ready to receivethe assault of a foe, and die fighting in the last ditch.
There was the door in front and the two windows, through which theattack could be made. He could cover all three with his repeatingrifle, and, when the last struggle came, appeal to his revolver andknife. He smiled, grimly at the reflection, that he had every groundfor believing, that the victory of the Murhapas would prove the mostcostly they had ever won. Jared Long was his equal in markmanship andcoolness, and, as he coolly remarked, there would be no ammunitionwasted, by either.