Sandokan: The Tigers of Mompracem (The Sandokan Series Book 1)

by Emilio Salgari

  The battle raged on both sides. The gunboat had attacked the Portuguese’s prahu and attempted a boarding, but Yanez had been quick to counter. His men had unleashed a torrent of steel, smashing her wheels, decimating her bulwarks and severing her mainmast. Victory was at hand.

  The curvet, however, was proving to be a more worthy opponent. She was a powerful ship, with many cannons and a large crew. She had attacked Sandokan’s two prahus, showering them with metal and butchering his men.

  The sight of the Tiger of Malaysia had revitalized the pirates, who had begun to feel impotent before such a terrible foe. Sandokan rushed towards one of the cannons, yelling ferociously, “Forward, my brave ones! The Tiger of Malaysia thirsts for blood! Sweep the sea with bullets; send those dogs to their deaths!”

  His presence, however, was not enough to change the outcome of that terrible battle. Though he swept the curvet’s bulwarks with clouds of grapeshot, grenades and cannonballs continued to rain down on his ships, shattering the decks and butchering his men. They could not resist that furious onslaught for much longer. Within minutes the two prahus would be little more than kindling.

  The Portuguese alone was faring well, the gunboat struggling against his fatal broadsides.

  Seeing the second prahu on the verge of sinking, Sandokan quickly moved to rescue what remained of her crew. When all had been brought aboard, he drew his scimitar and shouted, “Onward men! We’re going to board her!”

  Desperation had multiplied the pirates’ strength a hundred fold.

  They fired a round from their cannons and swivel guns at the marksmen lining the enemy bulwarks then launched the grappling hooks.

  “Do not be afraid, Marianna!” shouted Sandokan, hearing the young woman cry out his name. Then as Yanez fired a grenade at the gunboat’s powder magazine, he summoned his men and attacked, leaping onto the enemy deck with all the rage and anger of a wounded bull.

  “Make way!” he thundered, his scimitar flailing before him. “I’m the Tiger!”

  A band of men rushed to meet him, each one brandishing an axe, determined to block his path. Undaunted, Sandokan at the head of his Tigers, charged and drove them back to the stern.

  Victory was short lived, however, another group of men led by an officer rushed at him from the bow. Sandokan recognized him immediately.

  “Baron!” exclaimed the Tiger, rushing at him.

  “Where’s Marianna?” asked the officer, his voice filled with rage.

  “Here she is,” replied Sandokan, “Come take her!”

  With one blow of his scimitar, he knocked down the Englishman and drove his kris through the man’s heart, then fell to the deck, struck in the back of the head with the flat of an axe.

  Chapter 29

  Prisoners

  WHEN HE CAME to, still dazed by the fierce blow he had received to the back of the head, he found himself in chains, imprisoned in the enemy ship’s hold. At first he thought he was dreaming, but the throbbing pain in his head, the numerous cuts across his body, the bayonet wounds, and the shackles about his wrists quickly convinced him of his plight. Furiously pulling at his chains, he rose to his feet, unable to believe he was no longer aboard his prahu. A cry erupted from his lips, the cry of a wounded beast.

  “Captured!” he howled, gnashing his teeth in anger as he tried to twist himself free of his shackles. “What happened?”

  Had he been defeated by the British once again? Death and damnation! What a terrible awakening! What had happened to Marianna? Was she dead?! His heart leaped as drops of cold sweat ran down his brow.

  “Marianna!” he howled, twisting his chains. “Darling, where are you?… Yanez!… Paranoa!… My Tigers!”

  No one replied. Were they all dead? Could it be true? Was he dreaming? Had he gone mad? Sandokan, who had never known fear, suddenly felt it seep into him. Afraid he had lost his reason he frantically looked about, eyes wide with terror.

  “Dead!… They’re all dead!…” he howled, pain marking his every word. “I alone survived the slaughter to be dragged in chains to Labuan!… Marianna!… Yanez, my good friend!… Slain by those marauders!… I should’ve gone down with my ship, I should’ve died with them!… What a catastrophe!”

  Overcome by madness and desperation, he rushed towards the adjoining room, fiercely shaking his chains and shouting, “Kill me! Kill me! The Tiger of Malaysia no longer wishes to live!”

  “The Tiger of Malaysia! You’re still alive, Captain?”

  Sandokan froze and looked about. A lantern hung from a hook, its dim light barely illuminating the space about him. The room appeared deserted save for a few barrels, but upon closer inspection, he spotted a figure crouching beside the base of the mainmast.

  “Who are you?” he shouted.

  “Who speaks of the Tiger of Malaysia?” was his reply.

  Sandokan started. That voice sounded familiar.

  “Juioko?” he asked.

  “Who are you? Are you from Mompracem?”

  The man stood up and came forward, sullenly dragging his chains.

  “Juioko, it is you!” Sandokan exclaimed.

  “Captain!”

  He rushed forward and fell at the Tiger’s feet.

  “Captain! Captain!” he cried, “And to think I mourned your death!”

  The other prisoner was a brave Dyak renowned among the bands of Mompracem as a brave warrior and skilled seaman. He was tall and well built as are most of the natives of Borneo, with large intelligent eyes and golden-yellow skin. Like his countrymen, he wore his hair long and his limbs were adorned with numerous brass and copper bracelets. At the sight of the Tiger of Malaysia, the brave pirate could not restrain his tears.

  “Alive!… Still alive!…” he exclaimed. “How happy I am! At least you managed to escape the slaughter.”

  “Slaughter!” said Sandokan. “They slaughtered my Tigers?”

  “To the last man,” sobbed the Dyak.

  “And Marianna? Did she go down with our prahu? Tell me, Juioko, tell me.”

  “No, she’s still alive.”

  “Alive! My love is still alive!” cried Sandokan, mad with joy. “Are you certain?”

  “Yes, Captain. You’d already fallen when they brought the golden-haired woman aboard.”

  “Who brought her aboard?”

  The British. Lady Marianna had rushed on deck, calling for you at the top of her voice. Several crewmen spotted her and a launch was immediately put in the water. They rescued her just moments before the prahu disappeared beneath the waves. She was still calling out your name when they brought her aboard the ship.”

  “Damn! And I can do nothing to help her…”

  “We tried, Captain. There were five of us left, surrounded by fifty men demanding our surrender, nevertheless, we rushed to defend the Queen of Mompracem. We fought valiantly, but we could not hold our ground for long. Greatly outnumbered, one by one the others fell. I alone survived; it took five men to knock me down. I was immediately tied up and dragged below. I don’t know why they spared me.”

  “You’re certain Marianna is still aboard this ship?”

  “Yes, Tiger of Malaysia.”

  “She wasn’t transferred aboard the gunboat?”

  “The gunboat is now resting at the bottom of the sea.”

  “Yanez sank her?”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  “He’s still alive?”

  “Just before I was dragged off, I spotted his prahu racing off at full speed. He had destroyed the gunboat’s wheel and set fire to her. I saw the flames engulf her and heard an explosion a short while later. It had to be her powder magazine blowing up.”

  “And none of our crew managed to escape?”

  “No, Captain,” said Juioko, sighing heavily.

  “All dead!” Sandokan murmured, shaking his head sadly. “What became of Singal, our oldest and bravest warrior?”

  “He fell by my side with a bullet in his chest.”

  “And Sangan, the Lion of Romade
s?”

  “Disappeared into the waves after a volley of bullets took off his head.”

  “What a massacre! Our poor brothers! A sad fate for the last Tigers of Mompracem!”

  Sandokan fell silent. For as much as he was reputed to be invulnerable, he had been devastated by the news. His last battle had cost him his island and the lives of almost all of his brave men. Now, even the young woman he loved had been torn away from him. However, he would not let himself give in to despair. Barely ten minutes had passed when Juioko saw him spring to his feet with new purpose.

  “Tell me,” he said, turning toward the Dyak, “Do you think Yanez is following us?”

  “I believe so, Captain. Señor Yanez would never abandon us! He’s probably on our trail as we speak, waiting for the right moment to come to our rescue.”

  “Yes, you’re right,” said Sandokan. “Yanez would never abandon us if he thought there was a chance we were still alive. He’s far too loyal. This will favour my plans.”

  “Plans? What plans, Captain?!?”

  “We’re going to escape.”

  The Dyak looked at him with amazement, silently wondering if the Tiger had gone mad.

  “Escape!…” he exclaimed. “How? We’re unarmed and in chains!”

  “Yes, but not for much longer; we’ll soon be afloat on the open sea.”

  “What? How?”

  “When a man dies on a warship, what happens to him?”

  “They wrap him in a hammock, fasten a cannonball to his legs, and toss him over the side.”

  “And they’ll do the same with us,” said Sandokan.

  “We’re going to take our own lives?”

  “It’ll appear that way to our captors, but I assure you, we’ll wake up alive on the open sea.”

  “And then?”

  “The plan hinges on Yanez.”

  “He’s probably still a good ways off.”

  “But if he’s following the curvet, he’ll find us sooner or later. Once he’s rescued us, we’ll devise a plan to rescue Marianna.”

  “I must confess I have my doubts, Captain. We’re unarmed…”

  “Weapons won’t be necessary.”

  “And we’re in chains.”

  “Not for much longer,” said Sandokan. “It’ll take more than these trinkets to imprison the Tiger of Malaysia!”

  He gathered his strength, tore open the manacles about his wrists, and flung the chains into the far corner.

  “There, free again!” he thundered.

  Almost simultaneously, the hatchway opened and they heard the stairs creak beneath the weight of several men.

  “Here they come!” exclaimed the Dyak.

  “I’ll kill them all!” Sandokan cried furiously. He spotted a broken crank on the floor, picked it up and was about to rush to the stairs, but the Dyak quickly held him back.

  “Captain, do you want to get yourself killed?” he asked. “There are over two hundred well-armed men up on deck.”

  “You’re right,” replied Sandokan, tossing away the crank. “It would be sheer folly…”

  Three men were advancing towards them. The first was a lieutenant, most likely the man in command of the curvet, the others were members of the crew. At a sign from their commander, the sailors trained their bayonets upon the two pirates. A disdainful smile spread across the Tiger’s lips.

  “Is that fear I smell?” he asked. “Or have you come to introduce me to these two men and their bayonets? Their rifles do not frighten me; you may as well dispense with this brute display of force.”

  “I’m well aware of the Tiger of Malaysia’s renowned fearlessness,” replied the lieutenant. “The bayonets are a precaution, nothing more.”

  “And yet I’m unarmed, sir.”

  “Yes, but no longer in chains I see.”

  “They were getting in my way.”

  “Remarkable strength, I must say.”

  “Enough small talk, sir. What is it you want?”

  “I’ve been sent to see if you’re in need of aid.”

  “I bear no wounds, sir.”

  “You received a blow to the head if I’m not mistaken.”

  “My turban shielded me from harm.”

  “Extraordinary!” exclaimed the lieutenant, not hiding his admiration.

  “Is that all?”

  “Not yet, Tiger of Malaysia.”

  “Well then, what do you want?”

  “I’ve been sent here by a young woman.”

  “Marianna?” cried Sandokan.

  “Yes, Lady Guillonk,” continued the lieutenant.

  “She’s still alive, then?” asked Sandokan, as a wave of blood rushed to his face.

  “Yes, Tiger of Malaysia. I saved her just moments before your prahu disappeared beneath the waves.”

  “Tell me about her, Lieutenant, I beg you!”

  “I’d advise you to forget her, sir.”

  “Forget her!” exclaimed Sandokan. “Never!”

  “I’m afraid Lady Guillonk will never be yours. You’ll soon be parted forever.”

  “Of course,” sighed Sandokan. “I’ve already been condemned to death, haven’t I?”

  The lieutenant did not reply, but his silence confirmed the pirate’s words.

  “What else could I have expected,” continued Sandokan, after a brief pause. “My victories could only have resulted in execution. Where are you taking me?”

  “To Labuan.”

  “To hang me?”

  The lieutenant remained silent.

  “Please speak frankly,” said Sandokan. “The Tiger of Malaysia has never trembled before death.”

  “I know. You’ve defied death in over a hundred boarding raids; you’re renowned as the most courageous man in Borneo.”

  “Then there’s no need to hold back the truth.”

  “You’re right. They are going to hang you.”

  “I would have preferred to die like a soldier.”

  “A firing squad?”

  “Yes,” replied Sandokan.

  “I would have spared your life and given you a commission in India,” said the lieutenant. “Men of your bravery are a rarity nowadays.”

  “I appreciate your words, but I doubt they’ll save me from my fate.”

  “Unfortunately, you are correct, sir. It really couldn’t have ended any differently. Though my countrymen may have a sneaking admiration for your extraordinary valour, they still fear you and would not rest easy knowing you were alive, even if you were dispatched a great distance from here.”

  “And yet, Lieutenant, when you attacked my ship, I was about to bid goodbye to Mompracem and put an end to my vendettas. I’d planned to abandon these waters, not because I feared your countrymen, I could have summoned thousands of men to my island and armed hundreds of prahus if I so desired; but out of love for Marianna. After so many years of bloodshed, I desired nothing more than to live a quiet life at her side. Unfortunately, Fate had other plans. The Tiger of Malaysia is not destined for such happiness. Well, so be it. Execute me; I’ll die bravely, like a warrior.”

  “Then you no longer love Lady Guillonk?”

  “Of course I love her!” exclaimed Sandokan, unable to hide his pain. “You cannot begin to imagine the love I have for that young woman. Were you to offer me a choice between Mompracem and Marianna, I’d vow never to set foot on my island again. If you offered to restore my freedom on the condition I could never see her again, I would immediately refuse. What more proof do you need? I’m unarmed and outnumbered, yet if I had even the slightest hope of rescuing Marianna, I’d attack you all and send this ship to the bottom of the sea!”

  “There are more of us aboard than you may think,” smiled the lieutenant. “We’re well aware of what you could do given the chance and we’ve taken every precaution to ensure you don’t escape. Save your energy. Whatever your plans, all would be in vain. One bullet would suffice to kill even the world’s bravest man.”

  “I’d prefer that to the death awaiting m
e in Labuan,” Sandokan replied darkly.

  “I believe you, Tiger of Malaysia.”

  “Fortunately there’s still time, many things can happen before we arrive.”

  “What do you mean?” asked the lieutenant, looking at him uneasily. “You’re not thinking of taking your life, are you?”

  “It matters little if I die by my hand or yours.”

  “I probably wouldn’t stop you,” said the lieutenant. “I confess I’d regret seeing you hang.”

  Sandokan remained silent for a moment, looked fixedly at the lieutenant as if he doubted his words, then asked, “You wouldn’t prevent me from taking my life?”

  “No,” replied the lieutenant. “I would not deny such a favour to a man as brave as you.”

  “Then consider it done.”

  “What? How?”

  “I have the necessary means with me.”

  “Poison?”

  “Quick acting. I would, however, like to make one last request.”

  “When a man like you is about to die, no one can refuse him anything.”

  “I’d like to see Marianna one last time.”

  The lieutenant fell silent.

  “I beg you, do not deny me this last favour,” insisted Sandokan.

  “My orders were to keep the two of you apart, in the event we were lucky enough to capture you. It would be best for both of you if I prevented you from seeing each other. How could it help?”

  “I never would have believed such a valiant officer could be capable of such cruelty. Your noble words masked the heart of a tyrant.”

  The lieutenant turned pale.

  “I swear to you, those are my orders,” he said. “I would not lie to you.”

  “Forgive me,” said Sandokan.

  “I could never hate someone of your unmatched bravery, and to prove it, I’ll bring Lady Guillonk here to see you. Bear in mind, your plans will cause her great pain.”

  “I will not tell her I’m about to take my life.”

  “Well then, what are you going to tell her?”

  “That I’ve hidden an immense treasure in a place known only to me.”

  “And you wish to leave it to her?”

  “Yes, for her to do with as she wishes. When may I see her, Lieutenant?”