Read Online The Ragged Heiress by Dilly Court - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Dilly Court
Ads: Link
relief pouring from her eyes.
Guthrie moaned and began thrashing about and a bubble of hysteria rose in Lucetta’s throat; if he’d come to moments sooner the snake would almost certainlyhave struck one of them. She was shaking from head to foot with sheer relief and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
The sound of cracking twigs and muffled footsteps brought her abruptly back to her senses. Had she been missed? Could this be a rescue party? Her hopes were dashed when it was Stranks who stumbled through the bamboo and pandanus fronds followed by two sturdy Balinese men carrying long bamboo poles and a rolled up seagrass mat. While the men constructed a rough stretcher, Stranks produced a rush basket filled with coconuts. Piercing one with the tip of his knife he held it to Guthrie’s parched lips. Some of the cool milk trickled into his mouth although most of it seemed to run down his chin, but it had the desired effect and Guthrie’s eyelids fluttered and opened.
‘That’s the ticket, mate,’ Stranks said. ‘Drink some more.’
Guthrie coughed and spluttered as he slipped back into unconsciousness and Stranks rose to his feet, tossing the coconut into the bushes. Brandishing his knife he moved towards Lucetta and cut her bonds. ‘Don’t try and speak to them,’ he said, jerking his head towards the men. ‘They don’t understand English.’ He took the gag from her mouth and pressed a coconut in her hands. ‘Drink this and we’ll be on our way. Try to escape and I’ll kill you.’
Their progress through the dense rainforest was slow. Stranks tied Lucetta’s hands in front of her and she found herself tied to him with an umbilical cord ofliana fastened to his waist. He charged on ahead of the stretcher bearers, slashing at the undergrowth with his knife. Lucetta stumbled in his wake and soon her legs were scratched and bleeding, making every faltering step even more painful. Guthrie’s moans and feverish cries echoed through the forest, startling the macaques and black monkeys as they swung from branch to branch in the leafy canopy overhead. Lizards darted across their feet and to her horror, Stranks almost bumped into a python that hung like a trapeze artist from an overhanging limb of a flame tree. Seemingly more startled than they were, the snake coiled itself up and disappeared into the foliage.
Lucetta almost fell when she twisted her ankle in a hole where some animal had made its burrow. She managed to regain her balance but Stranks stopped and swore at her. ‘You nearly had me over, you silly bitch.’
‘Have a heart,’ Lucetta murmured, clutching her side as a painful stitch almost doubled her up. ‘We can’t go much further. It will be dark soon and we won’t be able to see a thing.’
‘Tell me something I don’t know,’ Stranks hissed.
The stretcher bearers had laid Guthrie gently on the ground and the elder of the two men came scurrying towards Stranks, talking volubly and waving his hands.
‘Can’t understand a word, mate,’ Stranks said, shrugging his shoulders.
Pointing to a tiny patch of sky above them, the man chattered on, shaking his head.
‘I think he’s trying to tell you that it will soon benightfall,’ Lucetta said, folding her arms across her chest as a shiver ran down her spine. The thought of spending a night in the forest was too terrifying to contemplate. The local men seemed to agree with her as they eyed Stranks warily, shaking their heads. Lucetta found herself wishing that she had learned some of their language instead of expecting Naomi and the other servants to master the English tongue. If only she could make them understand that her father would give them a rich reward for her safe return.
‘Move on,’ Stranks ordered.
The men shook their heads, speaking in unison. ‘
Tan
.’
It was the one word that Lucetta understood. It was a very definite no.
‘Not tan, you bloody native,’ Stranks roared. He drew a leather pouch from his
Guthrie moaned and began thrashing about and a bubble of hysteria rose in Lucetta’s throat; if he’d come to moments sooner the snake would almost certainlyhave struck one of them. She was shaking from head to foot with sheer relief and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
The sound of cracking twigs and muffled footsteps brought her abruptly back to her senses. Had she been missed? Could this be a rescue party? Her hopes were dashed when it was Stranks who stumbled through the bamboo and pandanus fronds followed by two sturdy Balinese men carrying long bamboo poles and a rolled up seagrass mat. While the men constructed a rough stretcher, Stranks produced a rush basket filled with coconuts. Piercing one with the tip of his knife he held it to Guthrie’s parched lips. Some of the cool milk trickled into his mouth although most of it seemed to run down his chin, but it had the desired effect and Guthrie’s eyelids fluttered and opened.
‘That’s the ticket, mate,’ Stranks said. ‘Drink some more.’
Guthrie coughed and spluttered as he slipped back into unconsciousness and Stranks rose to his feet, tossing the coconut into the bushes. Brandishing his knife he moved towards Lucetta and cut her bonds. ‘Don’t try and speak to them,’ he said, jerking his head towards the men. ‘They don’t understand English.’ He took the gag from her mouth and pressed a coconut in her hands. ‘Drink this and we’ll be on our way. Try to escape and I’ll kill you.’
Their progress through the dense rainforest was slow. Stranks tied Lucetta’s hands in front of her and she found herself tied to him with an umbilical cord ofliana fastened to his waist. He charged on ahead of the stretcher bearers, slashing at the undergrowth with his knife. Lucetta stumbled in his wake and soon her legs were scratched and bleeding, making every faltering step even more painful. Guthrie’s moans and feverish cries echoed through the forest, startling the macaques and black monkeys as they swung from branch to branch in the leafy canopy overhead. Lizards darted across their feet and to her horror, Stranks almost bumped into a python that hung like a trapeze artist from an overhanging limb of a flame tree. Seemingly more startled than they were, the snake coiled itself up and disappeared into the foliage.
Lucetta almost fell when she twisted her ankle in a hole where some animal had made its burrow. She managed to regain her balance but Stranks stopped and swore at her. ‘You nearly had me over, you silly bitch.’
‘Have a heart,’ Lucetta murmured, clutching her side as a painful stitch almost doubled her up. ‘We can’t go much further. It will be dark soon and we won’t be able to see a thing.’
‘Tell me something I don’t know,’ Stranks hissed.
The stretcher bearers had laid Guthrie gently on the ground and the elder of the two men came scurrying towards Stranks, talking volubly and waving his hands.
‘Can’t understand a word, mate,’ Stranks said, shrugging his shoulders.
Pointing to a tiny patch of sky above them, the man chattered on, shaking his head.
‘I think he’s trying to tell you that it will soon benightfall,’ Lucetta said, folding her arms across her chest as a shiver ran down her spine. The thought of spending a night in the forest was too terrifying to contemplate. The local men seemed to agree with her as they eyed Stranks warily, shaking their heads. Lucetta found herself wishing that she had learned some of their language instead of expecting Naomi and the other servants to master the English tongue. If only she could make them understand that her father would give them a rich reward for her safe return.
‘Move on,’ Stranks ordered.
The men shook their heads, speaking in unison. ‘
Tan
.’
It was the one word that Lucetta understood. It was a very definite no.
‘Not tan, you bloody native,’ Stranks roared. He drew a leather pouch from his
Similar Books
