Strict vigilance had been ordered aboard the cruiser. Armed with powerful binoculars, topmen manned the crows’ nests day and night, ready to sound the alarm at the first sight of smoke on the horizon.
As a greater precaution, Sandokan and Yanez had ordered lights out after sunset, wanting to sail past the mouth of the Sarawak undetected to avoid being followed.
They knew they were being hunted; the Rajah and the British had sent ships to scour those waters. Their enemies may have already guessed their intentions, or worse still, had been informed of their plans. The two former pirates appeared uncharacteristically worried. Brows furrowed, they paced about the bridge for hours on end, stopping at times to cast anxious looks upon the horizon. They rarely left the deck at night, limiting their rest to a few hours sleep just after first light.
“Sandokan,” said Tremal-Naik, once the King of the Sea had sailed a few dozen miles past the mouth of the Sarawak, “you seem uneasy.”
“Yes,” replied the Tiger of Malaysia, “I won’t hide it from you, my friend.”
“What troubles you?”
“There’s a ship nearby, I can feel it, and my intuition is seldom wrong. Smell that smoke? Someone’s been burning coal.”
“Who? The British? Or the Rajah’s squadron?”
“The rajah’s squadron poses no threat to us; Sir Moreland’s ship was the mightiest ship he had.”
“And she’s now resting at the bottom of the sea.”
“Yes; if she was no match for us, his collection of old second-class cruisers do not stand a chance. Labaun’s squadron, however, that’s another matter.”
“A mighty fleet?”
“What they lack in power, they make up for in number. We could defeat each ship individually, but if they surrounded us it would be no easy matter. Still, despite the odds, I think the King of the Sea would triumph. Fortunately, England keeps her best ships in Europe.”
“Far from these waters,” said Tremal-Naik.
“Yes, but for how long? The Anglo-Indian Navy has a few powerful ships of its own. Once they learn of the damage we’ve done to their shipping lanes, the British will immediately send their mightiest warships after us.”
“And then?” asked Tremal-Naik.
“We’ll do what we can,” replied Sandokan. “If our coal holds out, we’ll give them quite the chase.”
“It’s always a matter of coal; it’s our greatest weakness.”
“And without a friendly port, it’s a weakness that could prove fatal. Fortunately, the British navy is the largest in the world; there’ll be no shortage of steamships, we’ll sail up to China if need be. Ah! The fog is rolling in! Fortune is with us, we’re just about to sail past the Sultanate.”
“Are we far from Sedang?”
“About two hundred miles. These are the most dangerous waters. If all goes well, we’ll rendezvous with the Marianna tomorrow. Best we increase our speed; keep your eyes open, Tremal-Naik. Woe to any ship that dares cross our path.”
It seemed that Fortune still protected the last Tigers of Mompracem, for shortly after sunset a fog began to descend upon the bay.
Nevertheless, Sandokan and Yanez had ordered the crew to stand ready, for should an enemy ship suddenly appear, a few blasts from her cannons would suffice to draw the attention of the squadron.
The cruiser had increased her speed to thirteen knots and began to advance rapidly through the thickening fog.
Sandokan, Yanez, Tremal-Naik and Mister Howard were on the quarterdeck, beside the helmsmen, eyes trained on the darkening waves.
The gunners stood behind their weapons; the Malays and Dyaks behind the bulwarks.
No one spoke, all straining to catch the slightest noise that would signal their enemies’ approach, but nothing could be heard save for the hiss of steam, the churning of the propellers, and the sound of the ram slicing through the waters.
They had sailed about fifty miles past the second mouth of the Sarawak when a loud siren suddenly broke the silence.
“A scout ship?” asked Yanez.
“Likely,” replied the Tiger of Malaysia. “It must have been waiting for us.”
“Best we head east then.”
“Yes, but first I’d like to get a look at our foe.”
“It won’t be easy with this fog, Sandokan,” said Tremal-Naik. “How long before we reach the mouth of the Sedang?”
“About five or six hours. See anything, Yanez?”
“Nothing but fog,” replied the Portuguese.
“We won’t change course, so much the worse for any ship that gets in the way of our ram.”
He picked up the tube that communicated with the engine room and thundered, “Mister Howard! Ahead full steam, force the engines!”
The King of the Sea continued to advance, her speed increasing with each passing minute. She climbed from thirteen to fourteen knots, but Mister Howard, still unsatisfied, ordered the engines forced to fifteen.
Though he knew they were burning through their coal at an alarming rate, they had more than enough to feed the boilers for several weeks before they would be forced to resupply.
Two hours had passed uneventfully when suddenly the fog lit up to the east of them.
A beam of light had begun to sweep the waves, making the waters sparkle brightly.
“Search lights!” Yanez exclaimed with a start.
“So it seems,” said Tremal-Naik. “How many ships are there? That’s the question.”
Sandokan remained silent; however, a frown had formed upon his brow.
Several minutes passed.
“Reverse engines!” thundered the Tiger of Malaysia.
Driven forward by her momentum, the King of the Sea advanced for another two or three hundred metres, then came to a halt, pitching slightly among the bay’s large waves.
A ship, perhaps one of many, was scouting the waters off the cruiser’s bow, shining her searchlight in all directions.
“Could the rajah’s squadron know we’re here?” asked Tremal-Naik.
“We must have been spotted by some ship, perhaps some prahu that escaped our notice,” said Sandokan.
“What are you going to do, Sandokan?”
“We’ll hold our position for the moment, if need be we’ll ram our way through. The King of the Sea could smash through ten ships and still emerge unscratched.”
The searchlight slowly swept the water, back and forth, drawing nearer as it tried to spot them through the fog.
Suddenly a second light appeared off the cruiser’s stern, then two more, one to the north, the other to the south.
Standing watch by the wheel, Yanez cursed loudly.
“They’ve surrounded us! To hell with those sharks! Things are going to heat up here soon!”
The Tiger of Malaysia was studying those beams of light. Though his ship had not yet been spotted, she could not advance or retreat without being discovered. With a gesture he summoned Yanez and Mister Howard to his side.
“We have to break through,” he said. “It appears there’s only one ship in front of us.”
“Are we going to ram her?” asked the American.
“That’s my intention, Mister Howard. Double the engine personnel.”
“Consider it done, Captain,” replied the engineer.
“Are the gunners at their stations?”
“Yes,” replied Yanez.
“Ahead full steam! We’ll get through at any cost.”
The searchlights crisscrossed about them, slowly getting brighter as the ships drew nearer.
The commanders of those ships had probably spotted the King of the Sea’s great shadow and were drawing towards it, planning to tighten the circle before they attacked.
A battle was brewing, but the Malays, Dyaks and Americans showed no sign of fear.
“Everyone to the batteries!” shouted Sandokan, entering the command turret with Yanez and Tremal-Naik.
The King of the Sea surged forward, her speed increasing rapidly, smoke s
pewing into the fog from her two funnels. Steam roared through the boilers and her propellers doubled their speed, shaking the ship from bow to stern as they churned through the waters.
The cruiser raced through the bright fog, but she had barely regained the darkness when more searchlights lit up the night.
Having finally found their prey, the enemy ships were drawing in, determined to trap the King of the Sea in a ring of fire and steel.
Undaunted, Sandokan held his course east.
Several cannon blasts thundered and bullets hissed through the air.
“Prepare to fire a broadside!” shouted Yanez. “By Jupiter! And the women?”
“They’re below,” replied Tremal-Naik.
“Have someone tell them to brace for impact,” said Sandokan.
Enormous shadows moved through the fog as the lights grew brighter. The enemy squadron was about to fall upon the Tigers’ ship and attempt to block her advance.
A black mass suddenly appeared in front of the King of the Sea, less than four cable lengths from her bow, too close to avoid a collision.
“Ram her!” thundered Sandokan.
The King of the Sea barrelled forward.
A deafening roar followed by cries of anguish emanated among the fog and faded into the night.
The cruiser’s ram had found its mark, tearing open a large hole as it drove into her enemy. Seconds later, her bow listing slightly, the King of the Sea came to a halt as a series of discharges sounded from the belly of the wounded ship. The force of the impact had caused the enemy’s boilers to explode.
“Reverse engines!” shouted Mister Howard.
The enemy ship’s bow creaked dully as the King of the Sea pulled back and freed her ram. Seconds later their foe began to sink, her crew howling deafeningly as she slowly edged beneath the waves.
The King of the Sea tacked to port and resumed her run, sailing past the sinking ship’s stern as she disappeared into the fog.
Other shadows appeared off her port and starboard sides. The squadron had drawn nearer; close enough for their search lights to sweep the King of the Sea’s deck.
“Fire!” commanded Yanez.
The cruiser’s chasers thundered simultaneously, shaking the ship from her keel to her mast tops. The batteries quickly added their might, firing relentlessly, pounding the attackers with each volley.
Undaunted by those deadly blasts, the enemy kept advancing, ignoring the damage to their ships. Lights flashed about the King of the Sea as grenades rained down upon her, striking her sides and spraying her deck with metal.
The mighty cruiser replied in kind, unleashing a hurricane of shells in all directions.
A small ship suddenly emerged from the fog and charged with reckless abandon. She was a large steam launch with a long pole fastened to her bow.
“They’re attempting to torpedo us!” cried Mister Howard, having recognized the threat immediately.
Sandokan and Yanez had rushed out of the command turret. Her path lit by the searchlights, the launch raced towards the King of Sea. Her commander sat alone at her bow, a few feet from the base of the pole.
“Sir Moreland!” they cried in unison.
It was indeed the captain, trying to halt their escape with an act of reckless bravery.
“Stop that launch!” shouted Sandokan.
“Hold your fire!” howled Yanez.
“What are you doing, brother?” the Tiger of Malaysia asked, surprised.
“Don’t kill him, Darma would be devastated. Leave him to me.”
Several medium calibre pieces lined the ship’s starboard side. Yanez walked to the nearest, quickly adjusted the aim, and fired.
The launch was still three hundred metres away, having been unable to gain ground on the cruiser. The bullet struck her stern, destroying her rudder and propeller and stopping her in her tracks.
“Have a nice trip, Sir Moreland!” the clever gunner shouted ironically.
The captain shook his fist and seconds later the wind carried his words to the Tigers of Mompracem:
“You won’t escape Suyodhana’s son! His ship is waiting in the bay!”
The cruiser had by then sailed away from the lights and was heading back into the fog. She fired one last round from her heavy artillery then vanished into the night, while the Malays and Dyaks howled at the top of their voices:
“Long Live the Tiger of Malaysia!”
Chapter 13
The Marianna
ONCE AGAIN, THE Tigers of Mompracem’s formidable ship, a marvel of American engineering, had confirmed her invincibility. Though the collision with the enemy ship had been severe, her engine and bow had held and her armour had easily withstood that barrage of shells from the squadron’s heavy guns.
She escaped the battle with a few minor scratches, her sturdy sides ready to fend off future attacks. She had, however, suffered a few casualties; four gunners had lost their lives, killed by a grenade.
The King of the Sea raced on at full speed. Realizing they were being followed and imagining, not incorrectly, that their enemies had guessed their plans, Sandokan and Yanez were determined to reach the mouth of the Sedang as quickly as possible. Certain of finding the small ship hidden in the roadstead, they were hoping for an advantage of at least twenty-four hours, enough time to meet with the Dyak leaders and make new arrangements with the Marianna’s captain.
“If all goes well,” Yanez told Tremal-Naik, “we’ll be able to rendezvous with her long before the squadron finds us.”
“They may give up the chase long before then,” said the Bengali.
“It’s more likely they’ll try to trap us between the Sedang and Rejang Rivers and force us toward the coast,” replied the Portuguese. “Let’s hope they’re too late.”
“And that we don’t encounter Suyodhana’s son. Did you hear Sir Moreland’s threat?”
“Yes, but even so, I doubt he’ll have a fleet at his command.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. The Thugs had more than enough wealth to arm several dozen ships.”
“And that’s no exaggeration, master,” added Kammamuri, coming up beside them. “During my months on Rajmangal, I saw several caverns filled with barrels of gold.”
“For all we know they could still be underwater,” said Yanez. “No one had the time to run off with the gold after we flooded the caverns.”
“Suyodhana wouldn’t have kept all his wealth in one place. He probably had a network of hiding places all over India to help finance the Thugs’ operations.”
“You’re spoiling my smoke, my friend,” said Yanez. “What does it matter if the Tiger of India’s son has armed a few ships?” he exclaimed. “Our ship can fend off several at a time, we’ll teach him a lesson as well. It’s high time he showed himself, I’m curious to see how he measures against his father.”
“It’s a shame Sir Moreland couldn’t provide us with more information about him,” said Tremal-Naik.
“Humph!” said Yanez. “I suspect he’s more loyal to Suyodhana’s son than he is to the Rajah of Sarawak.”
“Then perhaps you shouldn’t have spared him, Señor Yanez,” said Kammamuri. “Had you wanted to, you could have easily sunk his launch.”
“I would have regretted slaying that brave young man,” replied Yanez.
“So pleasant and polite,” added Tremal-Naik. “He treated us like guests when Darma and I were his prisoners, a gentleman in every respect, especially towards my daughter.”
“From the beginning?”
“Not exactly,” the Bengali replied. “He was extremely cold to us the first few days; there was hatred in his eyes. I was more than a little worried, but little by little he began to change.”
“Ah!” said Yanez, a smile spreading across his lips.
He relit his cigarette and went off toward the quarterdeck where Darma and Surama had just appeared.
“I hope that last skirmish didn’t give you a fright,” he said, fixing his eyes upon the young Indian wo
man.
“Thank you, Señor Yanez,” whispered Darma, squeezing his right hand.
“For what?”
“I heard about what you did.”
“I could never harm the man you love.”
“Thank you,” sighed the young woman. “But our love can never be...”
“Nonsense. Once this war is over it won’t be difficult to track down that bold young man. Who knows! The two of you could yet be happy together; Sir Moreland loves you as much as you love him.”
“Then why would he try to blow up our ship?” asked Surama.
“I doubt that was his intention,” said Yanez. “He probably planned to blow a hole in her side then run off with Darma in the ensuing confusion. He wouldn’t have let her drown, you can be certain of that. Look! The fog is lifting and there’s a bit of light on the horizon. Shouldn’t be long ‘til dawn; let’s see if we still have the squadron at our heels.”
The fog was beginning to thin, chased away by the early-morning breeze. Once it had cleared, the Tigers of Mompracem found themselves alone on the open sea. The allied squadron, unable to keep pace with the King of the Sea’s mighty engines, was nowhere to be seen. The only movement came from flocks of birds wheeling over the waves.
Keeping far from Bornean shores to avoid the coastguard ships, the cruiser continued north, her engines at full steam. By sunset she was sailing along the coast of Sedang, just a couple of hours from their destination.
“I’d say we’re out of danger for the moment,” said Yanez to Mister Howard, who, along with Darma, was watching the sunset.
“Yes, we should enjoy the quiet while we can,” the American replied. “It may not be long before that squadron tracks us down again.”
“What a marvellous sunset!” Darma suddenly exclaimed.
“They’re magnificent in this part of the world,” said Yanez. “You’ll see colours you won’t see anywhere else. If you pay close attention, you may even see the famous green ray.”
“A green ray!” exclaimed Darma and the American in unison.
“It’s magnificent, a marvellous phenomenon unique to these waters. The sky is clear, so we should be able to see it. Just wait until the sun is about to disappear.”
Sandokan: The King of the Sea (The Sandokan Series Book 5) Page 25