“Don’t tremble, dear. I’ve come, you see. I never thought to see you again,” said Hillary, as he realised that he did not move through a shadow world of phantoms and dreams.
“I knew you’d come,” said Gabrielle, as she looked him in the eyes.
Hillary half noticed that strange look of her in the hurry and bustle of the flight back to the boats—a bustle and hurry that Gabrielle appreciated. At last they arrived on the beach. In a moment the natives who were waiting paddled their canoes to the shore. A tremendous hubbub had begun just behind them. What was it?
Gabrielle gasped as she heard that loud, terrible voice yelling from far off: “Butih Bunga, my kali bini!”
It was the enraged voice of old bapa (Macka’s father) hurrying through the jungle. He wanted to know where his son was, and so he called aloud for the beautiful white wife (putih bini).
The natives whom Ulysses had bribed had rushed straight away to Macka’s people and told them all that had occurred.
“Hurry up, you damned niggers,” yelled Ulysses, as he looked behind him. He was busy undoing the knotted tackle that held the ship’s boat.
“Now we shan’t be long!” he said, as he gave a low whistle. For he had spotted the huddled masses of dusky figures who had just rushed out of the forest of mahogany-trees, as old bapa drove them on, keeping warily behind them! Old bapa could distinctly be seen waving his arms as he came into sight just round the edge of the belt of mangroves; he was following closely behind the heathen horde who were rushing down to the beach. From the loud shouts, and the courage of the pursuers, it was every evident that old bapa was yelling forth mighty promises of prizes for those who could clutch hold of the Rajah’s putih bini.
“Jump into the boat, never mind me,” whispered Hillary. In a moment Gabrielle was safely sitting just behind Mango Pango in the ship’s one boat, as the rest of the crew embarked in the unstable canoes in which they had come ashore.
Hillary and Ulysses still stood on the shore. As the apprentice turned his head he saw a dusky Papuan crouch down by the reefs just up the shore. Swish! A spear was thrown.