F. S. Brereton

“ Scarcely had the words left his lips than a pistol-shot rang out, and a bullet struck heavily against the front of the binnacle, shattering there into a hundred fragments, which splashed the two young fellows standing beyond. A moment later Tyler's voice broke the silence.
"A bad shot and an unsteady hand," he called out. "Now, hear my words, Hans Schlott, and you, too, who have aided him in this murderous attack. I swear that if I escape from this ship with my life I will never rest till I have hunted you down, for you are murderers. ”

“ Those on the prahus, however, could have enlightened them, for from the river the dull glare of the embers of the dying fires, the bamboo stockade, and every hut within were distinctly within view, while the dusky figure crawling across to that part where the captives had been taken was plainly discernible. With straining eyes each one of the Dyak tribe aboard the prahus watched the young leader whom they had come to look up to and admire. They saw him creep rapidly, but with every caution, through the entrance to the stockade and then across the clearing. ”

“ Seated there with his cap dangling from his fingers, and the sunlight streaming through the creepers on to his figure, one saw a youth whose rounded features bore an unmistakable likeness to those possessed by the captain. But there the resemblance ceased altogether; for Tyler's ruddy cheeks and sparkling eyes betokened an abundance of good health, while his lithe and active limbs, the poise of his head, and the breadth of his shoulders, showed that he was a young man who delighted in plenty of exercise, and to whom idleness was in all probability irksome. ”

“ Of the pirates there was no sign at first, but as Tyler's head appeared over the top, they emerged from the edge of the jungle and set up a shout of defiance.
"Aloft there!" called out the one who had now assumed the leadership; "do not think that you will escape us, for we are determined to capture you. Indeed, our lives are forfeited if we fail to do so. Up to this you have kept us at bay, for your guns are good, and can reach farther than ours, while the boulders and rocks protect you. ”

“ With fear in their hearts they turned to their stockade again, and disappeared within, feeling that to attempt pursuit of such an enemy would end only in further suffering.
"And now for Sarawak!" shouted Tyler, as the fleet of prahus sailed clear of the boom, and headed for the sea once more. "Our troubles are almost over, and within a day we should be safely amongst friends. Hurrah for Sarawak!" ”

“ Others, discarding the aid of a boat, leapt into the water and swam to the boom, upon which they climbed. Then, balancing upon it with as much ease as an average European does on a wide pavement, they came splashing along, brandishing their weapons and shouting fiercely to terrify those whom they were about to attack.
"For the centre!" shouted Tyler, turning again to John Marshall. "Cut through the boom, and then throw her up into the wind till we see that all our friends are through. If we fail to break it, I will lead a party with axes." ”

“ Lying concealed amongst the trees, the two watched with beating hearts as the native craft swung round the bend and came into the river, and each noted with feelings of alarm, which they could not easily suppress, that her deck was covered with men. At her tiller stood Hanns Schlott, and, catching sight of the schooner, he at once directed the prahu towards her. Then shouts of exultation came across the water, and the Malays were seen preparing to throw themselves on board their prize the instant that they came up with her. ”

“ Years have passed since then, and the lad who went down into the hold of the grain ship alone to rescue the unconscious officers, and who afterwards led a tribe of Dyaks in far-away Borneo, is an old man, who steps with far less agility than in those young days. But the old spirit is there. The white beard and moustache, with their decidedly nautical cut, cannot disguise the square chin and the firm lips. The eyes sparkle as of yore, and return a glance without flinching, while even now there is a swing in the shoulders, a poise of the head, which distinguishes Tyler. ”

“ Nor were they destined to be kept waiting long, for hardly had they regained their breath than shouts came echoing through the forest, while the snap of breaking branches, and the splash of many feet wading through the water, told that the pursuers were near at hand.
"They have quickly got upon our track," whispered Tyler, "and I fear that, after all, we shall have to fight for our lives. Now, how are we to get across the river without damaging our weapons?" ”

“ So clearly, indeed, was he outlined by the light that it might have been possible to pick him off with a rifle, and Tyler even lifted his weapon to his shoulder. An instant later, however, he had dropped it with an exclamation of disgust, and once more contented himself with watching the 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 fellows like Li Sung, who know no better and who are brought up to that way of killing their enemies. ”

“ For more than a minute did Captain Keppel keep his eyes fixed upon our hero, searching closely as if to see whether he would flinch at such a request, or show by a twitch of the lips, a wavering eye, or in some other manner, that the task was likely to be too much, and would make too great a call upon his fortitude.
"Mind," he went on, seeing that Tyler returned his searching gaze unflinchingly and without so much as a tremor, "I make a definite request, a suggestion that you should undertake this matter, for I am well aware that you are the most fitted for it. ”

“ Massa Tyler Richardson! You! de prisoner!"
"And that is Li Sung!" gasped Tyler. "I cannot believe it possible. I am escaping. I thought you were a pirate about to stop me, and in less time than I can think I should have shot you. Then the moon showed me that the bright point at which I aimed was a small brass box in which you carry snuff, and instantly I realized that it must be you. What are you doing here? Speak! We have no time to lose!" ”

“ 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 have been almost unbroken during the hot day, had now been replaced by the buzz and hum of myriads of insects, and by the calls and weird cries of other denizens of the jungle whose habit it was to set out during the hours of darkness in search of their food. ”

“ Can we ask for a better leader, and can we refuse what his experience dictates?"
A guttural exclamation of approval burst from his fellows as Li Sung turned to interpret the words, while a few who had formed part of the rear-guard on the previous day sprang to their feet and waved their weapons above their heads in their excitement.
"Say that we will even fight all these Sarebus pirates," called out one of them, a fine stalwart man of light complexion. "They will be thinking of pursuit only, and will never dream, my friends, that we should be bold enough to throw ourselves upon them. ”

“ Tyler was out of his bunk like a shot, and rapidly scrambled into a suit of clothes, tearing the old ones off in a moment. Then he hastily washed his face and hands, and darted up on deck in the wake of his comrades. Above, all were assembled, and listened eagerly as the captain read the orders for the day. Then each man went to the magazine, there to be served with arms, which all at once set to work to clean and put in the best of order. ”

“ To marry or to make any change in his existence a man had to obtain a head or heads, and it mattered little how he came by the trophies. Often he waylaid his enemy in the forest and slew him without a word of warning, returning in triumph as though he had done the bravest deed. The death of a king or chief, a birth, in fact any unusual occasion, had to be celebrated by the taking of heads, and often, too, by the slaying of slaves. ”

“ As a fourth and a fifth vessel lodged upon the boom their excitement and delight became even greater, and, unable to contain themselves any longer, and being led by the largest of their prahus, they pulled at the boom, and prepared to come to close quarters with the men who had dared to make such an attack upon their friends. Leaping into sampans, which each of the prahus towed in her wake, some rowed at once for the boom, and gliding over it, or lifting their boat across the logs and chains, embarked again and came towards their victims at a furious pace. ”

“ In a minute he will be hurled to the bottom of the rock."
With courage renewed by his reflections, Tyler stared at the pirates, and watched as they slowly clambered up the steep face of the rock. Unlike the occasion which had preceded this attack, he was as cool and as collected as if he were on the Dido eating his dinner amongst his messmates, and at once checked the Chinaman's eagerness to deliver a shot.
"Wait," said Tyler shortly. "When the boulder goes you can fire, but till then remain behind the wall." ”

“ Once more he broke off suddenly, realizing with a feeling akin to despair that he would be dead, for was it likely that the pirates would keep him a captive for long?
"Hardly," whispered Tyler to himself. "They will be angry, and men who are in that condition do not pause and allow time to keep them from their revenge. To-day, within a few hours, they will commence to torture me, and then all will be over, and Li will have had his journey for nothing, while I shall be another of the victims to be added to the long list already set down to the brutality of these pirates." ”

“ Once more the party of natives and Englishmen took up the trail, and a mile farther on were rewarded by the sound of a rifle-shot which suddenly rang out in the jungle. Instantly they redoubled their pace, and did not halt till the leading Malay again threw his arms into the air and motioned to them to do so. A moment or two later their eyes fell upon the figure of Hanns Schlott. But what a change! Once a burly individual, with enormous, unwieldy limbs and rounded cheeks, he was now a haggard man. ”

“ While the commander of the Dido remains in his cabin or on the poop of his vessel, restlessly trudging backwards and forwards, with his thoughts for ever bent upon the coming expedition and upon the precautions necessary to be taken, let us once more seek for Tyler in the secluded spot away in the bows of the ship, where he had hidden himself, well knowing that only there would he obtain that peace and uninterrupted quietness which would permit him to give his full attention to the journey which was before him. ”

“ And here they found nothing to prevent their moving forward, for no enemies were expected, and, safe in the thought that they were too powerful to fear a sudden attack, the pirates had neglected, as was their wont, to close the gap which led through the timbers of the stockade. With a shout some eighty men ran forward to the fires, and at once mingled with their comrades. ”

“ A hard worker from his earliest days, and almost always contented with his lot, he can feed himself upon the smallest wage, and still save sufficient for a rainy day. Then in the course of years he becomes his own master, the employer of labour, and a wealthy citizen of whatever town he has made his home. But we must hurry on, for there is much to settle before we set sail for Borneo."
Half an hour later they stood upon the dock-side looking with admiration at a tiny schooner which lay moored in the basin, floating daintily upon the water. ”

“ Two hours later, when the sun had long disappeared and darkness covered the water, the prahu cast loose from her moorings, and was rowed from the creek with the river-boat in tow. Then, once in open water, her sail was hoisted and her head turned down the stream which led from Sarawak to the open sea.
"There will be a moon by the time we arrive at the mouth," said Tyler as they swept along, "and we shall be able to set a course by its aid. After that we can take it turn and turn about to steer and keep a watch. ”

“ Standing behind the barricade each selected a missile, Li Sung twirling his sling aloft and sending stone after stone at the Malays, while Tyler rolled huge boulders down upon them. But the pirates had learnt their lesson, and as they came they took advantage of every bit of available cover. Each hollow and nook held an enemy, crouching out of range of the stones and boulders, and with eye following every movement of the defenders. Waiting till they had need to select another missile, the figure would spring from the patch of cover and dart to another favourable spot higher up. ”

“ So energetic has he been, so powerful has he become, that all who are bent on the old life fear him more than a little, while the majority, the Dyaks of the interior, the peaceful Malays, and the hard-working and ever-contented Chinese—all, in fact, who long for a life spent in agriculture, in mining, or in trade—have settled down wonderfully, placing full reliance in the Englishman and in his word that, so far as he can prevent it, they shall be undisturbed. ”

“ We will follow you blindly, and since it is clear that this Dutchman will do all that he can to take us, and that death will stare us all in the face, while our women and children will be captured and made slaves, why, we will fight hard and do all that men can to defeat our opponents."
"Then we will set about the division of the tribe, and will draw up rules for the guidance of each company," said Tyler, as soon as the words had been conveyed to him by the Chinaman. "You can tell them, Li Sung, that absolute obedience must be given, and that the arrangement must be carried out at once." ”

“ But they are fools, or rather their brains are dulled with the wine which they have been drinking."
"And you will tell me that this white man and his tribe will attack us here?" said Hanns Schlott suddenly, breaking into a derisive laugh. "Go to your beds, men. It is clear that you are tired, or you would realize that sane men do not put their heads into the open mouth of a lion; you would see that attack from a puny force of three hundred at the most is not to be feared by one which numbers more than three thousand. Get to your huts, for a sleep will do you good. ”

“ An occasional cry denoted the fact that they were still within hearing, but very soon they were silent, and once more stillness came over the sea.
"Now for the schooner!" whispered Tyler in tones which he endeavoured to steady; "come to the stern of the boat, John, and help me to shove her along. But first let us discuss our plans so that there shall be no confusion. We must make for our old position, and if it is possible we must contrive to load the six-pounder again. Otherwise there may be sufficient men aboard to rush upon us and sweep us into the sea." ”

“ But in spite of their lucky escape they would have given back at once, and have plunged in mad flight into the forest, had it not been for Tyler. With a shout to encourage them, he fired at the nearest Malay and brought him staggering upon the ground. Then Li Sung's voice joined in and helped to maintain the courage of the Dyaks.
"Fear them not!" he cried in the Dyak language. "We are as yet unseen, and can punish them. Think of the women and children taken into captivity by these men! Keep your places and shoot straight!" ”

“ Spread like a fan round the edge of the little bay, the sailors and marines took up their positions in couples, for even the boldest of men are apt to take fright when sent out into an unknown part in the darkness, and with enemies close at hand. Then silence came over the British force, and even the twelve-pounder, which had at intervals deafened all those within reach, and drowned the babel of the enemy, ceased its clamour. ”

“ While the rascally Dutchman had been haranguing his men, Tyler and his companion had paused to discuss the question of attacking the Malays. A moment before they were intent upon rushing upon them, for that they were disheartened and demoralized was easily to be seen. But the aspect of affairs had suddenly changed, and as Christian van Sonerell had remarked, his unexpected appearance had caused them to alter their determination.
"They have gathered in a body again," cried Tyler, stretching out an arm to detain John Marshall, "and see, there is their leader. What bad luck for us! ”

“ Quickly though the warning was given, it came too late to save Tyler from the fury of this strange enemy, for, stung to madness by the pain of his wound, the mias gave vent to a [Pg 146] snarl of rage and leapt full upon our hero's shoulders. The brawny arms encircled the figure of the white man, and once more the capacious jaws opened in readiness to bite. A moment and the gleaming teeth would have closed upon the back of Tyler's neck, when John Marshall sprang to his aid, and, holding his fire for fear of killing his leader, thrust the muzzle of his weapon between the jaws. ”

“ Baring their teeth in obedience to his wish, both Tyler and John Marshall submitted to the operation of having them coloured reddish-brown with the stain, and then chewed at the nut which their Chinese helper had thrust between their lips.
"I suppose that it is a custom which one has to acquire," remarked Tyler with a grimace. "I must say that if I had any choice in the matter I would rather not chew anything, and least of all the betel-nut. Still, all the natives have the habit, and it will be as well for us to develop it also." ”