With the Dyaks of Borneo: A Tale of the Head Hunters

  CHAPTER XV

  Off to the River Sarebus

  Armed with the note with which the captain of the _Dido_ had had theforethought to provide him, Tyler made direct for the prahus which hadbeen such a short while before in the possession of the men at Paddi,and, still acting the role of a humble Chinee, clambered to the deck ofone upon which he caught sight of some British sailors.

  "From de captain," he said quietly. "Him say dat Fo Sing ask for one ofde boats and takee him away a little."

  Tearing the letter open, the man to whom he had handed it read thecontents with a puzzled expression, for he was no great scholar.

  "Deliver to the bearer, Fo Sing, any of the prahus which he may ask for,and do not question him," ran the lines.

  "Well, it's a rum order, and I can't say as I see what it's for,"grumbled the tar, "but it's there, in the skipper's hand, and so it'llhave to be. Which'll yer have, Johnnie? There's a number of sail here,and yer are to pick and choose. Jest look round and think a bit."

  But Tyler had no need to think, for already he had selected the onewhich he considered most suitable. And, therefore, he at once motionedto the small prahu with which the head of the schooner had been warpedround when she lay at her moorings before the pirates' stockade, andindicated that that was the one which he would select.

  "Then you ain't greedy," was the answer, "and since the order's plain,you'd better skip with the craft as soon as yer can, else perhaps theskipper'll change his mind."

  This difficulty settled, Tyler with his companion, Li Sung, were notlong in transferring themselves to the prahu, and at once, making theirsampan fast to her stern, they manned two of the sweeps, and rowed thecraft away to the creek from which they had originally set out.

  "De China boy dere tink dat we buy him, and so not talk velly much,"said Li Sung as they arrived in the tiny harbour. "Be sure dat dey seeus comee here, and dey wonder why and who you am. But I tellee dem datyou a friend from de coast, and that satisfy dem. I say dat we go on atrading voyage, and end at Singapore, so dat allee right, for dey knowdat poor Li wish to go dere. We must be plenty careful, massa, for deream bad men everywhere, and here am some who lovee de Dutchman and hispirates."

  "Then we will be very cautious," agreed Tyler, "and as I should becertainly questioned if I were to come ashore, I shall remain here tillyou have been able to do all that I have asked. Food we must have, andfor that purpose you will row back to the _Dido_ when the night comes,and will take off a supply which will be prepared for you. Then therewill be weapons to be fetched also, and another boat is necessary, forto enter the river with this would be madness. We shall want one of theriver-boats, which are without decks and which are propelled by means ofpaddles. Here is money, and you must see what can be done in the matter.Return as soon as the sun falls, and then we will row out to the ship."

  Having moored the prahu to a buoy in the centre of the creek, Tyler laydown upon the floor and set himself to think, while Li Sung went ashorein the sampan to carry out his master's wishes. As for the latter, hehad already thought the matter over, and realizing at length that noamount of cogitation would help him, for who could say what difficultieswould confront him, he settled himself comfortably and very soon fellasleep, overcome by the closeness of the atmosphere. When he awoke itwas near the hour of sunset, and happening to peep over the rail he sawa figure approaching him in a small river-boat which would accommodatetwo or three men, and could be easily managed by them.

  "Good!" he said to himself; "he has managed that part of the matter,and with that craft we ought to be easily able to ascend the river,particularly when the tide makes in. Now for the food and other things."

  Two hours later, when the sun had long disappeared and darkness coveredthe water, the prahu cast loose from her moorings, and was rowed fromthe creek with the river-boat in tow. Then, once in open water, her sailwas hoisted and her head turned down the stream which led from Sarawakto the open sea.

  "There will be a moon by the time we arrive at the mouth," said Tyleras 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.How long will it take us to get to the Sarebus, Li?"

  "P'r'aps two day, p'r'aps less, massa. Me no tellee now. Allee accordingto de wind. Plenty same now, and if him hold, then we make de Sarebusvelly soon. But better keep de silence, for dere am ships in de river,and p'r'aps de _Dido_ hail for us to stop."

  Following this piece of good advice, for in those days none were allowedto arrive in the river or depart from Sarawak without being challenged,Tyler, who was at the helm, directed the prahu for the centre of thestream, and kept her there till well at the mouth. Once someone sent ahail in their direction, but it was instantly suppressed, perhaps by theorders of those on board the _Dido_, who knew that their messenger mustbe leaving about that hour. After that all was silence and darkness tilla gentle swell told them that they were at sea.

  "And here is the moon," exclaimed Tyler in tones of satisfaction. "We'vea long sail before us, and so I propose that we at once settle thewatches. You turn in, Li, while I take her on for three hours. Then youcan take the helm. When day comes we'll pull into some creek, and lieup till night returns. Now, off you go!"

  With a nod he sent the Chinaman to the bows, where he at once lay down,and, accustomed to a hard bed and to his surroundings, promptly fellasleep. As for Tyler, he stood upright there beside the helm, wonderingwhat was in store for him, and whether this expedition was destinedto result in similar success to that which had favoured the previousone, or whether dire disaster was about to come upon himself and hiscompanion.

  "In any case I shall do my best, and can a fellow do more?" he said. "Ifpossible, I shall remain hidden from the pirates, and return withouthaving given them a suspicion that they have been spied upon. But ifthat is out of the question, I shall go to Rembas or to Pakoo, and trustto luck. To hand myself over to the men at Paddi would be madness, forthe Dutchman suspects everyone, and would soon get to the bottom of mydisguise. Well, it's no use wondering, so I'll just jog along and bethankful that the night is fine."

  For three hours did Tyler maintain his position at the helm, steering acourse parallel with the coast, which he was able to distinguish dimlyon his right. Then, judging that he had done his turn of duty, he madethe tiller fast and went to awake the Chinaman.

  "Your watch," he said, as he shook him. "It's a fine night, with a moonand stars, so you will have no difficulty in keeping the course. Wake meif anything disturbs you."

  Leaving the prahu in the hands of Li Sung, Tyler lay down in the bowsand soon fell asleep, for by now he was hardened to an outdoor life, andhad become so used to lying down to rest in a different and a strangeplace on every occasion, that nothing disturbed him or robbed him of hissleep; indeed, not even the prospect of the expedition before him couldkeep him awake, while the thought of danger and of difficulty producedno anxiety in his mind.

  "I must just do my best, and after all this is a duty for which I havebeen selected," he said to himself, as he curled his limbs on the floorof the prahu. "If all goes well, then it will be a fine thing, and nodoubt the commander of the _Dido_ will be pleased. If we are captured orget into trouble it will be by mischance, and I shall probably not bealive to mind. In any case I cannot alter the future by worrying now, soI'll get a good long sleep so as to be fresh for to-morrow."

  With this resolution made, he closed his eyes, and, lulled by the soughof the wind as it bellied the great sail overhead, and by the hiss andswish of water alongside, he quickly lost consciousness, and did notawake till day was dawning.

  "Time to open de eyes," said Li Sung as he gently shook his youngmaster. "Velly soon we able to see far, and by den dese two China boysbetter be hidden away out of de sight."

  "And the sooner we are in safe quarters the better," exclaimed Tyler,springing to his feet and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Over withthe helm, and let us run in to the land. With a wooded coast before
uswe shall have no difficulty in finding a likely spot, and then we two--acouple of friendly China boys, as you say--will hide up for the day,and make ready to satisfy our appetites. Ah, the darkness is liftingrapidly, and there is the coast!"

  As he spoke he lifted his hand and pointed to a high-lying stretch ofland, a strip of the north-western coast of Borneo, which had just comeinto view.

  "Good!" he exclaimed, noticing that it was thickly wooded down to thewater's edge. "There will be ample cover there, and as it is justcommencing to rain we are not likely to be seen by anyone. Give thetiller over to me, Li Sung, and go forward. If you post yourself in thebows you will be able to keep a look-out for shoals and rocks, and canshout a warning to me. Just pull in that sheet as you go, and we shallsail all the quicker."

  Grasping the helm, Tyler set the prahu in the direction of the coast,the Chinaman pulling in the sail till it stretched taut across the mastand allowed them to sail their craft close-hauled. Then, obedient tothe order of his young master, he went forward into the bows, where,reclining at full length, he fastened his pigtail in a knot at the backof his head to keep it from trailing in the water, and then bent hisgaze on the surface before him.

  "If massa puts de helm a little up we strikee straight for a small placebetween de trees," he said when they had sailed for some ten minutesthrough the driving rain. "Li see a creek dere, and he say dat if wesail de prahu right in, den we hidden, and no one see us, for dey all indeir huts just now."

  Following the direction indicated by his companion, Tyler pointedthe prahu for the opening, which was dimly visible, and soon had thesatisfaction of arriving within a few lengths of a rift between thetrees, through which a clear stream of water was issuing.

  "A tiny river," he said to himself, "and just the place for us, for itwill give us shelter, and at the same time will allow us to get ourdrinking-supply without leaving the vessel. Lower away that sail, Li,for the way on her will carry us in; and stand ready to make fast to atree. I shall run her in till well out of sight of any who may happen tobe cruising along the coast, though we must not go too far, and aboveall we must find out that there are no natives near at hand. Rememberthat secrecy is a thing which we have to think of, and our lives mayvery well depend upon how we observe it."

  "Li him knowee dat well, massa," was the answer, the Chinaman noddinghis head at Tyler in a manner which seemed to say that he was a cunningfellow. "China boy not wishee to have de head cuttee off. He likee himlife, and him can be velly silent when him want. But mind de rock on deside of de opening, for it am big, and de water rises about it."

  He pointed swiftly to a spot beside the exit of the river, where thestream frothed and bubbled against some unseen object and was heapedhigh in the air. But the caution was unneeded, for Tyler had alreadyguessed the cause, and had seen the commotion in that direction, and,moving his tiller just a trifle, guided the prahu safely past the shoal.A minute later they were running up-stream, with a high bank on eitherside of them and a canopy of leaves and branches overhead. Selecting alikely-looking tree, our hero steered for it, and, seeing that the bankswere soft and moss-grown, ran the bows into the mud close alongside. Inan instant Li Sung was overboard, rope in hand, and within a very shortspace of time the prahu was tugging gently at her mooring as the streammade efforts to bear her down to the sea.

  "And now for a look round, and then for something to eat," cried Tyler,beginning to search in the lockers in which their provisions had beenstored. "Boiled rice for the Chinaman and his friend, and a littlebesides. Cut away, Li, and take a look about you. When you return, thewater will be hot, and you can complete the cooking."

  At once the faithful fellow dived into the jungle which grew close up tothe edge of the river, leaving Tyler to make the preparations necessaryfor a meal. Nor was the latter long in setting about the matter, for hislong sail had given him an appetite. Dragging out a kettle, which hefilled by dipping it in the stream, he placed it upon an oil-lamp whichhe had had the forethought to bring with him, and then hunted for therice, which was the staple food of the Chinaman who accompanied him. Afrying-pan soon made its appearance, together with a second stove, andby the time Li Sung returned to the prahu a couple of rashers of baconwere frizzling over the flame, while the kettle was singing merrily.

  "De forest am alone, massa," said Li, as he sprang from the bank on tothe craft. "Dere no one near, and we can live and sleep here velly fine.Ah, de water am boiling, and Li put de rice in! It am a good ting to eatin de morning."

  Thanks to the leafy covering which wrapped them in, Tyler and hiscompanion passed a peaceful day, which was undisturbed by the rain whichcontinued to fall in torrents. Nor did anyone come to upset them. Assoon as evening arrived, and they had eaten another meal, they preparedto set out once more, and at once began to hoist the sail.

  "Not start yet awhile," said Li Sung, casting his eyes towards theentrance. "It still am light enough to see out dere, and p'r'aps dere ama ship passing. Wait, and soon we go. Li just run on shore again for alittle bittee, and come back wid de coats which keep de rain away."

  Without further explanation he leapt to the bank and went into thejungle, where Tyler could hear him breaking branches down. Ten minuteslater, as the sun disappeared and darkness began to fall, he leapt oncemore upon the prahu and presented his master with a mat composed ofleaves and reeds which had been roughly secured together.

  "Dere," he said in accents of pleasure, "dat light, and stay on deshoulder easy, while it keep de rain away. Massa try him, please."

  Motioning to Tyler that he was to put his head through the hole whichhad been left in the centre, Li spread a mat over his own shoulders,the tail of the leaves falling well over the arms and body, but lyingso loosely and lightly that the limbs could be freely moved. And thusequipped with a protection against the rain commonly used by the Dyaks,and known as a kajan, they cast off the mooring, and having hoisted thesail, stood boldly for the sea. Then, turning up the coast, they held ontheir course without interruption till the following morning found themstanding in to the mouth of the river Sarebus.

  "And now we must be doubly cautious," said Tyler, as they ran the prahuinto an out-of-the-way nook and lowered the sail. "No doubt piratesare about in all directions, and they will be familiar with those wholive in the neighbourhood. For that reason they would want to inspectstrangers if they happened to see them, and though we look innocentenough, and have a good tale to tell, yet the fact that I do not speakChinese or the Dyak tongue is so much against me that I should alwaysstand the great risk of being discovered; and if that happened--"

  "De pirate choppee de head," exclaimed Li. "Massa no need to tell himservant dat. But we havee velly fine tale to tellee de men of Rembas andof Pakoo, though Li not tink it safe for massa to go to Paddi, where deDutchman am. We only poor China boys, who not likee de British and deirships, and who am wanting money. We hear dat de white people come vellysoon to fight de pirate, and we come ever so fast to tell him. We say wewill fightee for dem, and when dey not lookin' we run away and come backto our friends. Oh yes! Li him see velly clear, and he say dat allee bewell. But we must be plenty careful. What does de massa wish to do?"

  "Sit down there and listen. I will tell you in a few words, for we areat our destination now, and we must not delay. My proposal is that wemake the prahu very fast, so that we may be sure that she will be hereon our return. Then we will take to the river-boat and the paddles, andwill row into the river, getting as far up-stream as possible before theday dawns. It is already much lighter, though I think that we can countupon a good hour longer. By that time, with the tide to help us, weshould be some distance up, and shall, perhaps, have gained a positionfrom which we can set a watch upon our enemies. After that all dependsupon the pirates and upon circumstances. Come, bustle up, Li! Get out agun for each of us, leaving the spare ones here, for we could not manageto carry them. Then we will take a bag of ammunition beneath our coats,for we may suddenly find that we require a large amount, and, of course,we
must not forget food. There is a lot of cooked and preserved stuffwhich will suit very well, and for water we can rely upon the river.There, look lively while I see to the vessel."

  At once all was movement upon the prahu, for if Tyler and his companionwere really to make a commencement of their task, and were to occupya position of advantage before the day dawned and the light came toshow them to the enemy, they must move without further delay. That bothrealized this to the full, and that their safety would now depend ontheir caution and discretion, was abundantly evident, for they set towork silently, but with a bustle and an energy which showed that theirhearts were in the matter. Leaping to the shore, Tyler rapidly bentanother cable in position, and lashed it to a tree, just as had beendone on the previous night. Then a third was taken from the stern, andthe vessel brought tight up against the bank.

  "That will do for her, I think," muttered Tyler, running swiftly overthe knots to see that they were fast. "If she is found lying here, ofcourse anyone can walk aboard her. But it would have been very difficultto moor her farther out in the stream, and even then a sampan would havetaken the finder to her. And now for the river-boat."

  Going aft, he found that Li Sung had already provisioned the tiny craft,and was standing in the bows awaiting his master, with a rifle in eitherhand and a couple of waterproof bags of ammunition over his shoulder.

  "Li am ready for massa," he said simply. "Where am he to sit? Li waitfor orders, and him will do just what him am told."

  "Then stay here in the bows," said Tyler shortly, "for you have keenersight than I have. When I have passed you, take the paddle and cast offthe painter. But first, just sling that rifle over your shoulder. I willdo the same."

  Suiting the action to the word, he and his companion were soon inposition, each with a paddle in his hand. Then the painter was cast off,and at once the tiny craft shot from beneath the trees and out into theriver.

  "The tide is still on the ebb, so we will keep in near the trees,"called Tyler gently, as they swept away from the bank. "By doing so weshall have less difficulty in making good progress, for the current willbe less swift. A glance overhead will always tell you whether we arekeeping the right course, and as you will be the first to notice whenwe go astray, just call to me so that I may know it. Now, in with thepaddles."

  Keeping time with one another, they sent the light boat up the stream ata good pace, and when an hour had gone had the satisfaction of knowingthat they had made excellent progress, while half an hour, perhaps, ofdarkness remained to them. And now their course was shaped for the bank,for they did not dare to run the risk of being observed. Very soon theycame to a part where the trees grew close down to the water, and herethey remained till the day dawned, clinging to the boughs so that thestream should not carry them down again.

  "It is light enough to see now," said Tyler at length, "and we willpush in and take up a position from which we shall be able to seewithout being observed by people who may be passing on the river. Liftthe boughs gently, Li, and pull us in. That's the way. Now we are inopen water again, though it is only a narrow stretch, and can use ourpaddles."

  Gently propelling the craft, they sent her on beneath the low-hangingboughs, and finally came to a halt when they had traversed about halfa mile of the leafy avenue. And here they made fast with the painterand at once began to eat, for there was no saying when they would haveanother opportunity. Then they turned their faces to the river andpeered from amongst the covering, being able to see right across theriver.

  "We have a long row before us, and have need of all our strength," saidTyler, "and for that reason we will take it in turns to rest, for thisnight-work is very tiring. You lie down, Li Sung, and I will wake youlater on."

  And so, whilst one kept watch on the river, noting the boats whichpassed, the other slept, the following night finding them both refreshedand prepared for the work before them. Issuing from the trees they oncemore took to the stream, and when the following day was at hand were inthe neighbourhood of Rembas, the lowest of the piratical strongholds.

  "What is that?" demanded Tyler suddenly as they lay on their paddles,staring at the opposite bank, and wondering whether or not they wereopposite Rembas. "I heard a sound behind us, and I am sure that it didnot come from the bank."

  Both sat up and listened eagerly, only to turn to one another inperplexity, for neither could fathom the nature of the sound which hadcaused them alarm.

  "It is a curious hissing," said Tyler in troubled tones, "and as I saidbefore, I am sure that it comes from the direction of the mouth of theriver. But what can it be? To me it sounds like water."

  "Perhaps it am de tide, de sea making into de river," suddenly suggestedthe Chinaman in tones of alarm. "If so, we better row, massa, for debore am terrible, and would fill dis boat to de top. Yes, Li havelistened, and he not like de sound. Row, massa, or we be drowned."

  That Li Sung was alarmed there could be no doubt, for he had spent sometime on the river in the service of the men of Paddi, and he well knewof the danger of the bore caused by the tide as it swept into the upperreaches. Indeed, at any other time he would have thought of the matterand would have warned his young master; but the fact that they were on aspying expedition, and that all their energies were devoted to keepingwatch for the enemy, had caused him to forget it. Now, however, as thesound swept with great rapidity towards them, he recognized the meaningof that ominous hissing, and, turning swiftly to Tyler, urged him torow for his life. Plunging paddles into the water the two strained attheir work, in the desperate attempt to reach the bank before the tideoverwhelmed them. But they were too late to escape, and hardly had theygained more than twenty yards when the full strength of the bore rushedupon them. In the gathering light each saw a moving wall of water,some five feet in height, rushing towards them, and though at a shoutfrom Tyler the bows of the craft were swept round to meet it, in thehope of riding over it, the oncoming water seized them in its powerfulgrasp, swung the boat round as if it had been a top, and then washedclean over it, upsetting it and turning it bottom upwards. As for thetwo occupants, they were torn from their seats, and carried on with theflood for some feet. A minute later they appeared upon the surface,swimming for their lives.

  "Make for the boat," shouted Tyler, striking out in that direction. "Thebore has passed now, and the water is smooth; but the tide runs strong,and we must have support."

  Without wasting further breath he swam lustily in the direction of theoverturned boat, and very soon reached it. In an instant he had slippedthe bag of ammunition from his shoulders, and had placed it on the flatbottom of the craft. The rifle followed, and then, conscious that he wasnow free to help, he turned to see how Li Sung was faring.

  "He is drowning," he suddenly gasped, catching sight of the unfortunateChinaman struggling in the water feebly, with head almost submerged, anda look of terror and despair on his face. "Hold on a little! Stick toit, Li, and I will be with you."

  Without hesitation he relinquished his grasp of the upturned boat andstruck out for the Chinaman. A moment or two and he was beside him,when he at once clasped him by the shoulders, and, putting out all hisstrength, turned the unfortunate man upon his back.

  "Lie still and I will tow you to the boat," he shouted in his ear. "Therifle and ammunition are evidently too much for you. That's it. There isnothing to fear, and you will soon be safe."

  Fortunately for our hero, Li Sung, though near to the point of sinking,had still retained consciousness, and as soon as he heard Tyler's voice,lay perfectly still on his back, not daring to struggle lest he shouldruin his own chances as well as his master's. A moment later he felthimself being gently towed through the water, and at once instinct toldhim that he could help by kicking out with his legs.

  "That's the way," sang out Tyler encouragingly, though in breathlesstones. "Stick to the job and we shall be there very soon. Now, onemoment while I turn you over, and there you are."

  The whole incident had happened so quickly that when the two foun
dthemselves clinging to the boat, and staring at one another in thegathering light of another day, they could scarcely realize how theycame to be there, nor the fact that the bore had caught them in itsterrible embrace and had overwhelmed them. For several minutes theyretained their hold, while they looked about them with anxious eyes andpanted to regain their breath.

  "A narrow shave," said Tyler at last, "and we are lucky not to be at thebottom of the river. But we cannot stay here, for the day has come, andwe shall be seen. Come, rouse yourself, Li, and let us get to the bank.There should be no difficulty, for the tide is sweeping us there."

  "One little bit and Li be ready," was the answer, as the Chinaman gaspedfor breath. "Dis boy not be alivee at allee if massa not dere. Li saydat you save him, and he tank you. Now me ready. Which way, massa?"

  "The shortest road, and the quicker we are there the better, for Ithink that I see a collection of huts on the opposite bank, and it maybe Rembas. Come, let me take your bag of ammunition and your rifle.Fortunately this boat has a flat floor, and the things will stay ontop without difficulty. There, you are ready now, and so put all yourstrength into it."

  Thanks to the rest which they had had, and to the fact that they were soquickly able to relieve themselves of the weight of the rifle and bagwhich had weighed them down, the two were able to strike out lustilyfor the bank which was on their right, and, aided by the tide, weresoon within easy distance of it. By now, too, the light had increased,so much so that they could see that the object to which Tyler had drawnattention was indeed Rembas, the home of a horde of pirates, and atonce fear lent power to their limbs, and they sent the overturned boatrapidly on her way.

  "Kick with all your might," shouted Tyler, glancing uneasily over hisshoulder. "If we can get to the trees within the next few minutes wemay escape the eyes of the people over there, for the day has only justdawned. Send her along, for I tell you that our lives depend upon ourexertions."

  That the Chinaman understood was evidenced by the manner in which helent his aid to the task, and so lustily did the two thrust at the boatthat very little time had elapsed before they had disappeared beneaththe boughs which overgrew the water, and were standing upon the bottom.

  "Drag her to the shore and turn her up," said Tyler quickly. "Now, liftthe ammunition-bags and the guns, and over she goes. That's the way, andnow we are ready in case we have been seen."

  "Massa can knowee for sure dat dat am de case," cried Li Sung, with ashake of the head. "As we kick and push along Li turn him head and seemen over deir, and him velly certain dat dey see him. P'r'aps dey tinkdat it am fishermen only, but den dey not catched by de bore. Dey talkit over while dey eat de morning rice, and den some of de young mencomee dis way to lookee what havee happened."

  "In which case we shall be discovered," said Tyler curtly. "Then we willmake a fight of it. I am inclined to think like you, Li, and believethat in spite of our exertions we shall be followed. Curiosity willget the better of those people, and they will cross the river to seewho it was who was swamped by the tide. We cannot possibly meet themas friends, for that was to be our last resource, and just now, withmy disguise in this condition, I should certainly be discovered. Sowe shall have to keep them at a distance, and that being the prospectbefore us, I vote that we at once search for a spot suited to our needs.What about that rock over there?"

  He pointed along the avenue formed by the overhanging boughs to an openpatch, into the centre of which a steep rock jutted.

  "It seems at this distance to be suitable," he went on, "for it has somebushes on it to form a covering, and it is not overgrown by trees. Weshould be able to get shelter by piling up a few boulders, and, whilehidden ourselves, could tell the instant an enemy attempted to approachus."

  "Den let us go, massa," cried Li, "for me see dat a boat have put outfrom Rembas, and velly soon de pirates be here."

  Stepping into the boat they grasped the paddles and had very soonreached the edge of the trees. And here Tyler sprang ashore and divedinto the jungle, for to have taken the boat out into the open wouldhave been madness, as she would at once have stood out against the bankand have been seen by those in the boat which had just shot from theopposite shore.

  "It will do well," cried Tyler in tones of delight as he reached theback of the rock and closely inspected its surface. "I reckon it tobe at least a hundred feet in height, and at the back it is almost assmooth as glass, while it is far too steep to be climbed, even by themost active of natives. Then, as I remarked before, the trees seem tohave fought shy of this spot, probably because the ground about isrocky, and so there is a wide clearing all round. Yes, it will be arefuge, and if the worst comes to the worst we can hold it against theenemy. Now for the boat."

  Running back to his companion he beckoned to him to bring the craftclose in, and then hastily issued his orders, for he realized that therewas no time to be lost if they wished to take up their position on therock.

  "We will run her up and then carry her as near to the rock as possible,"he said. "By turning well away from the water we shall be able toreach a point from which we can move into the open without being seen,and there we can leave the boat if we wish, for she will be under ourrifle-fire."

  "But at night de pirates burn her or carry her off, and den what will Liand massa do?" demanded the Chinaman. "Dere am no great weight here, andde two of us carry him easily."

  "Very well, then, we will carry her as she is right up to the rock. Whenshe is there we can hide her amongst the bushes, and can carry up whatprovisions are left, though I fear that the majority of our supply hasbeen washed away. But we shall see, and if we are pressed for food wecan make a line with the help of a creeper, and a hook from one of theforest thorns, and do our best to catch a few fish. Now, up with her andlet us trot."

  Grasping either end of the river-boat they lifted it upon theirshoulders and went into the jungle at a run. Then, as soon as they hadarrived at the point from which they were no longer visible to those onthe river, for the rock rose up between them and it, they boldly crossedthe open space and deposited their burden in a thick bush at the base. Arapid search discovered a bag of provisions which had escaped the boreowing to the fact that it had become jammed in the bows, and with this,their muskets, and bags of ammunition, they commenced to scale that faceof the rock which looked out to the river, and which was so broken andirregular that it gave ample facilities for climbing.

  "Creep on all-fours and keep as low as you can," said Tyler in lowtones, casting a glance towards the boat which was being rowed in theirdirection. "By that means we may escape discovery, and we shall be ableto entrench ourselves. Of course I know that those fellows will trackus, but if we are careful they will not know exactly where we are, andwhen the time comes for fighting we shall have the advantage of takingthem by surprise. Ah, here is a likely spot! It is high up, gives us awide flat space upon which to lie, and has an ample covering of bushes.Give a hand here, Li, while I pile up a few of these boulders."

  Placing their burdens upon the ground, and still taking the precautionto creep on hands and knees, they quickly arranged a number of bouldersinto a semicircle, piling them one on the other till they formed a wallwhich would give protection against rifle-fire, but through which thedefenders could keep watch upon the enemy and return their shots. Thenthey turned to their weapons and carefully inspected them.

  "Two rifles and two revolvers," said Tyler, dragging the latter frombeneath his coat.

  "And a knife, massa," burst in Li Sung, displaying a formidable weaponwhich was thrust into the cloth which he wore about his waist.

  "Then we ought to do well, Li. We will make an equal division, taking agun and a revolver each. Now for the ammunition. How glad I am that thebags were waterproof! It was my captain's suggestion, and it may saveour lives. We will open them and spread the contents in the sun. Thenany dampness will be dried, and we shall have no fear of miss-fires."

  It took little time to make all their preparations, and ere manyminutes
had passed all four weapons were loaded, and their muzzles wereprotruding from the face of the wall, having been thrust through theembrasures purposely left between the boulders. As for the defendersof this solitary position, they had taken their posts behind the wall,and lay there, with fingers upon their triggers and eyes glued uponthe boat, which by now had approached so close to the bank that theoccupants were easily visible.

  "Ten of them in all, and a fierce set of fellows they look," said Tylerin the coolest of tones. "I see, too, that they have muskets with them,so we may expect a fusillade before long. But first let them find us andmake up their minds that we are enemies and then the fun will begin."

  "Dey make no doubt dat we not friends," exclaimed Li Sung with anemphatic wag of his head. "Dey knowee dat no man enter de river unlesshe belong to de pirate. And if he am a friend he come straight to dem.But we not dare to do dat, and when dey see dat we reach de shore, andnot try to row over to Rembas when de boat am floating again, dey knoweefor sure dat we enemies. Velly soon massa will hear de pop of de gun,and den we havee to fightee. Li Sung likee dat velly well, for dese menam de same as dose who took him from him little wife and him child, andhe hate dem."

  "Then you will stand beside me to the last," said Tyler, turning uponhim and staring into his eyes. "Remember that we cannot save our livesby giving in to these people, for they are the sort of men who donot understand mercy. So to submit to them would merely be to bringinstant death. For that reason we will make a big fight of it, andlet us recollect that to do that we must hold our fire till they areclimbing the rock, and then make every bullet tell. We need not answera shot from their guns till they are close upon us, for we are out oftheir range, and the bullets will not pass through this wall. Once theyattempt to rush us, however, we will let them have a volley and drivethem back."

  "Yes, and Chinee boy makee de sling," cried Li Sung with a show ofexcitement which was strange to him. "You watchee, massa, and see whathim do. When Li one little boy in China him killee de bird and beast widstones from de sling, and he do de same for dese men. Lookee at dat."

  For once the stolid nature of this son of the East broke down under theexcitement of the moment, and his usually impassive and wooden facebecame wreathed with cunning smiles as he spoke to his master. Then,with dexterous fingers, and with a rapidity which was wonderful, he torea strip from his strong cotton clothing, folded it into a long band, andat once began to select a suitable stone.

  "Find plenty here," he said as he groped about, "and enough to lastvelly fine time. Massa watch dat tree over dere. Li hit him just abovede water."

  Pointing to a durian which grew on the bank of the river, with its trunkemerging from the water, he placed a stone in his improvised sling, andraising himself till his figure almost showed above the wall and thesurrounding bushes, he sent the missile hurtling at his target. Thud!Even at that distance the sound of its blow could be heard, while asplash immediately following told that it had fallen into the river.

  "Pirate not likee dat," he said with a smile of pleasure on his face."Stone hittee velly hard."

  "And these boulders still harder," chimed in Tyler, delighted at thethought that they had at their feet a means by which they might husbandtheir ammunition and yet exchange blows with the enemy should the lattersee fit to attack them. "If they try to climb up here I will give them afew boulders while you tickle them with the sling. But, steady, Li, forthey are now close at hand. Evidently they mean to look into the matterthoroughly, for they are making for the spot where we entered beneaththe boughs. Then they will follow us up, and will soon come across ushere. Keep out of sight whatever you do."

  Breathless with excitement, the two upon the rock watched the tenpirates by means of the embrasures in their hastily-built wall, andlosing sight of them for some few minutes as they disappeared beneaththe trees, soon saw them again as they too came to the part where thejungle ceased, and the open space intervened between it and the rock.

  "Sending men into the forest on our tracks," said Tyler calmly. "Getyour sling ready, but remember, not a shot till I give the word."

  With fast-beating hearts the two awaited the reappearance of the men,and very soon they were seen running towards the rock. At the sametime those who had remained in the boat paddled forward till they wereopposite their hidden enemies. Then for some few minutes the two partiesshouted to one another, for they were uncertain how to act. However,remembering that two alone had been seen in the boat which had beenoverturned by the bore, and that they were ten in number, the piratesdecided to probe the mystery to the bottom, and those in the boat havinglanded, all came towards the rock with the evident intention of scalingit and capturing the fugitives.