But all the answer he made was: “Go away, and be ready at sundown; but remember, if you attempt any tricks, or do not return to the prahu within three hours, I will hang up that rascal brother of yours.”
Well, at sundown he gave me the requisition, and, with my two men, I put off for the Chinaman. It was a terrible pull, for the boat was a small sampan. The artful little middy insisted upon our taking that, thinking that if, in defiance of his threats, we were to attempt to get further out to sea, it would be impossible. And indeed it would, for we had no rudder, and but a couple of wretched little paddles; and as the current among the islands runs all manner of ways, as if in opposition to each other, it was as much as we could do to keep her head straight. Nay, more than once, when one of the men took his paddle out of the water, the wretched little craft spun round like a teetotum. Well, by dint of great exertions—keeping pretty straight, perhaps, for a quarter of a mile, and then being brought to a dead halt, and sent round like an horizontal catherine-wheel, every instant expecting she would swoop down head foremost—we came alongside the junk, just as they were hanging out their night-lanterns. A pretty prospect, I thought, the return performance would be, with the addition of a couple of swine—nay, without they were sucking-pigs, the sampan would not hold them; so sucking-pigs I determined they should be, if I could manage it.
But then came another difficulty. I had no knowledge of the Chinese language. However, I knew that the Celestials at Batavia spoke what was called “pigeon Dutch”—the most extraordinary language, perhaps, ever invented. And so, calling to the men on board, I said: “One fine Dutch man wantee get top side”—which, translated, meant, “a Dutchman wanted to get upon deck;”—but, to my great relief, a man answered in pretty good Dutch, that I might come on board. So on board I went, and, telling the people on deck what I required, was at once shown into the captain or master’s cabin—if, indeed, one can dignify with such a name a mere awning supported by four bamboo poles. However, from the center there were suspended a couple of lanterns, beneath which, after the fatigues of the day, reclined a Chinese, but—to my horror—the very captain who had been leagued with Prabu’s intended brothers-in-law, and whom we had first deprived of his cargo and then tossed into the sea. I had but one hope—he might not recognize me, but that soon vanished when I saw him put down his opium-pipe; for, fixing his eyes upon me, as might a panther about to spring upon its prey, he arose, and, clutching me by the arm, said:
“Rat, and son of a rat! is it possible that the rogue and thief Prabu can have sent for provisions to the man he despoiled and insulted? By the bones of my ancestors, in place of two pigs’-heads I will send him back the head of a goose!—for who but a goose would have dared to come to me from him?” And then, by way of illustrating his intention, he passed the back of his naked sword across my throat.
I had, indeed, rowed out of the frying-pan into the fire. What should I do? What could I do to save my life, and, worse, that of my brother?—for had not that little wretch threatened to hang him if I did not return in a given time? Suddenly, it occurred to me that flying the Dutch flag, one in that service would be held free from harm, if only from fear of the authorities at Batavia. Then I told him that I had not been sent by Prabu—in fact, the whole story of the discovery of the arms and the confinement under hatches of Prabu and his crew; but at this his conduct was very extraordinary—he raved as if he had been mad, not at Prabu, but at the Dutchman. Then, reviling all Hollanders, and that one especially who had boarded our prahu, he invoked the name of Prabu as that of a good man—a brave man—and called down curses upon his own head for having reviled him. But at length, becoming cool, he inquired the number of the Hollanders who had possession of the prahu. When I informed him, and also given a description of the officer in command, he said:
“My brother is young, but he is brave. Would he dare to strike a blow for the rescue of his friends?”
“If the worthy captain be sincere,” said I, “in his desire to befriend Prabu and his men, let him give me the opportunity, and he shall see.”
“It shall be as my brother wishes! May the day be fortunate!” he replied. Then, calling his first mate, he related to him the story of the Dutch officer’s discovery of the arms; and the lieutenant went almost as mad as had his captain a short time before—only, more practical than his chief, he proposed at once to man the boats and send them to the rescue.
It was then arranged between us that a pig should be put into my boat, with creeses and pistols for myself and the two men; and that another, filled with armed sailors, should follow close in our wake with muffled oars. The night was moonless, and so dark that it was not probable the latter party would be seen; but to be prepared for a contingency, a pig was to be put into their boat also, which would be sufficient excuse for its appearance in company with mine.
Well, in about an hour we started—I being not a little proud at having the command of an expedition for the rescue of my brother and friends; and we reached the prahu without any accident, excepting that piggy having burst his bonds, I had considerable difficulty in holding him quiet in the boat.