CHAPTER XVIII

THE AVALANCHE

'What I'd like to know, sir,' said Grinson, as they re-entered the enclosure, 'what I 'd like to know is, why them Germans, Trousers and the rest, took it into their heads to try this little game when our backs was turned, meaning Mr. Hoole and me?'

'You think they wouldn't have tried it if they hadn't known you were away?' said Trentham, checking a smile.

'Well, sir, two 's two; you can't get over that. If the whole crew had come, 't 'ud 'a been different; but with the Raider away, Trousers hadn't got enough men for the job, unless he knew we were short-handed, and I don't see nohow he could have known that.'

'They must be desperately in want of coal, one would think. Or perhaps Hahn wanted to distinguish himself in the absence of his commander. It would have been a good stroke to recover the slaves, you know.'

'That's it, sir,' cried Grinson, slapping his thigh. 'Likewise and moreover he was riled with Ephraim what defied him, and so he folds his arms and scowls under his eyebrows and hisses through his clenched teeth, "I will have my revenge." I 've seed that on the stage many a time.'

'We 'll grant that Hahn is a villain; but I fancy they had a very practical object in making this raid. Perhaps they 've been unlucky on the sea lately, must have coal, and would rather get the natives to dig it than dig it themselves. In that case we may expect another attack. How far was the Raider away when you last saw her?'

'From fifteen to twenty sea-mile, sir. She 's back in harbour by this, I reckon.'

'Then I think we had better reconnoitre. I 'll have a word with Flanso; now that his ceremony is over, he 'll probably be able to attend to business. Be ready to come with me.'

The chief was at first disposed to regard the recent victory as decisive; but Trentham managed to convince him that a still more serious attack might have to be met, and induced him to take the needful measures of defence. It was arranged that at the first sign of danger the whole population of the village should be withdrawn into the inner enclosure, where they would have the protection of the wall. The object of the defence must be to hold the wall until help came. There was a possibility, of course, that Hoole might not succeed in his mission. The engine might fail; even if he reached a port there might be no force available for hunting the Raider. Trentham was not blind to the difficulties of the position; but it was essential to keep up a show of confidence, and to take all possible steps to hold the ground.

Less than an hour after Flanso's return Trentham set off with Grinson and half a dozen natives, among whom was Lafoa, for the cove. They marched cautiously, in case any of Hahn's party were still lingering in the forest; but the Germans had evidently been daunted and had returned to their base.

Trentham had decided to make for the spot where he had organised Meek's release. While affording a good post of observation, it was difficult of access from the beach, and even if discovered by the enemy he would have plenty of time to escape into the forest behind. He gave a wide berth to the sentry-box above the cove, crept round through almost impenetrable thickets, and had nearly reached the slope strewn with boulders when there came faintly on his ear the characteristic rattle of a donkey-engine.

'The Raider 's back in the cove, Grinson,' he said.

'Ay, ay, sir, and hoisting coal, seemingly.'

Bidding Grinson keep the natives under cover near the head of the slope, Trentham stole forward, dodging among the boulders, until he reached a point where he could peep over at the cove beneath without much risk of being detected. The Raider was anchored almost in the same position as when he had last seen her; smoke was pouring from her funnel. There was much activity both on deck and on the shore. The donkey-engine was lifting, not coal, but stores from the ship's boats lying under her side. Men were carrying boxes and bales from the shed to the shore. Everybody was moving with an air of bustle and haste. It was impossible to doubt that the vessel was about to leave the cove: the settlement was to be abandoned.

An hour or two earlier Trentham would have rejoiced to know that the Raider was departing. But at this moment he felt only annoyance, disappointment, positive anger. Within a few short hours Hoole, unless baulked by ill-luck, would guide a British vessel to the cove, and the Raider would meet a well-deserved fate. It seemed that the Germans had taken alarm on seeing their seaplane flying eastwards, obviously under other than German control. They had suspected the nature of its mission, and having a wholesome dread of what might befall them, had determined to forestall the inevitable. With all his heart Trentham wished that he could hold the vessel at her anchorage. But he could do nothing to interfere with the bustling preparations below. The Raider was getting up steam; the stores were being methodically hoisted and stowed; before very long the vessel would disappear round the horn of the cove, and he could only watch her impotently.

'Flanso's people won't be bothered any more; that's one good thing,' he thought, as he began to climb up the slope. Picking his way, he stumbled, and clutched at one of the boulders to maintain his footing. The rock swayed slightly. Trentham stood still for a moment, resting his hand on it. An observer would have noticed that his brow suddenly cleared, his eyes danced, a flush spread over his cheeks. Then with quick movements, yet careful to keep under cover, he clambered up and rejoined Grinson. There was a brief, rapid conversation between them. Grinson's broad face expressed in turn surprise, doubt, determination, glee. Lafoa was given an order. Then, while Trentham directed them from the cover of the trees, the others quickly rolled a number of the largest boulders to a part of the slope which, as nearly as he could gauge the position, was directly above the Raider. It was no easy matter to move unseen from the sheds. Some of the most promising of the boulders had to be neglected. But the noise below was great enough to smother the sounds of the men's swift movements, and they were not interrupted. Presently, over a space of more than a hundred yards, there were ranged in three orderly rows, each row being about twenty paces from the next, a collection of rocks of all shapes and sizes and weights, from knobs of a few pounds to boulders so heavy as to need the united efforts of several men to move them. One of these, indeed, almost escaped from the grasp of the three men handling it, and Trentham felt a cold thrill at the imminence of a premature descent. But Grinson's brawny arms arrested the monster in the nick of time, and he secured it temporarily by means of smaller rocks wedged between it and the earth. Blowing hard, he came to Trentham's side.

'"Shust in time!" as old Trousers would say, sir,' he remarked. 'All's ready, but I won't answer for what 'll happen when you say "go."'

'We must do our best and trust to luck.'

'That's not my meaning, sir. It's these 'ere ugly mugs. They 've had no drill, d' ye see. Might as well be horse marines, in a manner of speaking.'

'Not so bad as that, Grinson. They have done very well, so far. Lafoa seems to understand what is needed, and if you set them a good example, I dare say they 'll follow it. The Germans seem to have cleared up nearly everything, and we had better start operations. I 'll climb down to the left yonder, where I 'll be out of the way, but can observe results without being seen myself. I 'll give the signal by lifting my hand; the rest is with you and the natives.'

'Ay, ay, sir. It 'll be a bit of a "tamasha," as they say out east.'

Trentham clambered down the slope under cover of the boulders, until he gained the spot he had pointed out. Grinson and the natives posted themselves at equal intervals behind the first row of the displaced boulders. A boat filled with boxes of ammunition was putting off from the shore. All of the crew who were not already on board the vessel were moving down from the sheds; apparently their work was finished. Trentham gazed seawards; there was no sign of the seaplane or of any ship. He raised his hand. Grinson instantly gave a mighty shove to the huge boulder behind which he was standing, and it began to bump down the slope. The natives were not quite so prompt, but after only a few seconds' delay five other boulders of smaller bulk started forward. Four reached the brink almost together, the fifth rolled a few yards, then stopped. But a few moments later there were five resounding splashes in quick succession as the rocks plunged into the sea.

Eagerly watching the result of his scheme, Trentham was disappointed to see that the missiles had fallen short of the Raider. But all work on the vessel ceased; a bale of goods that was being hoisted by the donkey-engine stopped half-way; the men on board gazed in surprise up the cliff, those in the boat stopped pulling. The angle of the slope was such that the men above were invisible; there was nothing to show that the fall of the boulders was not accidental.

Meanwhile, however, Grinson and his party had run up to the second row, and while the Germans were discussing the phenomenon another shower tumbled over the edge, one of the boulders falling plump on the bridge of the vessel, knocking away a portion of the rail, missing the captain by a foot or two, and crashing through the window of his cabin. Two went clean over the ship; the other two fell a little short of the port side, and threw a great volume of water into the half-empty boat. After a brief interval another set of boulders followed, and then another, until the missiles fell in a continuous shower. The captain roared an order; the grinding of the anchor chain was heard, and the men on shore, carrying rifles, rushed up the beach towards the winding path that led up the cliffs.

Trentham began to feel anxious. Very little damage had yet been done; the boulders varied greatly in shape and weight, and their trajectory after leaving the edge was equally various. Some rolled sideways; one, indeed, took an extraordinary tortuous course to the right, and struck the roof of the nearest hut, which was shivered into fragments. Those that had fallen nearest to the vessel were the larger rocks from the second row, and Trentham signalled to Grinson to deal with those remaining. He felt that the sands were running out; but there were still a few minutes before the Germans rushing up the steep and roundabout path could reach the head of the slope.

'A little more to the left!' he shouted to Grinson, realising that nothing was now to be gained by silence.

'Ay, ay, sir!' roared the seaman, shoving a knobby rock in the desired direction.

Trentham held his breath as he watched its flight. Before he was prepared for it there was a thunderous crash; the boulder had struck the side of the vessel a few feet below the rail, within twenty feet of the bows, passing clean through the plates, and leaving a huge rent. Almost immediately afterwards another boulder crashed through the deck slightly abaft the funnel. There was an instant rush of steam; apparently it had smashed through one of the boilers.

Among the crew surprise had become consternation, and now developed into panic. Men rushed from below and sprang overboard. Others were running wildly about the deck. The captain had gone forward with one of his officers to see the extent of the damage there. Water was pouring through the side. Trentham, judging that the vessel was at any rate disabled, and that it was time to be gone, turned to climb up the slope, and wriggled hastily aside to avoid a boulder which had swerved in its course and was hurtling in his direction. He stopped to throw a last glimpse below; the boulder which he had so narrowly escaped carried away the donkey-engine, and ricochetted from the deck into the sea.

'Well done!' he cried, and ran to assist Grinson to topple over one of the large rocks which had supported the rope on the night of Meek's release.

'That's riddled 'em!' shouted Grinson, as the noise of shattered metal rose from below.

'She can't get away!' panted Trentham. 'They 're coming up the cliff; we must run for it.'

Collecting the men, he dashed up the few remaining yards of the slope and headed them into the forest just as a German seaman came in sight near the end of the ledge.

'"Shust in time!" Trousers, my son,' chuckled Grinson. 'We give her a good battering, sir?'

'Cut open her side, broke a boiler, and drowned the donkey-engine. What more I don't know; but she 's crippled.'

'My cripes! What a tale to tell my Ephraim! I only wish the lad could 'a seen it hisself.'