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

by F. S. Brereton

  CHAPTER V

  Escape from the Schooner

  Scarcely five minutes had elapsed from the time when Hanns Schlott'scowardly finger had pressed the trigger and sent the murderous bulletinto the breast of the sleeper. Indeed, to Tyler, as he stood thereupon the stern, pistol in hand, prepared to discharge the contents ofthe six-pounder into the midst of the pirates, the sharp report, thatpiercing, piteous scream still rang in his ears, while the thud ofJohn's massive fist and the crash and noise of splintering wood-workas the rascally Dutchman was knocked to the floor were fresh in hismemory. Then had come the rapid appearance of the boatswain, to befollowed shortly afterwards by the figures of the mutinous crew rushingup on deck to aid their comrades. And all the while his own weapon hadbeen snapping, sending a shower of bullets amongst the occupants of theapproaching boat. So much had happened in that short space of time, sorapid had been the succession of events, that the moments had flownby. Now, however, it was so different, for, waiting there beside thegun, with one companion alone to support him, to help him face a hordeof ruffians intent upon their lives, the seconds seemed minutes, theminutes hours, so desperate was the situation. A shout, a shot in theirdirection, or the sudden rush of the pirates would have been a welcomerelief to the tension, but as yet their condition was unchanged.

  Thanks to the light shed by the riding-lamp, both he and John Marshallcould see the Malays grouped upon the deck, and could watch as theirleader, Christian van Sonerell, went amongst them, urging them to dashaft and fall upon the white men. At length, rendered desperate andutterly reckless by the precarious position in which he found himself,Tyler levelled his pistol at the leader of the pirates, and takingdeliberate aim, pressed steadily upon the trigger. At once there wasa shout, and the Dutchman swung round with a curse, showing that thebullet had struck him. Indeed, there was little doubt that he washeavily hit, for he staggered to one side, and would have fallen had itnot been for the mast against which he placed one hand. But he was asturdy fellow, this rascally marauder, and to do him but common justicehe was not the man to cry out till badly hurt, or to give in tillthoroughly beaten. With a gasp, therefore, he recovered his breath, andat once leapt in front of his following.

  "At them!" he shouted. "Get together on this side and rush at them in abody. Now, I will lead you."

  Turning for one moment to his men, he swung round in the direction ofthe stern, and as if to show his hatred of the white men, he levelleda pistol and fired, sending a bullet swishing so close to Tyler's headthat the latter stepped aside involuntarily. Then, tossing the weaponto the deck, he drew a cutlass from his belt, and, snatching a secondpistol with his left hand, led the pirates in a mad rush towards theirvictims.

  "Some are hanging back," shouted Tyler, "so I will do as I said. If theycome on too strongly it will be madness to wait, and I shall fire thegun and then do my best with my pistol."

  "And what then?" demanded John Marshall eagerly. "Are we to stay here onthe deck and get sliced to pieces? Why, it's throwing our lives away!"

  "What else can we do?" said Tyler eagerly. "We are hemmed in, so far asI can see, and have no means of flight."

  "But what about the dinghy?" asked his companion swiftly. "Ain't she allright? What's to prevent us jumping overboard and swimming to her? Itwouldn't take no more than a minute, and then before these beggars guesswhat we were up to we'd be into her and dodging away in the darkness."

  Tyler had barely time to give his assent to the proposal when theDutchman and his followers were upon them. Scampering along the deck,they came in a confused crowd towards the stern, each one grasping aweapon, and all with their eyes fixed upon the two solitary figuresstanding there. That those who came close behind their leader werefilled with courage and with the determination to be victorious therewas little doubt, for the eagerness with which they dashed forwardshowed it plainly. Quite a number, however, showed far less resolution,for the Malay does not love a struggle which is likely to provedifficult, and dangerous to his life. Some there may be of the pirateswhose days are passed in stern encounters, but the majority spendtheir time in looking for helpless individuals upon whom they may fallsuddenly and when least expected. Here, however, the matter was quitedifferent, for opposed to them, and standing beside a gun which, forall they knew, might be crammed to the muzzle, were two of the threeEnglishmen whom they had hoped to make easy victims. That they wouldfight, and fight hard too, was evident, for otherwise they would havethrown down their weapons at the sight of so many enemies and beggedfor their lives. But this they had shown no inclination to do; and thatfact, combined with the resolute air with which they faced the tide ofpirates rushing down upon them, caused a few of the more faint-heartedto hold back. Instead of racing recklessly forward they halted thereupon the deck, and made up for their lack of courage by shrieking shrillwords of encouragement to their friends.

  Crash! The Dutchman, charging madly upon the gun, came in contact withthe rope stretched between the binnacle and the bulwarks, and in amoment his feet were cut from under him and he pitched forward upon hisface; a huge Malay followed, kriss in hand, and attempted to leap theunseen obstacle. But he failed to rise sufficiently high, and catchinghis toes upon the cable came with a thud upon his leader. The thirdwas more cautious, for, realizing the cause of their downfall, andthe crafty trap which had been set for the attackers, he stretched hishand into the darkness and felt for the rope. A second, and his fingerslit upon it, when his weapon flashed above his head as he prepared tosever the hempen obstacle. But John Marshall was closely watching thescene, and realizing that once the barrier had gone their chances wouldbe lessened, he stretched towards the man and, just as the blow wasfalling, fired point-blank at him. Then with a shout he leapt the ropewhich stretched from the tiller, and dashing upon the Malay who hadfallen upon his leader, he clutched him by the waist and tossed him overthe side.

  THE FIGHT AT THE STERN]

  "Well done!" cried Tyler enthusiastically; "but get back at once, forthe others are coming. Quick, or they will be upon you!"

  The warning to which he had given vent came by no means too soon, forhardly was John Marshall in his former position than the leader of thepirates sprang to his feet and once more rushed upon his opponents.

  "English dogs!" he shouted in his fury; "for the fall which you havegiven me I will make you suffer well. You shall know what it is toscream with pain, and then--"

  He did not finish the sentence, for, failing to notice the second rope,stretching between the tiller and the bulwark, he came into violentcontact with it, and, as in the former case, fell sprawling upon thedeck. Another second and the active John had plucked him by the coat,and with a quick heave had sent him sousing into the sea.

  "Stay there, you Dutchman!" he cried with a short laugh, "and let thatteach you to be more cautious when next you attack a Britisher. Ah, noyou don't, my beauty!"

  The last part of the sentence was addressed to one of the Malay crew,who, taking advantage of the fact that John Marshall was fully engagedin dealing with Christian van Sonerell, had crept on all-fours along thedeck, and, feeling in the darkness for the obstacles which had been theundoing of his comrades, had safely negotiated them, and at that momentsprang, kriss in hand, to his feet. Then, as the boatswain turnedtowards him and gave vent to the words, the Malay darted forward andlunged at him with his weapon with such swiftness that it was only byspringing swiftly aside that John escaped the blow. Next second the buttof his pistol crashed into the native's face, and he, too, tumbled fulllength beside the binnacle.

  "Didn't I tell yer that yer wouldn't do it," growled John in low tonesof excitement. "Jest look out for that other fellow, sir."

  "Right!" exclaimed Tyler in reply, "I'm watching carefully, and thatwill stop him."

  Hoping to rush in upon the Englishmen while their attention wasdistracted, two of the Malay pirates had followed the example set by theone whom John had stunned with his pistol, but, unfortunately for them,they had failed to discover the position of
the rope with sufficientcelerity, and as they fumbled in the darkness they rose so far from thecrouching position which they had assumed that their heads suddenlybecame outlined against the swaying lamp behind. The movement was fatal,for ere they could avoid the shot Tyler had pointed his weapon in theirdirection, and, aided by the feeble rays beyond, had sent a bulletcrashing into the nearest.

  "Perhaps that will stop them," he cried in tones which betrayed nolittle excitement "These fellows must not be allowed to think that theyare to have it all their own way. Indeed they seem to be inclined tohang back, and I begin to think that a rush on our part might clear thedecks. They are without a leader, and now is the time to attack them.Make ready for a charge."

  There was little doubt that the proposal which Tyler had so boldly mademight, in the absence of the rascally Dutchman who led the pirates,have proved more than ordinarily successful, for the losses which theyhad already suffered, the unlooked-for manner in which they had beenopposed, and the sudden downfall of Christian van Sonerell, had filledthe Malays with dismay. Some, indeed, had hung back from the veryfirst, recognizing with the instinct of men possessed of little couragethat danger and death were possibly in store for them. But now, findingthemselves so suddenly arrested in their furious attack, and theirleaders brought crashing to the deck by some unseen means, the remainderfaltered, and, as Tyler's last pistol-shot rang out, to be followedinstantly by the heavy thud of a falling body and by the clatter of anative kriss upon the deck, they turned about in a body and fled intothe bows, placing as great a distance between themselves and the weaponsof their opponents as was possible. Peering into the darkness, theylooked towards the stern with anxious eyes, and noted with feelingsalmost of despair that the two Englishmen whom they had hoped to kill soeasily were stepping across the rope which had formed a barrier betweenthemselves and their numerous opponents. Indeed, so terror-stricken werethey at the sight that thoughts of flight instantly occurred to them,and they would have rushed to the boat which had brought them from theirown prahu to the schooner had not a head suddenly appeared over thebulwark where it was secured. Then an arm came into sight, whilst thefeeble rays of the lamp struggled down upon the dripping figure of aman clambering over the rail. It was Christian van Sonerell, and at thesight cries of delight escaped the Malays. They sprang forward to helphim, and then crowded about him while they urged him in pleading tonesto leave the schooner or to lead them once more against the Englishmen.

  "They are too strong for us, and we fear their gun," cried one of them."By some means of which we are ignorant they have caused you and othersof our comrades to come crashing to the deck, and see how swiftly fatehas followed them. You, too, also came to grief, and when we saw youtossed overboard as if you were a child we gave you up for lost, andseeing that the white-faces were about to turn and rush upon us wecontemplated flight. But you are here once more, you have rejoined us bya miracle, and we again place ourselves in your hands. Shall we gatherin a body and attack them for the second time, or is it your advice thatwe retire and leave these men to themselves? for it is clear that muchsuffering will come upon us before they are conquered."

  "Leave them! Fly like hounds from the schooner and forsake the spoilwhich is already in our hands! Surely you are children to make sucha proposal! You laugh at me and would make believe that you arefrightened!" cried Christian van Sonerell, turning suddenly uponthem, and staring each one in the face as if he would read his inmostthoughts. "Leave the vessel when there is gold below, and when wehave expended so much time and patience to take her! You are jokingand cannot mean what you say. You see for yourselves that the twoEnglish fools have been favoured by luck, and, taking advantage ofmy disappearance, have been bold enough even to think of driving youfrom the deck. Now look at them. As I came climbing over the rail theyhesitated, and now have retreated to their old position, out of which wewill drive them. Forward, my men! Follow Christian van Sonerell!"

  While the rascally Dutchman had been haranguing his men, Tyler and hiscompanion had paused to discuss the question of attacking the Malays.A moment before they were intent upon rushing upon them, for thatthey were disheartened and demoralized was easily to be seen. But theaspect of affairs had suddenly changed, and as Christian van Sonerellhad remarked, his unexpected appearance had caused them to alter theirdetermination.

  "They have gathered in a body again," cried Tyler, stretching out anarm to detain John Marshall, "and see, there is their leader. What badluck for us! For I had hoped that he had disappeared over the side forgood. But he is with his men again, and there is no doubt that he willpersuade them to renew the attack. Stand back, John, and employ thebreathing-space allowed us in reloading our weapons. Then we shall beprepared to fight them again."

  "Ay, that we will, sir," was the ready answer; "we'll stand by oneanother as firm as two rocks, and when things get too warm for us, why,we'll be over the stern before they can look round. But I reckon thatthis time it will be a case for the gun."

  "I think so too," agreed Tyler, looking along the deck and noting withsome concern that the mood of the pirates had already changed. "Theirleader is no doubt telling them of the gold and stores below, and of theriches they will lose if they retreat. Depend upon it, now that theyknow of the presence of the ropes they will hack them asunder and comeat us in a body. Well, if they do I'm fully prepared."

  At the words he thrust one hand into his pocket and commenced to rapidlyreplace the emptied cartridges in his revolver. Then, flicking a fewmore grains of powder into the touch-hole of the gun, lest by chance agust of wind or some sudden jolt during the past conflict should havedisturbed the fuse which he had already prepared, he placed the muzzleof his weapon across the top of the hole, and held it there in readinessto send a charge of grape bursting through the ranks of the pirates. Asfor John Marshall, the success which they had already enjoyed, the factthat it was he who had tossed the Dutchman overboard, and the exampleof coolness which Tyler had set him seemed to have raised his spiritsto the highest. With a short reckless laugh he, too, commenced to cramcartridges into his weapons, and having completed the operation to hissatisfaction, stood close beside his companion, one hand resting uponthe bulwark and his eyes fixed upon the gathering of natives beyond.

  "Helloo!" he suddenly exclaimed, as the rays from the swinging lampfell upon a figure ascending from the cabin below, "there's our friendthe interpreter, looking a little upset after the blow I've given him.Just stand aside, Mr. Richardson, while I take a shot at the fellow.He's only a murderer, and if we treat him like a dog, neither he nor hiscomrades can complain."

  Lifting his left arm till the wrist was on a level with his eyes, JohnMarshall rested the muzzle of one of his weapons there, and took steadyaim at the bulky figure of Hans Schlott, which could be seen in thecompanion-way. Squinting along the barrel, he was in the act of pullingthe trigger when a movement on the part of the criminal disturbed hisaim. Indeed it almost seemed as though Hans Schlott had dreamt of thedanger threatening him, for in spite of the fact that the figures of thetwo young Englishmen were with difficulty visible through the darknesswhich covered the vessel, he suddenly ducked and disappeared below,the movement undoubtedly saving his life. A minute later he reappearedfrom the direction of the bows, having crawled to the deck by way ofthe men's quarters. Then he staggered towards Christian van Sonerell,as if still suffering from the stunning blow which John Marshall haddelivered, and at once commenced to address him.

  "On them!" he shrieked in high-pitched tones, which grated upon Tyler'sears. "Rush at them, and sweep them out of existence, for if you do not,I tell you that we are doomed. Our lives will not be safe for anotherhour, for one of them, known to us as John Marshall, happened by illchance to be in the cabin when I fired. He saw the deed, and I knowwell that neither he nor the other young fool will rest until we arecaptured. They must not escape! We must kill them, and then send theirbodies to the bottom of the sea with some pounds of shot at their feet.Quick, I say, or even now, when the odds are against
them, they willgive us the slip, and bring a certain end to our fortunes."

  He gripped Christian van Sonerell by the arm so fiercely that the latteralmost winced, while he bellowed the words in his ear as if the Dutchmanwere a mile away. Then, leaning against the bulwarks to support hisunsteady weight, he shook his fist with frantic energy at the two dimfigures to be seen in the stern, and called loudly to them.

  "Listen to me, you fools of Englishmen!" he shouted. "You think thatbecause you have resisted us so far you will escape us altogether. ButI tell you that that will not be the case. For lives which you havealready taken you shall pay, and I prophesy that within five minutesboth of you will be slain like your comrade below. Him I killed with myweapon, and see now, this is for you, Tyler Richardson."

  Scarcely had the words left his lips than a pistol-shot rang out, anda bullet struck heavily against the front of the binnacle, shatteringthere into a hundred fragments, which splashed the two young fellowsstanding beyond. A moment later Tyler's voice broke the silence.

  "A bad shot and an unsteady hand," he called out. "Now, hear my words,Hans Schlott, and you, too, who have aided him in this murderous attack.I swear that if I escape from this ship with my life I will never resttill I have hunted you down, for you are murderers. In cold blood youyourself killed my comrade, and for that act you shall be punished. Now,take my advice, leave the ship at once, for if you attack I will firethe gun and blow you to atoms."

  That the warning to which he had given vent caused consternation amongstthe Malay pirates was evident, for up to this they had imagined thatowing to the suddenness of their attack, and to its unexpected nature,the six-pounder in the stern of the schooner was harmless, and thatTyler's behaviour in arranging a fuse and tossing the covering asidewas merely a blind with which to frighten them. Now, however, his ownwords assured them of the fact, for quite a few were able to understandtheir meaning, and instantly those who from the first had been inclinedto show the white feather retreated to the bows of the ship, wherethey displayed every sign of terror. But it was not likely that twodesperate men such as the Dutchmen were would permit themselves to bebaulked of their prey in such a manner. Indeed, so carefully had theirplans been made, so completely did Hans Schlott imagine that he hadhoodwinked the leader of the expedition and his companions, that hewas convinced that the sudden attack, the rising of the crew, and thearrival of a boat-load of Malay pirates had been unforeseen, and thatplans for defence were wholly unprepared. Thanks to the secrecy whichTyler had observed, the crafty interpreter was ignorant of the factthat a conspiracy was suspected, and at the news that Tyler ventured togive him he openly scoffed, and at once turned to reassure the nativefollowing.

  "He lies!" he shouted. "Until I fired he was walking the deck half inhis sleep, while his two companions lay below resting in their bunks.But for the weapons which they carry in their belts they have not acartridge between them, while I swear to you that the gun is empty.Come, lead our men forward, Van Sonerell, and clear these Englishmenfrom our way."

  "Head the charge yourself," was the answer, "and show us that you tooare able to fight. For myself, I will rush at them by your side, and domy best to help you; but much must not be expected of me, for, see here,my strength is gone, and I am weak with loss of blood."

  He pointed to his left shoulder, where Tyler's bullet had struck, andshowed a large red patch which oozed through the cloth, and, mingledwith the salt water with which his garment was saturated, splashedheavily to the deck.

  "Then join me and do your best," cried Hans Schlott, roused todesperation by the thought that if Tyler and his companion escaped therewould be no peace for him, at any rate, in the neighbourhood of Borneo."Forward, my men, for I swear to you that you have nothing but theirpistols to fear. The gun contains air alone, and can do you no harm," hecontinued, turning to the Malay crew. "Come, we will rush at them andbear them from the deck."

  Snatching a cutlass from one of them, he waited to see that they wereready to aid him, and then came full tilt along the deck, his eyesfixed upon the six-pounder, which was dimly visible, and the directionof which he endeavoured to make out. A few seconds and he satisfiedhimself that the muzzle was presenting to the right, and instantly hechanged the course of his frantic charge and came rushing along theopposite side of the deck. As for his companions in villainy, they toocame towards the stern at their fastest pace, and, scattering as muchas the narrow space between the bulwarks would allow, charged upon theyoung Englishmen, careless of the presence of the gun which Hans Schlotthad assured them was empty. And all the while Tyler and his solitarycompanion stood there awaiting the conflict with steady courage, butwith the certain knowledge that on this occasion they would be beatenback. Holding their fire until Hans Schlott and his Dutch comrade werewithin a few yards, they levelled their weapons steadily, and at a wordfrom Tyler firmly pressed upon the trigger. Four times in succession didthey discharge a bullet into the ranks of the attackers, and on eachoccasion one of the Malay crew threw his arms into the night and camecrashing to the deck. But in spite of their efforts to bring down theleaders, Hans Schlott and Christian van Sonerell still remained unharmedupon their feet, seeming by a miracle to escape the bullets intendedfor them. Determined to slay the two Englishmen who stood between themand the rich prize which had aroused their cupidity, and brave in theknowledge that they had nothing to fear from the gun, they came onwithout a pause, and before Tyler could have thought it possible wereat the binnacle. At once down came Hans Schlott's cutlass, severing thetightly-stretched cable with such swiftness that it flew aside with atwang, while the weapon itself hit the planks beneath and penetrateddeeply. A wrench, and the blade was withdrawn, while the Dutchmanprepared to sever the second and only remaining barrier which stretchedbetween him and the Englishmen.

  "Stand aside!" shouted Tyler in warning tones, seeing that ere a minutehad passed he and his companion would be overwhelmed "They are massed ina body, and will be upon us if we do not check them. Now, I will firethe gun, and dive overboard immediately afterwards."

  "Fire!" bellowed John, as if to encourage his young leader. "Blow themall clear of the decks."

  Swiftly placing the muzzle of his revolver against the top of thetouch-hole, Tyler waited an instant to assure himself that his friendwas clear of the discharge, and that the critical time had arrived.Then, steeling himself to the task, he pulled at the pistol, sending alivid flash against the breach of the gun. Fizz! The powder splutteredup in his face, giving out a column of dense smoke, which was swallowedup instantly by the sulphurous vapour which poured from the muzzle.There was a loud roar as the six-pounder spoke out into the night, andthen, ere the echo had died down, and long before Hans Schlott andhis accomplice could dart to the rear of the gun and fall upon theEnglishmen, Tyler and John Marshall had sprung clear of the deck andwere swimming through the deep water which surrounded the schooner.

  "For the dinghy!" said Tyler as he came to the surface, shaking the saltwater out of his eyes. "But silence, or they will learn where we are andfire into us."

  "They are over the side, and will escape us," bellowed Hanns Schlott,peering over the bulwark in his endeavour to pierce the darkness. "Standstill, all of you, and hold your tongues, you men. Now, listen! Whereare they?"

  "Swimming for their dinghy or I am mistaken," said Christian vanSonerell with an oath. "She lies directly aft, where the tide has sether, and if we fire in that direction we shall blow them out of thecraft. Here, get aboard our own boat some of you lads, and after theEnglish pigs. Now, Hanns, level your pistols and let go."

  The two Dutchmen at once leaned over the rail as far as they wereable, and having judged what must be the position of the dinghy, firedtogether in that direction. But only the echoes from the neighbouringshore answered the reports, while the surface of the water, which hadmomentarily been lit by the flash from their weapons, again disappearedin the gloom of the night.

  "Missed!" growled Hanns Schlott. "It seems to me that we might as wellexpect to hit a
fly under the circumstances. Let us not waste our time,but send a party after them at once. Fortunately we have a boat at ourservice, and can follow them. Take charge of the vessel while I go withour men and hunt down these Englishmen."

  "Do so," answered his comrade faintly, for now that the excitement ofthe contest was gone he was beginning to feel the effect of his wound."After them, Hanns, my friend, and do not rest till you have killedthem; for remember that one of them witnessed the shot which killedtheir leader, while if that were not sufficient to bring us to thegallows, their evidence as to this act of piracy would certainly lead tothe loss of our lives."

  "I will hunt the island. I will follow as though they were rats uponwhose extermination I am determined. Make your mind easy, Christian vanSonerell; this is a matter which concerns my safety perhaps more thanyour own, for I am the man who killed this Mr. Beverley. I will go tothe end of the world to capture them, and when I have them in my hands,ah--!"

  He clenched his fists in the darkness, and ground his teeth with rage.Then, realizing that if he was to have the smallest hope of success hemust not delay, he turned swiftly about, and, forgetful of the throbbingpain in his head, which had followed John's lusty blow, went racingalong the deck to the point where the boat was made fast. Already a crewof willing Malays were seated in it, and as soon as the bulky Dutchmanhad lowered himself into the bows, one of the former threw off thepainter and sent the boat away from the schooner with a vigorous thrustfrom his foot.

  "Pull!" shouted Hanns Schlott, using the Malay tongue. "An extra shareof the prize if you lay hands upon these English dogs. Indeed, I myselfwill give a special reward to anyone who is successful in killing them.Pull! Let us not waste time, for if we are swift we shall overtake themere they reach the shore."

  Dipping their long oars into the water, the crew of pirates sent theboat on her course, and within a few seconds she was well away from theschooner, with her nose directed for the island of Borneo. Meanwhile,what had happened to Tyler and his friend?

  Once their heads had risen free of the water, they had turned towardsthe point where they imagined the dinghy would be, and after swimminga few strokes had the good fortune to come across her in the darkness.At once each grasped her by the gunwale, and hung on there while theyprepared for the final effort of climbing in. Suddenly, however, an ideaoccurred to Tyler.

  "No," he whispered, seeing that John was about to hoist himself up, "donot get into the boat yet awhile, for then we should be easy targets ifthey caught sight of us. Let us swim beside her, and push her away fromthe schooner."

  "The very thing, sir! There's the painter, and now I've slipped it fromthe ring. I reckon that they will follow towards the shore, for whatwould take us in the direction of the open sea?"

  "Then we'll do what they least expect," said Tyler sharply. "That way,John, and when we are a hundred yards from the ship let us lie still andlisten. Then we shall learn what steps they are taking to capture us,and can make our plans accordingly."

  Acting on this advice, they silently pushed the small craft out to sea,swimming with one hand in the water and the other grasping the gunwale.Soon they had put quite a respectable distance between themselves andtheir enemies, and at a jerk from Tyler, who back-watered with his feet,and so attracted his comrade's attention, they hung without a movementin the deep water, and listened eagerly for sounds of the pursuers.

  "I heard pistols fired," said Tyler softly. "The sea was about my earsand deadened the sound, but for all that I am sure that they fired.Perhaps they thought that they saw us in the darkness, or, more likely,they let go their bullets in the hope of making a lucky shot."

  "That's the case, I reckon," answered John. "But steady, sir, the soundof a voice carries far across the sea on a still night like this. Listento that. They are in their boat, and are after us. I can hear thatruffian's voice."

  Once again both were silent, while they turned their faces towards theshore and listened carefully. Yes, there could be no doubt about thematter, for Hanns Schlott's voice broke the stillness of the night as heurged his men at their oars.

  "To the shore!" he shouted. "I will give a handful of dollars to the manwho lays his fingers upon them dead or alive. Can anyone see or hearthem?"

  No answer was made to his question, though many eyes were staring intothe darkness, and, therefore, without further delay they pulled onfor the shore, hoping to capture the fugitives as they landed, or, iffortune were kind to them, to arrive on the shore of Borneo before thewhite men could reach it, and there lay a trap into which they wouldfall. As for Tyler and John Marshall, they clung to the frail boat formany minutes as she lay there motionless in the water, listening withall their ears for sounds of the pirates. So calm was the atmosphere,and so still the night, that, as the latter had remarked, the slightestsound travelled along the surface of the sea in a remarkable manner, andcould be heard quite a distance away. Thanks to this fact, the splash ofoars as the boat was rowed away from them reached their ears distinctly,as did also the hoarse commands of the Dutchman who accompanied thesearchers as he gave the order to cease pulling. Then there was silenceonce more, and for many minutes the gentle lap of water against thefrail sides of the dinghy could alone be heard.

  "We will tire their patience out by remaining where we are," whisperedTyler, "and fortunately for us the water is so warm that we are notlikely to become chilled by remaining in it for a long period. Perhapsthey will imagine that we have already landed, and in that case theywill not venture to go far afield, for the night is too dark forpursuit. An hour or more of waiting may convince them that it is uselessto remain, and as soon as they return to the schooner we will swimtowards the land."

  "And supposing they remain ashore till the morning?" asked John Marshallin anxious tones. "In that case we should certainly be taken, unless, ofcourse, we waited for, say, a couple of hours and then pushed our boataway to the right or left, so as to land farther up or down the coast."

  "It is a good idea, John," answered Tyler thoughtfully, "and if thepirates show signs of their determination to waylay us in the morning wewill do as you say. For the present, however, I feel sure that we areacting for the best by lying quietly here. Our movements in the futuremust depend upon circumstances, though you may be sure of this, thatwhatever happens we will not be taken without a struggle. Unfortunatelyour weapons are practically useless, for the cartridges will have beendestroyed by the water."

  "I don't know so much," whispered John hastily, "for just as I was goingoverboard I thought of the matter and crammed a handful into my cap,while I jammed it firmly down upon my head. It's made of thick pilotcloth, and as I was only under the surface for a few seconds, it'spossible that the ammunition has escaped. Look here!"

  Pulling himself a little higher out of the water, he leaned his chin onthe gunwale and gently drew his cap from his head. Then, one by one, hepicked some twenty or more cartridges from the lining and placed themupon one of the seats.

  "Not even damp," he said in low tones of delight. "Now, let's have therevolvers and place them here to dry. The water will quickly drain awayfrom them, and in half an hour or so they will be fit for use again."

  Dragging their weapons from their belts or pockets, as the youngboatswain had suggested, they placed them within the boat with openbreeches and muzzles pointing downwards. Then, satisfied that they haddone all that was possible, they once more turned their attention to theschooner, and to the pirates who had landed upon the shore.

  "Hush!" whispered Tyler earnestly, some little time later, as a voicecame reverberating across the water. "Someone is talking, and I thinkthat it is the Dutchman."

  "Sure enough, sir," agreed John, "and what's more, he's hailing theschooner. I wonder what he's saying!"

  Both listened attentively, but owing to their ignorance of the Dutchlanguage could make nothing of what they heard. That it was HannsSchlott whose hail had come across the water, was evident, for bothTyler and John were well acquainted with the tones of his voice. Th
ensomeone shouted an answer back from the deck of the schooner, and again,in spite of the small knowledge that they had of Christian van Sonerell,they were certain that it was he who responded to his friend.

  "There is some movement afoot," remarked Tyler, placing his lips asclose to John's ear as their respective positions would allow. "Andhark! there is someone moving ashore. Yes, I heard the boat splash asshe was run into the water, and there is the clatter of oars."

  Clinging there, with their heads just above the surface and their earsclear of the sea, both Tyler and his companion could hear the soundsas though they were made close at hand. Indeed, the calm sea, with itsunruffled surface, seemed to accentuate the sounds and transmit themwith such clearness that, though some hundreds of feet away, the noiseof an oar falling into its place in the rowlock, and the splash as theblade was dipped, were heard as though close at hand. Then, at a word ofcommand from Hanns Schlott, the boat shot from the shore, and the soundof many oars forcing her through the water came to their ears.

  "Going back to the schooner," whispered Tyler. "Have they given up thechase and decided to content themselves with the vessel as a prize, orare they merely returning there until the day dawns and allows them tocarry on the pursuit with energy? We will wait and keep watch, and ifthere is no movement after an hour or more we will follow your plan."

  "And what if they are just going aboard to get more men?" said JohnMarshall eagerly. "Yer see, sir, it's a long stretch of coast to set awatch on, and that Dutch rascal is cute enough to know it. Supposingthat's his game, then we shall find escape more difficult still, andshall have to swim a good mile or more to get clear of the watchers."

  "And when we touched the land we should never know whether we werebeyond them or not," replied Tyler thoughtfully. "How many men do youthink went ashore with Hanns Schlott?"

  "Just about the number that come aboard with the other rascal, sir."

  "And how many do you suppose are now aboard the schooner, John?"

  "Ten at the most, and that's an outside figure," was the unhesitatinganswer. "I reckon that the Dutchman cleared off with his own fellows,leaving behind the crew which manned the schooner."

  "Then we will change our plans, and for the present will decide not togo ashore," said Tyler resolutely. "If Hanns Schlott has come to fetchmore men, as I feel sure he has, we will wait until he and the crew havereached the shore again. Then, John, my friend, we will float silentlydown upon the schooner, and will do our best to take possession of ourproperty. We have arms at hand to help us, and if only we can effect acomplete surprise we should be able to drive the pirates from the deck.Steady! The boat has just reached the vessel, and by the sounds whichcome to us I feel sure that some of the crew are entering her."

  That this was the case was quickly evident, for within a few minutesthe splash of oars again sounded across the water, while the pirates'boat was pulled towards the shore, this time manned by more men than hadaccompanied her on her outward journey.