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

Once again it was a doubtful point whether the Malays would retire on the death of their comrade, or whether they would push up the face of the rock and come to hand-grips with those whom they were attacking. Indeed, it wanted very little to cause their determination to waver and send them down to the bank, or to infuse fresh courage into their hearts and cause them to dash headlong at their enemies. They paused, looked doubtfully at one another, and then turned to watch the body of the man who had gone to the bank below. Then one of them happened to cast a glance across the river, as if to measure the distance in case he wished to make good his escape. Instantly his eye fell upon the three sampans which were being rowed across, and realizing that they must contain companions and brothers-in-arms who were coming to help, he shouted a few words to his comrades.

"They will jeer at us," he cried, attracting the attention of all to the approaching boats. "When they learn that there are only two on this rock, and that we have failed to take them, they will bid us return to Rembas and mind the children and the flocks! We must capture and kill these beggarly Chinamen. Who will follow me?"

For a moment he turned to stare at his brothers, and then, with flashing kriss in his hand, and eyes fixed upon the low wall with its covering of bush, he came clambering up towards it, ready to leap the obstacle as soon as he was near enough, and slaughter those who lay behind. As for the others, stung to the quick by the thought that their companions of Rembas would jeer and laugh at them, they turned with desperation to renew the assault, determined to die there rather than be dishonoured.

"We need not fear them greatly," said Tyler quietly, as he watched them ascending, "for the rock is very steep, and we are placed at a great advantage. Remember that we may have to fight hard for our lives later on, and for that reason deal gently with the ammunition. I shall make use of these boulders as long as possible."

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

"Revolvers and rifles!" said Tyler, seeing that stones were of little avail. "We shall be able to pick them off, and you will see how quickly they will scamper to the bottom. Look! there is the man who called to them to encourage them! He is watching you with the sling, and when you have let the stone go he will make a rush. Now, I have covered him with the revolver, so you can fire."

Grasping his master's meaning immediately, Li Sung slung the missile at the Malay, and then snatched at the second revolver. As he did so the pirate leapt to his feet, and judging that he was now sufficiently near to reach the wall, and would be upon the enemy before another stone could be fitted, he came directly up the slope, discarding the boulders and rocks which lay there, and which would have afforded him cover. Snap! The report of Tyler's weapon set the echoes ringing, while the heavy 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 the pirate felt the blow, and then, summoning all his remaining power, he swung his kriss back over his shoulder, and taking rapid aim at the Chinaman above, sent the keen blade of steel hissing towards him. Next moment he had tumbled back upon the ground, where, clutching madly at moss and bush, he slowly slid to the bottom. As for Tyler, he had expected the man to fall dead at once, and started back as the kriss flew in his direction. But it was hopeless to expect to escape it, and ere he had time to dodge to either side the point of the blade struck upon 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 which will do me no harm, but which will teach me to keep an eye upon their weapons. It was quickly done, and proved an excellent shot, made under the most unfavourable circumstances."

"It am a velly lucky escape, massa," cried Li Sung, darting to Tyler's side 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 one velly quick, and if him not move one little piecee him dead too. Wait there 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 it as a bandage to the arm, thereby arresting the flow of blood, which threatened 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 approach to a laugh which this son of the East would indulge in. "Dey not knowee what dey do, and dey fear deir friends and what dey say. Velly soon Li and de massa have to fight plenty hard."

The prospect of hard knocks and a desperate encounter seemed to please Li Sung, for he beamed upon Tyler as though this was the happiest day in his life. "Li havee been in nasty place before dis wid de massa, and he knowee dat allee turn out right. Massa Tyler bring him allee de way through de jungle, he lead Chinee boy and de Dyaks to Paddi, and den to Sarawak with de prahus. But dat am not allee. Him save Li when de water nearly cover him, and now him lies beside him servant and helps him to make de Malays run."

"Then you think that we shall be hotly engaged before very long," said Tyler, staring down at the pirates below. "It seems to me that we are cornered, and that we shall be lucky if either of us see the Dido and Sarawak again. Not that we are going to be beaten easily, for we have a splendid position, and will make the most of it. During the day we can beat 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 can deal with them they will rush upon us. We shall have to go once the darkness falls, and it becomes a question as to how the retreat is to be carried out."

"Plenty easy to creep down de rock in de dark till near de bottom," said Li Sung thoughtfully. "De Malays climb up de hill, and we go down. Dey not knowee, and we not knowee. Dey rush to dis wall with deir krisses in deir hands, and massa and him servant slip away in de dark into de jungle. Who am to stop dem?"

"A splendid idea, and one which we will follow," exclaimed Tyler with enthusiasm. "The matter had troubled me very much, and I was wondering what we could do, for I am sure that to remain here once night has come will 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 we will slip down. If we meet, all the worse for our plan, though I fancy that in the confusion we could make good our escape. If not, we gain our object, and they reach this lair to find the birds gone. Pick up your rifle, Li, and let us teach the rogues that it is death to come close to the rock."

Determined to keep the enemy as far away as possible till evening fell, Tyler and his companion disposed themselves upon the ground, and with their weapons resting upon the piled-up boulders took steady aim at the pirates. As the three boats arrived, and were drawn up on the bank, they sent two bullets amongst the assembled natives, with the result that a couple tumbled on their faces, while the remainder separated with cries of indignation and surprise. But they were not permitted to enjoy more than a moment's peace, for very shortly another shot rang out in the still 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 headlong into the water.

"A long shot, but I gave a little elevation, and aimed for the centre of his shoulders," said Tyler to himself. "That will give us breathing-space. Now, Li, I am hungry, and, as we always say in England that a man fights better when he has had some food, we will open that bag and see what there is to eat. We can keep a watch upon those fellows as we have our meal, and can plant a shot amongst them whenever necessary."

It was wonderful to see the calm manner in which the two sat down to their meal, the Chinaman contenting himself with some rice which they had had the forethought to have boiled before setting out on their expedition, and Tyler directing his attention to some biscuit and meat, which formed part of their store. Of water they had none, but that mattered very little at the moment, for they had been chilled by their upset in the river, and, though hot, the sun had done little more than warm them, without inducing thirst. But the lack of something with which to 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 till to-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 I have suggested keeping the enemy at bay now, and making good use of our weapons. But there is a point which we have not considered. Once we are down below, which direction are we to take? Are we to steal one of their boats or make into the jungle?"

"The last, massa," said Li Sung. "Den, later on, we steal down upon de bank, and we take one of de sampan and sail for Sarawak."

"And what about our orders?" demanded Tyler with some warmth. "After coming all this way, and being almost drowned in the river, I am not going 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 upon them. Then, if you like, I will drop down to the mouth of the river and wait there for the expedition to arrive."

"Massa am de chief, and he say what we do," said Li Sung, with a shrug of his ungainly shoulders and a look of resignation. "If him say dat we go and be killed, Li havee to obey. But me not likee dis stay in de river. Me plenty much afraid."

"Then you are a foolish fellow," exclaimed Tyler angrily, for he was determined not to be thwarted in his attempt to learn tidings of the pirates, and in what he considered a duty, for which he had had the great honour to be specially selected. "If you don't like to stay, go back by yourself, though I shall be sorry to lose you. I have firmly made up my mind that I remain in the neighbourhood till I have satisfied my curiosity. But watch those men below. Something seems to have upset them."

At once both stared eagerly over their barricade, and saw with some concern that the pirates had collected at such a distance that they could not suffer loss from the bullets of the defenders. And there, grouped about the one who was in command, they stared out into the river with their eyes fixed upon a tiny object which was approaching.

"A swift sampan, and one dat brings de orders and de news," said Li Sung with the assurance of one who was well acquainted with the facts. "De man who am chief in Rembas havee one of de long tubes through which de white man lookee wid de eye, and he see allee dat havee happened. He send to dem to say must take de Chinamen. Well, we see to dat when de time come."

"We shall have something to say, I have no doubt," agreed Tyler, "and we must 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 there will be no loss of time in sorting, and so that we can ram a charge in without 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 the bank, and had deposited there a Malay of forbidding appearance. That he was a man of some consequence was evident, for they showed him every deference, and, after listening to a short harangue which he delivered, followed him with loud shouts towards the rock.

"He will lead them, and we shall have to fight," said Tyler with a calmness which astonished himself. "Fire quickly, Li, and see that you do not miss, for we want to show them that to approach the rock is dangerous. Then they will put off the real attack till darkness has fallen, and will aid us in our plan."

That strict orders had been received to capture the insolent foreigners who had dared to come into the river Sarebus, and who had suffered shipwreck there, was plainly to be seen, for now that they had a new leader the pirates ran towards the rock with shouts of exultation, and, unmindful of the warning which they had already received, commenced to climb it in scattered knots and groups, evidently with the intention of approaching the wall from many quarters and so annihilating the defenders. But they had a couple of marksmen to contend with, for Tyler had had sufficient practice by now to make certain of his man, while the Chinaman's trained eye only required the steadiness which his young leader constantly urged upon him to enable him to hit the mark on every occasion.

"Not a shot to be thrown away, just remember that," exclaimed Tyler sternly 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 behind the leader doubled up and rolled in a heap.

"A little high," said Tyler calmly, "but otherwise straight enough. We will see what this will do."

Once more he brought the weapon to his shoulder, and was about to press the trigger, when the Malay at whom he aimed disappeared in a hollow and caused him to pick out another man. But Tyler was not so easily to be put off, and conscious that a blow at the leader would have far more effect than one at his followers, he watched till the big Malay again made his appearance. His rifle snapped instantly, and the pirate fell upon his face, where he lay without a move.

"A few more like that and they will run," shouted Tyler. "Pick off those in advance, so that their comrades may see them fall. That will make them afraid, and they will soon hang back and long for shelter."

That his advice was good there could be no doubt, for nothing is more demoralizing in such an engagement than for those who are attacking in the open, and advancing up a hill, to suddenly find the lifeless bodies of their comrades rushing past them, or to be swept away and carried to the ground below by the weight of one tumbling upon them. At once the prospect of a similar fate cools their ardour, and if they be not filled with courage and determined upon victory they are apt to retire in disorder. And so, neglecting those who clambered in rear, Tyler and his companion fired as rapidly as possible on those who were in the forefront, sending man after man rolling to the bottom. Then, as the attackers clustered together on the hill-side, attracted unconsciously by the thought of mutual protection and aid, our hero suddenly relinquished 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 continue long at the task, for very soon the pirates turned with shrill cries of dismay and went sliding to the bottom, where they took to their heels and did not stop till they had put a safe distance between themselves and the defenders.

"That will keep them quiet for a time, and if only they will remain inactive till the darkness falls we shall be safe. Come, help me to build up the wall again and gather a store of boulders."

Without taking the trouble to crouch, for they knew that the pirates had seen them, Tyler and his companion set about the work, and having accomplished it sat down to rest, waiting impatiently for the night to come when they would put their plan to the test and do their utmost to escape from a trap which might well prove disastrous.

CHAPTER XVII

Danger and Difficulty

Twice in succession did the collection of Malays and Dyaks who composed the attacking force endeavour to overcome the gallant defenders of the steep rock beside the bank of the river Sarebus. And on each occasion the leader of the gang who had their quarters in Rembas sat at his leisure before his hut on the opposite side of the water, and with glass fixed to his eye watched the fighting with interest.

"They are curs," he cried at last, when the final attempt to reach the barricade above had been defeated, "and as a punishment I swear that no help shall come to these dogs of mine till they have these two strangers in their hands. Are they not two only, while my men number twenty times as many? Then they shall stay till all are killed or until they can bring me tidings of their success. But I will send them a message to the effect that if they allow the enemy to escape I shall vent my anger upon them. Yes, I will warn them that the attempt must be made, and will say that if it prove too much for them then they shall suffer."

With this resolution before him the leader of the Rembas pirates despatched a boat to the farther bank, and with it one of his chief men, with instructions to give his message and then return.

"You can say that no food or drink shall be sent till they have captured these men, and that it will be better for them to die on the side of the rock than to return here unsuccessful," said he, as the man set out to do his bidding. "It is absurd to think that so many of my men are defied by a couple of natives from China!"

"A messenger," said Tyler, who caught sight of the sampan as it shot out into the stream. "Will it recall these men, or will it bring news that reinforcements are to come?"

"Not dat, massa," answered Li Sung with assurance, accompanying the remark with the customary shake of his head, as if to add emphasis to his words. "Dese pirates tink dey knowee how to fight, and de leader over deir say dat not a man comee to help till we taken. He tell dem to takee plenty care unless we slip away. Dat all he comee for."

"Then we shall have to be doubly cautious," said Tyler, "and I'm going to set myself to work to think out the matter, for escape we must. In an hour it will be dark, so that we can count upon that time in which to make up our minds, and I think that we are not likely to be disturbed. Unless, of course, the message which is coming to our attackers rouses them to fury, and they throw themselves upon us again. Now, how could we manage to get away?"

Throwing himself upon the ground he fixed his eyes upon the figures of the enemy beneath, and watched them half listlessly while he endeavoured to find a means whereby he and Li Sung could slip from their retreat and get safely away.

"It must be done," he kept murmuring to himself. "For to-day this has been the very best of havens, but to-morrow it will be untenable, for thirst will be our greatest enemy, and up here we have no means of satisfying it. So leave we must, at the risk of our lives. By Jove!"

"Massa keepee plenty quiet," cried Li Sung at this moment, suddenly pointing to the bank beneath. "De messenger havee come, and Li tink dat some little game be played. What for dey light de torches?"

He asked the question with a puzzled expression on his face, and pointed again with a long lean finger to some figures which could be seen flitting about amongst the jungle. That they were the pirates was perfectly clear, though for what reason they ran hither and thither, while some of their number advanced with flaring bundles of some material in their arms, was a matter of some difficulty to determine.