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"I never meant to enter into such an extensive affair, gentlemen," said the resident to Major Sandars and Captain Horton after dinner one day, when they had all been entertained at the mess-room. "I almost think we ought to draw back before it is too late." "Well, I don't know," said Major Sandars. "It will please the sultan if we take a lot of men, and this is rather a stagnating life.
I'm a midshipman, sir," said Bob, sharply; and the captain grunted out something that sounded like "impudent young puppy!" but he did not look angry. "Go on, Mr Roberts," said the resident. "Well, sir, being English boys big boys, who felt like men just then " said Bob, rather sarcastically. "That's not bad, Mr Roberts," said Major Sandars, with a glance at the naval captain.
"Ah, you may all laugh," said the doctor; "but I'm not ashamed of being a modest naturalist." "Modest!" said Major Sandars. "Do you call that modest, to talk big like that? But come, tell us, may we go safely?" "That's what I can't quite settle," said the doctor. "I don't know what to say to you. A week's hunting picnic would be very nice." "Splendid," said everybody.
Preparations were quietly made, then, and fifty men from the island taken on board the steamer, a few at a time, so as not to attract notice; and when at last the expeditionary party started, the occupants of the residency were dining with Major and Mrs Sandars at the officers' quarters, where they quietly stayed.
"Yes," said the doctor, holding out his hand, which was eagerly grasped, "it is a terrible business. But you know what the foreigners say of us, Sandars?" "No: what do you mean?" "That the English never know when they are beaten. We don't know when we are beaten, and our lads are like us. God bless them, poor fellows, for they are as patient as can be!" "What do you advise, then?" said the major.
Major Sandars was equally anxious with the resident to get back to the island, for a feeling of dread had risen up that the residency might have been attacked during their absence. In fact, it seemed now that they had been out-generalled; and if their fort, and provisions, and stores should be in the hands of the Malays, their position would be perilous in the extreme.
"Why, we could blow the whole place to Cape Horn with my guns; and the Malays would never face Sandars' boys, with their bayonets." "Did you notice that sentry, Smithers?" asked the little doctor, in a low voice, of his companion, as the conversation now became less general. "Sentry? which one?" "This one," said the doctor. "Don't speak aloud, or he'll hear you." "Private Gray?
Then by slow degrees those on board learned from the worn-out messengers the whole of their experience, and how that since Major Sandars had appealed to the men, and they had sworn to stick together to the last, they had only made journeys of about a mile in length through the dense jungle. The guide was still delirious, and half the men down with sickness or wounds.
Besides myself, two other workers were active, who began their political life as Richard Mallock's supporters at Torquay, and who subsequently rose to eminence of a wider kind George Lane Fox, as Chancellor of the Primrose League, and J. Sandars as secretary and adviser to Mr. Arthur Balfour.
Meanwhile the fort and barracks had to be the general dwelling; and Bob Roberts and Tom Long were looked upon as heroes. It so happened, that one day Colonel Hanson entered the mess-room, where Captain Horton, Major Sandars, Captain Smithers, and the other officers, were grouped about.
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