Sandokan: The Pirates of Malaysia (The Sandokan Series Book 3)
Page 26
Those measures having been taken, he summoned his lieutenants and advisors and ordered them to gather their warriors and dispatch them to the nearby Malay villages to begin the insurrection, before the news of the Pangeran’s escape could reach Sarawak.
That same night forty emissaries left for the interior and three prahus set sail to spread word to the Malays along the coast that a great battle was about to commence; two other ships were sent to patrol Tanjung Sirik to lead the pirates of Mompracem to the kampong.
In the meantime, Ada had dispatched one of the crewmen to the yacht anchored at the mouth of the river to warn Lord James of all that was transpiring.
The next day the first reinforcements arrived in the kampong. Bands of Malays, armed with rifles, sabres and krises had flocked from all over to fight beneath the Pangeran’s banner. An endless procession of prahus sailed in from the sea, manned by large crews and equipped with artillery.
Three days later, seven thousand Malays were camped around the kampong, awaiting the arrival of the pirates of Mompracem to begin their march toward Sarawak.
All paths into the interior had been barricaded to prevent the Dyaks from carrying news of the impending insurrection to the rajah. Security had been so tight it was unlikely that Brooke even knew of his adversary’s escape.
On the fifth day, the fleet from Mompracem dropped anchor before the kampong’s shores. It consisted of twenty-four large prahus armed with forty cannons and sixty swivel guns. Two hundred battle-hardened warriors manned the decks, each pirate worth five men in courage and experience.
As soon as Sambigliong stepped ashore he went to report to Ada; she had been given lodgings in Orang Tuah’s hut.
“Miss,” he said, “The Tigers of Mompracem are ready to descend upon Sarawak. They have sworn to free Sandokan and his friends or die in the attempt.”
“The Malays were only waiting for your arrival to begin the insurrection,” replied the young woman. “However, before you set off, promise me that you will not harm James Brooke and that, if you do defeat him, you’ll set him free.”
“It shall be done. You speak for our captain; your word is law.”
Two hours later, the Malay troops, led by the future Sultan, left the kampong, taking the road along the shore, while the fleet from Mompracem, which had taken aboard Ada and Kammamuri, raised anchor and set sail, leading a squadron of a hundred prahus drawn from the villages along the vast Bay of Sarawak.
All precautions had been taken for a surprise attack upon the rajah’s capital and plans had been set for a simultaneous strike from land and sea.
The fleet was advancing slowly towards the capital to give the troops the time to arrive and take position, at night it would gather near the coast to wait for Macota’s messengers. As they drew close to their destination, Sambigliong found it increasingly more difficult to restrain the impatient Tigers of Mompracem who burned with the desire to avenge their captain’s defeat. Fortunately they were not always idle, for any ship they spied sailing for Sarawak was quickly taken and sunk to prevent the rajah from learning of their approach.
At last, four days later, towards sunset, the flotilla reached the mouth of the Sarawak River. That same night, Macota’s troops were to move on the capital.
Sambigliong, in command of the Tigers of Mompracem, ordered the prahu transporting Ada to hide in a small cove by the mouth of the river to keep the young woman safe. Kammamuri, determined to help free his friends, quickly made plans to join the lead ship
“Bring me back Tremal-Naik,” said Ada as she bid him goodbye.
“I’ll sacrifice my life if I have to,” replied the brave Maratha. “As soon as we step ashore, I’ll take a battalion of men to the rajah’s palace; I’m certain my master and our friends are being kept there.”
“Go, my brave friend. May God protect you!”
Sambigliong issued the final orders. Armed with cannons and manned by the bravest pirates of Mompracem, the largest prahus were sent to lead the squadron.
At ten, the flotilla was rapidly making its way up the river. All sails had been lowered and the small ships advanced under the power of their oars.
The river appeared deserted; not a single soldier patrolling the forest, not a single enemy vessel anchored along either bank.
However, that silence did not reassure Sambigliong. The insurrection had been sweeping across the kingdom for the last five days and it was unlikely that no news of it had reached the capital. The rajah, a shrewd and fearless man with a large number of loyal Dyaks and Indian guards at his command, would not let himself be caught by surprise. He feared a trap somewhere near the city and remained rooted to the bridge, eyes scanning the riverbanks, ears straining to catch the slightest suspicious sound. By midnight, the flotilla was only a half-mile from Sarawak and the first houses began to appear against the dark horizon.
“Do you hear anything?” Sambigliong asked Kammamuri who was standing at his side.
“Nothing,” replied the Maratha.
“The silence is disturbing. Macota should have arrived by now and started the attack.”
“He may be waiting to hear our cannons.”
“Ah!”
“What is it?”
“The fleet!”
The rajah’s ships had been waiting in battle formation just beyond the river bend, ready to attack. Twenty flashes of light immediately tore through the darkness, the roar of artillery shattering the silence. Brooke’s fleet had opened fire against the pirate squadron.
A thunderous cry erupted along the river, “Long live Mompracem! Long live Macota!”
Almost simultaneously, a furious discharge of musket fire sounded in the northern part of the city. Macota’s troops were attacking the capital.
“Attack, Tigers of Mompracem!” thundered Sambigliong. “Long live the Tiger of Malaysia!”
The prahus charged towards the rajah’s ships, ignoring the grapeshot sweeping their decks and slicing through their rigging. Unable to counter such a formidable attack, the enemy was quickly surrounded by the intrepid pirate fleet. Tigers and Malays swarmed up the sides of the ships, jumped over the bulwarks, and stormed onto the decks. The battle barely lasted a moment; greatly outnumbered the crews were quickly defeated, disarmed and forced into the holds and battery decks. The rajah’s colours were taken down and replaced by the standard of Mompracem: a red flag emblazoned with the head of a tiger.
“To Sarawak!” thundered Kammamuri and Sambigliong.
The prahus quickly set off to attack the city. Meanwhile, the battle continued to spread through the streets of the capital. Musketry thundered throughout the canals and districts. Howls filled the air as the Malays advanced towards the rajah’s palace. Several houses had caught fire throughout the city, the flames bathing the streets in a crimson light as clouds of sparks wafted over the countryside.
When their ship reached the quay, Sambigliong and Kammamuri led four hundred men ashore and stormed into the Chinese quarter where the townspeople had also begun to fight. A squadron of Indian guards fired two volleys into the advancing horde, but the Tigers of Mompracem merely howled in reply, then charged forth with their scimitars flailing, and scattered them in an instant.
“To the palace!” howled Kammamuri.
The Maratha leading them forward, that formidable band of men reached the great square minutes later. The rajah’s palace was guarded by a fistful of soldiers; they fired a few shots then ran off as the attackers rushed towards the gate.
“Long live the Tiger of Malaysia!” thundered the pirates of Mompracem.
A voice, as clear as a trumpet, replied from inside the palace: “Long live Mompracem!”
It was Sandokan.
The Tigers recognized it immediately. They charged up the stairs, smashing through doors and barricades, frenziedly searching for their friends, until finally, in a cell defended by thick iron bars; they found Sandokan, Yanez, Tremal-Naik and Tanauduriam.
They did not give them the time to
speak. The four were freed and carried triumphantly down the steps and out the gate to the sound of deafening cries just as a wave of fleeing Indians, routed by Macota’s troops, poured into the square.
Sandokan grabbed a scimitar from one of his men and rushed in among the horde, followed by Yanez, Tremal-Naik and twenty other men. Though the Indians scattered, one man held his ground, James Brooke, his clothing torn, his eyes threatening, still clutching his blood-soaked sabre.
“You’re mine!” shouted Sandokan.
“You!” the rajah exclaimed darkly. “You again!”
“I had a score to settle, Excellency.”
“Excellency! That title means nothing now. Macota has taken Sarawak; he’ll take me prisoner and have me hanged.”
“No, James Brooke, you are free to go,” said Sandokan, clearing a path for him. “Sambigliong! Take His Excellency to the mouth of the river. Guard him with your life.”
The former-rajah looked at Sandokan in amazement, then, spotting a band of Macota’s Malays charging into the square shouting cries of ‘Death to the Rajah’, he quickly went off with Sambigliong and an escort of thirty men.
“And so ends the reign of Rajah James Brooke!” said Sandokan. “He’ll never return to these shores.” [12]
Conclusion
THE NEXT DAY, PANGERAN Macota entered James Brooke’s palace with great pomp to claim the ancient seat of the Sultans of Sarawak. The entire population of the city who had never forgiven the former rajah his European ancestry, despite the great improvements introduced by that wise, brave, energetic man, mixed with the insurrectionist troops. The new sultan gratefully received his allies: he offered Sandokan, Yanez and Tremal-Naik honours and riches, and begged them to remain in his kingdom, but all politely declined.
Two days later, Tremal-Naik and Ada, now happily married, and Kammamuri embarked upon Lord James’ yacht and set sail for India, taking with them several valuable gifts. Sandokan and Yanez had come to see them off before joining their men and returning to Mompracem.
“When shall we meet again?” Ada, Tremal-Naik and Lord James asked the Tiger of Malaysia, as they were about to part.
“Who knows!” replied Sandokan, embracing them all in turn. “India is quite tempting, perhaps one day the Tiger of Malaysia and the Tiger of the Sundarbans will cross blades among the deserted islands of the Ganges. Suyodhana! There’s a man I wish to lay eyes upon. Farewell, my friends. Until we meet again, may good fortune greet you at every turn.”
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The King of the Sea
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Malaysia, 1868. A mysterious figure has armed the Dyaks and led them into battle against Tremal-Naik. Yanez races to the rescue but soon learns that Sandokan and his Tigers are also under threat. Despite eleven years of peace, the new Rajah of Sarawak, Brooke’s nephew, has ordered the pirates to evacuate their island home or face all-out war. Is this the end for the Tigers of Mompracem?
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Quest for a Throne
Can a handful of men take a throne?
At the end of their last adventure, Sandokan and Yanez promised to restore Surama to the throne of her ancestors. Aided by Tremal-Naik, Kammamuri and the Tigers of Mompracem, the Portuguese devises an ingenious plan to take the kingdom from Sindhia, the rajah who had sold her to the thugs many years ago. However, all does not go as easily as predicted for an unexpected adversary thwarts their every move: Teotokris, the rajah’s favourite courtier, and a deadlier foe than any they have encountered before.
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[1] Cape
[2] Loincloth
[3] A long plait of hair or ponytail traditionally worn by Chinese men. Also known as the Manchu queue.
[4] James Brooke was merciless towards Malay pirates; even his countrymen disapproved of his cruelty.
[5] An ancient Chinese instrument comprised of sixteen L-shaped flat stone chimes hung in a wooden frame. The stones are struck with a mallet.
[6] A kerchief used as a strangling cloth
[7] Ebony Leaf Monkey
[8] A large tube or length of fabric worn wrapped about the waist
[9] Paper mulberry tree; the Javanese make a type of paper from its bark
[10] Coastal Dyaks
[11] A type of crocodile commonly found in the rivers of Borneo
[12] Sandokan’s words proved prophetic: James Brooke never returned to Sarawak. His power gone, weakened by fever and stricken with paralysis, he retired to England where he would have died in poverty had it not been for a public subscription that provided him with several thousands of pounds. He died in 1868, in Devon almost forgotten, after having made the entire world speak of him during his reign.
Contents
The Sandokan Series
Contents
Part I The Tiger of Malaysia
Chapter 1 The Young India
Chapter 2 The Pirates
Chapter 3 The Tiger of Malaysia
Chapter 4 Kammamuri’s Tale
Chapter 5 The Promise
Chapter 6 From Mompracem to Sarawak
Chapter 7 The Helgoland
Chapter 8 The Bay of Sarawak
Chapter 9 The Battle
Part II The Rajah of Sarawak
Chapter 1 The Chinese Tavern
Chapter 2 A Night in Prison
Chapter 3 Rajah James Brooke
Chapter 4 In the Forest
Chapter 5 Poison and Narcotics
Chapter 6 Tremal-Naik
Chapter 7 Kammamuri Escapes
Chapter 8 Yanez in a Trap
Chapter 9 Lord James Guillonk
Chapter 10 In the Cemetery
Chapter 11 The Battle
Chapter 12 Tremal-Naik’s Resurrection
Chapter 13 The Two Tests
Chapter 14 Rajah Brooke’s Revenge
Chapter 15 Aboard the Royalist
Chapter 16 The Convict Ship
Chapter 17 The Revolt
Chapter 18 Shipwrecked
Chapter 19 Safe
Chapter 20 The
Dyaks
Chapter 21 Lord James’ Yacht
Chapter 22 The Governor of Sedang
Chapter 23 Pangeran Macota Escapes
Chapter 24 James Brooke’s Defeat
Conclusion
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The Two Tigers
The King of the Sea
Quest for a Throne
Our Other Pirate Series
The Black Corsair & The Queen of the Caribbean