Chapter XIX Kep Commands a Dhow. A Deposed Sultan
The weather was now splendid, and the sea smooth and blue like the sky itself. Just a snow-flake of a cloud here and there, and that was all.
So quickly did these three grand ships dash through the water that they reached their destination in little over a day’s time.
They kept well out to sea however. Had they gone close enough to the shore to be seen by a sentinel from Lamoo, no doubt the Sultan would have been apprised of their arrival, and suspecting that something had gone wrong would have adopted some means or other of warning his ships.
With steam up they lay at a little distance north of the river, for if some tell-tale dhow had met them to the south, it was within the bounds of possibility that the master thereof might have reported their presence.
But only one dhow appeared, and she was requisitioned, much to her disgust. She was two-masted and very fleet. Her men were taken on board the battleship to be well tended and cared for. Then the dhow was manned with enough Kroomen to sail her, and to his great delight Kep himself, once more got up as an Arab, was put in charge.
This clever lad had spent nearly all his spare time since he joined the Service in learning the duties of a midshipman, and so hard a student had he been, that already he could have done all that was required of such an officer.
He was now to cruise in his dhow near to the mouth of the river, and on the appearance of the midget fleet coming east again make all sail far enough to signal to the warships.
It was a glorious thing, Kep thought, to tread the decks of his own ship. For the time being he felt a real captain and monarch of all he surveyed. It would be only for a short time, but Kep would have liked to be skipper of this dhow for a year he thought. The owner of the craft, had a most superbly furnished poop saloon. The dhow was one of the largest of its class, and its owner evidently a man of wealth.
By day and by night watches were kept and a constant look out. But it was the morning of the fourth day before Kep caught sight of the midget fleet creeping up in line and as near to the wooded shore as it could get with safety, but slowly, because two were crippled.
“Ready about!” shouted Kep, and at the touch of the helm the great sails came round and the dhow was soon dashing eastwards.
As soon as the tops of the warships were visible he signalled, and in a very short time he had the pleasure of seeing them bearing down towards him.
He waited until he could point out the right direction, and as he was not ordered to come on board he thought he might as well follow on in his dhow and see the fun.
It was terrible fun, for the warships certainly gave the enemy little time to say his prayers. The result was that half the fleet was sunk, and four captured, others escaped to be captured another day.
It was lucky they had captured those four midgets for the Breezy could never have crossed that fearful bar. There was but one opening in and that not wide, and breakers roar and dash to starboard and port as you enter.
The day was spent in manning and re-arming those midgets, and there could be no getting up the river in the darkness.
But when another glorious day awakened those silent forests to life and love, the bluejackets and marines, to the number of seventeen hundred Americans and British, and with a few sturdy Kroomen, were put on board and started with three ringing cheers; there was little else but standing room, for Jack Stormalong knew every inch of this river, and he was made pilot. Captain Breezy himself took command, Guilford was there as well as the tall athletic surgeon, and Kep, still in his Arab dress, was taken as interpreter.
In dealing with savages or semi-savages, and the inhabitants of Lamoo were little better, there is nothing beats audacious coolness coupled with firmness.
This scoundrel Sultan was taken unawares, the flower of his little army had gone with the expedition. Those he had left he could not trust, so, as Jack Stormalong phrased it, he was up aloft and the rigging cut.
Captain Breezy in full uniform landed with Kep in his own, with only a few marines as a body guard, and landed on the beach with the greatest sang froid. This sailor had never known what fear was, and the British navy owned no braver man. He asked for a guide to the Sultan’s palace and half a dozen sooty scoundrels begged for the honour of conducting him.
They were dressed only in cummerbunds or little canvas kilts, and each carried a spear. Corner boys were they of this wild city, the only thing stately about which were the forts and the lofty palace.
When the Sultan heard an hour before this that his fleet was returning triumphant, he rejoiced and was exceedingly glad. His greatest enemy would soon be in his clutches and he would have the rarest fun on earth.
He was resting in his audience chamber when Captain Breezy with Kep—leaving the marines outside—were shown in. If a half-black Arab could turn pale that Sultan would have done so now. The Captain and Kep bowed low and the Sultan advanced and held out his hand. Captain Breezy did not see it.
“Tell the fellow all I told you,” he said to Kep.
Kep appeared to grow suddenly three inches taller. He held his head erect and cleared his throat.
“Ahem! you see before you, Mr. Sultan,” he said in his best Arabic, “the might, and pomp, and power of the British nation.”
That seemed a good beginning, and the Sultan, who really was a splendid specimen of the dark Arabs, looked at Kep from toe to top somewhat curiously.
“You see before you,” continued Kep, “the offended dignity of that nation. Your accursed fleet has laid most of the city of Zanzibar in ashes, has destroyed and burned the British and American Consulate, and we come in our might and strength to demand redress.”
An amused and somewhat haughty smile was visible for a moment on the Sultan’s face. Then an angry frown.
“What is to hinder me,” he cried, “from throwing the might and power of Britain, in the persons of you two badly armed men, into my handsomely furnished dungeon. One word and——”
“You dare not. If we are not safely back in one brief half hour, our fleet shall silence your forts, set your palace on fire, and your city as well, and you shall see the inside of a British ship as our prisoner, on your way to Ceylon or St. Helena.
“And now we leave you to your reflections. If we have no answer in one hour’s time we shall proceed to action.”
Next moment they marched out with marvellous coolness and soon reached the boat.
Breezy took out his watch.
“A quarter to twelve,” he said. “By a quarter to one the men will have finished dinner, and then for business, for I expect no answer from that fellow.”
The forts, although the guns were good, were badly positioned, and the little fleet lay just round the bend of the river in a most commanding situation.
Now this Sultan—Said Hassam to name—was the most unpopular man on the coast at this time, and his own people were only waiting for an excuse to depose him.
It was half-past twelve when a magnificently adorned gondola-looking barge swept round the corner, and three richly dressed Arabs requested audience of Captain Breezy.
The interview took place aft on the upper deck, and was just as brief as it was important. One a very old man, who looked like a prophet, Kep thought, told the Captain, through Kep, that they had been opposed to the sending of an expedition against Zanzibar, but were over-ruled by the Sultan himself, and that the city had been about to rise and depose him even had the ships not arrived.
“This is very satisfactory if true.”
“You have our word of honour.”
“We shall have to be paid a large indemnity, which my Government,” said Breezy, “must fix.”
“We will pay it willingly if not too large and if time be allowed us.”
“And the present Sultan must be deposed immediately. We shall take him prisoner with us to the Cape.”
“He is already deposed,” answered the old minister smiling grimly, “and his son reigns in his place. It was all done very quietly.”
“He must be brought here,” said the Captain, and Kep translated.
“But he is here. I will give orders to have him up at once.”
He stepped to the side, and next minute a powerful and burly black staggered up the ladder with a heavy sack, and, much to the astonishment of all, threw the body of the late Sultan at the Captain’s feet.
There was no mistake about it. He had been deposed with a vengeance.
But this is only an example of the neat and effective way they have of settling political difference in those regions.
There was no danger now in landing, and not only the officers but even boatloads of the crews were allowed to go on shore and stretch their legs.
All agreements having been arranged to the satisfaction of Captain Breezy, and visits interchanged with the great men of the town, the fleet dropped down the river next morning, and their friends very much astonished as well as pleased at their early return.
On the other hand Captain Breezy was not surprised that during his absence Abdularram had succeeded in committing suicide. He preferred death to imprisonment.
On board the mighty American ship the British officers dined that evening, and to his great delight Kep was among the invited.
The Admiral himself took a great pleasure in talking to him.
Kep dined in his handsome Arab suit, and after dinner delighted the Americans with his marvellous fluting and piano-playing.
He was permitted to go forward while the elder men sat at their wine.
As in the British Service, the men had all extra grog to-night, and a merry hour was spent in dancing when Kep came amongst them.
Among the toasts of the evening was one which I hope will never be forgot. It came from the lips of Admiral Gray himself. “This is the first time,” he said, “that the British have fought shoulder to shoulder with the Americans. Together may we stand in many a stout fight yet to come.”