What it actually did was to drift into the tangled branches that hung far over the river, but it was still some yards from the actual bank.
"We may as well pull her right in," said Biggles. "There will be less chance of her being seen by anyone coming up or down the river."
This was easily done. By pulling on the branches it was possible to drag the aircraft against the bank. Having made her fast by the nose, they stepped ash.o.r.e to stretch their cramped limbs.
"Well, this is it," observed Biggles. "This is where we say good-bye to Fee Wong." He turned to the Chinese. "Would you like us to stay here until you have made sure that your brother is at Telapur-or at any rate until you have seen that everything is all right ? "
"You have not enough petrol to go back to Borneo ? " queried Fee Wong.
"Don"t worry about that," returned Biggles. "What you do ? "
"We shall fly as far as we can-perhaps reach the Borneo coast, or an island near it."
Actually, Biggles had as yet formed no definite plan.
"Maybe my brother have petrol," announced Fee Wong calmly.
Biggles started. "Say that again!"
"I say maybe my brother have petrol."
This was something for which Biggles was not prepared. "Why should he have petrol ? "
"He use petrol start engines in saw-mill."
"This puts a different complexion on things," declared Biggles. "You go along and find out if he has any. There"s no need for us all to come."
"Shall I slip along with him ? " offered Ginger.
"In country like this I think it would be wiser if we kept together," decided Biggles. "If once we get separated anything can happen."
"I go," put in Fee Wong. "I come back pletty soon." He scrambled up the bank and disappeared into the darkness.
"I hope he"s right about getting back pretty soon," said Biggles, making a slap at his face as, with a shrill metallic ping, a mosquito settled on it. "We shall be torn to pieces by mosquitoes if we stay here long. I think our best place is in the cabin ; it will at least afford some protection against the little beasts."
They got back into the machine and settled down to rest. Biggles lit a cigarette. Ginger and Algy tried to sleep, but the mosquitoes decided otherwise and they soon gave up in disgust. Then came a sound that brought Biggles bolt upright, rigid. It was the sharp patter of rain on the cabin roof.
" Rain ! " he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed. "If this is the real rains starting we"re in for a lovely time."
"What do you mean-the real rains ? " asked Ginger.
"The monsoon isn"t due for a fortnight yet, and as a general rule it"s pretty punctual ; but sometimes there is a sort of preliminary shower or two, just to give you a taste of what"s coming. Once in a while the monsoon arrives a bit ahead of its time, and if that is what has happened now we shall be in as unholy a mess as we"ve ever struck. I didn"t say anything about it when we landed, but it seemed to me that the river was running pretty fast, as if there had already been some rain here, or at the headwaters of the river. Maybe we shall learn the truth when Fee Wong gets back."
Even while Biggles had been speaking the noise of falling water had risen to such a roar that Ginger found it hard to believe that it was caused by rain. He pulled the side window open and looked out. He could see nothing. Everything was blotted out by a curtain of water. It did not blow about, or rise and fall in volume : it came down in a constant downpour as if a million taps had been turned on. He shut the window.
"It"s certainly raining," he told the others. "How long is it likely to keep on ? "
"A week, maybe a month, perhaps on and off for three months," answered Biggles.
"Three months ! " Ginger looked aghast. "The world would be flooded."
Biggles smiled wanly. " It is--at least, this part of the world. At home we get about twenty-five inches of rain a year. Here, it can do that, and more, in a day. They don"t measure it in inches but in feet. It"s no use kidding ourselves. I"m afraid the monsoon has started. It"s bad luck, coming like this ahead of its time, but we can"t stop it. It"s just one of those things. What I"m worried about is how far this will upset Fee Wong"s plan. The barges may leave before he can muster his sabotage gang. Meanwhile the river will rise so fast that you"ll think you"re going up in a lift."
"But, dash it all, we can"t just sit here doing nothing," declared Ginger.
"This is one of those occasions when we can"t do Anything else," returned Biggles evenly. "We"re better Off here than out on the stream, although if the rain "goes on we shall probably be washed out, anyway. If We aren"t washed out we shall be lifted up into the trees. By that time the river will be hard to find, because the whole country becomes flooded. For the moment I"m content to stay in the dry-we shall be wet soon enough. We may as well open a tin of bully and nibble a biscuit."
Two hours pa.s.sed. The rain maintained its constant roar, and Ginger began to wonder how long it would be before the noise drove him mad. One thing was certain : unless there was a lull, even if they obtained petrol, they were tied to the river, for it would be hopeless to try to get off through the blinding rain.
At length a shout broke the weary vigil. A storm-lantern gleamed mistily through the falling rain. It was Fee Wong, his gown plastered to his body by mud and water. Behind him stood another figure, a Chinese of about the same age. Ginger guessed it was Ah Wong, Fee Wong"s brother, and this turned out to be correct. Biggles shouted to them to come into the cabin, for it was next to impossible to carry on a conversation outside.
The two Chinese came in, dripping water that formed pools on the floor.
"Monsoon start," said Fee Wong, without emotion. "I"d noticed it," returned Biggles, with a suspicion of sarcasm. " What"s the news ? "
With Oriental imperturbability Fee Wong then proceeded to narrate a story of calamity so unexpected that the airmen sat motionless in speechless dismay. It was worse than anything they could have foreseen. Ginger tried to put the main facts in his memory.
They were these.
The monsoon had broken. There had already been some advance showers over the preceding four days, with the result that the j.a.panese barges had already left their moorings on the western side of the Peninsula and were well on their way to the east. They were, in fact, at Telapur, moored just beyond the mills, and would have gone farther had there not been a j.a.panese military pontoon bridge to interrupt their pa.s.sage. Across this bridge j.a.panese forces, including guns and light tanks, had already pa.s.sed. But the main force was still to cross, and it was thought that the crossing would take place within the next twenty-four hours. Those who had already crossed had quartered themselves in the mill. After the crossing had been effected the bridge would be dismantled, when the barges would proceed on their way. So much Fee Wong had learned from his brother, who was still at the mill. The spot where the Cayman now clung precariously to the bank was less than four miles from the mill, and less than five from the bridge.
What about the petrol ? " asked Biggles, when Fee Wong finally broke off.
Somehow Ginger knew what the answer would be before the Chinese answered.
Troubles seldom come singly.
"No petrol," answered Fee Wong. "The j.a.panese have taken."
Biggles lit a cigarette and smoked for a moment in silence. "Looks as though we"re going to stay here for a bit," he remarked presently.
"No stay," declared Fee Wong. "River rise. Break aeroplane in pieces."
"Okay, then we don"t stay," murmured Biggles. "That means we go."
"No go," said Fee Wong. "River smash you all up."
Biggles looked at Algy and Ginger in turn. "You heard that ? We can"t stay and we can"t go. That"s fine. Now let"s get down to bra.s.s tacks and decide just what we are going to do."
Further inquiry produced the information that the petrol, about forty gallons of ordinary commercial spirit, was still in the mill, although it had been piled, with other things the invaders had seized, ready for removal. Ah Wong and the coolies who worked the mill were not actually confined, possibly because there was nowhere to confine them. They had simply been ordered by the j.a.panese to remain where they were. The barges were moored close together and a sentry stood guard over each one, apart from a number of troops who were bivouacked on the bank. Ah Wong was of opinion that one or two mooring-ropes might with luck be cut, but the saboteurs would then be discovered.
"That"s not much use," muttered Biggles. "We"ve got to get the lot. If we could bust that bridge, not only would it disorganize the j.a.p column, but it would be pretty certain to draw attention away from the barges. The time factor is really what we are up against.
Tomorrow, apparently, the rest of the j.a.ps will cross, and the barges will then proceed on their way ; and once they are out of reach of Ah Wong"s coolies it won"t be much use our chasing them."
Now while Biggles had been speaking Ginger had looked through the side window, mainly with the object of ascertaining how far the water had risen. It was up, he judged, about two feet, and he was about to turn back to the cabin when a movement on the bank caught his eye. For a moment he stared at an immense black object, and as it moved again, fear-fear of the unknown -chilled him. His face was a shade paler when he turned back into the cabin.
"I say ! Just a minute," he said breathlessly. "There"s something on the bank-an enormous creature. I can"t make out what it is."
Fee Wong permitted himself to smile faintly. "Elephant," he said. "Elephant belong my brother."
Ginger grinned sheepishly, not a little relieved. " I didn"t know you had a tame elephant."
"We got a hundred elephant," said Ah Wong evenly.
Ginger blinked. "A hundred elephants ! Great Scott ! What do you do with them ? "
By this time Biggles was looking interested. He had no idea of a purpose to which a hundred elephants could be put, but he never left a possibility unexplored.
"Yes," he said quickly, remembering vaguely that elephants were used throughout the East for timber haulage, "what exactly do you do with these elephants, Fee Wong ? "
Fee Wong explained that when teak was first cut it was too heavy to float, and for that reason the logs, after being trimmed, were left lying on the bank for about six months, at the end of which time they were so far seasoned that they did not sink. They were then floated down to the saw-mill. The elephants were used to haul the logs to the water. Just above the point where the aircraft was moored they had a great number of logs ready for floating down. The work had, of course, been interrupted by the arrival of the j.a.panese invaders.
"Is that so ? " said Biggles, who was thinking fast. He turned to Algy. "A teak log is a pretty ma.s.sive lump of timber. If we could get some of them on the water .they"d go down the river like battering-rams and burst the pontoon bridge. The disorganization would give us a chance to get at the barges." He turned back to Fee Wong. "Are the elephants up by the timber now ? "
Ah Wong stepped into the conversation and said that they were. They were hidden in the forest in charge of an Indian mahout.
"Will the elephants work at night ? " inquired Biggles.
Ah Wong smiled at the white man"s ignorance. "These are trained elephants. They do what they are told."
"Okay," said Biggles. "Let"s get busy. We"ll bust the bridge and then set to work on the barges. Lead the way, Ah Wong."
CHAPTER XII.
A HECTIC NIGHT.
GINGER was wet through before he had climbed the muddy bank to the rough track which, it was discovered, followed it. The world had become a nightmare of water, a deluge that descended in a never-ending stream from above and made the earth like a soaked sponge.
Everything dripped. The noise was unbelievable.
The elephant was a docile beast, as most trained elephants are. It turned out to be Ah Wong"s riding animal. Ginger was invited to ride, but he preferred to walk, although he was soon glad to hang on to the elephant"s tail.
"We"re mad," he told Biggles, who trudged along beside him. "Everyone"s mad. The whole world"s gone mad."
" You invited yourself to the picnic, don"t forget," answered Biggles.
On they plunged through a world of water, mud and water, for about twenty minutes ; then Ah Wong called a halt.
What happened after that Ginger was not quite sure. For one thing, something-he never knew what it was-stung him on the neck, and gave him a good deal of pain. There were shouts in the forest and, occasionally, the trumpeting of elephants. Great black shapes began to move. Logs crashed ; they rolled ; they splashed into the river, flinging up sheets of water to meet the curtain that descended. The three white men stood together.
There was nothing they could do. Fee Wong appeared from time to time and had a few words with them. Calm and unmoved, he might have been at a garden party. Sometimes he gave a word of advice to a panting coolie. To Ginger it was all a confused dream of pain and rain, rain, and still more rain. Sometimes he found himself wondering if it was really happening. Never with greater relief did he note the first dull streaks of dawn. The rain still fell, but not quite so heavily. The river was a turgid flood.
Ah Wong appeared and spoke to his brother. With him was a huge Malay foreman.
Ginger happened to catch sight of the man"s back, and shuddered. It had recently been flogged to ribbons. The man glanced round and saw Ginger staring. For a moment their eyes met, and at the expression of sullen hate in those of the native Ginger felt his blood run cold. He guessed who had done the flogging, and Ah Wong confirmed it.
" Kayan ask j.a.panese not to burn his home," he said evenly. "They flog him plenty much. He no like j.a.panese." "I can understand that," answered Biggles grimly.
Fee Wong said he thought that the logs by this time must have torn the bridge away by sheer weight, but suggested that it would be a good thing to make sure.
"All right, let"s find out," agreed Biggles. He had to shout in order to make himself heard above the noise of falling water.
They all set off along the bank. The Cayman was still at its moorings, but it had been lifted up into the branches of the trees, an alarming and melancholy spectacle. The fabric had been torn in several places. Ginger noticed a water-snake coiled on the tailplane.
Biggles paused for a moment to look at the aircraft. He shrugged his shoulders. "There"s nothing we can do about it," he remarked.
This was so obviously true that no one disputed it. At that moment it seemed unlikely that the machine would ever fly again.
They went on. But not very far. At the next bend, a sharp one, with one accord they pulled up at the sight that met their eyes. For a full minute no one spoke.
Then Biggles said in a bitter voice, "Would you believe it ! "
What had happened was this. The timber had not gone down the river as had been intended. It seemed that a giant tree had fallen across the river during the night. Against this the logs had jammed, forming a dam behind which water, weeds and still more logs had piled up. Beyond it the river was clear.
Ginger could have wept with mortification and disappointment. "After all that work," he said sadly. The two Chinese simply gazed, impa.s.sive.
At that moment a coolie appeared running up the track. He was chattering like a monkey.
"What"s he talking about ? " demanded Biggles.
Fee Wong turned. "He say j.a.panese are crossing river now," he said.
A strange look came into Biggles"s eyes. "By thunder ! " he cried. "If that dam were to burst it would let loose a million tons of water and hundreds of tons of timber. The bridge would be swept away like a sc.r.a.p of tissue paper-and so would the barges."
It is unlikely that Kayan the Malay understood these words, but he had heard what the coolie had reported, and he was not a timber foreman for nothing ; it may be supposed that he understood even better than Biggles what would happen if the dam burst. His face split in a dreadful smile, showing crimson betel-nut-stained teeth. Then, before the others realized his intention, and certainly before they could stop him, he had dashed down to the river. In his hand he carried a heavy crowbar that he had used during the night to move the logs. Using this as a balancing pole, he started across the dam, leaping from log to log with the agility of long experience. It was obvious what he intended to do.
Biggles shouted, but the native took no notice, even if he heard, which is unlikely.
"If that dam bursts he"ll be ground to pulp!" cried Algy in a strangled voice.
"He knows," said Fee Wong calmly. "The j.a.panese have killed his wife and children, so he no longer has love of life. He prefers revenge. Kayan is a Malay."
When Kayan was about midstream he chose a spot, drove in the iron bar and heaved.
Those on the bank could only watch helplessly. No one spoke. No one moved. It was one of those moments when time seems to stand still. Ginger saw the log on which Kayan was standing begin to move. The Malay threw all his weight on the bar. The log swung out. Then,, with a roar like a high-explosive bomb bursting on a concrete road, the dam fell, and the next instant a thousand tons of logs, impelled by a mighty tidal wave, were hurtling pell mell down the stream. For a brief moment Kayan stood poised on a log. He flung the bar away, and stood with his arms outstretched like a bronze statue in an att.i.tude of triumph. Then he disappeared from sight amongst the grinding timbers and the flood of yellow, foam-flecked water.
Ginger drew a deep breath and moistened his lips. "I shall see that sight for as long as I live," he said in a hard thin voice.
" Quick ! " cried Fee Wong, for once shaken out of his Oriental restraint. He started running up a hill which at this point flanked the river.
The others followed. Unmindful of rain, of mud, of thorns that tore his flesh, Ginger dragged himself through the sodden jungle. He had no idea of where he was going, or why, nor did he trouble to think. Like an animal, he simply went because the others went.