CHAPTER XVII
Danger and Difficulty
Twice in succession did the collection of Malays and Dyaks who composed the attacking force endeavour to overcome the gallant defenders of the steep rock beside the bank of the river Sarebus. And on each occasion the leader of the gang who had their quarters in Rembas sat at his leisure before his hut on the opposite side of the water, and with glass fixed to his eye watched the fighting with interest.
"They are curs," he cried at last, when the final attempt to reach the barricade above had been defeated, "and as a punishment I swear that no help shall come to these dogs of mine till they have these two strangers in their hands. Are they not two only, while my men number twenty times as many? Then they shall stay till all are killed or until they can bring me tidings of their success. But I will send them a message to the effect that if they allow the enemy to escape I shall vent my anger upon them. Yes, I will warn them that the attempt must be made, and will say that if it prove too much for them then they shall suffer."
With this resolution before him the leader of the Rembas pirates despatched a boat to the farther bank, and with it one of his chief men, with instructions to give his message and then return.
"You can say that no food or drink shall be sent till they have captured these men, and that it will be better for them to die on the side of the rock than to return here unsuccessful," said he, as the man set out to do his bidding. "It is absurd to think that so many of my men are defied by a couple of natives from China!"
"A messenger," said Tyler, who caught sight of the sampan as it shot out into the stream. "Will it recall these men, or will it bring news that reinforcements are to come?"
"Not dat, massa," answered Li Sung with assurance, accompanying the remark with the customary shake of his head, as if to add emphasis to his words. "Dese pirates tink dey knowee how to fight, and de leader over deir say dat not a man comee to help till we taken. He tell dem to takee plenty care unless we slip away. Dat all he comee for."
"Then we shall have to be doubly cautious," said Tyler, "and I'm going to set myself to work to think out the matter, for escape we must. In an hour it will be dark, so that we can count upon that time in which to make up our minds, and I think that we are not likely to be disturbed. Unless, of course, the message which is coming to our attackers rouses them to fury, and they throw themselves upon us again. Now, how could we manage to get away?"
Throwing himself upon the ground he fixed his eyes upon the figures of the enemy beneath, and watched them half listlessly while he endeavoured to find a means whereby he and Li Sung could slip from their retreat and get safely away.
"It must be done," he kept murmuring to himself. "For to-day this has been the very best of havens, but to-morrow it will be untenable, for thirst will be our greatest enemy, and up here we have no means of satisfying it. So leave we must, at the risk of our lives. By Jove!"