Sandokan: The Two Tigers (The Sandokan Series Book 4)

by Emilio Salgari

  Discouraged by the enormous losses they had suffered, their talwars ineffective against the pirates’ heavy sabres, they had immediately rushed into the passageway that led into the caverns, closing the thick bronze door behind them.

  “What happened to my master?” shouted Kammamuri, as his eyes swept the pagoda. “Where are the Tiger of Malaysia and Señor Yanez?”

  “Could they have gotten out some other way?” asked Sambigliong.

  “Or have they been taken prisoner?” wondered the Maratha. “Those were their carbines we heard firing earlier. Look at all those bodies at the base of the statue.”

  Unsure of their captains’ fate, the men began to grow anxious.

  “Sambigliong,” said Kammamuri, “They must have gone into the tunnel. We’ve got to blow open that door and search the caverns. Hurry, they may be in danger.”

  “Prepare two explosives,” commanded Sambigliong, “load your carbines and light your torches.”

  The Malays carrying the bombs were about to obey, when a tiny door behind a statue of Krishna, Lord Vishnu’s eighth incarnation, opened, and a young woman carrying a torch rushed into the pagoda shouting:

  “The white sahib and his companions are about to drown! You’ve got to save them!”

  “Surama!” exclaimed Kammamuri and Sambigliong, as they ran towards the young woman.

  “Save them!” repeated the devadasi, her eyes welling with tears.

  “Where are they?” asked Kammamuri.

  “Trapped in a cavern. The Thugs are flooding it; they’re going to drown the white sahib, the Tiger and the rest of their men!”

  “Can you lead us there?”

  “Yes, it’s straight through the tunnel.”

  “Blast open the door!” thundered Sambigliong.

  The two bombs were put in place then the pirates quickly retreated to the steps outside the entrance to the pagoda.

  Ten seconds later, the door crashed to the ground.

  “Stay behind us, Surama,” said Kammamuri, taking a torch. “Full speed, Tigers of Mompracem!”

  They rushed into the dark passageway, pressing against one another, all anxious to be the first to run to Tiger of Malaysia’s rescue, but they had barely gone a hundred paces when a second door brought them to a halt.

  “There’s another one further ahead,” said Surama. “Your friends are trapped behind that one.”

  “Luckily we still have about half a dozen explosives,” replied Sambigliong.

  They lit the fuse and quickly retreated. Seconds later the bombs exploded with a blast that knocked the pirates to the ground.

  “Forward!” commanded Kammamuri and Sambigliong, seeing that the door had given way.

  The band of men resumed their run, advancing ever deeper into the dark passageway, and were soon standing before the third and final door. They could hear a rumbling sound emanating from inside the sealed cavern as if a large quantity of water were falling from a great height.

  “They’re in there!” said Surama.

  “Captain! Señor Yanez!” shouted the Maratha.

  Sandokan’s voice immediately came in reply.

  “Kammamuri?”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  “Hurry, blow open the door, the water’s up to our necks!”

  “Get back, we’re lighting the fuse!”

  “We’re ready!” replied Sandokan.

  A bomb was lit and placed at the foot of the door and the pirates quickly retreated up the tunnel, running back more than two hundred paces into a side passageway. The fuse had been shortened and the blast came within seconds.

  “Draw weapons!” commanded Sambigliong, as he rushed towards the cavern.

  All raced after him. They had gone fifty metres when they were suddenly knocked back by a large torrent of water.

  The roaring wave was gone in an instant, disappearing down a side tunnel just off to the right of them.

  A moment later they spotted two torches coming towards them from where the door had stood then heard Sandokan’s voice yell out:

  “Don’t fire! It’s us!”

  At the sight of the Tiger of Malaysia a cry of joy erupted from those thirty chests.

  “Long live the Captain!”

  Water was still pouring out of the cavern, but it was now little more than a stream that barely came to the pirates’ ankles.

  At the sight of Surama, Sandokan and Yanez cried out in surprise.

  “You!” they exclaimed.

  “You owe this brave devadasi your lives,” said Kammamuri. “She warned us you had been trapped and the Thugs were planning to drown you.”

  “How did you know we were in there, Surama?” asked Yanez.

  “I overheard some Thugs boasting about how they’d led you into a trap.”

  “What about Sirdar?” asked Sandokan. “What happened to him? Has he betrayed us?”

  “No, sahib,” replied Surama, “He fled with Suyodhana.”

  “What?” Tremal-Naik exclaimed hoarsely.

  “The High Priest is gone; he fled an hour before you arrived. Once he learned of your plans, he had his men clear the tunnel through the sacred banyan tree.”

  “And my daughter?”

  “He took her with him.”

  The hunter let out a cry of agony as he buried his face in his hands.

  “Escaped! Escaped!”

  “Sirdar is with him,” said Surama.

  “Where has he gone?” asked Sandokan, Yanez and de Lussac in unison.

  “To Delhi, to join the rebels. He thinks he’ll be safe there. Before he left, Sirdar gave me this letter for you, it explains everything.”

  Sandokan quickly snatched the piece of paper the young woman had drawn from her corset.

  “A torch!” commanded the Tiger. “Twenty men to both ends of the tunnel, fire on anyone who tries to approach.”

  Tremal-Naik, drying his tears, de Lussac, Yanez and Kammamuri anxiously gathered round him.

  Sandokan read:

  Suyodhana escaped through the old tunnel after the mahant’s sudden appearance. He knows of your plans and his men are determined to sacrifice their lives to defeat you. We’re going to Port-Canning, then on to Calcutta where we’ll embark for Patna. From there we’ll join the rebel troops in Delhi.

  Whatever happens, I will not leave him, and I’ll keep watch over Darma. I’ll leave another letter at the post office in Calcutta.

  Sirdar

  A brief silence followed the reading of the letter, broken only by Tremal-Naik’s stifled sobs.

  All eyes were on the Tiger of Malaysia; the formidable pirate appeared deep in thought, a frown forming on his brow as he pondered this new development. He remained that way for a few minutes then took a step toward Tremal-Naik, placed a hand on his shoulder and said:

  “I promised you we would not leave this land until you were reunited with your daughter and we had slain the Tiger of India; you know that Yanez and I always keep our word. Suyodhana has escaped us once again; but I swear to you now, we’ll find him in Delhi and bring this to an end.”

  “Set off after him with all of Northern India ablaze in rebellion?” asked Tremal-Naik.

  “What does it matter? Are we not warriors? Lieutenant de Lussac, could you obtain a letter of transit from the Governor of Bengal to aid us in our journey? We must get across Northern India without any trouble from British troops.”

  “It shouldn’t be a problem, Captain. There’s been a 10,000 pound bounty on Suyodhana’s head for the last twenty years; I’m certain the authorities would do whatever they could to facilitate his capture.”

  “Capture him! No, sir, I’m going to kill him,” Sandokan said determinedly.

  “As you wish.”

  The Tiger of Malaysia fell silent for a moment then turned towards Tremal-Naik and asked, “You said these caverns stretched beneath the river?”

  “Yes, the Mangal.”

  “And somewhere there’s a cavern with numerous pipes that draw water from the riv
er.”

  “Yes, I saw it several times during my imprisonment,” said Kammamuri. “They provide the Thugs with their drinking water.”

  “Could you lead us to that cavern?”

  “Yes,” replied the two Indians.

  “Is it far?”

  “A little. We’ll have to go through four long tunnels and cross through the Great Temple.”

  “Lead the way then,” said Sandokan, smiling cruelly. “How many explosives do we have left?”

  “Six,” replied Kammamuri.

  “Can we get there without blasting through that other bronze door?”

  “Yes, this tunnel branches into another about two hundred paces from here; from there it’s a clear path to the temple,” said Kammamuri.

  “Excellent! Fasten your torch to the barrel of your carbine and lead the way.” Then he turned to his men and added, “Prepare for battle, Tigers of Mompracem! The Thugs’ last hour is at hand.”

  Chapter 27

  A Slaughter

  LESS THAN THIRTY seconds later, the band of men entered the tunnel that led to the Great Temple and its surrounding caverns, the main refuge of Suyodhana’s Thugs. All were anxious for battle, determined to destroy those infamous stranglers and put an end to their grisly sacrifices.

  The Thugs had disappeared after the pirates’ attack and the hauk had fallen silent, however, Sandokan and his companions did not for an instant believe the battle was over. They proceeded cautiously, keeping close to the ground to avoid any sudden volleys.

  Kammamuri, the most familiar with those tunnels, having been held prisoner by the stranglers for several months, led the way, his torch fastened to the barrel of his carbine, Darma and Punthy advancing alongside him. Sandokan, Tremal-Naik, Yanez and a squad of eight Malays, handpicked from among the best marksmen, followed close behind. Twenty paces from them Sambigliong and Lieutenant de Lussac brought up the rear with the remainder of the men, on either side of Surama.

  Water continued to drain out of the cavern, covering the sound of their advance. It gurgled past with increasing speed as it flowed down the steepening slope and into the tunnels ahead of them.

  “Could the Thugs have escaped?” asked Yanez after a few minutes had passed. “We’ve gone a hundred and fifty paces and there’s still no sign of them.”

  “They’ll be waiting for us in some cavern,” replied Tremal-Naik, who was just in front of him, behind Kammamuri.

  “I’d prefer furious combat to his silence,” said Sandokan. “They may be preparing another trap for us.”

  “What kind of trap?”

  “They could try to drown us again in another cavern.”

  “There haven’t been any other doors; we can always retreat if the water begins to rise.”

  “I suspect they’ll make their stand in the Great Temple,” replied Tremal-Naik.

  “We’ll defeat them, even if they outnumber us ten to one. We’ll drown them all and destroy their lair forever.”

  “Halt!” said the Maratha.

  They had reached a bend in the tunnel when Kammamuri stopped suddenly, spotting several bright dots off in the distance. Punthy barked; Darma roared dully.

  “They smell danger,” said Tremal-Naik.

  “Drop to the ground,” commanded Sandokan. “Keep your torches raised.”

  Everyone immediately obeyed. The water was now speeding past them, indicating that the slope was even steeper further ahead.

  The bright dots continued to move, flittering from left to right.

  “What are they doing?” asked Sandokan. “Are those signals?”

  Punthy barked a second time. Was it a warning?

  “Someone’s coming,” said Kammamuri.

  He had just finished speaking when a volley of gunfire thundered down the tunnel, the light from the blast revealing several men pressed against the walls.

  Fortunately the shots had gone wide, for the Thugs had aimed at the torches, not suspecting the pirates had fastened them to the barrels of their carbines.

  “Fire!” thundered Sandokan, as he sprang to his feet.

  At that command the marksmen emptied their carbines at the Thugs and rushed forward, parangs flailing as they filled the air with savage cries. Darma and Punthy were quick to follow, attacking anyone they found before them.

  The volley had not gone to waste for the pirates often stumbled over bodies lying on the ground. But it had been too dark to get them all, and footsteps echoed down the tunnel as the survivors attempted to escape.

  His men anxious to engage in battle, Sandokan abandoned all caution and the small band set off at a run.

  The tunnel continued downward, widening with every step. The lights had vanished; however, the pirates still had their torches, which despite the two volleys had not gone out.

  That wild run through the mysterious tunnels lasted for two or three minutes; then Sandokan and Kammamuri who were at the front of the group, thundered:

  “Stop!”

  A metallic clang had echoed in front of them as if a bronze door had hurriedly been shut. Punthy began to bark furiously.

  The pirates collided into one another as they came to a sudden halt, found their footing and quickly levelled their carbines.

  “What now?” asked Yanez, as he stepped to Sandokan’s side.

  “It appears the Thugs have sealed off our path,” replied the leader of the pirates of Mompracem. “There’s a door somewhere ahead of us.”

  “We’ll blow it up,” said de Lussac.

  “Go check it out, Kammamuri,” said Tremal-Naik.

  “Keep your torch high,” advised Sandokan, “everyone else get down.”

  The Maratha was about to obey, when several shots thundered from behind them.

  “They’re trying to trap us in a crossfire,” said Sandokan. “Sambigliong, take ten men and cover our backs.”

  “Yes, Captain,” replied the quartermaster.

  Several more shots rang out, but the Thugs, unaware that the torches had been fastened to the pirates’ carbines, merely struck the tunnel walls.

  Sambigliong and his men, guided by the flashes of powder, silently crept towards the marksmen, drew their parangs, and attacked.

  In the meantime, Kammamuri, Sandokan and Tremal-Naik had quickly advanced towards the door, planning to blast it open with an explosive. They had just lit the fuse when they noticed to their surprise that it had been left ajar.

  “They’ve unlocked it,” said Tremal-Naik.

  But before he could push it open, Sandokan quickly put up a restraining hand.

  “It may be a trap,” he said.

  Darma and Punthy growled in agreement.

  “An ambush?” whispered Tremal-Naik.

  “I’m sure of it.”

  “What are we going to do then? We have to go through there.”

  “Lieutenant de Lussac, have the men gather by the door as silently as possible, and tell them to be ready to open fire. Give me the bomb, Kammamuri.”

  At the risk of having it explode in his hands, he took the explosive, blew on the fuse to make it burn more quickly, then silently pushed open the door, threw it into the cavern and shouted, “Back!”

  A moment later they heard a formidable roar, followed by cries of horror.

  The door, blown off its hinges, had fallen in.

  Sandokan, who had been knocked to the ground by the violent blast of wind that had resulted from the explosion, quickly sprang to his feet.

  “Forward!” he commanded.

  Men were desperately fleeing in all directions; several Thugs lay before them, struggling for their last breath, limbs severed, chests bathed in blood.

  The pirates were standing in a vast chamber. Torches blazed from brackets along the walls, illuminating enormous statues carved into the rock. They fired several shots to keep the stranglers from reassembling, then charged forward at a run.

  Sambigliong and his men, having slain the Thugs who had attempted to attack them in the tunnel, had swiftly rej
oined them. The quartermaster carried Surama in his powerful arms, not wanting her to fall behind and risk being recaptured.

  The path was clear before them, not a soul emerged from the tunnels or caverns as they advanced. Unable to hold their ground against such determined men, the stranglers had fled in all directions, some taking refuge in the tunnels, others racing back towards the Great Temple, perhaps planning to escape through the passageway in the banyan tree that Suyodhana had had reopened.

  “Onward! Onward!” howled the Malays and Dyaks, assured of success by that lack of opposition.

  They had just entered a large cavern when they were suddenly forced to a halt. A large horde of stranglers stood at the far end, boldly awaiting their arrival.

  “They’re going to defend the Great Temple!” howled Kammamuri. “It’s in that cavern just ahead of us!”

  It was the last battle the Thugs would ever fight.

  Sandokan quickly ordered his men to form a square. More and more stranglers were storming into the cavern, emerging from tunnels wielding axes, rumaals, hatchets, knives, talwars, pistols and carbines. Frightening cries filled the air as they charged forward, but the pirates merely levelled their carbines and waited for them to draw closer.

  “Fire without mercy!” thundered Sandokan, standing in the front line with Yanez and Tremal-Naik. “Make sure the torches don’t go out!”

  A powerful volley destroyed the first wave of attackers, knocking many to the ground.

  The second wave charged before the pirates could reload, they drew their swords and soon the sound of clashing metal echoed throughout the cavern.

  Though outnumbered five to one, the Tigers of Mompracem stood firm, never conceding an inch of ground. At times a Malay or a Dyak would fall, slain by enemy gunfire, but the pirates continued to fight on, bravely matching the enemy blow for blow.

  The dead and dying soon covered the ground. Repulsed at every turn, the Thugs attacked again and again, attempting to slaughter those men who had dared to violate their most sacred chamber. But though their determination was admirable, the extraordinary courage and tenacity of the Tigers of Mompracem soon triumphed over their brave but undisciplined foes. Seeing the Thugs hesitate, Sandokan quickly divided his men into four groups and ordered them to attack.