The grim features of the Malay lit up
with a pleasant smile as he held out his right hand to her. She was
a strange little figure, for the doctor had not waited to obtain
any suitable garments for her, but had wrapped her up in one of
the signal flags, which the child herself had wound round her waist
and over her shoulder like a native sarong.
"You tell him, Soh Hay, that he must not talk to her," the doctor
said. "If he keeps quiet, he will get well in short time: if he
talk, he ill many days; but I will let him say a few words to her
now."
The Malay's eyes passed over the group of officers and rested on
the two midshipmen, whose wet clothes showed that they were the
officers who had, as the interpreter had told him, dived in and
rescued the child. He said something to the interpreter.
"Malay man want to speak to you, young gentlemen," the man said;
"he wish to thank you."
"Oh, tell him there is nothing to thank us for," Harry said hastily;
"it was nothing more than taking a bath."
"Yes, officer, but he wishes to speak to you."
Somewhat reluctantly, the two lads approached the side of the
injured man; he took each of them by the hand, and, as he did so,
said something which Soh Hay interpreted:
"The chief says that you have given him back what he loved best in
the world, and that his life is yours whenever it may be of use to
you; he may be of service to you, gentlemen, should you ever go up
the river--a Malay never forgives an injury or forgets a service.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25