CHAPTER VI
Courage Wins the Day
For long did Tyler Richardson and his companion John Marshall maintainsilence as they clung to the boat, for they were conscious that theslightest sound, even a gentle splash or hasty movement in the water,might declare their whereabouts to the pirates who still remained uponthe schooner. Scarcely daring to breathe, they listened eagerly, and erelong had convinced themselves that Hanns Schlott had returned to thevessel for one purpose alone, and that was to obtain more men, whom hemight place at intervals along that part of the coast of Borneo, thereto wait for the landing of the Englishmen. Indeed, had there been anydoubt in Tyler's mind, the squeaking of the oars and the more frequentsplash of paddles told him at once that a greater number were in theboat on this occasion. Then, too, resting there as he did with his eyeson a level with the surface, the schooner every now and again becamedimly silhouetted against the stars, and by peering steadily in herdirection the feeble rays of the riding-lamp enabled him to distinguishsome half-dozen figures which alone seemed to occupy the deck.
"Give Hanns Schlott and his rascals half an hour to reach the shore andseparate," he whispered in John's ear. "Then we will float slowly downupon the schooner, and endeavour to make the boat fast. After that wewill climb aboard and see how matters stand, though I am determined,whatever the odds, to regain possession of her."
An hour later silence had once more settled down upon the neighbourhood,and though the two young fellows had been careful to listen all thewhile, nothing had occurred to arouse anxiety. Once Hanns Schlott andhis boat-load of Malays had reached the shore there had been confusedshouts and words of command, but these had quickly died down as thepirates separated and went to their stations. An occasional cry denotedthe fact that they were still within hearing, but very soon they weresilent, and once more stillness came over the sea.
"Now for the schooner!" whispered Tyler in tones which he endeavouredto steady; "come to the stern of the boat, John, and help me to shoveher along. But first let us discuss our plans so that there shall beno confusion. We must make for our old position, and if it is possiblewe must contrive to load the six-pounder again. Otherwise there may besufficient men aboard to rush upon us and sweep us into the sea."
"Not if we once get safely on her deck," answered John Marshallstubbornly. "It'll want more than the crew of Malays to turn us out,I reckon. Jest you take a bit of advice from me, Mr. Richardson, andwhen we get aboard go tooth and nail for those fellows. A rush, a fewshots into their midst, and some hard knocks with our fists'll send 'emleaping overboard, and once that's the case we'll up anchor and away.Then our turn will come to talk to these Dutchmen, and Hanns Schlott andhis comrade shall take our place. We'll turn the tables on 'em, sir,and do our best to capture 'em. But I'm under your orders, and ready toobey."
Having given vent to his feelings, the boatswain moved gently alongthe gunwale till he joined Tyler at the stern, when the two at oncecommenced to push the dinghy towards the schooner. With shoulders sunkbeneath the surface, and finger-tips alone resting upon the edge of theboat, they urged her gently through the sea, halting every now and againto make sure that they were unobserved. At last they arrived close totheir destination, and at once, at a nudge from Tyler, turned towardsthe stern.
"Now for the painter!" whispered the latter. "Remain where you are whileI go for'ard. When you feel the boat shaking you will know that all isin readiness, and can creep along towards me."
A moment later he had disappeared in the darkness, and though hiscompanion peered in the direction which he had taken he could see nosign of him. A gentle splash, however, told that he was moving, and erelong a sharp dip as the dinghy was pulled to one side told him thatTyler had been successful. At once the sailor commenced to move towardshim, and soon found himself beside his leader and directly beneath theschooner's stern.
"We are in luck," whispered Tyler, placing his lips close to John'sears, "for one of the ropes which stretched from the binnacle, and wassevered by Hanns Schlott, is trailing over the side and will help us toascend. Here it is. Keep the tail of it in your hand while I swarm up,and be ready to follow immediately."
Without further explanation he thrust the end of the cable into hiscompanion's hand, and then, grasping the other portion, slowly raisedhimself out of the water. Lifting one hand above the other, it was notlong before his fingers lit upon the bulwarks, and at once relinquishingthe rope, he clambered over on to the deck, where he was soon joined byJohn Marshall.
"Now let us lie down and listen," he whispered. "Then if anyone is aboutwe shall get notice of their presence before they catch sight of us, andshall know how to act. If the decks are empty we will creep below andwill see what can be done in the way of ammunition."
Crouching close to the bulwarks they lay for some five minutes withoutventuring to move, peering all the while into the darkness to discover,if possible, some trace of the Malays. But not a soul was to be seen,and though they left their hiding-place and crept into the bows, notrace could be found of the pirates.
"All sleeping below," whispered John Marshall with a chuckle, "andtaking it easy after the fight. The Dutchman will be down in the cabin,occupying one of our bunks, for all the world as though he were ownerof the vessel, but we'll turn him out in double-quick time and give himcause to regret the fact that he failed to set a watch. What's the nextmove, sir?"
"Remain on deck while I go below," answered Tyler promptly. "But wait,we have forgotten our revolvers, and must return for them. Slip along tothe stern with me and I will drop into the dinghy and hand them up toyou. That done, we shall feel more confidence, and shall have somethingwith which to defend ourselves should the crew discover our presence.Now, stand by!"
Taking care to impart his orders in a whisper, Tyler quickly reached thestern and once more grasped the rope. Then, swinging himself over therail, he lowered himself till his feet touched the water within a fewinches of the dinghy. Groping in the darkness as he dangled there it wasnot long before his toe struck with a gentle tap against the gunwale,and at once he began to draw the boat towards him. A moment later he wassafely on board, and had grasped the weapons for which he had returned.A glance above showed him John Marshall's figure stretching out towardshim, and ere long the revolvers and the cartridges had been safelytransferred.
"Load them," he said shortly, as soon as he had reached the deck oncemore. "That's right, and now we shall be ready for this Dutchman andhis Malays. Come with me to the companion, John, and wait there while Idescend. If you hear a suspicious sound, tap the deck gently with yourfoot so as to warn me, but whatever you do be careful not to raise ashout, for then they would know at once that we were on board."
Waiting only to make sure that the sailor understood his meaning, hestepped upon the ladder and descended rapidly. Arrived below, he laydown upon the floor of the cabin and listened breathlessly, till thesound of heavy breathing from the farther end told him that Christianvan Sonerell was sleeping there.
"Let him wait," murmured Tyler beneath his breath. "Once the gun isloaded and we are in readiness, we will drive him and those of theMalays who remain aboard into the sea, where they must swim for theirlives. It is the only way in which we can deal with them, for if weendeavoured to make them prisoners by securing them down below we shouldnever know what it was to enjoy a moment's peace until we fell in withfriends, while we should run the risk of having our plans suddenlyupset, and the tables turned upon us with a vengeance. Now for themagazine!"
Creeping across the floor it was not long before he arrived at thedoor in the bulkhead which gave admission to the cupboard in which thepowder and shot carried by the schooner was stored. Fortunately he hadfailed to lock it on the previous evening, so that a gentle twist of thehandle released the catch and allowed him to enter. After that he hadno difficulty in obtaining what he wanted, for he had helped to placethe ammunition in the cabin before leaving Singapore, and knew the exactposition of the bags of powder and shot. Very soon he was outs
ide themagazine once more, and having crept cautiously across the cabin, wentstaggering up the ladder bearing a couple of bags over each shoulder.
"To the stern!" he whispered, as John Marshall's face came into view,"and get ready to help me with the gun. After that we'll cut away theanchor and make ready to hoist the sail."
"It'll be a big job for the two of us alone," was the sailor's whisperedanswer. "But we can get a foresail on her at any rate, and that willtake us out to sea. Give me hold of one of them bags, sir. They're atidy weight, and want a little carrying."
Taking a couple of the sacks which contained the ammunition, he wentsoftly along the deck with Tyler until they had reached the stern,where their burdens were deposited beside the gun. Then silently, andwith every precaution to avoid making a sound which would arouse theMalays, they crammed a charge of powder into the six-pounder, and rammeddown upon it a couple of bags of grape. A piece of sacking over allhelped to keep the bullets in position, and destroyed all chance oftheir rolling from the muzzle should it be found necessary to depressthe weapon.
"And now for the anchor," said Tyler when the work had been completed tohis satisfaction.
"Jest leave that to me," was the whispered answer. "I'll let it go forgood and all by cutting the cable. It's lucky for us that we haven't achain one aboard, for then we'd certainly have made a noise when freeingit. As for another anchor, there's a couple stowed away in the lockerbelow."
Slipping to the stern-rail he quickly laid hold of the cable, and,drawing his knife from his pocket, severed it at one attempt. Then herejoined Tyler, and as if to show his coolness, indeed, as if he alreadyconsidered that the schooner had returned to the keeping of those whohad a good right to her, and Tyler was his commander, he touched his hatbriskly and asked what the next order might be.
"The sail," said Tyler shortly. "We'll hoist the foresail and leave theothers till later. But we must show some canvas, for otherwise thosefellows ashore will be after us with their boat, and, besides, we haveto think of the prahu. But one thing at a time. Let us get the sail upand then discuss other matters. Now into the bows!"
Slipping along the deck once more, they passed the entrance to the cabinlike ghosts, and halted for a few seconds to listen. Then, satisfiedthat Christian van Sonerell was sleeping peacefully, if a murderer anda pirate can do so at all, they crept on into the bows and at once setabout hoisting the foresail. But here their difficulties were greater,for beneath them rested the Malays who were still aboard, men with thesharpest ears, and, moreover, sailors who slept but lightly. ThatTyler and his companion could hope to do all that they wished withoutdiscovery was almost impossible, and neither would be surprised to bedisturbed in the midst of the work.
"Up with it now!" said Tyler quickly. "All is ready for hoisting, andif only we can get it in position we shall feel more secure. But I hearsomeone moving. Don't stop, but finish the job at once."
That someone had heard their steps above, or the clatter of a fallingrope, quickly became evident, for as they tugged and strained, a headsuddenly emerged from the hatchway leading to the men's quarters, whilea pair of sleepy eyes peered round in the half-darkness.
"I heard sounds," murmured the man, while Tyler and John Marshallcrouched motionless upon the deck. "A rope fell, and I even thoughtthat I distinguished a step. But no one is about. We have driven thebeggarly white men off the ship, and but for a few of us who are luckyto be left, all are gone ashore there to waylay the Englishmen. Perhapsour brothers have returned, and have not cared to awake us. It surelycannot be our enemies who have been bold enough to attempt to take theschooner!"
He scoffed at the thought, and hearing no sound to awake his suspicions,and seeing no sign of his comrades, he turned and began to descend.Suddenly, however, aided by the feeble rays from the swinging lantern,his eyes fell upon the two crouching figures, and for a moment he wasdumbfounded with astonishment. Then he peered in their direction, and,suddenly coming to the conclusion that danger threatened, he slid belowat his fastest pace, shouting so as to arouse his companions.
"The dogs are upon us!" he cried, rushing at the sleeping figures andshaking them fiercely. "Rise and prepare for fighting, for I tell youthat the ship is taken, and that the Englishmen have returned."
"Impossible!" growled one of the Malays, sitting up and rubbing hiseyes. "Consider; they are but two, while there are seven of us in all,not counting our Dutch leader. You are mistaken, and have been sufferingfrom a nightmare."
"Impossible, do you say?" was the heated answer. "I am not dreaming, andI say to you that unless you make a movement to protect yourself, youwill quickly be killed. Ho, all of you! We are attacked! The ship istaken!"
Meanwhile Tyler and his comrade had been busily at work. Realizing thatthey still had a few moments before them while the native crew werearoused and informed of their presence, they threw themselves upon thesail, and by dint of tugging together at the rope managed to hoistit into position. Then they fled back to the stern and began to makepreparations for defence.
"I can feel that we are under weigh," said Tyler, peering over theside. "That is capital, and now all that we have to do is to drive thecrew overboard, and then clear away from the prahu. What course do youpropose, John?"
"Along the island," was the emphatic answer. "Yer see, sir, we've theprahu to think about, and have to make our plans to get clear away fromher as well as from Hans Schlott and his villains. If we had a coupleor more men aboard to lend us their help we should be able to pile moresail upon her, but as it is, two will not be capable of doing the work,at least not in a hurry. Then those native boats sail like the wind, andwould overtake us easily."
"Then your suggestion is that we should coast along the island, and ifpursued by the prahu slip into some creek."
"Just so, sir; and what's more, we'll have to abandon the schooner, Iexpect, for otherwise they would be down upon us, and once our guns havebeen fired would easily capture us. Better to take to the swamps of theforest than have our throats cut by these rascals."
"Hush!" whispered Tyler at this moment, "Christian van Sonerell iscoming up the ladder and the struggle will soon begin. We will waituntil all have reached the deck, and then we will call upon them toleave the vessel. If they refuse, or do not instantly obey, we willbegin to fire amongst them, and I fancy that the contents of thesix-pounder will help them to make up their minds. Stand ready!"
As he spoke, the faint gleams of the lamp which still burned inthe rigging showed them the figure of the Dutchman standing in thecompanion-way, while directly afterwards the crew of Malays who had beenleft upon the schooner came climbing from their quarters, shouting infrightened voices to one another.
"What is this commotion?" demanded the Dutchman angrily, for he wasannoyed at having his sleep disturbed. "You cry out like babies who havebeen hurt, and one would think that a boat-load of British sailors wasabout to board us. Go back to your quarters and let us rest at peaceduring the remainder of the night, for remember, we have had many hoursof hard work, and I have a wound which troubles me."
Turning upon the Malays fiercely he shook his fist in their direction,and growled out the words in surly tones.
"But I tell you that we are attacked," cried one of the natives rushingup to him. "Only a few moments ago I saw two figures crouching in thebows. The lamp which swings aloft lit the dark corner in which they hid,and at once I recognized them as the hated white men. I tell you that weare attacked, that these Englishmen have climbed aboard while we in ourfoolishness slept, and have captured the schooner."
"Silence, idiot!" shouted Christian van Sonerell, stepping towards theman. "The vessel captured by the two fugitives! Why, if they have daredto come aboard it will be at the cost of their lives. Where are they?Point them out to me and I will soon show you who is the owner of thisschooner."
"There is no need for you to be told where we are," called out Tylerat this instant, "for we are back in our old position, and while youslept have contrived to load the gun. It
is crammed to the muzzle withbullets, and I will fire the charge amongst you if you do not instantlyleave. Overboard with every one of you! I give you five seconds in whichto disappear."
Had a bomb-shell suddenly fallen at the feet of the Dutchman he couldnot have been more startled or more taken aback, for he had neverdreamed that the fugitives would dare to return to the schooner. Indeed,he had taken it for granted that ere he awoke in the morning HannsSchlott and the men who were with him would have laid hands upon themand killed them instantly. And now to be awakened suddenly, before themorning had dawned, and to come on deck to find that the Englishmenhad returned, was a surprise, a piece of news which astounded him. AtTyler's words he started back as if he had been shot, while his faceflushed with indignation and with rage at the commands which had beengiven.
"Leave the ship," he cried hoarsely, "and at the bidding of two who arelittle more than children! Their insolence astonishes me, and for themoment takes my breath away. Listen, you two. You have fallen into atrap, and had better relinquish your arms. Surrender at once and my menwill bind you."
"Fire!" shouted Tyler, who had been carefully counting the seconds."Empty your revolver amongst them!"
Levelling their weapons at the Malay crew, the two opened upon themwithout hesitation, a shriek and the thud of a falling body answeringthe first shot. Then a faint-hearted attempt was made to charge towardsthe stern, led by the burly Dutchman. But a lucky bullet happening tostrike the leader, checked the natives almost instantly, and, realizingat once that they were no match for the two Englishmen, who had alreadyshown how stubbornly they could fight, the natives ran towards thebulwarks and jumped overboard. As for Tyler and his companion, theysprang to the spot and discharged their weapons into the sea in the hopeof hitting some of the fugitives, but without success. Then they turnedto the prostrate figure of the Dutchman and closely inspected it.
"Dead!" said the former quietly, rolling Christian van Sonerell upon hisback. "The bullet struck him fair between the eyes and must have killedhim instantly."
"Then he is a lucky man," cried John Marshall, "for had he lived andescaped from the schooner he would, sooner or later, have come to thegallows for this act of piracy. As it is, Hanns Schlott alone is left,and we will hunt him down until he is captured and brought to justice."
"We will," agreed Tyler earnestly, "for remember, the Dutchman, whostill lives, has his hands stained with the blood of our leader. Youyourself witnessed the murder, and for that base crime he shall hang.I swear to hunt him down, for otherwise, if I relinquish the matterhe will go unpunished, and will still continue to rob and murder inthese seas. But this man is dead, and therefore had better be tossedoverboard. Let us search his pockets and then do as I have said."
Kneeling beside the body of the Dutchman they rapidly ransacked hispockets, and having abstracted some papers and other objects of littleimportance, bore the lifeless figure to the side. Then with a heave theysent all that remained of Christian van Sonerell splashing into the sea.
"And now to set our course," said Tyler. "Go to the stern, John, andtake the tiller, for you are a practised seaman, while I am little morethan a novice. I will go into the bows and dowse the lamp, for it wouldnever do to leave it hanging there. Then I shall creep below and searchevery corner of the vessel to see that none of the Malays remain. Justkeep your ears and eyes open, my lad, for the shouting and the report ofour revolvers must have been heard ashore by Hanns Schlott and his men,while those who plunged overboard will quickly reach the land, for thesenatives are excellent swimmers."
Waiting to see John Marshall go into the stern and grasp the tiller,he felt for the line by which the riding-lamp was hoisted and rapidlylowered it to the deck. Then he took it in his hand and descendedinto the cabin. Here, as he fully expected, he found everything inconfusion. Pillows and blankets lay scattered upon the floor where theMalays had tossed them when searching the bunks for valuables. Thetable which had stood in the centre lay crushed and shapeless in onecorner, while the pistol with which the murderer had slain Mr. Beverleywas half-hidden beneath it. As for the latter, there was no sign ofhis body, and it became evident at once that, as in the case of thosewho had lost their lives during the struggle on the deck, it had beencommitted to the sea.
"Perhaps it is better so," murmured Tyler, "for had I seen him herelying murdered in his bunk the sight could only have shocked anddistressed me. I know that he is dead, for John actually witnessed thedeed. That being the case, I have but one duty to accomplish, and thatis to bring Hanns Schlott to justice. And now for the other parts of theschooner."
Passing into the bows, he peered closely into every corner, openingthe lockers lest one of the Malays should be concealed on board. Then,satisfied that he and John were alone on the vessel, and that they werein command once more, he dowsed the light and clambered to the deck.
"They're hollering fit to hurt themselves," said John with a chuckle,"and I reckon that Hanns Schlott is jest silly with rage. He's callinghis men together, and I've no doubt that they'll be putting off fromthe shore. But it's getting darker, as it often does a couple of hoursbefore the dawn, and now that the light has gone from the rigging, andwe have slipped away from our berth, he'll have a precious hard job tofind us. But that foresail don't send us along more than a couple ofknots an hour, and when the sun comes up we shall be still in sight ofthe prahu. Then them pirates will come swooping down upon us, and weshall have to make for the shore."
"Then we'll try to hit upon a river," said Tyler. "I had many a chatwith Mr. Beverley on our way out from England, and together we went overthe maps and charts dealing with the island of Borneo. He told me thatthere were numerous bays along the coast-line, and that one or morerivers ran into them as a rule. In fact in some parts the shore is aswamp in which trees abound, and through which navigation is sometimespossible. It may turn out that we shall have the fortune to strike anopening which will allow us to sail some way into the interior, for thewater-ways are wide, and it is fairly certain that a ship can penetratemany miles from the coast. After that a boat would be necessary, forthere are shallows higher up. But until the day breaks we can make noplans, and as it is pretty certain that we shall be seen and followedby Hanns Schlott and the crew of the prahu, it will be well if we makepreparations to resist them. Stay where you are, John, while I get outsome ammunition and load the gun. We'll leave the six-pounder in thestern loaded with grape, while we'll put a ball into the one rightfor'ard."
Once more the two young fellows parted company, John Marshall to standat the helm and listen to the shouts which came from the shore, whileTyler promptly set about loading the gun which stood in the bows. Thatdone, he brought from below a supply of muskets and ammunition, andhaving prepared them, placed them at intervals along the deck.
"And now for something to eat," he said to himself. "John and I havebeen at work for many hours, and the fighting and the excitement of thisbusiness have given me an appetite. It seems to me that we should befoolish to neglect this opportunity of eating, for once the day comesour attention will be fully occupied with the pirates. I'll just seewhat is to be found in the lockers."
Lighting the lamp once more, he went to that portion of the schoonerwhere a supply of food and drink was kept, and quickly went swarming upon deck with some slices of ham, a few biscuits, and a couple of bottlesof beer.
"Jest the thing!" exclaimed John Marshall, allowing a broad grin ofpleasure to overspread his features. "Jest what I wanted; and hang me!now that the food's before me, I remember that I'm as hungry as can be.Share and share alike, sir, and make no enemies. Here's a corkscrew inmy knife, and there's a blade as well if we want it."
Seating themselves upon the deck, Tyler and his companion fell upon thegood things with eagerness, washing down the dry biscuit and ham witha bottle of beer. Then they chatted in low tones, John occasionallyrising to his feet to make sure that the sound of breakers as the seawashed upon the shore was no nearer. Occasionally a faint shout cameto them across the
water, and once they heard the splash of oars; butvery quickly all signs of the enemy disappeared, and they floatedalong, for all they knew, alone in that portion of the world. Indeed,the fact that they had beaten back the pirates and regained possessionof the vessel, and that Hans Schlott and his Malays had for the momentdisappeared from their view, raised their spirits to the highest, somuch so that they joked and laughed there as they crouched upon thedeck. And who could blame them, in spite of the fact that they had sorecently lost their leader? For their escape had been wonderful, andthe relief to their minds was great. Reviewing the events of the nightas he sat there beside John Marshall, Tyler could not suppress thefeeling of elation with which he was filled. Everything had been sosudden, and almost unexpected. The death of Mr. Beverley, the advent ofthe boat-load of pirates, and the desperate struggle which followed hadcome with such startling swiftness that his mind was still in a whirl,while his thoughts were so full of the narrow escape which they hadhad, and of plans for the future, that his brain was as yet incapableof appreciating to the full the loss which he had suffered. Vaguely hemourned the death of a man who had been a good friend to him, and in hisquiet and determined manner he decided that, once he could see his wayto following Hans Schlott, he would do so with all the energy of whichhe was capable. But for the present he and the boatswain were fugitivesthemselves, while the rascally Dutchman and his crew of Malays were thepursuers. How could they contrive to escape from the prahu, and if theywere forced to take refuge on the island, how would they ever be able tocommunicate with their friends?
"We must make as complete preparations for an extensive journey acrossthe island as we possibly can," said Tyler, breaking the silence whichhad been maintained between the two for almost an hour. "You see, Mr.Beverley's intention was to land upon the coast somewhere hereabouts,and then to strike for the interior. His object was partly to obtainparticulars as to the productiveness and mineral value of Borneo, andpartly to hunt for rubber, which is becoming very rare, and which alwaysobtains a high price in European markets. He equipped himself with allmanner of articles, and though we cannot hope to carry much with us, wecan at least take what will be most necessary for our safety."
"Guns, for instance!" exclaimed John Marshall shortly. "I reckonthat our revolvers, a fowling-piece, and a rifle, with the necessaryammunition, will be far more useful to us than anything else. For foodwe can rely upon our weapons, and after that what else do we want?"
"Strong boots and clothes, I should say," replied Tyler swiftly. "Mr.Beverley told me that rain is to be expected daily in the island, andthat the journey would take us through the thickest forests and deepswamps. Obviously, then, it will be well to look carefully to ourclothes, and assure ourselves that we are well provided in that respect."
"And what about the schooner?" John ventured to demand. "You won'tdesert her and leave her for the use of Hans Schlott?"
"Certainly not. Once it becomes clear that we must abandon our ship wewill sink her or burn her, whichever is easiest. Then we can get ashorein the dinghy, and once in the swamps I think we shall be able to laughat the pirates. But then there will be the natives to be considered, andin their case we must hope for the best."
"Quite so, sir," agreed the boatswain; "and as to getting rid ofthe ship, I vote that we sink her, for we can see to the necessaryarrangements now, and once the day comes shall feel that we have all inreadiness. There's a double-handed augur in my locker, and some chips ofwood which will act as plugs, and which we can knock out of the holesonce the time arrives for sinking the schooner. Lay hold of the tiller,sir, and leave the job to me."
Handing the ship into Tyler's care, he went off along the deck anddisappeared below. Half an hour later, when he returned, it was with theinformation that he had bored sufficient holes to sink the schooner, andthat a couple of minutes with a hammer would suffice to knock the plugsout.
"And now for our preparations for landing," said Tyler. "It looks to meas though we might expect the dawn to break at any moment, and I thinkthat we ought to be particularly careful to have everything in readinessfor instant flight. Take over the helm again, my lad, while I go belowand get rid of this uniform, and put a pair of strong boots on my feet.When I come up I shall bring the weapons of which we spoke and a goodsupply of ammunition. Then you can follow my example, and make ready fora journey by land."
"Not forgetting a good hearty meal before we leave the schooner," criedthe boatswain with a laugh. "By dawn we shall have been a couple ofhours or more without a bite, and who can say when we shall be able toget our next supply of food? So let's go prepared in every way for along journey and for rapid flight."
Hastily agreeing to this suggestion, Tyler once more dived into thecabin of the schooner, and going to his own particular quarterscommenced to don the suit of clothes which he had purchased atSingapore. A pair of thick boots and a strong felt hat completed hisapparel; while a belt around his waist, in which was a strong sheathedknife, formed a convenient place in which to secure his revolvers.
"And now for a bag in which to carry ammunition," he said to himself."I know that several were included in our equipment, and I think thatif we carried one over each shoulder they would prove of the greatestservice to us, for then, besides taking powder and shot, we could carrywith us some spare stockings. Also, I must not forget that uncivilizednatives are particularly fond of cheap knick-knacks, and as we arenearly sure to come in contact with some of them, I will certainly carrya few scarves and looking-glasses with me. Of course, if the pursuit isvery keen, we shall have to throw all these things away and retain ourrifles only, but I hope it will not come to that; in fact, I have madeup my mind that once it becomes clear that the prahu will overtake us ifwe remain at sea, I shall run in to the land as rapidly as possible soas to get a long start. But I must not waste time, for already the skyis getting lighter."
Bustling about in the depths of the schooner he quickly unearthed thevarious articles of which he had spoken, and rapidly made a selection.Then he came climbing to the deck, his arms loaded with weapons andammunition. Half an hour later John Marshall had followed his youngleader's example, and was dressed in the suit which Mr. Beverley was tohave worn. Slinging the bags over their shoulders, the two carefullydeposited in one of them an abundance of ammunition, which they hadcalculated should last them with ordinary care for a considerableperiod. Into the other each dropped a number of gaudy articles withwhich to please the eye of any of the Dyak tribes with whom they mightcome in contact. Weapons were now loaded, each of the young fellowsselecting a rifle, while a light fowling-piece was placed near at hand,which they would take it in turns to carry. Feeling now that they haddone all that was possible, they sat down upon the deck in their oldposition and waited for the morning. Nor was their patience destinedto be severely tried, for hardly was their meal finished than the skyin the east broke suddenly, the dark clouds giving place to a bank ofdull-gray vapour. Five minutes and the latter was tinged with a rosyhue, to change again to a glorious golden colour. Then up shot the sun,and ere they could believe it, another eventful day was full upon them.Instantly both searched the coast-line of Borneo and the sea in everydirection.
"The prahu," cried Tyler in startled tones, "and far closer to us than Ishould have wished! See, she has already sighted us, and is bearing downin our direction!"
"Then we must make for that bay," said the boatswain quietly. "It's abit of luck that we have hit it off so nicely, for I reckon that withthis wind we should reach the shore an hour ahead of the prahu. Overwith the tiller, sir, and then leave the steering to me, while you gofor'ard and train the six-pounder round upon her."
A minute later the schooner was headed directly for the opening of anarrow bay opposite which she happened to be as the day dawned, andthrough the waters of which she was soon plunging. Indeed it seemed asthough she too desired to increase the distance between herself and thenative prahu which followed, for she careened to her foresail, and,helped by the strong tide which was making into
the bay, went shootingin through the entrance, and rounding a sharp promontory which juttedout into the sea and which had prevented a clear view of the shorebeyond, headed straight for a narrow inlet which lay in front of her.
"A river!" exclaimed Tyler, with a shout of joy as he stood by thefor'ard gun and swung the muzzle round till it presented out to sea."A river, and to all appearance sufficiently wide to allow us to saildirectly in, and so get clear of Hanns Schlott and his rascals. Oncewe are in fresh water, and out of their sight, we will look for aconvenient landing-place, and then out shall come those plugs. Yes, ifwe cannot keep the schooner in our own hands she shall go to the bottom.Ah! the prahu has come into view again round that point of land, and asthere is an abundance of ammunition below, I shall take a shot at her."
Carefully training the weapon upon the native prahu, he waited until shehad drawn a little closer. Then with a match he fired the powder andsent a ball hurtling in her direction.
"A good shot!" shouted John Marshall, glancing eagerly over his shoulderto see what success his young leader had had. "There goes the ballricochetting across her bows. An inch or two to the left would haveplumped it right aboard, for the elevation is just right. Try again, Mr.Richardson, for there is luck in even numbers."
Encouraged by the success of his first attempt, Tyler dived below andquickly returned with more ammunition; then with the greatest care helevelled the weapon a second time and fired, with the result that theball struck the prahu heavily. Instantly a puff of smoke burst from herbows, and a shot came whizzing over the schooner, narrowly missing themast.
"Two can play at the same game, that is evident," cried Tyler,undismayed by their narrow escape. "I will give them another shot ortwo, and then I fancy that it will be time for us to get ashore, for awell-aimed ball from the prahu might damage us severely and spoil ourplans."
For the third time he trained the six-pounder upon the enemy, and,waiting for a moment till the muzzle of the gun covered the prahu, hesent a shot screeching in her direction. Crash! Even at that distance hecould almost hear the missile strike upon her deck, and a keen glanceshowed him that the utmost confusion had resulted, for Malays could beseen rushing towards the spot, while a burly figure standing beside thetiller shook a fist furiously in the air. But whatever the damage done,it did not retard the course of the prahu. She came on at a rapid rate,her sails bellying out in the breeze, and her lee-rail awash with thewater.
"It is high time that we made for the shore," exclaimed Tyler. "I seethat we are now entering the river, and within five minutes we oughtto be round the bend which hides the upper reaches. Keep at your post,John, and head her to the left. Then, the instant we are round thecorner, bring her up into the wind and put the weapons in the dinghy.While you are doing that I will go below, and as soon as I have knockedthe plugs out of the holes we will say farewell to the schooner. Now,over with her!"
With a swing the vessel shot round the angle of land which seemed tobar the opening of the river, and having been allowed to run forwardsome two hundred yards, until hidden by a dense mass of forest treeswhich intervened between herself and the prahu, she was thrown with herhead into the wind, which set her sail flapping loosely. With a twistof a rope attached to the bulwarks John Marshall secured the tiller inposition, and at once commenced to carry out Tyler's orders. As for thelatter, he ran below and, seizing the hammer, began to knock out theplugs which kept the schooner from sinking. At any other time, no doubt,he would have hesitated before doing such a thing, for the ship was nothis own property, and to sacrifice her seemed almost an act of folly.But an instant's thought convinced him that it was the only thing thathe could do, and therefore he set to at the work with the full knowledgethat by sinking the ship he prevented her from falling into the hands ofthe pirates.
"That will soon send her to the bottom!" he exclaimed as he dragged thelast plug from its position, and stood there watching some dozen columnsof clear water spouting up into the hold. "And now to get ashore."
With one last glance around he ran to the ladder and quickly rejoinedhis companion. Then both hastily quitted the schooner, and, taking theirplaces in the tiny dinghy, pulled for the shore.