"That was a close shave, Muldoon," remarked Raynor, as they pressedonward, after Muldoon had nearly wrung the hand off Salloo in expressinghis thanks for the Malay's courageous act, which had undoubtedly savedthe boatswain's life.
"Ouch! Don't say a wurrud," groaned the Irishman, "I thought I was agoner sure. Divil a bit more of snakes is it I want to see."
That evening they reached the river, and leaving them camped, Salloo setoff on a scouting expedition. It was a long time before he returned, butwhen he came in he brought good news. He had located the old fort andreported that the ruffians who had carried off Mr. Jukes and Jack wereall there enjoying themselves round a big fire and apparently in no fearof an attack.
"Me see um white boy there, too," he added. "Same boy hang round hotelat Bomobori all time."
"Donald Judson!" exclaimed Billy. "How can that be possible? I can't fithim into this at all."
"Well, the question is, now that we have tracked the rascals, what's thenext move," said Captain Sparhawk.
"Me think now good time attack," counseled Salloo. "They no think anyonenear. Give 'em heap big surprise."
"Begorry, that's well said, naygur," approved Muldoon, "I'm aching togit a good crack at thim."
After some consultation it was decided to make the attack at once. Ifthey delayed they would have to wait till the next night in order tosurprise Broom's band and there was no telling what might happen duringthe twenty-four hours that would elapse.
Luckily, there was a moon, though it was somewhat obscured by the hazewhich Salloo had drawn attention to as presaging a storm. The party,piloted by Salloo, started off up the river, which was low, as theweather had been dry and there was plenty of room for them to passbetween the bank and the water's edge.
At last they arrived in sight of the cliff and Raynor's heart gave abound. At the top they could see the red glare of the camp fire, thoughthey could not see any of the men.
"There's one good thing, the ascent of the cliff will be easy," saidBilly, in a whisper, as he drew attention to the knotted and twistedvines that hung down it.
"Yes, we'll need no scaling ladders," rejoined Captain Sparhawk.
"No need for usum vines," declared the Malay. "Salloo know a path totop."
Telling them to remain where they were, the faithful fellow set off onanother scouting expedition. His kriss glittered menacingly in themoonlight as he went on, trying to keep in the shadow of the cliff.Arrived at the path he knew of, he glided noiselessly up it, although itwas a steep and tortuous one, and soon was at the top of the cliff.Through the gloom he made out a solitary figure sitting on a rock farremoved from the campfire, about which the rest were gathered. The Malayguessed it was a sentry, although the fellow was not keeping a verycareful watch and appeared to be half asleep.
"Me fixee you one minute," grinned the Malay to himself.
He cast himself on his stomach in the long grass that grew on thecliff-top and began worming his way round the sentry so as to approachhim from the rear. He scarcely made a sound as he moved with wonderfulrapidity.
The sentry appeared to shake off his drowsiness suddenly and rose to hisfeet just as Salloo was within a few inches of him. But he left hisrifle leaning against the rock on which he had been seated. InstantlySalloo leaped from the grass and the next instant the kriss was at thethunderstruck sentry's throat.
"You no speak or me killee," grated out the Malay, and one glanceconvinced the sentry that Salloo would carry out his threat.
Salloo stooped and picking up a small pebble cast it over the cliff. Itfell almost at the feet of Captain Sparhawk and Billy, who wereanxiously on the look-out for this signal, which had been prearranged.
"Forward," ordered Captain Sparhawk, who was in the lead. Next cameBilly, then Muldoon and last the natives, some of whom had spears, andothers the peculiar blow-pipes used by the Papuans to shoot poisoneddarts.
The advance was made in silence, and at the top of the cliff they foundSalloo waiting for them. He was garmentless, having used his singlecloak to tie up the sentry with. Grass stuffed in the man's mouth hadeffectually gagged him.
"Good for you, Salloo," said the captain approvingly, to which thenative replied with a grin.
"Now we take him down below and find out some things from him," said theMalay.
The helpless prisoner was bundled back down the trail and brought to thecamp at the foot of the cliff. Here he was roped to a tree and the gagtaken out of his mouth. But the sight of Salloo's ever-ready kriss kepthim from making any outcry.
Yes, he said, the old, fat man and the boy were all right. They had notbeen fed though, and wouldn't be till a ransom was forthcoming.
This made the whites boil with indignation. Questioned as to how manywere in the band, he said he did not know, and as he stuck to this itwas thought best not to waste any more time questioning him.
After a consultation the gag was replaced, but the ropes were loosenedso that with a little exertion the man could set himself free.
"If, for any reason, we couldn't come back, and we left the ropes tight,he would perish," said Captain Sparhawk, "and we want no human lives toour account."
"Me leave him there starve to death plitty quick," growled Salloo, witha scowl at the crestfallen prisoner.
At the foot of the cliff all was now dark and silent as the grave. Themoon was obscured by a cloud and it was an ideal moment for the dash onthe camp to begin.
"We go plenty slow or maybe take big tumble," advised Salloo.
He was in advance but Billy was close at his heels. Cautiously theyascended, taking great care not to dislodge loose stones which mighthave been fatal to their plans. At last the stream was far below themand the summit of the cliff within reach.
It was at this moment that a torch flashed above them, glaring intotheir upturned faces.
"What's all this, who are you?" a voice demanded.
"Silence if you value your life," came from Captain Sparhawk.
"It's Donald Judson!" exclaimed Billy.
"Billy Raynor," cried the other in his turn. "How did you----?"
"Don't utter another word," ordered Captain Sparhawk. "Put your handsabove your head, you young rascal."
"Not much I won't!" exclaimed Judson.
He flung his torch full in Billy's face and then started at top speedfor the camp fire, yelling the alarm at the top of his lungs.
For a minute Billy was in peril of losing his balance as the torchstruck him. But Salloo caught and held him firmly. The torch droppedwith a splash and hiss into the waters of the river below.
By this time Salloo scrambled to the cliff summit and made off afteryoung Judson. Both reached the camp fire at about the same time. Theothers, following close on Salloo's heels, saw Donald turn, catch sightof the glittering kriss, and then, with a yell of dismay, tumbleheadlong. He lay quite still and had apparently been stunned by theviolence of the fall.
"Help! Help!" It was Jack's voice from the fort and was instantlyrecognised by Billy.
But by this time the men about the fire, headed by 'Bully' Broom, wereon their feet. There was no time for them to get their weapons, whichhad been left inside the fort so that they would not rust in the dampnight air. The battle was a brief one, although some shots were fired,none of which, in the excitement, took effect.
Billy, by a clever ruse, brought the engagement to a speedy termination.In the midst of the fight he turned toward the cliff and then raisinghis voice as if summoning help, he shouted:
"This way, captain. Bring that company up here. Let the others guard theriver."
"Get out of here, boys," roared Broom, completely taken in. "I'll settlewith you later on," he cried, shaking his fist as he turned and followedthe rout of his followers, who, imagining they were being pursued bygreat numbers, made off at top speed for the jungle, which soonswallowed them up.
CHAPTER XXXI.--THE JOURNEY RESUMED.
"Thank Heaven that is over," said Mr. Jukes, as he sat on an old benc
hin the fort after he and Jack had been released. "You may depend upon itthat I shall not forget the part that Salloo and all of you played inour rescue."
It was some two hours after the "battle," if the rout of the rascals whohad captured Mr. Jukes and Jack could be termed such. The kidnappers'larder had been ransacked and a good meal enjoyed by all hands,especially, as may be imagined, by the two captives who had been withoutfood for almost twenty-four hours.
Donald Judson, looking hang-dog and abject, was huddled on a bench in acorner of the room. He had been picked up after the fray, having shammedinsensibility to avoid being injured, and was easily captured by thevictors.
"You certainly came in the nick of time," said Jack. "From what I couldhear them saying, that scoundrel Broom was actually contemplatingtorturing us if that check was not signed by Mr. Jukes."
The millionaire shuddered. His experiences had greatly affected him.
"That young ruffian over yonder," he nodded his head toward Judson, "wasthe instigator of the idea to get money out of me, I believe," he said."He ought to be punished severely."
"I didn't," whined Judson miserably, "I--I--that fellow Broom did itall."
"What's the use of your lying, Judson," exclaimed Jack, "you met Broomat Bomobori. It's as plain as day now, and furnished him with an accountof as much of our plans as we had confided to you."
"Well, maybe I did," mumbled Judson sullenly, "but I didn't put him upto getting money out of you."
"Nonsense," said Captain Sparhawk, "you are as bad as Broom is--worse,in fact, for you are a lad of decent upbringing."
No more was said to Judson that night, and they retired to catch a fewhours sleep, leaving the "carriers" under Salloo on guard. The Malayamused himself by making hideous faces at the unfortunate Donald andflourishing his kriss under his nose. By daylight the wretched prisonerwas half dead from fear. Captain Sparhawk sternly warned Salloo not totease him any more, at which the Malay appeared to be much surprised.
"Him enemy," he said, "why no can do what like with him?"
Breakfast, of which Donald was given his share, was eaten in the fort,and after that meal the natives were sent down to the river to bring upall the supplies which had been left there. They reported that theprisoner Salloo had made had succeeded, as they intended he should, inloosening his bonds during the night and had vanished.
As soon as the boxes containing the wireless apparatus and thehand-generator arrived, Jack lost no time in setting them up and as soonas he raised the yacht sent a full account of Broom's rascally conductto her. The first officer at once left to notify the authorities and askthat a keen lookout be kept for Broom's schooner.
"Broom will never guess that we have any means of communicating withBomobori," the boy explained, "and if he returns there, will bungle intoa fine trap."
"Begorry, I hope he does," commented Muldoon, "shure that wireless is anilligant invintion entirely."
"If Broom is captured, as many other criminals have been, by its aid, itwill have proved its splendid usefulness once more," declared Mr. Jukes."Ready, you might flash another message saying that I will give $1,000to anyone who captures 'Bully' Broom."
After this had been done, the question arose of what to do with DonaldJudson. They had no desire to have the young rascal as a travelingcompanion, but at the same time they did not see how they could verywell turn him loose in the jungle in which he might starve to death. Itwas a problem that they were still discussing when Donald himself spokeup in the timid, fawning voice he affected when in trouble.
"See here," he said, "if you won't make trouble for me maybe I can helpyou out."
"In what way?" sharply asked Mr. Jukes.
"Why I saw Broom put a map or something that looked like one in acupboard in the room that door opens into," said the boy, pointing tothe end of the room. "I thought maybe it might have something to do withyour brother, Mr. Jukes."
"Come here at once and show me," ordered the millionaire. "I don'tsuppose it was anything of great importance," he added.
"Perhaps not," whimpered Donald, "but if it is will you let it count inmy favor?"
"I shall consider that later," said Mr. Jukes sternly, as they allfollowed the boy into the room he indicated. In one corner was a roughcupboard. Mr. Jukes opened this and took out a rolled-up paper. Hespread it out on the table and they all pressed about him.
"It's a map!" cried Billy.
"Yes, and of this part of the country, too," cried Jack. "See, there'sthat village, Taroo, where we stopped two nights ago."
"And what's this leading along the river from this place marked 'Fort'on the map?" asked Mr. Judson, his eyes shining as his forefinger traceda red ink line that zig-zagged along till it left the river and struckinland to what appeared to be intended to show a range of mountains."The Kini-Balu Mountains," he read out.
"The Kini-Balu Mountains!" echoed Salloo, "me know them. Me bet yourbrother up there. One time 'Bully' Bloom he helpee Kini-Balu men fightbig battle 'gainst Tariani tribe. Kini-Balus win and now heap like'Bully' Bloom hide your brother up there."
"It is possible," mused the millionaire, "and--yes, by jove! Look here."
Indicated on the map in red letters, at a spot in the heart of theKini-Balu country, was a place marked "Cave."
"Do you think it possible that that can be 'Bully' Broom's hiding placefor the other Mr. Jukes?" asked Jack.
"I don't know, but it appears probable," rejoined the millionaire.
"Me membel now sometime 'Bully' Bloom go way from Bomobori long time,"said Salloo, "nobody know where he go. That time when cruiser come lookfor him. Maybe he hide up there."
"It seems worth trying at any rate," said Mr. Jukes, in the manner ofone who has reached a decision.
"It seems reasonable to suppose that if Broom had taken your brother andhis men anywhere on the island it would have been to some suchinaccessible spot as that," said Captain Sparhawk.
"Well thin, what's to privint us going up among the 'balloon' men, orwhativer they call thimsilves?" asked Muldoon.
"It may be attended by some danger," said Mr. Jukes. "From what Salloosaid the Kini-Balu men are a very war-like tribe. They might attack us.How about that, Salloo?"
The Malay's reply was not one calculated to reassure them.
"Kini-Balu men head hunters," he said, "Maybe they no hurt us. But maybetake our heads. Salloo no 'fraid, though."
"Then, by golly, neither are we," declared Muldoon.
After more discussion, it was decided to advance cautiously into theKini-Balu country and then do some scouting to see how matters lay. Ifthe natives were hostile, and if they were convinced that Mr. Jukes wasreally a captive among them, guarded by their warriors at 'Bully'Broom's orders, then they would return to Bomobori without risking theirlives and come back with a strong force. If everything appeared to bepacific, then they would seek out the place indicated on the map andsettle the question of whether or no it was actually the place of thepearl hunter's confinement.
CHAPTER XXXII.--A STORM IN THE JUNGLE.
Two days later, before they turned away from the river, they heard somenews of the Kini-Balus from a party of natives bound down-stream indug-outs. Salloo learned from them that the tribe was at war, at leastso it was supposed by the canoeists from the fact that they had heardthat the chief of the Kini-Balus had been making levies of cattle andcorn among his subjects.
"That sounds bad," said Mr. Jukes, when this news had been interpretedto the party.
"No, him good," asserted Salloo positively.
"How do you make that out?" asked Jack.
"If Kini-Balus makee war, they leave only women and old men at home.They no fight us," argued the Malay, and they had to admit that therewas a good deal of truth in what he said.
"We're all going to get killed anyhow," whimpered Donald, who had beentaken along by the party, much against their will, in consideration ofthe services he had rendered in showing them the hiding place of themap.
> "Him heap big coward," muttered Salloo. "Boy's body, girl's heart."
It was on the afternoon of the second day that the storm that Salloo hadpredicted overtook them. They were passing through a dense forest ofmagnificent trees when the eternal twilight that reigned under the greatbranches deepened till it was almost totally dark. Astonished at thisphenomenon, for it was long before the proper hour for night to descend,they questioned Salloo.
"Big storm come," he said, "me thinkee we better get out of here.Lightning hit a tlee maybe he killee us."
The birds of the jungle screamed discordantly, as if warning each otherof what was coming. Troops of monkeys swung through the trees as ifseeking refuge, and the almost deafening chorus of insects and lizardsgave way to total silence. It seemed as if nature was holding her breathpreparatory to some great crisis.
"We had better look for some safe place to stay before it breaks,"counseled Captain Sparhawk. "A hurricane in the jungle is a seriousmatter. Trees are rooted up and struck by lightning and in the forest itis very dangerous for anyone to be caught by such a storm."
"Me findee place," said Salloo, and struck off down a dim trail leadingtoward the river. "Follow me, evelybody, and hully up."
They needed no urging. The gloom and quiet of the forest was overawing.It had begun to get on their nerves. Under Salloo's guidance they soonfound themselves at a great mass of rocks on a high bank overlooking theriver. The great masses of stone were piled in such a way that thecrevices among them formed regular caves.