"No need to tellee dat," said Li Sung. "Massa him keepee little ear widee open and him hear. De Malay man come swift velly soon. Him tink no little man wait for de pirates, but allee gone. 'Velly fine,' him say to himself, but wait. Li Sung know muchee better dan dat. S-s-s-s-h! I tink I hear dem."
The gentle rustle of leaves brushed aside, and the snap of breaking twigs under foot, broke upon the ear and brought Tyler full length to the earth once more, where, burying his head in the centre of a dense bush, he peered amongst the trees.
"Hish! S-s-s-sh!" came again from the pigtailed Chinaman. "Li Sung him can hear men over dere, and dey not creeping. Dey walking wid head velly high, and dem say dat de white man whom dey hate havee gone away. Wait a little bitee. De Dyaks and deir friend soon tellee anoder story. Hish!"
Lying beside Tyler, he whispered the words into his ear, and then pulled him by the sleeve as louder sounds than usual issued from the jungle. Then as both peered from their leafy screen, first one, and then some thirty of the Malays came into view, while behind them their comrades could be heard calling. As for the Dutchman, he was not long in putting in an appearance, for, as the last of the pirates hurried up, he too walked forward, all unconscious of the fact that fifty pair of watching eyes were fixed upon him.
"A wild-goose chase!" he was saying to his men, while a sneer wreathed his features. "The white hero has at last given way, and has fled with these savages. But we will soon catch them up, for they are but poorly fed, and will be hampered with their women and children. Keep together, and let one only take the lead, so that the tracks shall not be smothered. Now."
In a bunch all came forward at his bidding, while one of their number whom Hanns Schlott called by name sprang to their front and began to lead the way. Now was the time for Tyler and his men, and waiting only till the enemy were within easy shot of the blow-pipes, the former shouted so that all could hear, and at the same time fired his rifle into the middle of the Malays. A second discharge followed, and ere Hanns Schlott and his men could recover from their astonishment, or could realize the fact that six of their number had fallen, the silent watchers had stolen off on hands and knees and had taken up another position 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 way by inches, and probing every bush with their bullets, the watchers constantly moved their position, and always directed their arrows from a different quarter. At length Hanns Schlott realized that to go farther would be to risk being surrounded and cut off, and with an oath at once ordered a retreat.
"Walk back to the swamp slowly, and keep in hiding all the time," he said as he turned about. "Then they will not be able to rush us, and we shall reach our boats in safety. I will keep in your centre, so that all may know that I am with you. As for you, Tyler Richardson," he shouted over his shoulder, "you have beaten me this time, and have won handsomely; but you shall know what it is to be hunted. I tell you that I will sail at once to my friends, and when I return it will be with hundreds. Yes, hundreds shall come who will be willing and eager to do my 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 will cut 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 to stop you and to fall upon their brothers of the land, whom they hate and 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 a basket and hang it at the foretop of the prahu so that all who care can see what is the fate of a beggarly Englishman."
"I will not deign to answer," said Tyler in Li Sung's ear. "He is full of threats and nothing more. I do not fear him, and as for this tale of more men, I do not believe that he has them. It is more than likely that he is merely trying to frighten me, and that until I search for him myself and come upon him I shall not see him again. He has been badly beaten, and he will do all that he can after this to keep out of the way. But he shall not escape, for he is a murderer, and I owe it to my dead friend to follow till he is taken."
"Den it must be later on," answered Li Sung, elevating his eyebrows and looking at his young leader with wrinkled brow. "Listen, massa, and Li Sung him tellee you little ting about de Dutchman. He say he comee after you wid plenty much men. Him speakee de truth."