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Chapter 14 -MAN OR MONSTER?

When Muda Saffir turned from the two Dyaks who had brought him news of the

treasure he hastened to the long-house and arousing the chief of the tribe who

domiciled there explained that necessity required that the rajah have at once two

war prahus fully manned. Now the power of the crafty old Malay extended from

one end of this great river on which the long-house lay to the other, and though

not all the tribes admitted allegiance to him, yet there were few who would not

furnish him with men and boats when he required them; for his piratical cruises

carried him often up and down the stream, and with his savage horde it was

possible for him to wreak summary and terrible vengeance upon those who

opposed him.

When he had explained his wishes to the chief, the latter, though at heart hating

and fearing Muda Saffir, dared not refuse; but to a second proposition he offered

strong opposition until the rajah threatened to wipe out his entire tribe should he

not accede to his demands.

The thing which the chief demurred to had occurred to Muda Saffir even as he

walked back from the river after conversing with the two Dyak messengers. The

thought of regaining the treasure, the while he administered punishment to the

traitorous Ninaka, filled his soul with savage happiness. Now if he could but

once more possess himself of the girl! And why not? There was only the sick old

man, a Chinaman and von Horn to prevent it, and the chances were that they all

were asleep.

So he explained to the chief the plan that had so suddenly sprung to his wicked

mind.

"Three men with parangs may easily quiet the old man, his assistant and the

Chinaman," he said, "and then we can take the girl along with us."

The chief refused at first, point-blank, to be a party to any such proceedings. He

knew what had happened to the Sakkaran Dyaks after they had murdered a

party of Englishmen, and he did not purpose laying himself and his tribe open to

the vengeance of the white men who came in many boats and with countless

guns and cannon to take a terrible toll for every drop of white blood spilled.

So it was that Muda Saffir was forced to compromise, and be satisfied with the

chief's assistance in abducting the girl, for it was not so difficult a matter to

convince the head hunter that she really had belonged to the rajah, and that she

had been stolen from him by the old man and the doctor.

112

The Monster Men