Chapter 20
The Dyaks
THE SHORE WAS deserted and gave no signs of habitation. The beach was lined by a feathery row of casuarinas, their roots partially submerged among the waves. Behind it stretched a tangled jungle filled with rubber trees, mangosteen, pomelo, rambutan and bread trees heavy with fruit. Several pairs of budeng,[7] beautiful monkeys with glossy black fur, swung and frolicked among the branches as they played with their offspring.
The sun was hot, and after issuing orders for the convicts to build shelter, Sandokan, Yanez, the Welshman, Sambigliong and Tanauduriam grabbed their rifles and headed into the forest. They wanted to ensure the area was indeed deserted, so as not to expose the convicts to a sudden attack by the native Dyaks, fearless cannibals that abounded in the western forests of Borneo.
They scouted until sunset but did not find a single village or a hut. Certain they were safe, the small party returned to camp. It had been raised on the outskirts of the forest in a small clearing that stretched to the shore.
While their leaders had been off exploring, the convicts had raised several attaps out of large banana leaves, raided the nearby trees and made an abundant harvest of assorted fruit. Others had scoured the reefs and returned with several large oysters, cephalopods, and abalone, enormous shells greatly prized by the Chinese. They had even caught a large pair of sea turtles, surprising their prey while they were digging in the sand to bury their eggs.
An abundant dinner was assured and they could save the few provisions they had salvaged from the raft for a time of greater need. However, when the convicts went to start the fire, they quickly discovered they did not have a single match or tinderbox among them.
As a fire was also needed to keep away any wild beasts lurking in the forest, Sandokan and Yanez asked Sambigliong and Tanauduriam to do the honours.
It was not as difficult as the convicts had thought. Of course not all cultures have invented matches, yet they manage equally well to build a fire for cooking and keeping warm during cold, damp nights.
The Malays have developed a quick and ingenious method for creating a fire in less than a minute. A section of bamboo is split lengthwise, and a notch is cut across the back of one piece. Bark, twigs, grass or other tinder is placed below this opening and then the thin edge of the second piece is rubbed against the notch, the sawing becoming more rapid with every stroke. Soon, enough heat is generated to set the tinder afire, the whole operation needing less than sixty strokes.
After several fires had been lit, the convicts dined happily then stretched out beneath their shelters, overcome by exhaustion. Despite the repeated councils of Sandokan, Yanez and the Welshman, not a single man could be persuaded to stand watch at the camp’s perimeter.
“Stay awake if you’re afraid,” they replied and promptly went off to sleep.
“Leave them be, Sandokan,” said Yanez. “If they’re attacked, they’ll get out of it as best they can. I knew we’d lose what little control we had over them once these wretches were out of danger. Come tomorrow, they won’t obey a single command; in two days they’ll try to knife us.”
“You’re right, Señor Yanez,” said the Welshman. “Now that they’re safe, they no longer have any need of us.”
“All the worse for them,” replied Sandokan. “We have no further business here.”
“Are we leaving, Sandokan?” asked Yanez.
“As soon as they’re asleep. We’ll take the skiff.”
“It’s ready; I pulled it ashore just as the waves were about to sweep it away,” said the Welshman.
“Do we have any ammunition?”
“About forty cartridges, sir.”
“Enough to get us to Uri,” said the Tiger of Malaysia. “We’ll stretch out as well and pretend to sleep. If they think we’re planning to escape, they may try to kill us.”
“Or skin us alive, sir,” said the Welshman. “Were dealing with the dregs of the British colonies.”
The five men lay down beneath a giant durian tree three hundred paces from the shore and pretended to sleep.
Some convicts were still awake, sitting around a fire, telling tales, however, it would not be long before exhaustion took its toll. By eleven o’clock, everyone in the small camp had fallen asleep. The bonfires, left untended, were burning low and slowly dying down.
As a precaution, Sandokan waited until midnight, then shook his companions and said, “It’s time.”
“Are you sure everyone’s asleep?” asked Yanez.
“There’s no one about the campfires; hear those snores?”
“Perfect; if they try to stop us, we’ll introduce them to our rifles,” added Yanez.
The Welshman had crawled behind a large tree and carefully looked about. Not a single man remained awake; the outskirts of the camp were deserted. The convicts were sleeping soundly beneath their shelters, certain they were finally out of danger
“Time to go, gentlemen,” said the giant, grabbing his rifle.
Sandokan, Yanez, Sambigliong and Tanauduriam quickly rose to their feet. They looked about the camp one last time, then, led by the Welshman, headed silently towards the shore. They found the skiff sheltered between two rocks. The Welshman had equipped it with a small mast, a sail, a pair of oars, and a barrel of fresh water. He had not provided any food, intending to sail close to shore and search for fruit or game when needed.
“All aboard,” said Sandokan.
Just as he was about to sit down he heard a sharp whistle sound from among the vegetation.
“Did you hear that?” he asked.
“Some kind of signal?” said Yanez.
“All the more reason to hurry,” replied the Welshman. “A convict may have spotted us and sounded the alarm.”
“Man the oars!” commanded Sandokan.
The skiff quickly pulled away from the shore, Sambigliong and Tanauduriam rowing with all their might, while Sandokan, Yanez and the Welshman quickly loaded their rifles and prepared for an attack. The shore, however, remained deserted.
Minutes later the skiff reached the reef that had destroyed the raft then tacked and headed towards the promontory to the north. They had gone about a half-mile when frightening cries suddenly erupted from the beach.
Sandokan, Yanez, and the Welshman froze.
Several bright specks, torches perhaps, had emerged from the trees and raced along the outskirts of the forest. Gunfire began to flash from the clearing and they could hear the convicts crying out in despair.
“The camp is under attack!” shouted the Tiger of Malaysia.
“The convicts may just be fighting amongst themselves,” said Yanez.
“No, hear that? Those are Dyak war cries. We’ve got to go back!”
“Let them fight it out, Sandokan.”
“We’re warriors, Yanez; we can’t just sit back and let those men get slaughtered.”
“Fine, fine. We’ll go back. We’ll probably be too late.”
Sambigliong and Tanauduriam quickly brought the skiff about and headed for the shore, rowing with all their might.
It appeared as if the camp had indeed been attacked by a horde of those formidable warriors who inhabit the western shores of Borneo. Deafening, savage cries echoed throughout the inlet, drowning out the rifle blasts.
The slaughter was merciless, and at times, through the clamour, came the sound of the convicts shrieking in pain. The bravest among them had attempted to organize a resistance; flashes of light appeared at one end of the camp now and again, accompanied by volleys of gunfire.
The skiff passed the reef and came within a cable length of the camp. Only then were Sandokan and his men able to get a clear view of what was happening.
The beach was swarming with cannibals armed with spears, kampilans, and parangs. Several hundred had surrounded the camp and attacked, determined to slay all before them.
Their numbers greatly thinned, the surviving convicts had gathered around a grove of trees and were attempting to put up a despe
rate resistance with the few weapons they had salvaged. Shots thundered from time to time, but only a cannon could have dispersed that horde of ferocious men.
Taking advantage of the moment in which the cries had diminished, the Tiger of Malaysia shouted, “Hold tight! We’re coming to help!”
As the skiff neared the shore four shots rang out from the tiny vessel, knocking as many cannibals to the ground.
The Dyaks immediately turned their eyes towards the water. Spotting the skiff, thirty or forty cannibals rushed to the shore to fend off the new attack.
“Stop, Sambigliong!” commanded Sandokan. “We’ll hold position here.”
“Fire without mercy,” said the Welshman. “We may be too late to save those wretches, but we can try to avenge them!”
Crouching behind the rowboat’s sides to avoid being struck by the spears raining from all directions, Sandokan and his companions fired volley after volley into the thick of the attackers.
“Fire! Fire!” Sandokan shouted without pause. “We’ll go ashore once we’ve pushed them back.”
But though the musket fire had greatly thinned their ranks, the Dyaks, had no intention of retreating. While their companions slew the last of the convicts, they rushed into the water and began to swim towards the skiff.
To escape that dangerous boarding, Sambigliong and Tanauduriam were forced to abandon their rifles and pick up their oars once again, rowing the skiff to safety, as Yanez, Sandokan and the Welshman fired their muskets at the approaching swimmers.
Realizing that their efforts were in vain, their attackers, after one final attempt, retreated towards the shore, shouting ferociously.
The battle in the camp had ended and the horde was quickly withdrawing into the dark forest, carrying with them the weapons and the heads of the vanquished, for the Dyaks were great collectors of human skulls. Once the last bands had disappeared beneath the trees, Sandokan and his men went ashore. A deadly silence reigned over the camp.
Mounds of corpses lay among the attaps; every man had been stripped of his clothing and possessions; not a single head had been left behind.
“I’ve never seen such a slaughter!” exclaimed the Welshman.
“I doubt there were any survivors,” said Yanez. “We were lucky we left when we did. Had we stayed an hour longer, our heads would now be adorning their longhouses. Let’s go, Sandokan; there’s nothing more we can do here.”
“Not just yet, Yanez,” replied the Tiger.
“What now?”
“Some men could have survived the attack and be hiding in the forest.”
“You want to explore the forest? Now!?! For all we know a few Dyaks could still be hiding in there.”
“We’ll stay by the skiff and row off at the first sign of danger. If some convict did manage to escape the slaughter, he’ll undoubtedly return to camp to look for survivors.”
“That’s true, sir,” said the Welshman. “Do you think the Dyaks could have taken any prisoners?”
“Unlikely,” replied Sandokan.
“Why would they slaughter a bunch of men that had never done them any harm?”
“For food, weapons, and prestige. Dyaks believe a skull taken in battle is a sign of bravery, the more a man has, the greater his honour and rank.”
“Like the natives of the northern United States.”
“There’s a slight difference, those natives scalp their victims, these savages take the entire head,” said Yanez.
“Do you think they’ll come back?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me, John,” said Sandokan. “There are enough bodies here for several large feasts. Once the Dyaks have devoured those they dragged off, they’ll come back for more.”
“The wretches!” exclaimed the Welshman. “If we’d had the frigate’s cannons, we’d have taught them a hard lesson.”
“They would have been of no use,” said Yanez. “The crew spiked them before they left the ship. Hey!”
“What’s the matter, Yanez?” asked Sandokan.
“I just spotted something moving on the water,” said the Portuguese. “Look over there!”
Sandokan and the Welshman turned and fixed their eyes to where Yanez had pointed. Two dim shadows had suddenly appeared at the tip of the promontory to the south of them.
“Two launches,” said Sandokan.
“Or two canoes. Could the Dyaks be planning a second attack?” asked Yanez. “That would mean there are still a few of them hiding in the forest.”
“They may be spying on us at this very moment,” the Welshman added nervously.
“Yes, they’re two launches,” confirmed Sambigliong and Tanauduriam, who had rushed towards the shore.
“Sandokan, let’s get out of here,” said Yanez. “The savages in the forest may be preparing to attack as well. We’ll be trapped between two fronts.”
“Those two launches will give chase, Yanez,” replied Sandokan. “Once they caught us, we wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“What are we going to do then?”
“We’ll set up on one of those reefs and fire off the remainder of our cartridges.”
“We only have about a dozen shots left, sir,” said the Welshman.
“Then we’ll defend ourselves with our axes and the butts of our rifles,” replied Sandokan. “Quickly, into the skiff!”
They were about to rush towards the shore, when Tanauduriam shouted, “Those aren’t Dyaks! They’ve got rifles!”
“Castaways?” asked Yanez.
“Ready your weapons. Let’s see who they are,” said Sandokan.
The two rapidly advancing launches had already arrived to within two or three hundred paces from the shore. They were manned by two dozen men armed with rifles and axes. Sandokan quickly leaned toward Sambigliong and whispered, “Hide in the skiff, and do not move until I call for you.”
The pirate jumped into the small boat and flattened himself against the planks.
Moments later, a voice from the first launch cried out in English, “Who goes there?”
“Castaways, sir!” Sandokan replied readily.
“Were you attacked by savages? We heard shots and cries.”
“Yes, they surprised us while we were sleeping; all our companions have been killed.”
“Have the savages escaped?”
“Yes, they retreated into the forest,” replied Sandokan.
“Do you wish to come aboard?” asked the man in the launch.
“We ask nothing better. Do you only have the two launches?”
“We have a jong a short distance from here.”
“If you take us aboard, we’ll pay for our transport.”
The two launches pulled up to the beach. Twenty-four men stepped ashore, weapons in hand, and headed towards Sandokan, Yanez, Tanauduriam and the Welshman.
“Let’s go meet them,” said Sandokan, turning towards his companions.
But before they could take a step the twenty-four men charged towards them, levelling their rifles as a menacing voice cried out, “Surrender or you’re dead!”
Surprised by that sudden attack, Sandokan froze. A cry from the Welshman warned him of the grave danger before them.
“The crew!”
Sandokan howled in rage and lunged at those men, clutching his rifle by the barrel, planning to wield it like a club. Ten arms immediately grabbed hold of him, knocked him down and tore the weapon from his hands.
The Welshman had raised his axe, ready to strike, but Yanez immediately stayed his arm.
“Do you want to get yourself killed?” he whispered.
The guards had already trained several rifles on the giant’s chest.
“We surrender, gentlemen,” said the Portuguese, as calmly as if he were talking about the weather. “By Jupiter! Allow me to congratulate you on this cleverly executed surprise! Well done!”
A man came forward, removed his hat, and addressing Yanez said, “Good to see you again, sir!”
“Great heavens! Lieutenant!”
>
“In the flesh, Señor Yanez,” laughed the officer. “I was certain I’d find you somewhere along the coast, the frigate could not have remained afloat much longer.”
“You have excellent instincts, sir.”
“And a bit of luck. Were all the convicts killed?”
“We’re not certain. You can check the forest if you like; we’ll gladly wait here until you return. Careful though, you might run into a few Dyaks.”
“My mission was to recapture you, the others matter not. We’ll leave them to the savages.”
“Ah! You came after us! How flattering! Well, now that you’ve found us, what do you intend to do with us?”
“We’ll take you back to Sarawak and arrange for another ship.”
“In those launches?”
“No, we were rescued by a jong. I can assure you, you won’t find anyone aboard to help you escape this time.”
“Fortunately, we have allies everywhere,” Yanez looked about, then, raising his voice so as to be heard by Sambigliong, who still remained hidden nearby, laughed and said, “Who knows? We may run across Pangeran Macota or that cunning pirate Sambigliong.”
Noting that the lieutenant was looking at him with amazement, he added:
“A little joke, sir; let’s go pay another visit to James Brooke. He may be happy to see us.”
He let himself be led to the larger of the two launches and sat down beside Sandokan, Tanauduriam and the Welshman.
Chapter 21
Lord James’ Yacht
THE TWO LAUNCHES had not gone more than three hundred meters when Sambigliong’s head emerged from the water behind the skiff’s stern. When Sandokan and his men had come ashore they had moored the tiny vessel between two rocks; the clever pirate had slipped into the water and hidden behind a nearby reef while the two dozen men were charging towards his companions. Knowing he would have been of greater service to his captains as a free man, he had silently moved away from the shore instead of rushing to their defence.
Sandokan: The Pirates of Malaysia (The Sandokan Series Book 3) Page 23
