N. Francis Xavier
(Continued from last week)
Meanwhile, under Hemraj’s command the whaler flew towards the open sea. The men pulled like demons, bending all the way forward and then throwing their heads back as they pulled on the long oars. The blades dipped and rose in unison to Hemraj’s call. He had already covered the crutches with cloth to reduce the noise.
By the time the first shots were fired they had already crossed Dundas Point. They were doing well over seven knots when Hemraj took the boat into the narrow channel between Haddo and Chatham and pointed it towards the north. He was the only coxswain who dared cut across the channel rather than go round Chatham. He knew the depth and position of each rock there. Their pursuers will have to go round Chatham. That would give them a good lead of over an hour.
As soon as they cleared Chatham Hemraj stepped up the main and mizzen masts. The sails were rigged. With the wind behind them they filled up nicely. The boathook and a spar were used to goose wing the mainsail and the foresail. The boat ran faster.Hemraj ordered the oars to be taken in, to prevent the flash of the blades being seen as they passed Ross Island. The boom of the gun and the flashing lights might have alerted those on Ross.
In less than half an hour the whaler glided silently between the flashing beacons of North Point and Ross Island. The men lay back and relaxed. They were on their way to freedom.
The monsoon winds whipped up huge waves but the boat rode them with ease. He must sail as far up north as possible during the night and hide in an inlet or creek during the day. He had some places in mind where they would be secure.
Keeping one man in the bows as a look out, himself holding the tiller Hemraj ordered the others to rest. Having taken the boat on many exploratory forays into the inlets and creeks to meet the aborigines Hemraj knew the coastline well. He hugged the coastline knowing that the pursuers will not have that courage to come that close. He also knew that the highest and lowest tides occurred in July in the Andaman Sea. If they could enter Middle Strait before daybreak the low tide would prevent any bigger boat from pursuing them.
Just before the break of dawn Hemraj saw the entrance to Middle Strait. The men were awakened and asked to ship their oars. The masts were struck. They had to pull against the ebbing tide, avoiding the mud flats. Thick mangrove forest stretched on either side.
After pulling for an hour Hemraj guided the boat into a narrow inlet. Mangroves formed a thick canopy over the boat on either side. There was just enough water to allow the boat to float. In many places they held on to the mangrove branches to propel the boat forward. They arrived at small clearing where they tied up the boat to a thick mangrove stump.
Hemrajwaded ashore and told the men to follow him. Ahead of them was thick pristine forest, with huge creepers hanging down. A large monitor lizard crossed their path. A well-aimed blow from Sheobrat killed it instantly. It was tied to a pole and carried on his shoulder, a delicacy for their next meal.
Clearing the path with machetes they came to a place where a narrow opening seemed to lead into what appeared to be a cave. Hemraj knew about the place from the Andamanese. It was dry inside. They soon lighted a fire. In the fire light they watched in fascination at the lime stone figures that seemed to hang from the roof and grow from the floor. The dancing shadows created a magical effect in the cavern.
Some men went back to the boat. The water around them was teaming with prawns and fish. Keeping an eye out for crocodiles the men spread out their lines and nets. Soon there was hot rice with fried prawns, fish and roasted monitor lizard.
After a hearty meal the men rested. A tired Hemraj also slept.
As Hemraj slept two convicts, Sheobrat and Bhaman Singh went into the jungle with an axe and a dah. They returned after an hour with lengths of rattan and poles. Once they were in the open sea the cane could be bent over the boat and an awning stretched over them to protect them from heat and rain.
In the distance they could hear the boom of a gun. It was the Constance. They smiled. It could never catch them, with those inexperience officers at the helm. Their only worry was the mail steamer. They knew that the SS Satara was due on the 14th. Cadell could put it on their tail. It would scour the sea towards the East, expecting them to head for Burma.
Hemraj knew that Andamanese search teams would also be dropped along the shore. They have become expert trackers in capturing escaped convicts. Like bloodhounds they could follow the spoor of the runaways and lead the police to them, in return for rewards, usually rum and tobacco. They must move away before the manhunt starts.
Hemraj told the men to wait for the flood tide. They would head for the eastern exit of Middle Strait. He was the only one who knew that route. They would camp at Bluff or Spike Island, then continue their northward journey on the eastern side where no pursuers could find them. (to be continued.)
Leave a Reply