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Chapter 13 - BURIED TREASURE
After the escape of the girl Barunda and Ninaka had fallen out over that affair
and the division of the treasure, with the result that the panglima had slipped a
knife between the ribs of his companion and dropped the body overboard.
Barunda's followers, however, had been highly enraged at the act, and in the
ensuing battle which they waged for revenge of their murdered chief Ninaka and
his crew had been forced to take to the shore and hide in the jungle.
With difficulty they had saved the chest and dragged it after them into the mazes
of the underbrush. Finally, however, they succeeded in eluding the angry enemy,
and took up their march through the interior for the head of a river which would
lead them to the sea by another route, it being Ninaka's intention to dispose of
the contents of the chest as quickly as possible through the assistance of a
rascally Malay who dwelt at Gunung Tebor, where he carried on a thriving trade
with pirates.
But presently it became apparent that he had not so easily escaped the fruits of
his villainy as he had supposed, for upon the evening of the first day the rear of
his little column was attacked by some of Barunda's warriors who had forged
ahead of their fellows, with the result that the head of Ninaka's brother went to
increase the prestige and glory of the house of the enemy.
Ninaka was panic-stricken, since he knew that hampered as he was by the heavy
chest he could neither fight nor run to advantage. And so, upon a dark night
near the head waters of the river he sought, he buried the treasure at the foot of a
mighty buttress tree, and with his parang made certain cabalistic signs upon the
bole whereby he might identify the spot when it was safe to return and disinter
his booty. Then, with his men, he hastened down the stream until they reached
the head of prahu navigation where they stole a craft and paddled swiftly on
toward the sea.
When the three bull ourang outangs closed upon Bulan he felt no fear as to the
outcome of the battle, for never in his experience had he coped with any muscles
that his own mighty thews could not overcome. But as the battle continued he
realized that there might be a limit to the number of antagonists which he could
successfully withstand, since he could scarcely hope with but two hands to reach
the throats of three enemies, or ward off the blows and clutches of six powerful
hands, or the gnashing of three sets of savage fangs.
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