按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
hu with the girl。
Calling aloud for those around him to come to his support he halted fifty yards from his boat just as Number Thirteen with his fierce； brainless horde swept up from the opposite side of the island in the wake of him who bore Virginia Maxon。 The old rajah succeeded in gathering some fifty warriors about him from the crews of the two boats which lay near his。 His own men he hastened to their posts in his prahu that they might be ready to pull swiftly away the moment that he and the captive were aboard。
The Dyak warriors presented an awe inspiring spectacle in the fitful light of the nearby camp fire。 The ferocity of their fierce faces was accentuated by the upturned； bristling tiger cat's teeth which protruded from every ear； while the long feathers of the Argus pheasant waving from their war…caps； the brilliant colors of their war…coats trimmed with the black and white feathers of the hornbill； and the strange devices upon their gaudy shields but added to the savagery of their appearance as they danced and howled； menacing and intimidating； in the path of the charging foe。
A single backward glance was all that Virginia Maxon found it possible to throw in the direction of the rescue party； and in that she saw a sight that lived forever in her memory。 At the head of his hideous； misshapen pack sprang the stalwart young giant straight into the heart of the flashing parangs of the howling savages。 To right and left fell the mighty bull whip cutting down men with all the force and dispatch of a steel saber。 The Dyaks； encouraged by the presence of Muda Saffir in their rear； held their ground； and the infuriated； brainless things that followed the wielder of the bull whip threw themselves upon the head hunters with beating hands and rending fangs。
Number Ten wrested a parang from an adversary； and acting upon his example the other creatures were not long in arming themselves in a similar manner。 Cutting and jabbing they hewed their way through the solid ranks of the enemy； until Muda Saffir； seeing that defeat was inevitable turned and fled toward his prahu。
Four of his creatures lay dead as the last of the Dyaks turned to escape from the mad white man who faced naked steel with only a rawhide whip。 In panic the head hunters made a wild dash for the two remaining prahus； for Muda Saffir had succeeded in getting away from the island in safety。
Number Thirteen reached the water's edge but a moment after the prow of the rajah's craft had cleared the shore and was swinging up stream under the vigorous strokes of its fifty oarsmen。 For an instant he stood poised upon the bank as though to spring after the retreating prahu； but the knowledge that he could not swim held him backit was useless to throw away his life when the need of it was so great if Virginia Maxon was to be saved。
Turning to the other prahus he saw that one was already launched； but that the crew of the other was engaged in a desperate battle with the seven remaining members of his crew for possession of the boat。 Leaping among the combatants he urged his fellows aboard the prahu which was already half filled with Dyaks。 Then he shoved the boat out into the river； jumping aboard himself as its prow cleared the gravelly beach。
For several minutes that long； hollowed log was a veritable floating hell of savage； screaming men locked in deadly battle。 The sharp parangs of the head hunters were no match for the superhuman muscles of the creatures that battered them about； now lifting one high above his fellows and using the body as a club to beat down those nearby； again snapping an arm or leg as one might break a pipe stem； or hurling a living antagonist headlong above the heads of his fellows to the dark waters of the river。 And above them all in the thickest of the fight； towering even above his own giants； rose the mighty figure of the terrible white man； whose very presence wrought havoc with the valor of the brown warriors。
Two more of Number Thirteen's creatures had been cut down in the prahu； but the loss among the Dyaks had been infinitely greater； and to it was now added the desertions of the terror stricken savages who seemed to fear the frightful countenances of their adversaries even as much as they did their prowess。
There remained but a handful of brown warriors in one end of the boat when the advantage of utilizing their knowledge of the river and of navigation occurred to Number Thirteen。 Calling to his men he commanded them to cease killing； making prisoners of those who remained instead。 So accustomed had his pack now become to receiving and acting upon his orders that they changed their tactics immediately； and one by one the remaining Dyaks were overpowered； disarmed and held。
With difficulty Number Thirteen communicated with them； for among them there was but a single warrior who had ever had intercourse with an Englishman； but at last by means of signs and the few words that were common to them both he made the native understand that he would spare the lives of himself and his companions if they would help him in pursuit of Muda Saffir and the girl。
The Dyaks felt but little loyalty for the rascally Malay they served； since in common with all their kind they and theirs had suffered for generations at the hands of the cruel； crafty and unscrupulous race that had usurped the administration of their land。 So it was not difficult to secure from them the promise of assistance in return for their lives。
Number Thirteen noticed that when they addressed him it was always as Bulan； and upon questioning them he discovered that they had given him this title of honor partly in view of his wonderful fighting ability and partly because the sight of his white face emerging from out of the darkness of the river into the firelight of their blazing camp fire had carried to their impressionable minds a suggestion of the tropic moon which they admired and reverenced。 Both the name and the idea appealed to Number Thirteen and from that time he adopted Bulan as his rightful cognomen。
The loss of time resulting from the fight in the prahu and the ensuing peace parley permitted Muda Saffir to put considerable distance between himself and his pursuers。 The Malay's boat was now alone； for of the eight prahus that remained of the original fleet it was the only one which had taken this branch of the river； the others having scurried into a smaller southerly arm after the fight upon the island； that they might the more easily escape their hideous foemen。
Only Barunda； the headman； knew which channel Rajah Muda Saffir intended following； and Muda wondered why it was that the two boats that were to have borne Barunda's men did not catch up with his。 While he had left Barunda and his warriors engaged in battle with the strangers he did not for an instant imagine that they would suffer any severe loss； and that one of their boats should be captured was beyond belief。 But this was precisely what had happened； and the second boat； seeing the direction taken by the enemy； had turned down stream the more surely to escape them。
So it was that while Rajah Muda Saffir moved leisurely up the river toward his distant st