Chapter 23 - The Escape of the Mandah
While the poor mandah was a prisoner, the man who was to take Blake to Colombo, after having collected Kaj's rupees, went to his own boat.
He was a very young Indian with mighty arms and belonged to the pearl fishermen's association, even though he was no longer a fisherman. He had a beautiful boat and going to Colombo was a simple journey for him.
Once aboard, he immediately had the anchors lifted and the immense sail melted, in order to take advantage of the low tide and enter the secret passage revealed to him by the mandah.
When the darkness began to descend, being already at the height of the islet, he launched two rockets, as the mandah had ordered him, to warn the three convicts of his arrival.
As the tide was low at the time, he advised his men to keep a short distance away and entered the cave carrying a lantern.
He met Kaj and Blake, armed with carbines.
«Who are you?» Kaj asked.
«The envoy of the mandah. I take the rupees I collected from the pearl fishermen's association and have orders to take one of you to Colombo.».
«Where is the mandah?»
«I haven't seen him since this morning. Hurry up, the tide will soon rise and then we won't be able to go out.».
Kaj had the sum delivered and shared it with Blake, saying:
«You better have a good supply of money, sir. You never know what can happen. When will you come back?»
«Is your boat fast?» Blake asked the sailor.
«No one can compete with mine.»
«So in six days we can be here again?"
«I hope sooner, sir.»
«Leave without delay, Mr. Blake. The minutes are precious, and besides, I don't feel too safe here, near the City of Pearls.»
«Don't leave this shelter, Kaj» Blake said.
«I won't leave him, Mr. Blake, I promise you.»
The tide was starting to rise, Kaj had reached Jody who remained on the upper platform, they could see the boat quickly take off.
«Will they find out in Colombo?» asked Jody, who was following with his eyes the fast sailing ship that disappeared into the darkness.
«I do not believe; Mr. Blake is prudent, and then a white man, and an English one, he is not easily arrested.»
«The delay of the mandah worries me. He should already be in these waters.»
«Do you know what I'm thinking right now, my dear Kaj?»
«I don't know.»
«To that mysterious steamboat that stubbornly followed his boat.»
«Toh! I was thinking about that too!» Kaj confirmed.
After a short silence Jody resumed:
«Has any misfortune occurred to the mandah?» Yet I'm not calm, Kaj. The tide is already high and his boat is not in sight yet.
«I think Jody is deceiving you. It is quite a sailing ship that sails there without lights.»
«Where is it?»
«Follow the direction of my arm. Don't you see the shadow?»
«Yes, I think.»
«It's his boat. You sail to this islet.»
The boat discovered by Kaj's sharp gaze was approaching quickly, it was a large and heavy sailing ship used by pearl fishermen. She came to the rock and faced the opening that the tide had now almost closed.
A voice rose from the stern.
«Hey! Kaj!» It was that of an old pearl fisherman who had worked on the big bench with Kaj.
«Is that you, Madikar?» the ex-convict asked, bending over the parapet.
«Is the mandah with you?»
«No, we haven't seen him.»
«He Didn't he come with the boat he chartered this morning?»
«He wasn't on board.»
The pilot uttered a curse, then after a short silence he resumed, raising his voice to dominate the roar of the tide:
«Do you know he disappeared? He never returned to our boat.»
«Since when?»
«Since this morning.»
«Was he alone when he left the boat?» Jody asked.
«Only, sir» replied the pilot.
«Haven't you done some research?» Kaj asked.
«We questioned almost all the mandahs in the City of Pearls and learned that he had been seen with a white man, an Englishman; then nothing more.»
«What do you think you're doing?»
«Go fishing for now, and on my return I will resume my research. Do you need anything else?»
«We have enough food.»
«Good night: we'll meet again tomorrow evening before the tide covers the entrance.»
When the boat merged into the darkness Jody said thoughtfully:
«There is a mystery to unravel.»
«How could they have known we're here? Did the captain betray us?» Jody asked suddenly.
«No, it's impossible. We wait for tomorrow evening. The passage is now closed and no one will come to surprise us.»
The next day, when they woke up, the reef was covered with boats, but no one went towards the islet. Not even that steamboat that followed the mandah.
Only bands of seabirds visited without fear. Around midnight, the boat reappeared. The pilot had kept his promise. As soon as it reached the passage, a lifeboat broke away and boarded the rock.
«Let's go and meet them.» Kaj said.
They took a lantern and lowered themselves, arriving when the man appeared. It was Madikar, the pilot.
«Haven't you found it yet?» they asked. «No, I no longer know where to turn my research, or what to think about the master's disappearance. I'm afraid someone murdered him, hoping to find pearls on him.».
«Did you notify the police?» Kaj asked.
«I didn't dare, fearing for you.»
«You did well, but we have to track him down. Didn't they track down that Englishman? «They have looked for him everywhere and it seems that he too has disappeared. What should I do?»
«Stop fishing and go after him. When Mr. Blake comes, we'll decide. If you have no news to tell me, it is useless for you to come. Your trips might arouse some suspicion.».
«True, I was followed by that steamboat today.»
He went down the steps, disappearing into the corridor, while Kaj and Jody looked at each other anxiously.
«That lifeboat must be brought by the Guercio» Kaj said.
«Did he play some bad mandah game?»
«Maybe, Jody, that man is capable of anything.»
The following day also passed in continuous anxieties, without anything happening; in the evening the mandah boat did not show up.
«Bad sign, he might be dead.» Kaj thought.
It was the fifth night that Blake had left, there was the hope of seeing him return, if some misfortune had not touched him. Darkness had fallen and a thick layer of vapors obscured the starlight and a raging wind had risen from the south.
At midday the two ex-convicts, sitting on the wall, scanned the horizon. Neither spoke and they were worried. After midnight Kaj signaled two bright spots towards the east.
«It's a boat approaching,» he told Jody.
«Mr. Blake's or the mandah's?»
«We'll see. Is the tide falling?» He looked down at Kaj.
«Yes, Kaj, access will soon be possible.»
The two points of light magnified visibly. That boat was gaining distance quickly. They followed her closely, trying to understand. Suddenly Kaj shouted:
«Mr. Blake!»
Kaj e Jody, muniti di lanterne, si precipitarono verso l'ingresso, gridando:
«Mr. Blake! Mr. Blake!»
«Yes, it's us» replied the other «Me and the mandah!»
«You too, mandah!» Kaj shouted.
«You thought I was dead, did you?» said the pearl fisherman, trying to smile «Eh! Little did we miss that damned Guercio sent me to heaven.»
«One-eye!» Kaj and Jody exclaimed.
«Shut up, we'll explain everything to you shortly.»
The crew of the boat untied the immense sail, because they were in danger of being dragged against it.
«Let's go up; can you hold up, heck?»
«Spiders and scorpions do more harm than they do»
«What do you say?» Kaj asked.
«Up there before,» said Blake. «There's some very unpleasant news and we're in great danger. Follow me.»
The three ex-convicts and the mandah climbed the ladder and sat in the middle of the ruins of the old fort.
When he caught his breath Blake said:
«If we don't hurry to find the pearl we will end up going back to the penitentiary, because Guercio knows where we hide.»
A cry of amazement and even anger escaped Kaj's lips.
«He!...»
«I saw him with my own eyes and he almost made me die under the bites of scorpions. I was a prisoner of him until yesterday and escaped him by a real miracle.»
«I met his boat two hours ago and took him on board.»
«Explain better» said Kaj, looking beside himself.
The mandah in a nutshell told how he had fallen into the hands of One-eye.
«And how did you escape?»
«By gnawing on my ropes and poking a hole through the roof. One-eye was away frequently and I took the opportunity yesterday to leave, after having overturned the vases with his dangerous collection of spiders, scorpions and bis-cobras. If he went back to his hut at night, I hope he has tried the poisonous branches of those critters.».
«And does that dog know we're here?» «He knew it before he even tormented me. I'd bet he was in that steamboat following me.»
«So that rascal stopped in the City of Pearls with the overseer. Mr. Blake, did you find the diving suits?»
«I bought two, with the air pump.»
«Then let's not waste time. Will we be able to meet at the three rocks at dawn?» Kaj asked turning to the mandah.
«Even earlier,» he replied. «Is that place in the fishing field?»
«Yes, and we can do our research without arousing suspicion.»
«Let's embark without delay» concluded Kaj «or the sharks will devour me or I will find the pearl!»