the few days preceding the sailing of the mongolia passed very quickly; wentworth, accompanied by armstrong, spent most of the time at mrs. wentworth's home in lincolnshire. strangely enough, bob's mother did not, in any way, try to dissuade them from their journey.
"you have the roving instinct of your father, robert," she said, with pensive calmness. "i have expected this, and can only pray that you may be kept safe in the guiding care of the all wise providence which watches over the wanderer on land as on sea."
but his sister had not the same restraint, and it made armstrong's tender heart sore to witness the grief of the girl.
"you may be killed—you may both be killed," she sobbed.
"there is no fear of that, lucy," laughed bob.
"i'll take care of him, miss lucy," said jack, hesitatingly, almost equally affected.
"why, you are just a boy," she exclaimed, smiling at him through her tears.
"i'm only a year younger than bob," he protested stoutly, drawing himself up to his full height of five feet[pg 30] seven and a half inches, and looking at her reproachfully; at which, to jack's dismay, she gave way again to her emotion, her beautiful brown hair falling over her face like a glorious mantle.
"it's for you, too," she murmured brokenly. "oh, jack, you are bob's chum, and i shall miss you too." whereupon the usually light-hearted boy seemed to become a man at once.
"i have no other friends," he said quietly; then he stammered, "i did not think any one could miss me," he concluded, with just a trace of pathos in his voice. and at that moment his friendship for bob seemed to be riveted afresh, so keenly did the kindly word of sympathy from the girl appeal to his generous nature.
prompt to the advertised hour, the p. and o. mongolia cast off her moorings and steamed out of tilbury docks, and on the upper deck of the splendid vessel, among the assembled crowd of passengers, stood mackay and the two youthful adventurers. they had arrived in london the night before, and had spent a very pleasant evening listening to a classic concert in the queen's hall which mackay had insisted on them hearing. bob thought their patron and friend was once more sacrificing himself to what he imagined was their particular taste; but, to his surprise, that worthy individual had taken a strong interest in the entire programme, and especially applauded the young soprano who sang so magnificently a very difficult italian aria.
"it's no because i'm a singer mysel'," he explained apologetically, "and i dinna understan' a word o' the song, but i'm a wonderfu' lover o' guid music all the same. i think it's sort o' soothing to my mental faculties."
[pg 31]
jack grinned and looked incredulous, but at that moment the young lady reappeared in answer to the vociferous demand for an encore, and soon the haunting strains of "home, sweet home!" filled the vast hall. again the doubting youngster looked at his stalwart neighbour, and lo! the eyes of the ex-bushman were wet.
now all three watched the receding shores of england with somewhat sad eyes, and when at last night had fallen, and the vessel was cautiously feeling her way towards the bay of biscay through a murky fog, they descended to their cabin and began to arrange their baggage and make preparations for dinner. the next three days were uneventful, though jack insisted that his sufferings in the dreaded bay were severe enough to warrant mention in the ship's log. he only of the trio was affected by the rolling and pitching of the ship, though he had goodly company among the rest of the passengers. as for bob and mackay, they walked the deck through it all. but even sea-sickness comes to an end, and before the mongolia reached gibraltar jack was feeling himself again, and his boisterous spirits did much to infuse a sympathetic cheerfulness among the rest of the passengers, whose reserve was beginning to break away as they entered the sunny waters of the blue mediterranean. bob had found endless interest in watching the various headlands sighted on the portuguese and spanish coasts, and when the frowning rock of gibraltar was in sight, his eagerness became intense. to him history became almost a living thing when he gazed at the grim monuments of a glorious past. and mackay was ever near to instruct and to interest by the narration[pg 32] of more or less personal experiences of his own in the various ports visited. indeed, mackay's knowledge was little short of marvellous, and the boys saw many phases of his character during their first week at sea. the general passengers too soon became interesting to them. the mongolia had on board a very representative community. some were going to india, not a few to china and japan, while the remainder comprised principally australians from the different states of the commonwealth returning home after a visit to the old country. before aden had been reached, owing to the genial influence of the captain, a feeling of good fellowship pervaded the ship, and the entire company became as one huge family. deck sports were a daily occurrence, and concerts and dances took place every other evening. the sea was calm as glass, flying fish rose in scattering clouds from the surging wavelets created by the ship's bows, and porpoises played merrily around the vessel as it dashed on its unerring course. but on the upper deck the double awning scarcely obscured the penetrating rays of the scorching sun, and the close sweltering heat in the cabins below was almost unbearable. at aden all the india bound passengers disembarked and changed into an awaiting vessel which connected with bombay, and the time allowed before the mongolia resumed her course was amply sufficient to permit of mackay and his protégés going ashore.
there is not much to attract at this port. it is simply a military barracks and coaling-station, with an enormous importance, of course, as a british naval base. mackay explained this at length to jack, who was always eager for information.
[pg 33]
"it's the key o' the red sea," he announced, "just in the same degree as gib. is the key o' the mediterranean."
"but the red sea is not of very much interest to britain, is it?" said bob, questioningly.
"maybe no, though i canna allow that any part o' his majesty's ocean is without its due importance; but, ye see, aden protects india by watching the ships that come through the red sea, and forby there's no vessel o' war belonging to another nation could steam past withoot comin' in for coal——" this in a burst of patriotic fervour. "why, when the german emperor's brother went oot to china, a year or so back, in his big gunboat, he touched at nothing but british ports all the way." mackay chuckled with amusement at the recollection. "there used to be a tree growing at aden," he said again, when they recovered themselves, "but some one that doesn't believe in oddities has evidently cut it down."
nothing but sand and bare rocks could be seen all around, so his surmise was probably quite accurate.
"aren't there some huge tanks near here?" asked bob. "i heard that they were the only sight worth seeing in aden."
"you're quite richt; they're no exactly in aden, being about five miles back in the hills. but we have just time to visit them."
he called a waiting garry at once, and directing the somali driver, they set out to view the giant reservoirs which date their origin away back in the mists of antiquity. bob and jack looked very different individuals from what they were a few weeks before. dressed in whites, and wearing sun-helmets, they seemed already to be quite accustomed to the heat; the old tired look had vanished[pg 34] from their faces, and the light of awakening interest was in their eyes. as for mackay, under his big, umbrella-shaped head-covering, the same kindly face was visible, perhaps a little redder than it was before, but, as he said himself, it was regaining its natural tan.
"i believe in harmony o' colour," he gravely said, "and there should be nae contrast between my moustache and its surrounding beauties."
when they reached the tanks, which in appearance were as huge caverns graven out of the solid rock, the engineering training of the boys was at once evident by their remarks.
"what a mighty work it must have been," mused bob.
"king solomon's tanks," announced mackay, taking upon himself the onus of dispensing knowledge, "were built, or rather excavated, about three thousand years ago. you will observe that they are so situated as to catch the natural drainage o' the surrounding country, and when rain fell, which was seldom, the tanks got filled, and—and when it didna fall—of course, they remained empty!"
"of course," agreed they both, promptly.
mackay looked pained.
"ye shouldna concur wi' my statements so sudden like," said he. then he endeavoured to get on to the rails again. "they got silted up wi' the sand after long disuse," he continued, "and they were only discovered and re-excavated some years back; but they are of service to show what an old civilization could do, and to prove that the climate was different then, for now ye could hardly droon a mosquito in a' the water they collect." he ceased, then murmured blandly, "this country is too hot for me to wax eloquent wi' ony modicum o' pleasure, or i wad go into geo-logical details concerning it."
[pg 35]
"is there anything you don't know, mr. mackay?" inquired bob, with a smile.
"no' a thing. i'm a walkin' encyclop?dia—just burstin' wi' knowledge. no, i'm wrang; there's ane or twa metapheesical matters that beat me. i'll own to that frankly."
then they returned to the ship, and amused themselves watching the dusky patriarchal vendors of ostrich feathers who had come on board, endeavouring to sell their wares. it particularly interested them to notice how cheerfully these dealers accepted finally less than a half of their first demands. the somali diving boys with the strange yellow hair and the glistening teeth also attracted their attention. these youngsters, some of them maimed in horrible fashion, appealed to the sympathy of the passengers by singing in raucous chorus an aged and once popular london song. the authorities by this time had forbidden their wonted occupation owing to the multitudes of sharks infesting the exposed harbour. early in the evening the mongolia once more got under way, and, with her reduced passenger-list, headed for colombo, the port of the spicy isle of ceylon.
among the passengers bound for australia was a middle-aged, wiry-looking personage named carew, whose deeply browned face bore the unmistakable evidence of long years' sojourn in the tropics. mackay had recognized him on the day of embarkation, but had studiously avoided him ever since.
"he's a famous new guinea explorer," he informed bob and jack, "but he's a terrible talker, and i'm no vera willin' to be afflicted wi' his remarks."
several times, nevertheless, the boys noticed that carew[pg 36] always gazed doubtfully at mackay when they chanced to meet on deck, and on each occasion that individual would reply with a stare of studied nonchalance. however, after leaving aden, the passengers were so much reduced that they were all thrown into daily contact with each other, and occasionally mackay found himself on the same side as carew in the course of a cricket-match. but it was after they had left the island of socotra two days astern that any definite conversation passed between them. a match had just been concluded between the "weary wayfarers" and "the new chums," two delightfully named opposing teams made up from the greatest travellers on board and the more or less untravelled community, and the "weary wayfarers" had been summarily defeated. bob and jack were shining lights at such contests, and bob's bowling had on this occasion been mainly responsible for the downfall of the wayfarers, while jack on his part had made the top score of his side. carew and mackay were making a straight course for the smoke-room when the former gentleman broke out abruptly—
"i've been trying a long time to remember, mackay, where i met you before, and now i've got it. there couldn't be another phiz like yours in the whole of this wretched planet."
"i ken my personal adornments are a rare gift," placidly returned the scot, "and, to return the compliment, i may say i've never been surprised at your many marvellous escapes from the new guinean cannibals."
"and why so?" queried carew, much pleased.
"because a sicht o' your figure-head would destroy any nigger's appetite, an'——"
"i give you best, mackay; i give you best," hastily[pg 37] interposed the other. "but weren't you with bentley's expedition in new guinea four years ago? oh, i'm sure of you now. where did you leave bentley?"
by this time they were snugly ensconced in a corner of the smoke-room. mackay solemnly rang the bell.
"he went under on the last expedition in the west," he said grimly, when the steward had attended to their requests,—"i was the only one that escaped."
carew gave a cry of genuine pain. "poor bentley," he muttered brokenly, "another one gone in that accursed country, and i never knew. we pioneers don't get much of an obituary notice, mackay."
mackay silently agreed. "don't speak about it before these youngsters of mine," he said. "they're going out to the west with me, and i don't want them to be discouraged."
he rose to go, but just then bob appeared. "there's a small island on the port bow, mackay," he announced. "can you tell me anything about it? i can't find it on the chart."
"it's the coral isle called minacoy," volunteered carew, looking out. "it's the most southerly atoll of the laccadive group of islands, and when the sea is rough it is almost invisible."
they all went out to have a look. the mongolia passed quite close to the coral beach, and though the sea was calm the roar of the surge beating on the shallows was plainly heard. a tall lighthouse with a background of palms was observable, and a solitary watcher came out while they gazed and waved a friendly greeting.
"what a lonely life the lighthouse keeper's must be!" said jack, and he expressed the sentiments of all.
[pg 38]
the next day the mongolia arrived at colombo, and here the boys saw much to interest them. the spacious harbour with its huge artificial breakwater was in itself a great attraction, and they watched the clouds of spray that dashed full fifty feet into the air all along the guarding barrier with keen delight. but on shore the rickshaw rides surpassed all other forms of amusement. they visited the far-famed cinnamon gardens in these strange vehicles, they tried races along the galle face road, and lastly rickshawed with mackay to mount lavinia some five miles distant from the town. the cingalese gem merchants who swarmed everywhere were a source of wonder to them. they marvelled how so many seemingly needy individuals possessed such stores of rubies, diamonds, sapphires, and pearls, and which, according to their demands, were worth a prince's ransom. mackay only laughed when jack mentioned his surprise at their apparent affluence.
"you want to develop your powers o' observation, my laddie," said he, enigmatically; and jack, not quite understanding the rebuke, was in no wise edified. bob, too, was rather impressed by the courtesy of the same fraternity.
"master," an odd-looking personage in flowing garb and with plaited hair would say, "master, you buy goodie ruby from me?" and at once a string of somewhat similarly attired merchants would gather round and watch the expected process of bargaining silently. but they were not quite as innocent and free from guile as they looked.
"what do you think of this, bob?" cried jack, holding up a huge crystal, which a smiling cingalee with a[pg 39] strange little basket for a cap had proffered him for sale. they were sitting under the revolving fans in the hotel bristol, watching the gay panorama of colour that constantly flitted before them. mackay had left them to their own devices for an hour or so, and they were now awaiting his return.
bob examined the gaudy crystal with pretended keenness.
"no good; it's only glass," he said shortly, never dreaming that his idle statement was correct.
"no glass! no glass!" earnestly asserted the cingalee. "white sapphire, goodie stone. you try," he added, as a final proof of his honesty; "you tramp so." he placed the stone under his slippered foot, and pressed ever so lightly. "you try," he implored, handing the stone to bob, whom he now regarded as the one obstacle to the sale of his treasure. "if glass it break."
"the poor beggar seems honest," said jack, feeling quite sorry for the man. "how much?" he asked.
"five pounds, master."
"i don't want the stone," said jack, "and anyhow i haven't got five pounds in my pocket. i'll give you one pound for it," he concluded jokingly. before he had fully realized it the gem was his, and the late owner was exhorting him to secrecy concerning the sacrificial price it had commanded. "other men no like me selling so cheap," he explained, then vanished hurriedly as mackay entered.
"and so you've bought a sapphire," he said with a chuckle, when jack proudly displayed his purchase. "how much did ye gie for it? sixpence?"
"isn't it genuine?" asked bob. "i said it was glass; but he asked me to stamp on it."
[pg 40]
"ay, ay, that's an old trick; he chanced ye no' takin' him at his word." he placed the doubtful stone beneath the toe of his shoe, and in an instant nothing remained but powdered glass. jack's dismay was great, and noting it, mackay patted the boy cheerily on the back. "it's a grand thing to have faith in human nature," he said kindly. "and i'd rather see you mak' a mistake that way than the other way. a' the same when you go oot into the world it's surprising how much deceit you see."
after a stay of a day and a half the mongolia entered upon the longest phase of her journey across the equator and down by the north-western coast of australia to fremantle. several more passengers had been left at colombo including those bound for the farther east, who continued their journey by connecting boat, so that the ship's party was now very small indeed. to the boys' surprise the heat experienced when crossing the line was nothing compared with that already felt in the red sea; but mackay was not wanting with his explanation.
"the desert sands on both sides o' the red sea absorb the heat and intensify it," explained he, "so that the winds that blow from either east or west are like blasts oot o' a furnace, while here the winds are tempered by passing over hundreds o' miles o' sea."
"in any case," added carew, who was standing near, "there are no sandy stretches in this part of the world, and the prevailing breezes blow in from the sweet-scented islands of java and new guinea."
"i was o' the opinion," began mackay, after some thought, severely eyeing the last speaker, "that this information bureau was my funeral. i was aboot to send[pg 41] oot twa or three chunks o' knowledge when you interrupted, and noo my inspiration's vanished."
carew laughed good-naturedly. "never mind, mackay," said he; "i will relieve you for a bit, and entertain wentworth and armstrong by spinning them a true yarn. get your deck-chairs all, and prepare for something thrilling."
by the time carew was ready to start nearly every passenger on board was clustered round him in eager expectation.
"two years ago," he began, in reminiscent tones, "i was camped on a tributary of the fly river in new guinea, which was a most unhealthy district to camp in, owing to the fact that two rival cannibal tribes had their quarters close handy. however, i wanted to prospect for gold and gems in the surrounding country, and so decided to take all risks. but in order to minimize these risks as much as possible, i paid a visit to the chief or mamoose of what i imagined to be the more powerful of the two tribes, and presented him with the only article in my camp i had no use for—an alarm clock. the old boy was quite delighted with it, and promptly insisted on wearing it hung from a chain around his neck; not only that, but when i showed him how to wind it up and ring the alarm, he immediately informed his warriors that it was a charm which would ensure success in all battles. indeed, he wanted to start right then and march against the tugeris, his warlike neighbours, but while i was arguing the point with him—i didn't want any circus in the vicinity at that time—the 'che-ep! che-ep!' of these wretched tugeris sounded through the trees. they had evidently anticipated attack at this period and so were taking time by the forelock. on they came, shouting that[pg 42] peculiar battle-cry of theirs which gets on one's nerves so quickly. the old mamoose, with the clock anchored firmly round his neck, sailed in to meet them at the head of his warriors, and i made lightning tracks in the opposite direction. all next day i waited down the river with my canoe in readiness. if the clock mamoose won, i was safe as a house; if he didn't i was as good as cold meat if i didn't get out lively. i was getting mighty nervous, and couldn't quite see how i was to know which side won, when, all of a sudden, a huge crocodile hove out of the water close beside me, and at that instant the noise of an alarm clock going off sounded out of his gaping mouth like a piano prelude through a gramophone trumpet. that fixed it, gentlemen. i won't go into my theories as to how the clock got there. they were strong enough for me, and i scooted, and a good job too, for when i was at port moresby some weeks later i was told that the tugeris had fairly swept the country."
"ye certainly had a maist providential warning," spoke mackay, dryly, breaking the dubious silence that followed.
"come on, mackay," said carew, leading the way to the smoke-room.
"right you are," retorted the other; and they departed arm in arm, much to the amusement of the assembly.
three days later they sighted the cocos group of islands on the horizon, and in a very short time were passing quite close to the largest of them. nothing but a forest of palms could be seen at first, then a slight indentation on the coast line revealed a schooner and several smaller craft lying at anchor in front of a row of native dwellings.
[pg 43]
"the first king of these islands," mackay informed the lads, "was a glasgow scotsman. old king ross did a wonderful amount o' pioneering work in these seas, and hoisted the british flag here without the assistance of a gunboat. he was a strange man, and knew well how to handle the natives."
"but what do they do?" asked jack.
"they grow cocoanuts and make copra, my lad; they find a good market for it in colombo and singapore."
"are all the islands in this part of the indian ocean of coral formation?" asked bob, looking at the white low-lying shores with interest.
"oh no," laughed mackay, "there's christmas island, for instance, about five hundred odd miles east of these, and it is nothing short of a mountain, and its shores go down into the water almost as steep as the side of a house——"
"i say, mackay," interrupted carew, petulantly, "how do you know anything about christmas island? it's the most ungetatable place on the face of the earth, and i've heard that very few white men have ever been there."
"i'm one of the few," imperturbably answered mackay. "i sailed there from north australia in a pearling lugger," he condescended to explain.
"and do they grow copra there too?" inquired an interested bystander.
"oh no; it's a guano island and belongs to the christmas island syndicate. a very fine paying concern it is too, though the island is not more than twenty miles or so in circumference."
"i didn't think guano islands were much good to any one," hazarded bob.
[pg 44]
"didn't you? well, that's no' surprisin', seein' that we don't hear much about them; but i know a man who has a steam yacht, and he keeps constantly explorin' the ocean for guano islands. it's a good payin' business right enough, though i wouldna care much aboot diggin' phosphates mysel', gold bein' more my attraction."
to the boys the idea of unknown islands in these latitudes was distinctly pleasing. the world to them was taking on a less crowded aspect. the smiling sea still held her unknown crusoe islands. the romance had not all gone from the earth. the days were passing very quickly now, soon fremantle would be reached, and then—who knew what good fortune might speedily be theirs? bob and jack looked into the future with unhesitating eyes. theirs had been no boyish whim, and as they neared australia's coast their pulses quickened, the sense of freedom was in their blood, the spirit of conquest surged through their hearts; and mackay, noting their steady courage, felt strangely cheered. on the evening before the mongolia was expected to reach fremantle a concert was held in the saloon, in order to bring together for the last time the entire assembly, for quite a number were disembarking at fremantle; and bob and jack were singled out for special adulation by the chairman—none other than mr. carew—who warmly wished them godspeed in the new country they were entering upon.
"they, like us all," he said in his laudatory address, "seek their eldorado. to them it is something real, tangible; to us who have chased the elusive phantom it has somewhat lost its zest. but youth and courage shall conquer where the weary wanderer must fail, and i fully expect our boys to attain their ambition by sheer manly[pg 45] grit before they have time to grow weary of the pioneer's life. they are especially fortunate," he continued, looking towards mackay, "in having the guiding care of an old and experienced traveller—one whose deeds always speak louder than his words, but whose speech when occasion demands is forcible and conclusive. only an explorer can fully appreciate a brother explorer's work; i take off my hat to you, mackay——" his hat was already off, but that didn't matter—"and when we meet again, i trust it may be in some cheerful spot in this little planet and not in the wilds of an unknown land."
