CHAPTER XVI
Hemmed in
"Wait while I call to these fools and order them to come to us," criedone of the enemy, as he and his comrades walked at a leisurely ratetowards the rock near the summit of which Tyler and Li Sung were inhiding. "They are probably merely Dyak fishermen who have been washedinto the river and swamped, and why should we take the trouble to climbfor them. Let them come down to us."
"But supposing they are spies?" demanded another. "We know that thoseat Sarawak, under the tuan besar (great chief--James Brooke), areabout to attack us, and no doubt they will send some here to see whatpreparations we are making; not that we need trouble ourselves, forthey will certainly be beaten. Still, of what use is it to call men whoare spies, for will they descend and come to us like children when theyknow that within a minute they will be kneeling before us with theirhands lashed, while one of our number stands above them with his swordand prepares to sever their necks? Call if you wish, but you waste yourbreath."
"That we will see," was the answer, "but if there be no answer you shallbe the first to climb, for I as the leader give you the order. Now,cease chattering while I shout."
Stepping to a large boulder which lay near at hand he leapt upon it,and, placing a hand to his mouth, shouted at the top of his voice,telling those who might be hidden above to come down at once.
"It is useless for you to remain," he said, "for we are ten while youare but two, and also there are hundreds to follow us. Come thenquietly, for the end will be the same whatever you do. You are caught,and we claim you as our prisoners."
"Let him claim and shout as much as he likes," said Tyler, with areckless laugh, as Li Sung whispered the message in his ear, "I don'tcare to hand myself over; for the idea of cold steel and a severed neckis not enticing. We will just lie perfectly still till we are obligedto make a move, and then let our action be swift. See here, Li. I willraise this big boulder upon the wall just where this bush covers thefront. Then, when one of the attackers happens to cross the line it willfollow, I will heave it over and step back at once. You can pick one ofthem off with the sling with the same smartness, and perhaps they willfail to discover our exact position. Look out! That fellow is shoutingagain."
Once more did the leader of the little band of pirates spring upon theboulder, the better to observe the rock, and shout a message at thosewho he was sure were in hiding there. Then, hearing no answer, he andhis men put their heads together and once more discussed the matter.
"We waste time," at last said their leader. "Finding that the dogs willnot come to us, which perhaps is not to be wondered at, seeing that theyhave nothing to gain, but their heads and their lives to lose, we willgo to them, and afterwards reward ourselves at the expense of theirconvenience and comfort. Come, Penchu, yours is the post in advance.Show us the way."
For a moment it looked as though the dusky Malay who had at firstproposed that the rock be searched would decline the honour thus thrustupon him, for he glanced above him, and then doubtfully at the busheswhich grew in all directions, wondering which of them hid the enemy.But his comrades were there to aid him, and, besides, there were onlytwo above, and they were undoubtedly half-drowned by their upset inthe river. With a scowl at his leader, and a second glance above, hesuddenly made up his mind, and drawing a kriss of large size from hisbelt, gripped it between his teeth and turned to the rock.
"Follow me," he shouted, removing the weapon as he did so, "and thiskriss to the man who can be before me in the race to the top. Mind, thisweapon, which I had from my father, goes to the man who can reach thesedogs and slay them in spite of my efforts. Now, I am about to make theattempt."
He waited a moment to give his comrades time to take up the challengeand to draw their own weapons. Then he sprang at the obstacle beforehim, and, using both hands and feet, came clambering up at a rapid rate.Beside and behind him rushed his comrades, all eager to be first in therace, for the prospect of winning a kriss had the greatest attractionfor them, while there was always the hope that one particular man wouldhave the honour of slaying those who were in hiding.
"Wait for the word," said Tyler, with difficulty restraining hisexcitement. "The time has not yet come, but will be here very soon. Areyou ready? Then watch me, and as I lift the boulder take aim with thesling."
It was hard work to lie there behind that wall and watch with calmnessas ten fierce Malay pirates climbed to the assault, and more than oncewas Tyler tempted to give full play to his impetuosity and spirit, andcommence the battle by flinging his boulder down the rock. But as yetthe distance was so great that he might well have missed his aim, andfor that reason he still remained in a crouching attitude, his handsclasping the boulder, and his eyes fixed upon the figures below.
"Time's up!" he said quietly, when he judged that they were near enough."Ready? Then fire!"
Putting out all his strength he shouldered the piece of rock and rosefrom behind the bush. A swift glance told him that three of the enemywere directly beneath him, and in an instant, and without a trace ofhesitation, he launched the missile at them, watching as it fellto learn what success he had. Crash! The boulder with ever-increasingpace fell upon a moss-clad spot some twenty feet above the pirates,causing them to raise their eyes in that direction and come to a suddenhalt. Then, leaping as if it were alive, it cannoned from the place,and, twirling with frightful rapidity, flew into their midst, sendingall three rolling to the bank below, where they lay stunned or killedby the impact. As for Li Sung, stealthily leaning over the barrier heselected the leading man, the one who had been given the post of honour,and, flourishing the sling about his head, suddenly let the stone free.Ah! more sudden than the boulder which had disposed of three of theattackers the sling sent the stone swiftly to the mark, and ere theMalay could cry out in dismay, or lift a hand to ward off the blow, itstruck him full upon the forehead, causing him to toss his arm abovehis head and then roll to the foot of the rock a helpless and lifelessobject.
"HE LAUNCHED THE MISSILE AT THEM"]
"That will teach them caution," said Tyler, sinking down into his oldposition and at once beginning to place another boulder upon the edgeof the wall, "and I believe that none of them saw where the shots camefrom. We will play the same game again, though they will certainlydiscover us next time, for they will keep their eyes turned to the upperpart of the rock, and will not do as they did before, and rush headlongand with their gaze bent upon the path immediately at their feet. Ah,they are having a talk, and do not seem to like the affair!"
Peering through one of the embrasures he could obtain an uninterruptedview of the bank of the river and of the surroundings of the rock, andwatched eagerly as the surviving natives, filled with alarm at thesudden misfortune which had fallen upon their comrades, turned as ifwith common consent and went rolling and scrambling down to the groundbelow, each eager to get to a place of safety. Then they gatheredtogether at the edge of the water, and for a little time it looked asthough they would take to their boat and fly to the opposite shore. Buttheir leader restrained them, and at his orders they returned, and beganto walk cautiously towards the foot of the rock.
"We were scared by the suddenness of it all," said the man who was incommand, a long, lanky Malay of forbidding appearance, who carried akriss of unusual dimensions. "But we can never think of retiring; forrecollect, my brothers, we are in better case than they, for they arebut two, and are probably barely able to stand after their upset in theriver and their struggle to reach land. Take heart, then, and first,before renewing the attack, let us take a look at our comrades who havefallen. For myself, I scarcely know how it is that they came to theirend, for I was climbing with hands and feet, and with my eyes engagedin picking out the best path by which to reach the top. Then there wasthe thud of the boulder falling, and when I looked, three of our goodfriends were falling, while Penchu, who led us, had sprung into the airfor all the world like a beast which had just been struck with an arrow.Come, let us move forward, for our comrades at Rembas wou
ld laugh us toshame were we to return and tell them that we had been driven off by twohalf-drowned Dyaks."
Flashing his kriss in the sun he led the way to the fallen pirates, andturned each one on his back.
"Dead!" he said as he looked at them. "Comrades, their end was swiftand sure, as may ours be when the time comes. Now for Penchu. Ah, see!he was struck by a stone thrown with great force, for his forehead isdriven in and the skull cracked. Then all the better for us, I say, forthis proves that our birds up there are unarmed."
"Which is just what one could expect, my brother," cried one of thenumber crowding about him. "Men who are caught in the bore are luckyindeed if they escape with their lives at all, while to do so they wouldcertainly have to discard their weapons. We have them safely, and Ipropose that we make the attack again."
"For what reason should we run the risk of having our bodies crushedwith another boulder?" demanded another swiftly. "They are above us,that we know, though where they are hidden is another matter. Very well,they will have seen long ere this that resistance is useless, and thatto prolong the fighting and kill more of our party will only lead tosuffering on their part. Let that be pointed out to them, and I warrantthat they will come down to us gladly and submit quietly to what isbound to follow even as surely as the night comes after the day."
"A grand suggestion, and one which we will put in practice," exclaimedthe leader, snatching at the chance of avoiding further danger. "Standquiet, all of you, and listen as I shout to them. Above there!"
Once more he placed his hands to his mouth, so as to make the soundscarry farther, and called to those in hiding. But there was no answer,though he repeated the words on four occasions.
"Then I will say what I have to say to the rock, well knowing that theywill hear," he cried, seeing that his call had been ignored. "Abovethere! You who are in hiding on the rock, and who have killed four ofmy men, I give you warning that we will kill you, as you deserve, ifyou resist us again. For the loss which you have caused your lives areforfeit, and I call upon you to come down to us and suffer the penalty.Failing that we will drag you down by the neck, and then you shall learnwhat it is to lose a life with difficulty. Come, we wish you no worsethan those others whom we have captured on former occasions. Come downand let the matter be ended."
It was strange to hear his quaint suggestion, and at another time Tylerwould have been amused at the naiveness of it. But danger threatenednow, and life was at stake. As Li Sung interpreted the message, word forword, a feeling almost of fear assailed our hero, and his heart sank atthe prospect of early death. Then, remembering that he and his companionwere as yet unseen, and that they might still do as well as formerly,his spirits rose, and he turned to the Chinaman with a smile upon hisface.
"We will lie like mice and make no move. At least that is what I say.For you, Li Sung, you may issue from our hiding-place if you wish, anddescend. For myself, the idea of being beheaded is sufficient to make mefight like a tiger and until I am killed."
"And for me, too, massa. De Chinee boy been wid de Malays, and he knowdat dey not tink de same of life. A man am happy in dis world, but whenhim dead he happier still, so dey say. And when de time come for choppeede head, dey kneel wid a laugh on dem lips, and dey die easy. Chinamenam de same, but Li velly different. He not likee to lose de life, for hehavee little wife and child in Singapore."
"Then we will stay quietly here and await events. Those fellows willscarcely dare to return to Rembas and tell their comrades that they havebeen defeated by two men alone, and for that reason they will remaintill they see that their case is hopeless. That will suit us well, forwe can easily beat them off, and if only we can defer the arrival ofreinforcements till night has fallen, we shall have a better chance ofescape. But what are they doing?"
Thrusting his head as close to the boulders as was possible, he peeredthrough the narrow opening and watched the party of pirates withinterest. As for the latter, the fact that their extraordinary demandhad met with no reply, and that silence alone had followed, filled themwith astonishment; for these Malays, with their comrades of the Dyakrace who had thrown in their lot with the men of the sea in place oftilling the soil as did so many of their people, had a peculiar code oftheir own, and held life in such little esteem that, as in China, it wasalmost possible to buy a reprieve for one about to die by paying for asubstitute. Fate was fate to them, and when all was lost, when sicknesscame, and when capture seemed imminent, it was a simple and an easy wayto step forward to meet the inevitable, and to pass from the worldwith as little trouble as possible. Then was this not a desperate case?Could those above who were hidden on the rock hope to escape? Absurd!They were cornered, and sooner or later, and in any case within an houror two, they would be captives, and their fate would be upon them. Thenwhy go to the labour of putting it off? Why not come down and end thematter, so that these men might return to the opposite shore and prepareto meet the foreigners who were about to enter the river? Extraordinarythough the idea was, it was in keeping with the upbringing of the Malaysand the Dyaks, for they, like the Chinese, thought nothing of death, andmet their end for the most part with a smile upon their faces. However,on this occasion the pirates had foes to deal with of a differentstamp, and finding that no answer came to their warning, they collectedtogether again to discuss the situation.
"The day advances, and soon the noonday heat will be upon us," saidtheir leader in tones of vexation. "Let us put an end to this matter atonce, and then return to Rembas. It is plain to all that the dogs whokilled our friend will keep to their lair till we hunt them out, andthat being the case, we will rush to the attack again. Keep your eyesopen and fixed well above you. Your hands and feet will be sufficient toallow you to choose a good path."
He turned to look each of his men in the face, and then, seeing thatnone of them held back, he did as his dead comrade had done when leadingthe first charge, and having placed his kriss between his teeth came atthe rock at a fast run, hoping to scale it rapidly.
"Steady!" whispered Tyler, seeing that Li Sung had swung his sling abouthis shoulder. "Wait till they are upon us as before, and then let themhave your stone. In any case we must try to avoid a shot, for the soundswould at once attract others from over the water."
"Makee noise not matter," exclaimed Li Sung with a shake of his head."De men of Rembas know dat dere am fighting, and dey sending oders tosee. Velly soon Li and Massa havee de bullets about dem."
As he spoke he pointed eagerly over the top of the wall to the riverbeyond, and a glance in that direction caused Tyler to give vent to anexclamation of dismay.
"Three more sampans," he cried in accents of alarm. "And all filled withmen. That will add thirty at least to the attacking force, and willincrease our difficulties immensely."
For the instant the same feeling of consternation as had assailed himbefore came suddenly upon him; and then, as he took in the situation,and realized the strength of the position which he and the Chinamanheld, his face brightened, and he turned to look at the seven remainingmen below with spirits as high as ever they were before.
"Of course we are cornered," he said to himself, "and we are in adesperately tight place. But others have managed to do well undersimilar circumstances, and we shall do the same. After all, I think thatwe have much to be thankful for, for we might well have been drowned inthe river, and then again, what luck to have struck upon such a spot asthis! Why, fifty shall not turn us out, for after our escape from thebore I do not mean to be easily beaten. Ah, here comes the leader! and,foolishly for himself, he has chosen a line which I can reach. In aminute 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 andas collected as if he were on the _Dido_ eating his dinner amongst hismessmates, and at once checked the Chinaman's eagerness to deliver ashot.
"Wait," said Tyler s
hortly. "When the boulder goes you can fire, buttill then remain behind the wall."
Panting with their exertions, and led by the man who had first rushed tothe assault, the seven pirates came clambering up the rock, their eyessearching every likely spot above, while they wondered which of themwould be the one to sight the fugitives. Then, as they neared the summitwithout a sign of their presence having been come upon, and without astone or boulder having been thrown, they began to doubt that they werestill there, and halted to stare at one another questioningly.
"Are the birds flown then?" demanded their leader, sitting down to rest."Fools that we were, not to have set a watch upon the back of this rock,for while we have talked they have slipped away."
"Not so," shouted one of his men. "I myself strolled in that direction,and I tell you that no living man could descend the rock on the fartherside unless possessed of a long rope. They are here, above us, and weshall come upon them crouching in the bushes and whining for theirlives."
"Then forward!" cried the leader. "Let us make an end of them, butremember, they are not to die here. For the trouble which they havegiven us in thus climbing, for the loss of our friends, we must demandof them a price, and they shall pay it. Before they take their lastbreath they shall be sad at the thought that they did not fall in withour wishes when first we called to them. But let us not delay. Followme!"
This time with kriss in hand he came clambering up the steep slope, witheyes watching eagerly for some movement to tell him of the presenceof the fugitives. But there was not so much as the tremble of a leaf,while not & sound broke the silence. A minute passed, and just as theMalay was about to call for a second halt, convinced that the birds wereflown, a figure suddenly erected itself before him, and, half-hidden byan enormous bush, reared a boulder on high. Ah! The Chinaman took aim athis man with the utmost calmness, and then, ere the poor wretch couldspring aside, or could shout in his terror, the mass of stone caught himon the breast and bore him backwards. A second and he was rolling andpitching on his way to the bottom, and even while his comrades werewondering how it had all happened, and were marvelling at the sight ofthe Chinaman, the unfortunate leader came with a thud on the bank of theriver, and, rolling forward for all the world like a rabbit which hadjust been shot, came to a halt with face buried in the mud and limbswhich were strangely contorted.
Once more it looked as though the attackers would lose heart and flyfor their lives. But, emboldened by the thought that they had at lengthlocated the enemy, they suddenly plucked up their courage and, urged onby one of their number possessed of more spirit than his comrades, theycame panting and struggling up the steep slope, determined to reach thelair of the Chinaman and wreak their vengeance upon him.
"A Chinaman!" shouted the one in advance. "We will swing him to thehighest branch by means of his tail of hair, and we will spend the dayand amuse ourselves by emptying our guns at his body. Fear him not,for he has boulders alone to hit us with, and those we can avoid byspreading out. Scatter at once, and be sure that none of you advancedirectly beneath the spot."
Acting upon this advice, and warned by the fate which had so suddenlyand unexpectedly overtaken their leader, the surviving Malays at onceseparated till wide intervals lay between them, and then advanced uponthe wall behind which Tyler and Li Sung were crouching, at a pace whichpromised to bring them to close quarters before many seconds had passed.
"One little moment," gasped Li Sung, peering at them over the barrier."China boy soon stop de little game. He pick out de man who am in front,and he send him to join him brother. Watch de sling, massa."
With deft hand and unerring eye, which showed that he had spent manyan hour in practising the use of his weapon, Li Sung stood erect andleant over the wall. Round swung the sling till it churned the air intoa high-pitched whistle. Then, as the finger loosed one of the strings,the band fell limply upon his wrist and hand, while the stone which hadlain in the pouch flew down the side of the rock as if it had been firedfrom a gun, and, as in the former case, struck full upon the forehead ofthe Malay who had taken it upon himself to lead his comrades. Like an oxfelled with the stroke of a pole-axe he collapsed upon the moss-grownpath, and then, with nothing there to retain its position, the limp andlifeless body slid downwards, toppled over, and, gathering way as itwent, rolled over and over till its further progress was arrested by thebank beneath.
"That should stop them," exclaimed Tyler as he watched the body fall,"and it was a capital shot, Li Sung. I watched him, and feel sure thatthe stone must have battered a hole in his skull. But wait. Will they goafter all, or are they determined to come closer to us?"
Once again it was a doubtful point whether the Malays would retire onthe death of their comrade, or whether they would push up the face ofthe rock and come to hand-grips with those whom they were attacking.Indeed, it wanted very little to cause their determination to waver andsend them down to the bank, or to infuse fresh courage into their heartsand cause them to dash headlong at their enemies. They paused, lookeddoubtfully at one another, and then turned to watch the body of the manwho had gone to the bank below. Then one of them happened to cast aglance across the river, as if to measure the distance in case he wishedto make good his escape. Instantly his eye fell upon the three sampanswhich were being rowed across, and realizing that they must containcompanions and brothers-in-arms who were coming to help, he shouted afew words to his comrades.
"They will jeer at us," he cried, attracting the attention of all tothe approaching boats. "When they learn that there are only two on thisrock, and that we have failed to take them, they will bid us return toRembas and mind the children and the flocks! We must capture and killthese beggarly Chinamen. Who will follow me?"
For a moment he turned to stare at his brothers, and then, withflashing kriss in his hand, and eyes fixed upon the low wall with itscovering of bush, he came clambering up towards it, ready to leap theobstacle as soon as he was near enough, and slaughter those who laybehind. As for the others, stung to the quick by the thought that theircompanions of Rembas would jeer and laugh at them, they turned withdesperation to renew the assault, determined to die there rather than bedishonoured.
"We need not fear them greatly," said Tyler quietly, as he watched themascending, "for the rock is very steep, and we are placed at a greatadvantage. Remember that we may have to fight hard for our lives lateron, and for that reason deal gently with the ammunition. I shall makeuse of these boulders as long as possible."
Standing behind the barricade each selected a missile, Li Sung twirlinghis sling aloft and sending stone after stone at the Malays, whileTyler rolled huge boulders down upon them. But the pirates had learnttheir lesson, and as they came they took advantage of every bit ofavailable cover. Each hollow and nook held an enemy, crouching out ofrange of the stones and boulders, and with eye following every movementof the defenders. Waiting till they had need to select another missile,the figure would spring from the patch of cover and dart to anotherfavourable spot higher up. And thus, with the cunning and stealth of anIndian, they came closer and closer to the barrier, till it wanted onlya short rush to come up with it.
"Revolvers and rifles!" said Tyler, seeing that stones were of littleavail. "We shall be able to pick them off, and you will see how quicklythey will scamper to the bottom. Look! there is the man who called tothem to encourage them! He is watching you with the sling, and when youhave let the stone go he will make a rush. Now, I have covered him withthe revolver, so you can fire."
Grasping his master's meaning immediately, Li Sung slung the missileat the Malay, and then snatched at the second revolver. As he did sothe pirate leapt to his feet, and judging that he was now sufficientlynear to reach the wall, and would be upon the enemy before another stonecould be fitted, he came directly up the slope, discarding the bouldersand rocks which lay there, and which would have afforded him cover.Snap! The report of Tyler's weapon set the echoes ringing, while theheavy bullet which his revolver carried hit the man plump in the chest
,bringing him to an abrupt halt. There was a shout and a shriek as thepirate felt the blow, and then, summoning all his remaining power, heswung his kriss back over his shoulder, and taking rapid aim at theChinaman above, sent the keen blade of steel hissing towards him. Nextmoment he had tumbled back upon the ground, where, clutching madlyat moss and bush, he slowly slid to the bottom. As for Tyler, he hadexpected the man to fall dead at once, and started back as the krissflew in his direction. But it was hopeless to expect to escape it, andere he had time to dodge to either side the point of the blade struckupon his fore-arm, and, pressed onward by the weight of the metal,perforated the limb.
"First blood to the enemy," said Tyler quietly. "A flea-bite whichwill do me no harm, but which will teach me to keep an eye upon theirweapons. It was quickly done, and proved an excellent shot, made underthe most unfavourable circumstances."
"It am a velly lucky escape, massa," cried Li Sung, darting to Tyler'sside and removing the kriss. "Li havee seen one fine man hit in de body,and de blade go right through him, so dat he fallee dead. Massa onevelly quick, and if him not move one little piecee him dead too. Waitthere while China boy ties up de aim. Nothing to fear from de pirate."
Tearing a shred of linen from his coat, Li Sung rapidly applied itas a bandage to the arm, thereby arresting the flow of blood, whichthreatened to be free. Then he pointed triumphantly to the bank below,where the remaining Malays were gathered.
"Dey velly angry," he said with a little snigger, the nearest approachto a laugh which this son of the East would indulge in. "Dey not knoweewhat dey do, and dey fear deir friends and what dey say. Velly soon Liand de massa have to fight plenty hard."
The prospect of hard knocks and a desperate encounter seemed to pleaseLi Sung, for he beamed upon Tyler as though this was the happiest dayin his life. "Li havee been in nasty place before dis wid de massa, andhe knowee dat allee turn out right. Massa Tyler bring him allee de waythrough de jungle, he lead Chinee boy and de Dyaks to Paddi, and den toSarawak with de prahus. But dat am not allee. Him save Li when de waternearly cover him, and now him lies beside him servant and helps him tomake de Malays run."
"Then you think that we shall be hotly engaged before very long," saidTyler, staring down at the pirates below. "It seems to me that we arecornered, and that we shall be lucky if either of us see the _Dido_ andSarawak again. Not that we are going to be beaten easily, for we have asplendid position, and will make the most of it. During the day we canbeat our enemies off, but at nighttime it will be a different matter.Then they will creep to the top like so many snakes, and before we candeal with them they will rush upon us. We shall have to go once thedarkness falls, and it becomes a question as to how the retreat is to becarried out."
"Plenty easy to creep down de rock in de dark till near de bottom," saidLi Sung thoughtfully. "De Malays climb up de hill, and we go down. Deynot knowee, and we not knowee. Dey rush to dis wall with deir krissesin deir hands, and massa and him servant slip away in de dark into dejungle. Who am to stop dem?"
"A splendid idea, and one which we will follow," exclaimed Tyler withenthusiasm. "The matter had troubled me very much, and I was wonderingwhat we could do, for I am sure that to remain here once night has comewill be to lose our lives. But this is a plan which will meet the case.They will crawl here in the hope of falling suddenly upon us, and wewill slip down. If we meet, all the worse for our plan, though I fancythat in the confusion we could make good our escape. If not, we gain ourobject, and they reach this lair to find the birds gone. Pick up yourrifle, Li, and let us teach the rogues that it is death to come close tothe rock."
Determined to keep the enemy as far away as possible till evening fell,Tyler and his companion disposed themselves upon the ground, and withtheir weapons resting upon the piled-up boulders took steady aim at thepirates. As the three boats arrived, and were drawn up on the bank, theysent two bullets amongst the assembled natives, with the result that acouple tumbled on their faces, while the remainder separated with criesof indignation and surprise. But they were not permitted to enjoy morethan a moment's peace, for very shortly another shot rang out in thestill air, and a huge Malay, who seemed to occupy the post of chief,and about whom the men had been gathered, gave vent to a shriek, and,plunging forward on the edge of the river-bank, went splashing headlonginto the water.
"A long shot, but I gave a little elevation, and aimed for thecentre of his shoulders," said Tyler to himself. "That will give usbreathing-space. Now, Li, I am hungry, and, as we always say in Englandthat a man fights better when he has had some food, we will open thatbag and see what there is to eat. We can keep a watch upon thosefellows as we have our meal, and can plant a shot amongst them whenevernecessary."
It was wonderful to see the calm manner in which the two sat down totheir meal, the Chinaman contenting himself with some rice which theyhad had the forethought to have boiled before setting out on theirexpedition, and Tyler directing his attention to some biscuit and meat,which formed part of their store. Of water they had none, but thatmattered very little at the moment, for they had been chilled by theirupset in the river, and, though hot, the sun had done little more thanwarm them, without inducing thirst. But the lack of something with whichto moisten their lips made retreat from the rock all the more essential,and as they ate they discussed the matter eagerly.
"It is our only chance," said Tyler thoughtfully. "To remain here tillto-morrow will mean certain ruin, for we should be parched with thirst,and then again, our ammunition will not last long enough. That is why Ihave suggested keeping the enemy at bay now, and making good use of ourweapons. But there is a point which we have not considered. Once we aredown below, which direction are we to take? Are we to steal one of theirboats or make into the jungle?"
"The last, massa," said Li Sung. "Den, later on, we steal down upon debank, and we take one of de sampan and sail for Sarawak."
"And what about our orders?" demanded Tyler with some warmth. "Aftercoming all this way, and being almost drowned in the river, I am notgoing back with my tail between my legs and with no information to give.Not a bit of it. I shall stay near Rembas and do my best to spy uponthem. Then, if you like, I will drop down to the mouth of the river andwait there for the expedition to arrive."
"Massa am de chief, and he say what we do," said Li Sung, with a shrugof his ungainly shoulders and a look of resignation. "If him say datwe go and be killed, Li havee to obey. But me not likee dis stay in deriver. Me plenty much afraid."
"Then you are a foolish fellow," exclaimed Tyler angrily, for he wasdetermined not to be thwarted in his attempt to learn tidings of thepirates, and in what he considered a duty, for which he had had thegreat honour to be specially selected. "If you don't like to stay, goback by yourself, though I shall be sorry to lose you. I have firmlymade up my mind that I remain in the neighbourhood till I have satisfiedmy curiosity. But watch those men below. Something seems to have upsetthem."
At once both stared eagerly over their barricade, and saw with someconcern that the pirates had collected at such a distance that theycould not suffer loss from the bullets of the defenders. And there,grouped about the one who was in command, they stared out into the riverwith their eyes fixed upon a tiny object which was approaching.
"A swift sampan, and one dat brings de orders and de news," said Li Sungwith the assurance of one who was well acquainted with the facts. "Deman who am chief in Rembas havee one of de long tubes through which dewhite man lookee wid de eye, and he see allee dat havee happened. Hesend to dem to say must take de Chinamen. Well, we see to dat when detime come."
"We shall have something to say, I have no doubt," agreed Tyler, "and wemust not spare a man. It will be a case of rapid shooting and loading.Here, let us arrange the ammunition in a handy form, so that therewill be no loss of time in sorting, and so that we can ram a charge inwithout delay. Now, what is their next move?"
By now the narrow sampan which they had seen flying across the river,propelled by a dozen lusty oarsmen, had reached t
he bank, and haddeposited there a Malay of forbidding appearance. That he was a man ofsome consequence was evident, for they showed him every deference, and,after listening to a short harangue which he delivered, followed himwith loud shouts towards the rock.
"He will lead them, and we shall have to fight," said Tyler with acalmness which astonished himself. "Fire quickly, Li, and see that youdo not miss, for we want to show them that to approach the rock isdangerous. Then they will put off the real attack till darkness hasfallen, and will aid us in our plan."
That strict orders had been received to capture the insolent foreignerswho had dared to come into the river Sarebus, and who had sufferedshipwreck there, was plainly to be seen, for now that they had a newleader the pirates ran towards the rock with shouts of exultation, and,unmindful of the warning which they had already received, commenced toclimb it in scattered knots and groups, evidently with the intentionof approaching the wall from many quarters and so annihilating thedefenders. But they had a couple of marksmen to contend with, for Tylerhad had sufficient practice by now to make certain of his man, whilethe Chinaman's trained eye only required the steadiness which his youngleader constantly urged upon him to enable him to hit the mark on everyoccasion.
"Not a shot to be thrown away, just remember that," exclaimed Tylersternly as the pirates came running along the bank. "Pick out your man,follow him for a second, and then press the trigger gently."
Almost at once his own weapon snapped, and the man who ran just behindthe leader doubled up and rolled in a heap.
"A little high," said Tyler calmly, "but otherwise straight enough. Wewill see what this will do."
Once more he brought the weapon to his shoulder, and was about to pressthe trigger, when the Malay at whom he aimed disappeared in a hollowand caused him to pick out another man. But Tyler was not so easily tobe put off, and conscious that a blow at the leader would have far moreeffect than one at his followers, he watched till the big Malay againmade his appearance. His rifle snapped instantly, and the pirate fellupon his face, where he lay without a move.
"A few more like that and they will run," shouted Tyler. "Pick off thosein advance, so that their comrades may see them fall. That will makethem afraid, and they will soon hang back and long for shelter."
That his advice was good there could be no doubt, for nothing is moredemoralizing in such an engagement than for those who are attacking inthe open, and advancing up a hill, to suddenly find the lifeless bodiesof their comrades rushing past them, or to be swept away and carriedto the ground below by the weight of one tumbling upon them. At oncethe prospect of a similar fate cools their ardour, and if they be notfilled with courage and determined upon victory they are apt to retirein disorder. And so, neglecting those who clambered in rear, Tyler andhis companion fired as rapidly as possible on those who were in theforefront, sending man after man rolling to the bottom. Then, as theattackers clustered together on the hill-side, attracted unconsciouslyby the thought of mutual protection and aid, our hero suddenlyrelinquished his weapon, and, with a shout to Li Sung to do the same,began to toss boulders down upon the enemy. Nor did he have to continuelong at the task, for very soon the pirates turned with shrill cries ofdismay and went sliding to the bottom, where they took to their heelsand did not stop till they had put a safe distance between themselvesand the defenders.
"That will keep them quiet for a time, and if only they will remaininactive till the darkness falls we shall be safe. Come, help me tobuild up the wall again and gather a store of boulders."
Without taking the trouble to crouch, for they knew that the pirateshad seen them, Tyler and his companion set about the work, and havingaccomplished it sat down to rest, waiting impatiently for the night tocome when they would put their plan to the test and do their utmost toescape from a trap which might well prove disastrous.