CHAPTER XI
A Midnight Encounter
Six hours and more had passed since Tyler and his little band of Dyakfollowers had witnessed the passage of the two helpless captives fromthe English vessel to the pirates' stronghold, and already darkness hadfallen over the island of Borneo. The scream of thousands of parrots,the chatter and hoarse voice of many a monkey, had ceased for the night,while the hush of the forest, which but for birds and monkeys would havebeen almost unbroken during the hot day, had now been replaced by thebuzz and hum of myriads of insects, and by the calls and weird cries ofother denizens of the jungle whose habit it was to set out during thehours of darkness in search of their food.
What were those objects filing in and out between the trees, each soghost-like and so silent? Were they human beings lost in the jungle, ora collection of wild beasts? Well might the question have been asked,had anyone happened to catch sight of them, for they came without somuch as a sound, each one treading noiselessly where the other had been,all bent low as if to escape the overhanging boughs, and everyone witheyes which glared into the depths of the dark forest. Occasionally theweird note of some animal in advance came to their ears, and instantlythey lifted their heads for a second, and then changed their direction.In front marched a lithe and active leader, and happening to emerge atthat moment from the darkness of the forest the pale rays of a smallmoon, which had risen early and would soon be gone, fell upon him andshowed that it was Tyler. Then these were, after all, human beings, andnone other than the tribe of Dyaks who were on their way to Sarawak.Yes, led by our hero, who had returned from the haunt of the pirates,the Dyaks were on their way to the spot before which floated the fleetof prahus upon the possession of which their safety depended.
"Remember the orders," said Tyler, as he emerged into the clearing,turning to a swarthy native beside him, whose features bore anunmistakable resemblance to those possessed by John Marshall. "Wearrive at the place agreed upon, and the men at once divide as alreadyarranged. Then the leaders of the companies come to me and we discussthe situation. After that we set about the embarkation without delay.Now get back to your own men, for they will miss you."
With an involuntary lift of his hand to his head, as was the customaboard ship, the boatswain turned in obedience to the order, andthreaded his way through the trees till he arrived at the rear of theprocession, where he sat down till the tribe moved forward again.Meanwhile Tyler stood in the centre of the clearing, waiting till hisscouts brought news that no one was at hand.
"We can advance in safety again," said Li Sung some minutes later, as adusky figure crept silently to their side and whispered something in theChinaman's ear. "De report of de man sent to de front is dat de forestam alone, and dat de pirate shout and makee merry."
"Then lead the way again," was Tyler's curt answer, "and let us not stopuntil we are in position. All this waiting is trying, and I am sure thatwe shall all be glad when we are in sight of our object."
Once more the column of ghost-like figures pushed on into the jungle,and, undismayed by the noise of distant revelry, which soon came totheir ears, at length arrived at the spot from which the landing ofHanns Schlott and his men had been watched. And here the tribe settleditself in the undergrowth with such readiness that it was easy to tellthat they had been drilled to the movement.
"The women and children are together?" asked Tyler of John, as thelatter came to his side. "And there are an equal number of men to helpthem to embark?"
"Jest as you said, sir. The poor things is crouching there in the bush,a shiverin' at the noise them pirates is makin' and wondering what'llhappen to 'em and their babies. But it'll be all right in the end, for Ireckon that we're jest goin' to give that chap Hanns Schlott the slip,and sail right away without his being a penny the wiser. What's next,sir?"
"Wait and watch till those fellows are silent and have turned in forthe night. Then we will see about the prahus. There should be no delayabout that part of the work, for the men have been told off, and theyknow exactly how many of the vessels we mean to take. You see, as Ireturned from this spot I thought the whole matter out, and I could seeat once that if we were to arrive before the pirate's stronghold withoutany plans for escape, everything would be muddled in the darkness, andthe alarm probably given. As you say, John, we want to get clear awaywithout a suspicion reaching the Dutchman, and we shall feel all themore successful if we contrive that not one of our tribe is overlookedand left behind for the pirates to kill. It was for that reason that Isuggested practising the embarkation, and, thanks to that precaution, Ithink that each and every one knows the work he has to do. Once thosefellows go to bed we shall swim across to their sampans, and while somereturn to this shore, the remainder will lie down and prepare to beatback the enemy should they take the alarm."
"And that's my partic'lar part of the job," exclaimed John Marshallquickly. "It's jest the one to suit me, too, for I owe 'em one and hopeto repay it."
"If they attack, you will give them trouble, no doubt," said Tylersternly. "But recollect, there must be no noise on any account, andhowever much you desire to come to blows with these men of the river,you are to avoid doing so on this occasion if you possibly can. Lateron, when we have joined in with those of Sarawak, you may have anopportunity. Indeed, I sincerely hope that you will. But for this timesilence is essential. And now to go on with our plans; and by the way,John, if I have missed a point be sure to tell me of it. We line thefarther shore, and half our numbers return with some of the sampans.The embarkation then commences, and when it is ended, those who can bespared go to the empty prahus and scuttle them, cutting them adrift whenthe signal is given. When word reaches me that all is ready--"
"You'll come to us, and we'll get aboard the sampans and join ourfriends," whispered John, giving vent to a low chuckle which denoted hispleasure at the prospect. "And then we'll up anchor and away. I guessthat the stream'll carry us clear of the banks, and if we do happen tohit up against one, it won't matter so very much, for the mud will doour timbers no harm, and a push with a couple of poles will soon send usoff again. Then we'll be in the ocean afore you can turn yer head."
"Quite so," replied Tyler calmly; "but before that happens we haveanother little matter to carry out. You have forgotten the woman and thechild, my friend."
"But you ain't--" gasped the boatswain, peering into his face as wellas the darkness would permit. "You don't mean to say as though you'rethinkin' of them. Why--"
Evidently the idea of such a project had never entered the sailor'shead, and no wonder, considering the magnitude of the task which he andhis young leader had set themselves. And now that all was settled, andit almost seemed that they were at the end of their long and arduousjourney, something else had cropped up to delay them and endanger theirsafety.
"But what about the tribe? Suppose you get nabbed by that 'ere Hanns!"he said, swinging round upon Tyler as the thought startled him. "It'srisking a lot for the sake of two whom yer never did more than set eyeson. Are yer sure yer mean it, sir?"
"Quite!" was Tyler's emphatic answer. "We cannot retire from this placeand leave them to their fate. The thing is impossible! As for risk, ofcourse there is that, and it will be increased by the attempt to enterthe stronghold. But, then, the alarm will not in that case come so earlyas to ruin all our plans, for the bulk of the tribe will be embarked,and a cut with a sword will set the prahus free. Pursuit on the part ofthis gang of rascals will be out of the question, as we shall have takenthe majority of their vessels, while the remainder will, I hope, be atthe bottom of the river. So that we should only have to face the pirateswho live below, and I think that we can do that cheerfully."
"We'd beat them and more like 'em," exclaimed the boatswain with energy."But what about yerself? Ain't you runnin' the chance of getting took bythe Dutchman? in which case he'd make an end of yer on the spot."
"One must expect danger in such cases, and must consider whether therescue of those poor captives is worth it," responded Tyler
calmly."For my part I should be ashamed to meet James Brooke of Sarawak or thecommander of the _Dido_ if I were to leave this spot without making atleast an attempt. Why, consider their position, John. Two poor, helplessthings at the mercy of these men!"
"Ay, and one of 'em's a child, and t'other ain't no more than twenty,"murmured the sailor. "You're right, sir, and I oughtn't never to havewanted yer to clear from the river without taking them with yer. Yercouldn't do it, as yer say. Them shipmates what'll be yours as soon asyer reach the _Dido_ wouldn't forgive yer for such a act And how can Ihelp yer?"
"By remaining at your post on the farther shore, and by rushing forwardif there is trouble. If not, all that you will have to do will be to seethe poor things safely on board one of the prahus, and then follow atyour best pace. On the other hand, if I am discovered, and the piratesrush down in force, you and your men will have to take to the river andleave me to myself. After all, the safety of the whole tribe must not beendangered for the life of one man."
"It all depends on who he is," was John's dogged reply. "If jest one ofthemselves, p'r'aps not. If their leader, the chap as come along to save'em in the first place from these here fellers, the one what's led 'emall this distance, why, I tell yer that they won't move till you're deador with 'em. But it ain't coming to that, sir. You'll manage to rescuethem two without giving so much as a sound, and we'll all find ourselvesin Sarawak afore we can think it possible. We've everything jest cut anddried, and as soon as them 'ere fellers'll clear off to bed we'll set toat the job."
Having come to a decision on the matter, and settled every point whichoccurred to them, the two lay silently upon the bank, their eyes fixedupon the blazing fires beyond, and upon the outline of the stockadewhich stood out clearly against the dark background of the forest. Thatthe Malays, and their friends the sea Dyaks, were making merry wasvery evident, for they lay about the blazing logs in great numbers,while the women tended to their wants. As for the Dutchman, the nightwas too hot to allow of his eating in comfort within the large shedwhich he occupied when at the stronghold, and instead, he sat at aroughly-improvised table, composed of a large packing-case, which wasplaced before his door. Before him burnt a bright fire, while several ofthe native women hung about him, bringing food and wine to his board. Soclearly, indeed, was he outlined by the light that it might have beenpossible to pick him off with a rifle, and Tyler even lifted his weaponto his shoulder. An instant later, however, he had dropped it with anexclamation of disgust, and once more contented himself with watchingthe Dutchman.
"It would be like murdering the lot in their beds," he said to himself,"just the thing that would appeal to men of his class and to fellowslike Li Sung, who know no better and who are brought up to that wayof killing their enemies. But to an Englishman it is impossible, andbesides, the shot might and might not be successful, while it wouldcertainly give the alarm and bring a hundred and more of the piratesrushing across in this direction. Ah, there is food going to theprisoners! So that it is clear that they are to be well treated for thetime being. I will watch what is happening."
As he spoke, two women advanced across the open space which was enclosedby the bamboo stockade, and, arriving at the tiny hut which harbouredthe captives, entered with a platter of food and a gourd of water. Tenminutes later they emerged again, dragging the woman with them, whilethe child followed behind, weeping bitterly at the scene.
"Brutes!" thought Tyler; "but I am sure that the captives' lives are notthreatened, for otherwise they would not have fed them. Ah, they arebeing taken to the Dutchman!"
Directing their steps to the spot where Hanns Schlott sat, the nativewomen dragged their captive up to his table and forced her to seatherself upon a box close at hand; then they stood beside her while theleader of the pirates spoke with her, and amused himself at the obviousterror under which she laboured. As for the child, she clung to herwhite companion, and stood looking at the man who had suddenly come soprominently into her life as if he were a monster, as indeed he was.
"The Dutchman is jeering at them, that is evident," said Tyler tohimself, as he looked on at the distant scene. "I only wish that I wasbeside him to hear what he was saying, so that I could punish him lateron. One would have thought that any man would have taken pity upon thosepoor things, but he is a hardened villain, and I really believe thatthey would receive better treatment from the natives. Now he is sendingthem back, and let us hope that very soon he and his followers will takethemselves off to their beds."
For three hours in succession did our hero and his followers lie inthe jungle with their eyes glued upon the distant lair of the pirates.Indeed it seemed as though Hanns Schlott and his men had made up theirminds to sit the hours of darkness out, and to indulge in revelry tillmorning came, for they made no movement to go to their huts, and insteadremained grouped about the fires.
"Supposing they stayed there till daylight came? What if they never wentto their beds, but as soon as morning was come jumped into their sampansand entered the forest in search of fruit or some other food."
Tyler asked himself the questions, and sat bolt upright as he puzzledfor an answer. Then he sank back into his old position with an air ofresignation.
"Then they must look to themselves," he said to himself. "If they comethis way they will certainly discover us, and we shall have to fight forour lives. But it occurs to me that they would be taken by surprise,and that they might easily think that we were another lot of piratesattacking them, and not the fugitives whom they are hoping to waylayon their journey to Sarawak. That being the case we must take a boldcourse, and I shall at once make for the prahus. All the men and many ofthe women and children can swim as well as they can walk, and we willdive into the river without delay. A few minutes should see us mastersof the fleet of prahus, and little time would be taken in embarking theremainder of our party. Then we would sail for the sea, and trust toour men to beat off any who might follow. Yes, now that I come to thinkof the matter I am sure that a bold course will pay us best, though,if possible, we will get away without discovery; for their numbers arevery large, while ours are small. Then again, by putting off the attackwe shall be able perhaps to return on a later date, and with a Europeanforce, when I feel sure that the days of the pirates will be ended. ButHanns is moving. The rascal is going to talk with his men."
Rising from the rough table at which he had eaten, the Dutchman walkedacross the clearing and entered into conversation with his men.Evidently he had something pleasant to propose, for they all sprang totheir feet and set up a shout of joy. Then some of their number racedoff to a certain portion of the stronghold, and returned very shortlywith enormous jars upon their shoulders.
"Drink to our success!" shouted Hanns Schlott, motioning to all to helpthemselves. "Drink death to the hated Englishmen who have escaped us sofar, and a quick end to all who may try to oppose us in the open sea. Weare the only men in and about Borneo, and I am the only leader who canbring you fortune and much gold. Fill up, then, and drink to the future."
Waiting till all had filled the rough gourds which did duty for mugs,the Dutchman lifted his glass to his lips and drained it at a draught.Then he repeated the process with a swaggering air, and having done sostrolled off to his seat once more.
"Now enjoy yourselves!" he shouted out as he retired. "There is winein plenty, so do not spare it, for the English ship has a big store toreplace what you may happen to use. Drink, then, and dance, for now youhave the time, while to-morrow you will be marching through the jungleon the way to catch the white-faces, and those who were foolish enoughto throw in their lot with them. For myself, I have much to think of,for remember, your safety, your success depend upon me. And therefore Iwill retire at once, leaving you to follow at your wish."
With a lordly wave of the hand he went to his hut and disappearedwithin, leaving his men to themselves. Nor were they slow in followinghis advice as to making merry, for up to now they had but lain baskingin the heat of the numerous fires which blazed in the clea
ring. Now,however, stimulated by the extra allowance of wine, and by the thoughtthat there was more to follow, they leapt to their feet and began todance in circles, while their womenfolk beat time upon the ground withtheir hands. And when one lot of natives were exhausted, and had thrownthemselves upon the earth beside the fires, to lie there panting tillrefreshment was brought them, others sprang to take their places, andthe mad dance was carried on.
Strange, indeed, was the sight, and for long did Tyler and his men lookon, though to John Marshall and to his leader it was one which they hadnever witnessed before. As if fascinated they watched as the piratesflung their limbs into the air and swung their arms aloft, while theywondered how long they would be able to continue, and where came thepleasure of such rapid movement. Then each one began to observe thatless energy was displayed, while some of the dancers had entirely givenin, and lay as if asleep upon the ground.
"The drink telling," whispered John Marshall. "Them chaps'll be asleepafore very long, and then it'll be our turn to play the tune. I reckonit's getting towards morning, too; so the sooner they go off the betterit'll be. How long will yer give 'em to settle, sir?"
"No more than half an hour. By then the majority will be asleep, and weshall only have the women to fear. Besides, the first part of our workshould be carried out noiselessly, while the tribe should be embarkedwithout giving any alarm. It is during the last part, when I attempt toenter the stronghold, that we shall have to be most cautious, and it isthen that we can expect trouble."
"A fig for the trouble, sir!" cried John Marshall, snapping his fingers."Them fellers is too much overcome already to be able to do muchfighting, and if it comes to hand-grips with them, why, I reckon I knowwho'll get the best of the scuffle. Don't you worry, Mr. Richardson, forif they drop upon you when you're inside, me and the men with me willrush in and bring you out. Hist! Didn't I hear something over there?Listen and see if you can't make it out."
At once he became rigid in every limb, while his eyes seemed to startfrom their sockets. Then he stretched across to where Tyler wascrouching, and taking him by the arm, directed his attention to thesecond of the two booms, which guarded the other river at the pointwhere it flowed into the main channel of the Sarebus.
"Someone moving there," said our hero decidedly. "A boat, I think,though it is so dark in that direction that one cannot distinguishanything. There! I heard a splash as if a sampan had been dropped intothe water, or an anchor had been let go. Hush!"
"And them's voices," came from the boatswain in the lowest of whispers."You can hear 'em coming over the water as plain as if they wasalongside of this very spot. What'll it be? Pirates come to have a fightwith these here fellers? or friends?"
"Dey friends, I tink," said a voice at their side, causing Tyler and hiscompanion to give a start of surprise. "Li Sung and de Dyak hear demplenty time ago as dey float down de oder river, and from de very firstwe tink dat dey de men who am sent to de mountains to meet us. P'r'apsnot, but me feel velly certain."
"Then they must have had some reason for returning," exclaimed Tyleranxiously, "for, no doubt, their orders were strictly to the effectthat they were to lie in wait till we came along, and then send news tothe stronghold, while they followed our tracks. This is serious, for itproves that they know more than we gave them credit for. Can they havealready discovered that we have made directly in this line with theintention of falling upon their ships? Or do they imagine, because theyhave not seen us near the mountain range, that we have turned back andabandoned the journey?"
"Me cannot say, but me velly sure dem am de ones de Dutchman send off tode mountain," repeated the Chinaman with an emphatic wag of his head."But keep little silence and velly soon we hear, for dey go into destockade and speak to deir friends."
Conscious that they could do nothing for the present, for as yet therevellers still lounged before their fires, and a sudden dash upon theships would have been doomed to failure, Tyler and his friends crouchedin the jungle, fretting at the delay, chafing at the thought that evennow something might have occurred to upset all their carefully-preparedplans, and with minds filled with anxious forebodings. And behind them,in every attitude, crouched the remainder of their followers, a prey forthe most part to vague fears, which, in spite of their new spirit and ofthe fact that they had a trusted leader, would assail them however muchthey fought to be brave.
Would these men, these new-comers, join with their brothers and spendthe night in revelry, or would they go to their huts at once and restafter an arduous march? The questions troubled Tyler considerably, andthink as he would he could find no solution, for as yet it was not evencertain that the men who manned the vessel which had just brought-toagainst the farther boom, and whose voices had been heard across thewater, were those who had been sent to the mountains to waylay theEnglishman and his Dyak followers. Perhaps they would turn out to befriends on a visit to the pirates.
Then did these rovers of the river and sea possess any who couldbe called by that name? Could any of their neighbours trust themsufficiently, or be trusted by the Dutchman and his men?
"It is out of the question," said Tyler to himself. "If these fellowswere on a visit they would send someone ahead to announce their coming,for otherwise it is more likely that a bullet or the contents of one ofthose brass cannon which are mounted on the stockade would greet them.It is clear that they belong to Hanns Schlott and his gang, and thatbeing the case I shall be astonished if they do not prove to be the onessent to capture us or to gain tidings of our approach. But if so, whyhave they returned?"
With head firmly held between his hands he endeavoured to think thematter out and come to a satisfactory conclusion. Then with a gesture ofdisgust he put it aside, and, uncovering his eyes, again stared in thedirection of the second river.
"The future must tell," he whispered in John's ear. "We will waitpatiently, and should it turn out that these men are from the mountains,and know of our presence near at hand, we will at once set about thecapture of the prahus and the embarkation of the tribe. That done weshall be able to sail away to the sea, where we can laugh at them. Atleast, you and the others will be able to do so."
"And what about yerself, sir?" demanded John Marshall with a start,turning upon him suddenly and peering anxiously into his face. "Ain'tyou a-coming? Do yer mean to say that after all you've gone through youmean to get left behind? I reckon it would be murder. It's suicide, andnothing else."
He gave vent to an indignant snort, and lay there staring into thedarkness in the direction of the new-comers, as if he could not trusthimself to look any longer at his leader. A moment later, however, hehad swung his head round again and had grasped Tyler by the wrist.
"What's the game?" he demanded roughly, and in a curiously hoarsewhisper. "Still thinkin' of the kid and her nurse? What are yer after?"
"I'm considering their case," was Tyler's cool answer. "I have putmyself in their position and asked myself whether I should like to bedeserted under the circumstances. Then I have imagined that I am someoneelse, who is the leader on this occasion, and I have wondered what he'ddo in such a case."
"Do! He'd clear with a whole skin as a general rule!"
"And what action would you take, John, if you were in my shoes? Imaginethat for a few seconds, and recollect that as the leader you would beresponsible for the safety of each and every member before you thoughtof a haven for yourself. The child and the woman, who, I suppose, is hernurse, are there. We saw them put into the hut, and we have alreadymade them part of our following. Would you desert them and leave them inthe clutches of that tiger?"
It was Tyler's turn now to face his companion in the darkness, andaddress him as though he had a grievance. It was he who now spoke curtlyand with roughness. Placing his lips close to the sailor's ear he spokesternly and shortly, in such determined tones that John Marshall wasamazed and astounded.
"Well?" Tyler demanded curtly again of the boatswain. "You are theleader for the moment; will you clear from the spot and s
ave your ownmiserable skin, or will you hang back for the sake of the child and thewoman?"
There was a long pause ere the silence was broken between them, and allthe while John Marshall stared across at the blazing fires and at thefigures of the pirates lying about them. He heard as if in a dream thesounds made by those who had lately put in an appearance, and watchedlistlessly for their appearance in the stockade. But he was thinkingof someone else. In his mind's eye he pictured the child of seven, andthe woman, the only survivors of those who had been aboard the Englishship, and he remembered that they were of his own country, strangers,and helpless strangers at that, in a foreign country, without friends tohelp them, unless he and his bold young leader went to the rescue, andtook them from the clutches of Hanns and his men.
What if he, John Marshall, of the mercantile marine, who prided himselfupon the fact of being a British sailor and a man, together with hisfriend, Tyler Richardson, had failed to catch sight of the prisoners?What if, knowing them to be so close at hand, they deserted them andleft them to their fate?
The boatswain almost started to his feet as this new side of thequestion occurred to him; but a moment later he was lying down again,with his face close to Tyler's.
"We'd be thunderin' curs!" he blurted out with a curious catch inhis breath. "You and me stands alone between them two and a life ofmisery. And I was for making off with me tail between me legs! Bah. JohnMarshall, you ain't half the chap you think!"
His disgust was so great that the better to express it he would havebrought his fist violently against the ground had not discretionsuddenly arrested his arm in the midst of the movement.
"Might wake 'em up over there," he said, as if to himself. "We can'tafford to be doin' that, for we've got to rescue the kid and the woman.What's the idea, sir?"
"There is no idea as yet, John. All depends upon the pirates and theirfriends who have lately arrived. If they settle down for the night weshall be able to go on with the original programme. If not, then wemust see what can be done. But I will take all away or remain myself.Supposing it is possible to embark the tribe, but we cannot get atthe captives, then I propose to remain behind in the forest, and tryon another occasion, or while they are absent in pursuit But, steady!Something is occurring over there, and we had better listen."
Becoming silent at once they leaned as far towards the bank of theriver as the undergrowth would permit, and watched the spot where theprahu had moored beside the boom. Thanks to the fires which blazed inthe central portion of the stockade, they were soon able to make outher sails and her exact position, and even imagined that they couldobserve the crew who still remained on board. Some minutes laterthere was a movement amongst the latter, who disappeared from sight,only to reappear within a short space of time at the entrance to thestockade. And here they found nothing to prevent their moving forward,for no enemies were expected, and, safe in the thought that they weretoo powerful to fear a sudden attack, the pirates had neglected, aswas their wont, to close the gap which led through the timbers of thestockade. With a shout some eighty men ran forward to the fires, and atonce mingled with their comrades.
"The gate is open. You observe that?" whispered Tyler in accentsof delight "If they do not trouble to close it I shall have littledifficulty in entering where those men went, and in bringing thecaptives out by the same way. What is going to happen now?"
"They have news, sir, and that's what's troubling 'em. I reckon they'llsoon bring the Dutchman out of his bed."
That something out of the ordinary had occurred was very obvious, forwhereas those of the pirates who had been lounging about the fires hadat first greeted their comrades who had just arrived with nonchalanceand with a few questions as to their success and as to the cause whichhad brought about their return, now they had all endeavoured to leapto their feet, and had set up a babel of shouts. Some, however, hadindulged in the wine which their leader had given them to such an extentthat they were beyond caring, and lay as still as logs. But many werenot so stupefied that they could not realize that something out of theordinary had happened, and crowding about their brothers they gave ventto shouts which were louder and more angry on account of their condition.
"We took it for granted that you had killed them all, that you wereamongst us again with a tale to tell," cried one of them plaintively."And now you come amongst us at a time when we are tired out with ourday of work, and when we are about to sleep, and fill our ears withnews which should make us feel alarm. Surely you are mistaken. You haveallowed yourselves to be misled, for it is madness to imagine that thosewhite fools would dare to come this way."
"There is no madness about it so far as we can see," was the answerof the one who had been the leader of the returned party. "What ismore natural than that these men should take the most direct line? forotherwise, by going by way of the mountains, they would increase thelength of their journey by a great deal, a matter of much importancewhen we have news that women and children accompany them. Then again,by making for the river they run the chance of obtaining boats; andremember, my comrade, to desperate men the idea of capturing prahus fromthe very people whom they have to fear is not an impossibility."
"Run away with our prahus! Take them from beneath our very noses!Why, what can you have been doing? Surely you and those who went withyou have come upon a store of wine like ourselves, and have indulgedso freely that your minds are disturbed. Capture our fleet indeed! Abeggarly handful of starving Dyaks, with women and children to feedand protect, and a couple of white-faces to lead them. The idea islaughable!"
The man shouted the words at his companion, and then turned to hiscomrades with a disdainful laugh and a half-drunken grimace which setthem roaring.
"He will say soon that we are in danger," broke in another, pushing hisway to the front, "and he will bid us fly to our wives to beg protectionfrom them. Quickly let me find my way to my own particular hut, wheredwells a woman who works hard all through the day, and has gainedthereby such strength that she will be able to beat off all whom thewhite-faces may send."
He staggered away through the crowd, who stepped aside with many aguffaw and roar of laughter, and went towards one of the huts near by.As for his comrades, they enjoyed the joke immensely. It suited theirmood to a nicety, and, determined to make the most of it and enjoythemselves to the full, they again crowded about the new-comers andplied them with questions.
"Shall we run now? And where can we go?" demanded one of them, makingpretence to be full of terror.
"Do you say that we ourselves should get aboard the fleet at once,dragging with us those who lie insensible about the fires, and sail forthe sea? There is much of the ocean outside, and there we might evenmanage to escape these dangerous men!"
"And then, when they had in their largeness of heart decided to bemerciful, and had retired from this spot, we might even venture toreturn to our homes," said the one who had first spoken, giving vent toa sneer. "But come, my friends, admit that this is madness, or we shallquarrel. Say that you are in error, and join us in our jollity."
"We will do neither," was the indignant reply. "Here are we, returnedafter much trouble and full of weariness, and you jeer at us and tellus that we are fools. Were it not that you are our brothers we wouldchastise you as you deserve."
The threat, to men in the excited condition of the pirates, who had beenlying about the fires and drinking the Dutchman's wine, was one whichcould not be easily passed over, and besides, all belonged to a raceaccustomed to bloodshed, and ready at any moment to resent an insultor to repay a wrong with violence. Hardly, therefore, had the wordsleft the lips of the speaker than the two parties were on the verge ofa conflict. Glaring at one another as though they were the worst ofenemies, each member of the piratical gang seized the kriss which wasthrust in his waist-cloth and flashed it in the firelight. A little moreand angry words would have led to bloodshed had not an interruptionoccurred. Fortunately for the gang, the noise of the altercationhad come to the Dutchman's ears, and just as
blows were about to beexchanged he came from his hut, looking dishevelled and as though he hadbut just risen from his bed, as was the case. In an instant he realizedwhat was about to happen, and rushing forward with an angry shout hethrew himself upon the men, buffeting them, and kicking those withinreach of his foot unmercifully.
"Dogs!" he shouted wrathfully. "Have I not told you often and often thatthere is to be no quarrelling, that you are to do no fighting except atmy bidding? Put your weapons away, then, or some of you shall be shot asthe dawn breaks. And now what is the trouble? What has caused you all tolose your tempers? Ah, I see that those who were sent to the mountainshave returned! Then you have good news. You have come up with thistribe of runaways, and have killed them. Where are the heads of thosewhite men?"
He started back in his astonishment when the leader of the party toldhim that he and his companions had failed to discover the tribe underTyler's command, but that they had ascertained that they were makingdirect for the very river where Hanns Schlott and his gang had theirhead-quarters, perhaps with the intention of attacking.
"We tracked them to within a very few miles," said the man, "and theymay even now be lying near at hand about to fall upon us. For thatreason we returned here at once and gave our warning to these men. Butthey are fools, or rather their brains are dulled with the wine whichthey have been drinking."
"And you will tell me that this white man and his tribe will attack ushere?" said Hanns Schlott suddenly, breaking into a derisive laugh. "Goto your beds, men. It is clear that you are tired, or you would realizethat sane men do not put their heads into the open mouth of a lion; youwould see that attack from a puny force of three hundred at the most isnot to be feared by one which numbers more than three thousand. Get toyour huts, for a sleep will do you good. As for you other drunken dogs,it is time that you, too, retired. To your couches, then, and let uspass the remainder of the night in peace."
Without a second look in their direction he strode off to his ownabode, while his followers obeyed his orders like beaten curs, showingthat they held their Dutch leader in great fear. Soon the clearing wasdeserted, and but for the fires, which were fast burning down, and forone or two unconscious figures beside them, the stockade was deserted,all having retired to their huts.
"And now comes the time for us," said Tyler in a voice which trembled,so greatly was he excited. "Li Sung, you can go back to your men nowthat you have told me all that went on over there, and you can send thesignal round. In three minutes the first company will be at the edge ofthe water."
Gathering up his pigtail, the Chinaman slunk off into the darkness, andere long some fifty dusky and silent figures were creeping to the bankof the Sarebus. A low hoot sounded in the night, and at the signal theDyak warriors, with Tyler and John Marshall at their head, lay flat upontheir faces and crept forward into the water. There was no wading, forthat would undoubtedly have given rise to much splashing. Instead, eachone immersed his body at once, and creeping along through the mud wasquickly in deep water. Then, breasting the stream, they turned to theshelving bank above which was erected the bamboo stockade enclosing thehuts of the pirate gang.
With the Dyaks of Borneo: A Tale of the Head Hunters Page 13
