CHAPTER IX
On Foot through the Jungle
Well was it for Tyler and the Dyaks, whose chief he had so suddenlybecome, that he had made arrangements for meeting the enemy with suchthoroughness; for otherwise Hanns Schlott and the fifty men or morewho accompanied him would have pushed on through the forest at a pacewhich would rapidly have eclipsed that of the retreating tribe andwould have speedily overwhelmed them. But there were those lurking inthe jungle prepared to arrest the progress of the pirates, and thanksto the resolute air which Tyler had displayed, and to the knowledgewhich the Dyaks now possessed, that he, with John Marshall alone tohelp him, had faced the crew of the prahu and safely escaped, they werefull of confidence in their young chief's powers to lead them and bringthem safely out of the engagement. Crouching there amongst the denseundergrowth, each man lifted the long wooden blow-pipe which these Dyaktribes use, and having already placed within it a sharp-pointed arrow,at the base of which was a pith-bulb to hold the air, they pointed themat the Malays and waited for the word to fire.
Hish! One of the pirates who had been sent in advance to follow thetracks of the fugitives gave a gasping cry, and fell upon his face, hishands convulsively grasping one of the tiny arrows.
"What has happened?" demanded Hans Schlott, giving a start of surprise."Get up at once, and do not alarm us by your antics. Come, drag thefellow to his feet," he went on, seeing that the Malay lay still withhis head buried in the undergrowth. "He imagines himself hurt, and willlie there till we force him to rise."
"He is dead!" exclaimed one of his comrades, rushing to his side andturning him upon his back. "See here, someone has fired at him with ablow-pipe. It must be the Dyaks who have been watching."
"Then they shall suffer!" burst in the Dutchman with an oath. "Oncebefore we raided them, and a fine fat sum we gained by our slaves, Irecollect. They shall be punished again, and in the meanwhile the deathof one of our number shall not deter us. Push on, and keep your eyesopen wide for these snakes of natives. A shot into the jungle will soonscare them Ho there! Level your weapons, all of you, and direct them soas to sweep close to the ground. Then pull the triggers as I give theword."
Waiting till all his men had run to him, and had become ready to carryout his orders, Hanns Schlott shouted "Fire!" a volley of musketry beingat once poured into the bushes. Then with an answering shout his mensprang forward upon the trail. As for Tyler and his little force, forthe moment the Dyaks were dismayed at the swishing bullets and at thepatter of twigs and leaves which resulted. But they had suffered noharm, and that thanks to the fact that each one had kept his eyes fixedupon the enemy, and at the first sign of the movement had lain flat uponthe ground. But in spite of their lucky escape they would have givenback at once, and have plunged in mad flight into the forest, had it notbeen for Tyler. With a shout to encourage them, he fired at the nearestMalay and brought him staggering upon the ground. Then Li Sung's voicejoined in and helped to maintain the courage of the Dyaks.
"Fear them not!" he cried in the Dyak language. "We are as yet unseen,and can punish them. Think of the women and children taken intocaptivity by these men! Keep your places and shoot straight!"
"I heard the voice of that Englishman," shouted Hanns Schlott. "Thenhe has picked up some of the Dyaks and hopes to beat us back with theiraid. But he will soon learn that they are poor fighters, and will deserthim. Forward, and do not let these men keep you!"
Striding to the front of his men, he led the way into the jungle,feeling confident that, at the most, the white men for whom he searchedcould not have obtained the help of more than a few of the natives. Buthe quickly changed his mind, for ere he had traversed a dozen paces oneof the silent missiles again swished with its low peculiar note throughthe air, and, striking the Dutchman in the shoulder, brought him to asudden halt.
"A second arrow, but not poisoned!" he cried, giving vent to anexclamation of annoyance and pain, "Not poisoned, as I said, my men, forthat I happen to know. It is nothing--a mere pin-prick--and shall notstop us. On! shoot them down, and capture this runaway!"
Plucking the arrow from his clothing and from the flesh beneath, HansSchlott sprang boldly into the underwood, a drawn revolver in each hand.But his men held back doubtfully, their fears aroused by the sound ofTyler's voice.
"They have guns! The white men will turn them upon us as they did onthe schooner, and we shall be killed!" called out one of their number,retreating towards the swamp. "See! a comrade has already paid with hislife, and others of us will fall. They are unseen also, while we are anopen target."
"You at least are in sight," was the Dutchman's answer, as he swunground upon his cowardly follower. "Move another step backwards andI will fire! Come, do not be frightened by his tale," he went on asthe man came to a sudden halt and stood trembling before the weaponwhich his leader held levelled at his breast. "You are not all sochicken-hearted as this girl! Will you be driven back, and for the thirdtime at least, by a couple of boys without hair on their white faces,and by a few half-starved natives whose knees knock at the mention ofyour names? Forward! Charge through the forest and hunt these rats out!"
Emboldened by his words, the pirates quickly recovered their spirit,and, seeing that Hanns Schlott was prepared to lead them in person, atonce fell in behind him, and, rifle in hand, plunged into the jungle.Separating, so that a considerable interval lay between each man, theythrew themselves down upon their knees so as to render themselves lessvisible, and in this manner began to stalk their enemies.
"We will retire at once," said Tyler, perceiving their action, andrealizing that, now that they were fully alarmed and had knowledge ofthe presence of enemies, the pirates would creep to close quarters andruin his plans. "By remaining here we run the chance of having theMalays upon us and of engaging in a hand-to-hand struggle. That is justwhat I do not want, for then the Dyaks will be beaten, and at the sightof their old enemies will turn and fly. We will retire some two hundredyards, and perhaps when Hanns Schlott and his men see that the forestdirectly in front of them is clear they will imagine that we have gonealtogether. In that case we shall be able to surprise them again. Givethe word, Li Sung."
"I will give de signal which all know," was the answer. "Li Sung himmake de sound of de parrot. Plenty same bird in de forest, and men ofDyak tribe know at once that dey are to creep back. Dere!"
Rising swiftly to his feet the Chinaman sounded the note of a parrot,and again falling upon his knees began to crawl off through theundergrowth. Tyler also turned about, and went off swiftly in the wakeof Li Sung, taking good care to keep his head low. When he had traversedsome two hundred yards, and all sounds of the pirates had ceased forsome little time, he called gently to his guide and motioned to him tocome to a halt.
"We are far enough now, I think," he said calmly. "Give the signalagain, and then lead me round to inspect the positions taken up bythe natives. Give each one directions also to be ready to retire againat any moment, only they are not to forget that on the next occasionthey are to crawl only some fifty yards, unless, as has happened thistime, they see me retire still farther. Now hurry, and, above all, keepsilence."
Having brought the Dyaks to a halt by the signal, Li Sung went offon all-fours at a rapid rate, taxing Tyler's strength to the full tokeep up with him. A gentle call as they went soon brought them to thelurking-place which each individual had selected, and at once the orderswere handed to him, the Chinaman acting as interpreter.
"Now back," said Tyler, when all was to his satisfaction. "Let me knowthe instant that the pirates come near us."
"No need to tellee dat," said Li Sung. "Massa him keepee little earwidee open and him hear. De Malay man come swift velly soon. Him tink nolittle man wait for de pirates, but allee gone. 'Velly fine,' him say tohimself, but wait. Li Sung know muchee better dan dat. S-s-s-s-h! I tinkI hear dem."
The gentle rustle of leaves brushed aside, and the snap of breakingtwigs under foot, broke upon the ear and brought Tyler full length tothe earth once
more, where, burying his head in the centre of a densebush, he peered amongst the trees.
"Hish! S-s-s-sh!" came again from the pigtailed Chinaman. "Li Sung himcan hear men over dere, and dey not creeping. Dey walking wid head vellyhigh, and dem say dat de white man whom dey hate havee gone away. Wait alittle bitee. De Dyaks and deir friend soon tellee anoder story. Hish!"
Lying beside Tyler, he whispered the words into his ear, and then pulledhim by the sleeve as louder sounds than usual issued from the jungle.Then as both peered from their leafy screen, first one, and then somethirty of the Malays came into view, while behind them their comradescould be heard calling. As for the Dutchman, he was not long in puttingin an appearance, for, as the last of the pirates hurried up, he toowalked forward, all unconscious of the fact that fifty pair of watchingeyes were fixed upon him.
"A wild-goose chase!" he was saying to his men, while a sneer wreathedhis features. "The white hero has at last given way, and has fledwith these savages. But we will soon catch them up, for they are butpoorly fed, and will be hampered with their women and children. Keeptogether, and let one only take the lead, so that the tracks shall notbe smothered. Now."
In a bunch all came forward at his bidding, while one of their numberwhom Hanns Schlott called by name sprang to their front and began tolead the way. Now was the time for Tyler and his men, and waiting onlytill the enemy were within easy shot of the blow-pipes, the formershouted so that all could hear, and at the same time fired his rifleinto the middle of the Malays. A second discharge followed, and ereHanns Schlott and his men could recover from their astonishment, orcould realize the fact that six of their number had fallen, the silentwatchers had stolen off on hands and knees and had taken up anotherposition some fifty yards in rear.
Twice again did the Dyaks under Tyler's lead cause loss to the enemy,for though the latter now came through the jungle feeling their wayby inches, and probing every bush with their bullets, the watchersconstantly moved their position, and always directed their arrows from adifferent quarter. At length Hanns Schlott realized that to go fartherwould be to risk being surrounded and cut off, and with an oath at onceordered a retreat.
"Walk back to the swamp slowly, and keep in hiding all the time," hesaid as he turned about. "Then they will not be able to rush us, and weshall reach our boats in safety. I will keep in your centre, so thatall may know that I am with you. As for you, Tyler Richardson," heshouted over his shoulder, "you have beaten me this time, and have wonhandsomely; but you shall know what it is to be hunted. I tell you thatI will sail at once to my friends, and when I return it will be withhundreds. Yes, hundreds shall come who will be willing and eager to domy bidding. Then I will follow across the land, even as far as Sarawak,where your countryman has set up his rule. And more than that, I willcut off your journey on the way, for there are rivers to be crossed,my friend, and you shall find that some of the sea Dyaks are there tostop you and to fall upon their brothers of the land, whom they hateand whose heads they long for. Adieu for the present! Soon, very soon,I shall have your head, and then I tell you that I will place it in abasket and hang it at the foretop of the prahu so that all who care cansee what is the fate of a beggarly Englishman."
"I will not deign to answer," said Tyler in Li Sung's ear. "He is fullof threats and nothing more. I do not fear him, and as for this taleof more men, I do not believe that he has them. It is more than likelythat he is merely trying to frighten me, and that until I search for himmyself and come upon him I shall not see him again. He has been badlybeaten, and he will do all that he can after this to keep out of theway. But he shall not escape, for he is a murderer, and I owe it to mydead friend to follow till he is taken."
"Den it must be later on," answered Li Sung, elevating his eyebrows andlooking at his young leader with wrinkled brow. "Listen, massa, and LiSung him tellee you little ting about de Dutchman. He say he comee afteryou wid plenty much men. Him speakee de truth."
"How do you know?" demanded Tyler, turning upon him in surprise.
"Li Sung him know because him once pirate too," was the simple reply."Him sail from Singapore for Borneo with plenty dollar in him pocket,and get captured by de pirates. Dis Dutchman deir leader, wid anoder ofde same country."
"Christian van Sonerell!" exclaimed Tyler, listening eagerly to the newswhich the Chinaman was giving him. "He is dead, for he fell when myfriend and I captured the schooner."
"Den he one velly bad man out of de way, massa. Him cruel man and beatand kick poor Li Sung till him shout for mercy. But me tellee you all.Dis pirate makee me slave, and set me to pull de oar of one of deprahus. Dere Li sit for many days, and wid de prahu him go to de Sarebustribes."
"The Sarebus tribe! Why, they are notorious pirates," said Tyler. "Myfriend who owned the schooner which the pirates captured, and which westole from them again, told me that the Malays and Dyaks of the Sarebuswere bloodthirsty in the extreme, and were for ever raiding the coast.And you went there?"
"Many times, massa. Li Sung him chained to de oar wid many anoder slave,and him pull and pull until de hands blister and get sore, while de lashof de pirates cutee him shoulders. But massa not knowee allee aboutdese Sarebus men. Dey havee plenty fine prahus, and often dey put tosea wid fifty or more ships and many hundred men. Den dey cruise alongabout Borneo, sometimes going as far even as de China Sea, and eberyday dey pounce upon de merchant-ships. Sometimes him a native filledwith birds'-nests or gum. And den it am a ship wid white-faces on board.Dey all suffer de same. De crew am killed wid the kriss, and de ship amsunk after all her cargo am taken. Dey fear no man, dese pirates, and deDutchman am now deir leader. Him follow for sure, massa, and him sendnews to de Sarebus tribe to lie in de way."
The Chinaman became suddenly silent, as if the prospect which he hadso suddenly opened out were too much for him. As for Tyler, the newsamazed him, and filled his mind with anxious forebodings. He, too,had heard of the pirates about Borneo, and had had many a chat on thesubject with Mr. Beverley, from whom he had learned their history. TheArchipelago was, in fact, overrun with these sea-robbers and murderers,and it had been at first somewhat difficult to realize who were thepeaceful natives and who the piratical ones. But at length Tyler hadcome to know that Borneo was peopled with many races, and that theMalays inhabited many of the coast towns. For years they had beaten downtheir Dyak neighbours, and though as a general rule the latter wouldhave preferred to live quiet lives and till the soil, they had beencompelled to join the Malays simply because of the fact that existencewas impossible in any other way. Still, numbers who lived fartherinland would have nothing to do with the pirates, and had they had theopportunities would have become contented tribes. But here again thebaneful influence of the new-comers was evidenced, for the Malays grounddown these poor people and fleeced them shamefully. And so, findingthat in spite of diligence and hard work they could not better theircondition, the inland tribes took to making war upon one another.
Head-hunting, which had always been the vogue, became a mania with manyof the tribes, and bloodshed was of daily occurrence. To marry or tomake any change in his existence a man had to obtain a head or heads,and it mattered little how he came by the trophies. Often he waylaid hisenemy in the forest and slew him without a word of warning, returning intriumph as though he had done the bravest deed. The death of a king orchief, a birth, in fact any unusual occasion, had to be celebrated bythe taking of heads, and often, too, by the slaying of slaves.
Again, slavery was common, and the Malays were for ever raiding theseinland tribes by means of the rivers, for the purpose of makingcaptives, whom they sold. And thus when Tyler landed on the coast ofBorneo it was to find the country in a state of chaos and misery, exceptperhaps in the neighbourhood of Sarawak, where James Brooke had settled.Elsewhere all was given over to violence and piracy, the Dyaks of theland fighting one another and taking heads, while the Malays and theDyaks of the coast, known as the sea Dyaks, ravaged the river towns andcruised in the open sea. Within a hundred miles of Sarawak th
ere weremany of their strongholds, and perhaps the most important of all wasthat at Sarebus, where dwelt the ruffians under Hanns Schlott's command.
For long did Tyler lie there thinking the matter out, until the Chinamantouched him upon the arm and urged him to retire.
"De pirates gone, but velly soon dey come again in plenty big numbers,"he said, with a doleful shake of his head. "Better put as much of deland between us as we can, den de Dutchman have furder to walk, andperhaps we havee time to comee to Sarawak."
"Then we will retire at once and catch the tribe up, Li Sung. Call themen together, and send four of the best scouts after the pirates to seethat they really embark. Once they have watched them depart they canrejoin us, and I have no doubt that they will have little difficulty indoing so, for they are used to the forest."
"And can run for many hours, massa. Leavee it to dem, and Li Sung himtellee you dat dey reach de tribe before we are dere."
Once again the shriek of a parrot awoke the forest, bringing all themen together at once. Then, having taken the precaution to send someof their number back to the river, there to watch the pirates tillthey had gone, and to throw out a few scouts in advance and on eitherhand, the main body pushed on at a rapid pace in the wake of theirfriends. And now, as they trudged through the jungle, Tyler had ampleopportunity of observing his strange companions. He saw that they werefine, athletic-looking men, with muscular figures and powerful limbs.All were almost naked, and the only clothing of which they boasted wasa loin-cloth and a handkerchief of gaudy colouring which encircled thehead. At the waist was slung a pouch containing betel-nut, which alldelighted to chew, while in addition a bundle of arrows was carried.A short sword, with a handle of carved wood, completed the weaponsof offence, while a big shield of bark, which was slung over theshoulders, afforded some protection in hand-to-hand contests.
That evening, as the sun was about to set, Tyler and his men came upwith the main portion of the tribe, and found them encamped on the edgeof a small stream which provided abundant water.
"And now to discuss the situation and prepare for to-morrow," saidTyler, when he had taken something to eat and had thrown himself downbeside John Marshall. "We have a big journey before us, and many dangersto face. Already I have told you of Hanns Schlott's threat, and of theSarebus pirates who will waylay us. What course shall we take? Tell mewhat you think, for you have had little else to do for the last fewhours."
"And I can't say that I've been able to fix the matter," was thesailor's candid answer. "Yer see, sir, I wasn't aware of these hereSarebus fellers. They jest makes all the difference, and when you tellme that they're goin' to waylay us, why, it makes me think that we'llhave to retire on the river. We ain't fit to fight a tribe of themMalays, and if we go on we'll get chopped to pieces. Now there's theschooner. She'd float with a little help."
"And we should sail away, leaving these unfortunate Dyaks to meet HannsSchlott alone," said Tyler quietly. "You did not think of that, did you,John?"
"You're right there, sir, I didn't, or I'd never have proposed the move.But I don't see no other way out of the trouble."
"Then we will push on and trust to good fortune and to careful leading.I have watched the men I had with me in the forest, and I could seethat they were full of excitement at first, and that the very soundof an approaching pirate made them tremble and think of flight. Afterthe first brush, however, they began to have confidence in themselves,and now they are bursting with their own importance. Their spirit willextend to the others, and if we only foster it, and let them see thatthey are as good as the Malays, they will fight hard for their lives,and for the sake of their women and children.
"But they are useless as they are, for they rush about in a mob, andthere is no commanding them. For that reason we will divide them upinto three companies of fifty, one of which I will look after, whileyou and Li Sung lead the others. The remainder will guard the womenand children. We will march in that order, and when we get in theneighbourhood of the Sarebus river we will send scouts ahead. What doyou think of that plan?"
"It's a good 'un, and of that there ain't a doubt," was John's emphaticanswer; "and next to the idea of a boat I think it's the best. Yer see,if it had been possible to pack the whole lot on to the schooner wecould have sailed right into Sarawak, and could have easily beaten offa prahu or two. But it's no use bothering when we all know that theschooner isn't big enough for half the number."
"While Hanns Schlott may very well have thought of the same thing,"burst in Tyler, "and for fear that we should refloat her and sail away,may blow her to pieces, or take her himself. No, a journey by land isthe only thing for us, though should the opportunity arrive of seizingboats belonging to the pirates I should not hesitate. But now to see tothe camp and to the guards. To-morrow we will arrange the companies andinstruct the men."
Rising to their feet Tyler and his companion went the round of thecamp, taking Li Sung with them to interpret. Then, having seen thatguards were thrown out in the forest, and all precautions taken againstsurprise, they wrapped themselves in some rough cloth which the nativeshad provided and fell into a deep sleep. Early on the following morningthey were afoot, and calling all the men of the tribe together at onceinformed them of their intention to divide them into companies.
"It is the way in which the white men of our race fight," said Tyler,addressing himself to Li Sung, who obediently interpreted to theDyaks. "By splitting our numbers in the way I propose, we provide threecompanies capable of acting independently of one another, or together,while we set them free of the care of the women and children. Of courseif we were hard pressed we should place the latter in the centre, so asto give them more safety, but we shall hope that it will never come tothat. Again, on the march one company can go in advance, and to it willbe given the task of seeing that the jungle is clear of the enemy. Thesecond will march in rear and guard that portion, while the third canroam at will and can replenish our stock of food. I understand that allof the tribe are trained hunters, and that being the case there shouldbe no need for us to starve."
"The words of our leader are full of wisdom," replied the young chiefwho had formerly addressed Tyler, "and we are willing to do his bidding.More than that, we are pleased at the manner in which he led the men whoheld the pirates back, and we say that while he is with us we are readyto fight, whatever the numbers opposed to us and whatever the dangers.He has proved himself a great and wise commander, and we know also thathe is brave. Can we ask for a better leader, and can we refuse what hisexperience dictates?"
A guttural exclamation of approval burst from his fellows as Li Sungturned to interpret the words, while a few who had formed part of therear-guard on the previous day sprang to their feet and waved theirweapons above their heads in their excitement.
"Say that we will even fight all these Sarebus pirates," called out oneof them, a fine stalwart man of light complexion. "They will be thinkingof pursuit only, and will never dream, my friends, that we should bebold enough to throw ourselves upon them. Why, then, should we not takethem by surprise, and ere they could turn upon us in their full numbers,having recovered from their astonishment, disappear like ghosts, just aswe did but yesterday when in the forest?"
Again a shout of approval burst from the assembled warriors, while theyoung chief rose to his feet and, mastering his excitement with aneffort, addressed Tyler for the second time.
"We are even ready to do that," he said slowly. "As our comrade says,let us change for once from being those who fly. For years it has beenour fate to be hunted. We have toiled and striven for comfort and peace,and all that we have asked is to be allowed to remain in our homes,there to live quietly. But time and again have these pirates come uponus and rooted us out. They have taken wives and children from the tribe,and they have sent us homeless and scattered into the jungle. Brothers,the time has come to change all this. But yesterday I should have beenafraid to mention such a thing; indeed, the thought would never havecrossed my brain. But the fighting in
the forest, the ease with which wedrove this hated Dutchman and his men back, and the fact that we haveas a leader a man who is brave, who faced the mias without fear, andwho has even escaped from the pirates, having beaten them with the helpof one companion alone, induces me to urge you to think of punishment,of retaliation. Let us fall upon these pirates swiftly, and when leastexpected, and then, as our brother says, and as our leader suggestedyesterday, let us do all that is possible to them and retire into thedepths of the forest ere they can attack us in force. Surely that is abrighter prospect than to be ever flying? Surely if we are men this is aplan which should meet with our approval!"
Drawing himself to his full height, the young Dyak looked round atthe tribesmen, searching each face closely. Had he had any doubt oftheir wishes in the matter, or of their determination to turn thetables on their enemies, it was at once dispelled, for with the usualimpulsiveness of these savage people they all with one accord leapt totheir feet, and, brandishing their shields and weapons in the air, setup a shout of defiance.
"There," said the chief, turning with a grave smile to Tyler, "you seewhat can be expected. Two days ago these warriors were only warriorsin name, for all were dispirited. No one has ever led them, and whenwe have met the pirates it has always been in scattered groups. Nowyou have shown us that by keeping together, by coming upon the enemyunawares, and by retiring before they can assemble to harm us, we canmeet them with success. We will follow you blindly, and since it isclear that this Dutchman will do all that he can to take us, and thatdeath will stare us all in the face, while our women and children willbe captured and made slaves, why, we will fight hard and do all that mencan to defeat our opponents."
"Then we will set about the division of the tribe, and will draw uprules for the guidance of each company," said Tyler, as soon as thewords had been conveyed to him by the Chinaman. "You can tell them, LiSung, that absolute obedience must be given, and that the arrangementmust be carried out at once."
At his orders all sat down again, and then the young chief rapidlycalled the men apart, telling each individual off to one of the threecompanies. All who were left were sent to take charge of the women andchildren, while the others listened while Li Sung interpreted theirwhite leader's directions.
"Tell them that those who march in advance will send back news andorders immediately they come upon the enemy," he said. "They are then toclose in to the women and children, while those who are abroad huntingwill at once return so as to be at hand in case they are required. On noaccount is a warrior to betray his presence to an enemy. He is to sendback a comrade to the main body and to me, so that others may be sent tothe scene. See that they understand thoroughly, for it would never do tohave confusion."
An hour later the tribe of Dyaks marched from their bivouac, Tyler,with one of the companies, leading the way. Marching through densejungle again, it was some considerable time before more open ground wasreached, for the island of Borneo is a thickly wooded one. At length,however, they emerged upon a stony plain, and trudged on for miles overrocks and boulders till more trees came into view, and in their midst ariver of great depth, which barred their onward progress.
"What shall we do to cross?" asked Tyler of Li Sung, who had accompaniedhim, handing over the command of his own company to the native chief."The river is too deep for the women and children, so that it will nothelp us if we men swim across."
"You will see, massa," was the Chinaman's laconic reply. "De Dyaks usedto de forest, and de river, and dey show you how to cross velly soon.See, dey am searching for a tree, and will cut it down."
Standing on one side, our hero watched with interest as the nativessearched along the bank for a suitable tree. Soon they came upon along, stout bamboo, at the foot of which two lusty youths commenced tohack with their swords, while others leant against the trunk so as todirect it across the stream. It was wonderful to see how quickly theycut it down, and with what dexterity they caused it to fall in the rightdirection. Scarcely was it fallen, and its boughs safely lodged upon thefarther bank, than one of the Dyaks sprang upon the trunk, and withoutthe help of a guide-rail or of a stick, ran across it. Others followedswiftly and commenced to hack the branches away, and when it came toTyler's turn to essay the crossing, only a long slim trunk stretchedfrom bank to bank. Very different was it to him with his boots on hisfeet to balance upon the frail bridge, but his followers were lookingon, and, therefore, though the trunk bent and swayed in an alarmingmanner, and though the water was some twenty feet beneath, he went onwithout a halt and without so much as a falter.
"Massa has done velly fine," said Li Sung, following across the streamand kow-towing. "The crossing am one which asks for all de courage, andde white man was not likee dese natives, for he has boots of leatherupon his feet. But we shall be able to go on plenty quick, and de tribewill follow without a halt. If we meet another river we shall do desame, and I can tellee de massa dat de Borneans are never stopped bysuch a thing. Bamboos help dem everywhere, and if dey require to doanyding they turn to dat tree. Deir houses am framed with de bamboo, deymake stockades wid de trunks, and if dey wish to climb de tallest treefor fruit or for honey, de same wood comes to aid dem. But shall we goon, massa? De country am open and de day am velly fine."
Halting occasionally to rest the men and to allow those in rear to catchthem up, Tyler and his company kept on a direct course towards thedistant town of Sarawak. Not for one moment would their young leaderallow the line to be departed from, or a detour to be made so as toavoid the river upon which was situated the stronghold of the Sarebuspirates.
"They would fall in with us just the same," he said to John, whendiscussing the question, "and by going farther to the left, into theheart of the island, we shall be giving ourselves a longer tramp and tono purpose. And besides, by missing the river we shall lose all chanceof capturing boats and taking to the sea."
"Yer ain't thinking of taking their prahus?" exclaimed John inamazement. "It's a big job, and might cost us our lives."
"It might," had been Tyler's answer, "but I am inclined to think thatit would be the best course for us to pursue, for if not, we shall haveto retreat to Sarawak by land with all these pirates hanging on to ourrear. In that way they would manage to kill many of our men, while weshould be constantly harassed. By doing as I suggest we shall come uponthese Malays and their comrades when they least expect us, and with alittle fortune on our side shall defeat them. Then, if we have laid ourplans well, we may be able to embark the whole tribe and set sail. Iwould far rather face them at sea than know that they were hanging onour heels as we trudged through the jungle, and that at any moment,and particularly during the night, they might charge down upon us andstampede the men. A bold course will best help us to reach safety."
Day after day did the tribe push on in the direction of Sarawak.Occasionally, when there happened to be a wide break in the trees, theywould catch a sight of the blue ocean, but very soon it would be hiddenby the forest or by the hills. On their left, and many miles inland ofthem, a long blue range of hills stretched unbrokenly, cutting them offfrom the centre of Borneo, while here and there an isolated mountainreared its peak into the sky. Overhead a hot sun poured down upon them,blistering Tyler's face and tanning his skin; but it troubled him farless than it would have done had they been marching across plains, forthe leaves above sheltered them greatly, while when passing across aclearing of wide extent a palm leaf thrust beneath his wide-brimmed hatmade him secure against sunstroke. At length the retreating tribe camewithin some sixty miles of the winding river of Sarebus, where HannsSchlott and his pirates might be expected, and at once Tyler set to workto prepare for the struggle.
"At present we have not instructed our men in the attack," he said,calling John Marshall and the Chinaman to him. "Coming through theforest we have kept one formation, and the Dyaks have learnt how tomarch in safety very well. I think that there has never been a day whenan enemy could have taken us unawares, while ample watch has been keptat night. But now w
e ought to have some practice in working together forthe attack, and I propose that we devote an hour or more each eveningto the purpose. Let it be understood that at about two hours beforesunset the company in advance is to turn round and act as an enemy. Theremainder will march with one company in rear as before, and with halfthe third company between the women and children and the men who havegone in advance, and who are for the time being to take the part ofpirates. To make sure that no accidents can happen, we will let themwear a strip of cloth on their arms, or, better still, let them attackbareheaded. Then we shall know at once that they are really friends.
"As to their method of approaching us, I leave that to them, butthey must do their best to surround us and cut us off, while we willplace our men so as to drive them away. No harm can possibly result,while the practice cannot fail to do good, and steady the men for ourapproaching fight with the Sarebus pirates. Li Sung, you will call thechiefs together and tell them what I say, and also that we will commencepractising to-morrow evening."
On the following day it was evident that the spirits of the warriors ofthe Dyak tribe of which Tyler was the leader were considerably raisedat the prospect before them, while their whole demeanour was changed.Instead of being down at heart and fearful of the future, they seemed tohave imbibed some of their white chief's enthusiasm, and they set aboutthe work of making themselves efficient with a zeal which showed howeager they were. Marching quietly through the day, with an occasionalrest so as not to overtire the women and children, they came to a haltsome two hours before the sun would set, and went silently to the postswhich had been assigned to them. Very soon scouts came running in to saythat men who were bareheaded were creeping through the jungle, and erelong the two bodies were engaged, blunted arrows being used so as tomake the practice more real. For three evenings in succession was thesame movement carried out, and when at length the scouts who had beensent far in advance returned with the news that the Sarebus river wasin sight, and that they had seen one of the many piratical strongholds,Tyler had his men well in hand. Thanks to his forethought the nativesnow kept together, and instead of making frantic and useless rushes,waited for the signal from their captain. A shrill call, too, wouldbring all the companies together to one spot, while those who had theimportant post of guarding the women and children thoroughly understoodhow to protect them against the enemy, and how, when the day seemed tobe going against their comrades, to steal away with their charges intothe jungle and there seek safety in flight.
And so it turned out that when the news arrived that the foe was athand, the Dyaks heard it with cries of pleasure instead of with those offear and dismay, for they were more than anxious to try conclusions withan enemy from whom they had suffered heavily.
With the Dyaks of Borneo: A Tale of the Head Hunters Page 11