“I made up my mind—I must see who was there in the cabin.—Oh! I had not, at that time, the least suspicion that it was Dalima! She had rejected all your advances with the utmost contempt. Her father had even threatened to kreese you. How could the ‘baboe’ of the Ioean Resident have come into your power?—You see it was impossible!”
“Yes, yes, as you say it was quite impossible,” said Lim Ho with a grin, excited by the story of Ardjan. “I say, Ong Kwat, just tell us how the girl came into your hands!”
“No need of that,” resumed Ardjan, “I know all about it. Dalima told me the whole story in the ‘djoekoeng.’ Yesterday she was out for a walk with her master’s youngest child in the lane behind the Residence. The boy in his play, flung his ball into a ditch by the side of the road. A Chinaman happened to be passing at the time and Dalima requested him to fetch the toy out of the water. He did so at her request; but instead of returning the ball to the child he pitched it as far as he could into the garden. The boy ran off eagerly to fetch it, and Dalima was looking after the child, when suddenly the Chinaman flung himself upon her, gagged her, and before she could utter a single cry threw a sack over her head. Thus muffled he dragged her to the end of the lane, and put her into a ‘djoekoeng’ which was lying in the ditch. The boat at once put off, and in an hour’s time was alongside the Kiem Ping Hin.”
“Just so!” exclaimed Lim Ho. “Now, Ong Kwat, is not that just about how you managed it?”
The man thus addressed grinned, nodded his head and added, “Yes, master, for four whole days I had been on the prowl for that catch.”
“Now, Ardjan,” resumed Lim Ho, “you may go on again; but mind you, no lies.”
The Javanese continued: “As I entered the cabin I gave a hasty look round. You, Lim Ho, were partially unconscious, still smoking opium. You had not got to that stage when the drug excites the passions to madness. Your attendant was intent upon kneading the ‘mandat’ balls. There was no one in the cabin but you two, so I ventured to creep in, and, by the light of the lamp that was burning there, I saw—Dalima.
“With one bound I was at her side, in an instant I had severed the ropes which tied her, and in another moment I had dragged her out of the cabin. Thereupon I flew forward, got some clothes which I happened to have by me, and in a few seconds was back again with them. Dalima slipped them on, and thus partially disguised I hid her under a heap of sails which happened to be lying in the stern.
“Meanwhile the storm was raging in all its fury, and I have no doubt that it was chiefly owing to the noise of the wind that we had been able to get clear of the cabin unperceived. Captain Awal Boep Said, like a good Mussulman, was telling his beads, and from time to time uttered an ‘Allah achbar’ (God is great), or a ‘Bismillah’ (God be praised). The other men were all taking shelter in the forecastle, and your servants were lying sea-sick in their bunks.
“Of these favourable circumstances I made the best use I could. The ‘djoekoeng,’ in which Dalima had come alongside, was still lying there dancing on the waves. I took hold of the painter and drew the boat up to the side. The girl slid down into her along a rope which was hanging over the ship’s side. I followed her, seized upon a paddle and then I cast her adrift, and the storm soon drove us far from the Kiem Ping Hin.