"Yes, that"s my name."
"Mackinnon got a cable from Java on Friday about the petrol. He told me about it, and mighty astonished he was. Motor-cars are pretty scarce about here, and he hasn"t got a great quant.i.ty of petrol. I suppose it"s for a motor-boat you want it? When did you leave Java?--before the cable, I guess."
"I haven"t come from Java at all. The cable was sent through there from London. The fact is, I"ve come in an aeroplane."
"What! Over the sea?"
"Yes, over sea and land. I left Penang early this morning, and must go on at once."
"Well, if I ain"t just about flummuxed! D"you mean to say you"ve come pretty near two thousand five hundred miles to-day?"
"Yes; I"ll tell you in a word all about it."
His host, whose name was Martin, listened in mute amazement as Smith briefly related the occasion of his long journey.
"Why, man," exclaimed Mr. Martin, when he had concluded his story; "wonders"ll never cease. You must be dead beat. I never heard the like of it. Come into the other room. The boys"ll be mad to hear this."
"Really, I"d rather not. I haven"t any time to lose, and Mr. Mackinnon being away--"
"Oh, that don"t matter. He didn"t expect you so soon, but we"ll get what you want, though it is Sunday. But a bite and a sup will do you all the good in the world, and won"t take you long, and the boys will just go crazy if they don"t see you. Why, it"s round the world you"re going. My sakes! Come along."
He almost dragged Smith into a large, low room, where several men and women, boys and girls, were seated round the wall. They were singing hymns to the accompaniment of a harmonium. A table loaded with eatables was pushed into a corner. The entrance of Mr. Martin, followed by a dirty, unkempt, and oddly dressed stranger, caused an abrupt cessation of the singing. The girl at the harmonium sprang up with a startled look.
"What is it, Father?" she asked anxiously.
"Nothing to be scart about, my girl. Neighbours, this gentleman has come all the way from London in an aeroplane."
The announcement was received in dead silence. Smith stood like a statue as he listened to Mr. Martin"s hurried explanation, resigning himself to be the target of all eyes. Everybody crowded about him, silent no longer, but all asking questions at once. Mrs. Martin went to the table and brought from it a dish of chicken patties, which she pressed upon him.
"Do"ee eat now," she said, in the broad accent of Devonshire. "I made "em myself, and you must be downright famished."
"Not quite so bad as that," said Smith, with a smile, "I had a good breakfast at Penang, and have nibbled some biscuits and things on the way."
"Biscuits are poor food for a hungry man. Eat away now, do."
Other members of the family brought ale, cider, fruit, cakes, enough for a dozen men, and for some minutes Smith"s attention was divided between eating and drinking and answering the questions which poured upon him in a never-ending flood. Conscious of the lapse of time, he at last said that he must go and obtain the fuel for his engine. The men rose in a body, prepared to accompany him.
"I don"t think we had better all go, neighbours," said Mr. Martin.
"I"ll take Mr. Smith to the Resident; we shall have to see him about the petrol, you know."
"There"s one thing your friends can do for me," said Smith. "I want ten or a dozen rifles, and a lot of ammunition. Can you provide them at such short notice?"
"I should just think we can," said Mr. Martin. "Neighbours, get together what Mr. Smith wants, and take "em out along to the aeroplane. It"s just a step or two beyond the railway, from what he says. Mother, send out some eatables, too, something better than biscuits, to Mr. Smith"s man, who"s looking after it. Now, Mr. Smith, come along. The Residency isn"t far off: we"re only a small town."
The two set off, and in a few minutes arrived at the Residency, a stone building of more pretensions than the wood and iron erections of which the town mostly consisted. The Resident was at home. Once more Smith had to tell his story, once more to listen to exclamations and reply to questions, grudging every moment that kept him. The Resident had heard of the wreck of the _Albatross_, in which he had been particularly interested, because he had some slight acquaintance with its commander.
"I heard by wire only yesterday, Mr. Smith, that a gunboat had been sent from Brisbane to the relief of your friends. She started three days ago, and can"t possibly reach the wreck until to-morrow at earliest. But surely she will be there before you?"
"Not if I can get off soon, and don"t meet with an accident on the way. It"s nearly two thousand miles from here to Ysabel Island, I think?"
"I can"t tell you within a hundred or two, but it"s about that. When do you think you will get there?"
"About midday to-morrow, with luck. I shall take on here enough petrol to last the whole way, if I"m not thrown out of my course or meet with mishap; but I suppose I can get a fresh supply at Port Moresby, if necessary?"
"I very much doubt it. And what about getting back?"
"I"m going on as soon as I"ve seen that my people are safe--if I"m not too late. I"ve got to rejoin my ship at 9 a.m. on Friday morning, or I run the risk of being hauled over the coals."
"Surely not. They will make allowances, seeing what your errand has been."
"They don"t make allowances easily in the Navy, sir. Besides, I"ve set my heart on being back in time."
"You will return this way, then. Ysabel Island is this side of the 180 degree line."
"Well, no, sir. Having started, I mean to get round the world if I can."
"You"re a sportsman, I see. Well, now, what will your best course be?"
He opened a map.
"I"ve planned it all, sir," said Smith hurriedly. "I go on to Samoa: I"m sure to find petrol there; then Honolulu, San Francisco, St. Paul, and St. John"s, all big places, where I shall be able to get all I want. Now, sir, I know Sunday night must be an awkward time, but, with your a.s.sistance, I daresay I can get the petrol from Mr. Mackinnon"s store."
"There is a little difficulty which we shall have to get over. We"ve a very strict regulation against entering at night any G.o.down containing explosives, owing to the risk of fire. Mr. Mackinnon"s G.o.down will be locked up; his Chinaman will have the key; and as Resident I can"t openly countenance a breach of the rules. We have had a great deal of trouble to enforce them, and any relaxation would have a very bad effect on the Chinamen: they wouldn"t understand it."
"Don"t you worry about that, sir," said Mr. Martin. "Leave it to me.
There"ll be a fine to pay to-morrow," he added, with a chuckle; "and you can make it pretty stiff as a warning to the Chinese; it"ll be paid on the nail, I a.s.sure you."
"Very well, Mr. Martin. I shall know nothing about it officially until you come before me to-morrow, and I"ll read you a severe lecture in addition to fining you. You can come to me for a subscription afterwards. Good-bye, Mr. Smith: good luck. I sincerely hope you"ll find your friends safe and sound. Give my kind regards to Lieutenant Underhill."
Smith left the Residency with Mr. Martin, who led him to the Chinese quarter of the town, a dark a.s.semblage of small huts, pig-sties, and poultry runs.
"I don"t know where Mackinnon"s boy lives," said Mr. Martin. "We shall have to hunt him up."
All the huts were apparently in darkness, and Smith, as he walked rapidly beside his guide, thought that he preferred the smell of petrol smoke to the mingled odours that a.s.sailed his nose. At length they discovered a light amid the gloom, and hastening towards it, discovered that it proceeded from an oil-lamp within one of the huts, the door of which was open. Here they saw a group of Chinamen squatting on the floor, engaged in playing a game with small figures carved in bone.
"Hi, boys," called Mr. Martin; "can tell where Ching-Fu keeps?"
"My tellee ma.s.sa," cried one of the younger men, rising. "My go long that side, show wai-lo."
"Come on, then: chop-chop."
"Allo lightee, ma.s.sa: my savvy."
He led them through what appeared to Smith an intricate maze of narrow alleys, and presently pushed open the door of a hut, and called the name of Ching-Fu, entering without ceremony. The Englishmen heard voices raised as in altercation, and after some minutes the guide reappeared, followed by a burly compatriot, rubbing his eyes.
"He catchee sleep, say what for come fetchee this time."
"Now, Ching-Fu," said Mr. Martin, "this gentleman wants seventy gallons of petrol, at once. Mr. Mackinnon got a cable about it yesterday. Come and get the cans, and have them taken up to my house at once."