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

by F. S. Brereton

"We will take it easy, for we have ample time in which to reach the trees," said Tyler calmly, as he and John Marshall pulled towards the land. "Once there, we will select a hiding-place and keep watch upon the schooner, and upon the prahu as soon as she rounds the bend. If, as seems more than likely, her boat is dropped and preparations are made to send a party in pursuit, we will steal off into the forest, using the utmost care to leave as few traces behind us as is possible. A few more strokes and we are there. Now out you get, John, and give me a hand to pull up the dinghy, for we will hide her amongst the bushes in case we should have need of her on a future occasion."

Waiting until the boat struck against the soft bank of mud at the mouth of the river, the two sprang ashore, and, lifting the dinghy bodily from the water, carried her up amongst the bushes. A hasty search soon discovered a mass of dense undergrowth, into the centre of which she was thrust.

"That should keep her from all prying eyes," remarked Tyler in tones of satisfaction, "while a cross on one of the trees near at hand will serve as a mark by which we shall be able to find her when we come this way again. Now for the bags and rifles, and afterwards we will turn our attention to the schooner, and to Hanns Schlott and his friends."

Slinging bags and weapons over their shoulders, Tyler and his companion left the dinghy in her hiding-place, and having marked an adjacent tree, returned to the bank of the river once more. There was the schooner with her head in the wind and her sail flapping loudly. That she was deeper in the water both could see at once, while the manner in which she careened to one side told them that very soon she would sink to the bottom. As for the prahu, there was not a sign of her as yet, though distant shouts told clearly that she could not be far away.

"She will round the bend before the schooner goes down," said Tyler in tones of conviction, "and then Hanns Schlott will meet with another disappointment. I have no doubt that he has guessed our object in making for this river, and knows well that it is our intention to escape him by that means or by the land. But he will hardly have expected such complete preparations as we have made, and his anger will be great when he finds how we have hoodwinked him. But let us make up our minds in what direction we shall go. Shall we strike up along the banks of the river, or shall we turn to the south and west?"

"The last, sir," was John Marshall's emphatic answer, "for I reckon that if we made up the stream we should strike across creeks and smaller rivers running into the main channel, and should be constantly delayed. Besides this, Hanns Schlott and his fellows will have seen our dinghy, and will guess that we have rowed up stream in her, hoping in that way to escape them. That being the case, we must do exactly the opposite, and must go into the forest. Then, when the search is over or night falls, we can return to this spot and cross to the other side; for that, I take it, is our direction."

"Sarawak is the point for which we must aim, and, as you say, it lies south-west across the river," replied Tyler. "I happen to know that an Englishman, by name James Brooke, is there at this moment, and if we could only reach him we should be perfectly safe. But it is a long journey from here, and before we can hope to come across it we shall have to cover two hundred miles at least. However, I would far rather travel double that distance than fall into the hands of the pirates."

"The same here, sir," exclaimed his companion. "Like you, I'd face anything almost, for there will be little mercy if Hanns Schlott puts his fingers on us. But look up! Here's the prahu!"

Lying concealed amongst the trees, the two watched with beating hearts as the native craft swung round the bend and came into the river, and each noted with feelings of alarm, which they could not easily suppress, that her deck was covered with men. At her tiller stood Hanns Schlott, and, catching sight of the schooner, he at once directed the prahu towards her. Then shouts of exultation came across the water, and the Malays were seen preparing to throw themselves on board their prize the instant that they came up with her. It was pretty to watch the manner in which her lateen sails were dropped when well within reach of her prize, and at another time the fugitives would have admired the seamanlike way in which the operation was carried out, and Hanns Schlott's handling of the craft. But they had other and far more engrossing things to occupy their attention, and kept their eyes riveted upon the dusky Malays who swarmed upon her deck. Shooting up into the wind, just as the schooner had done before her, the prahu came to rest for a few moments. Then some twenty sweeps were shot out from her wooden sides, and like a gigantic caterpillar she came crawling towards her prize.