As, however, it may appear marvelous to my reader that two such tragic events should have followed so closely upon each other, let me explain that every inlet near Singapore abounds with alligators, and every jungle with tigers. As for the latter, it seems impossible to exterminate them; for although the Government gives a reward of fifty dollars, to which the merchants of the town add a like sum, for a dead tiger, and, moreover, the slayer can get a good price for its beautiful skin, and another for the flesh, which is bought by the Chinese for food, the annual deaths by these beasts reach the number of forty. Nor does there seem much hope of extirpating them; for, faster than they can be killed, others swim across the Straits of Malacca from the mainland to the island. I may here mention, as a curious fact, that the tiger was unknown in Singapore until after its occupation by the British under Sir Stamford Raffles, in 1819, and one from which a Buddhist, who believes in the transmigration of souls, might infer the savage brutes to be the re-embodied souls of former proprietors of the soil, seeking vengeance upon the descendants of their dispossessors.
Now, as our crew, like all the half-savage natives of the Indian islands, regarded the ferocious brutes of the forests as ruthless enemies, who should be made responsible for their deeds, rather than as creatures who merely obeyed the instincts of their natures, they beseeched, nay, on their knees, implored of the captain permission to revenge the deaths of their shipmates; but Prabu, superior in intelligence to the majority of his race, believing that the search for a particular alligator or tiger, in a country which abounded in both, would be something like looking for a needle in a haystack, or not caring to risk the loss of live men for the sake of revenging dead ones—kindly but firmly refused; and then, so great was his influence over the minds of these wild fellows, that, his decision once given, there was not a murmur afterwards. But, then, he had a capital recipe for the cure of grief—one I advise my young readers to try if ever they have a fit of the “doldrums”. It is the poor man’s best cure for sorrow—work, hard work. He employed them, first, in putting the vessel all taut, cleansing, repairing, and then in loading her with a fresh cargo, which consisted of casks and oblong cases of great size, filled (so Prabu told Martin and I, who were curious enough to ask the question) with silks, crapes, silver, gamboge, and other products of the Celestial Empire.
To us boys, however, there appeared some mystery about our new cargo; for Prabu not only hesitated before he answered the question, but replied very surlily, as if vexed at being questioned. Then, again, we thought it strange that it had been packed, ready for shipment, long before our arrival in Singapore; but another incident happened, that added to our curiosity. Prabu had ordered the prahu to be got ready for sailing upon a certain Saturday; but upon the Wednesday previously, after spending some hours in the town, as he and I were taking our seats in the boat to return to the vessel, he was hailed by a Dutch naval officer, just then coming ashore. Evidently annoyed, he said in a whisper—
“Sahib, it is the captain of the Dutch cruiser, which put into the harbor yesterday.”
At once he got out of the boat and held a long conversation with the officer, but at such a distance that I could not gather a word. Now, this incident was not much in itself, but then, the moment he returned to the prahu, he gave orders for the ship to be put in such a shape that she could sail with the first wind; and, as a favorable breeze blew up that night, the anchors were lifted as gently as if the men had been afraid of awakening the fishes, and we slipped from the harbor stealthily—as if, in fact, the prahu’s character was no better than it ought to have been.
“It’s queer work, this,” said Martin to me; “one would almost think Prabu hasn’t paid for the cargo, and was slipping away from his creditors.”
“No,” said I; “Prabu is neither pirate nor swindler.”
“Well, then, what is it?”
“My opinion is——”
“What?” Martin interposed, eagerly.