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Chapter 10 - DESPERATE CHANCE

The great chest in the bottom of Rajah Muda Saffir's prahu had awakened in

other hearts as well as his, blind greed and avarice; so that as it had been the

indirect cause of his disaster it now proved the incentive to another to turn the

mishap to his own profit, and to the final undoing of the Malay.

The panglima Ninaka of the Signana Dyaks who manned Muda Saffir's war prahu

saw his chief disappear beneath the swift waters of the river, but the word of

command that would have sent the boat hurriedly back to pick up the swimmer

was not given. Instead a lusty cry for greater speed ahead urged the sinuous

muscles gliding beneath the sleek brown hides; and when Muda Saffir rose to the

surface with a cry for help upon his lips Ninaka shouted back to him in derision,

consigning his carcass to the belly of the nearest crocodile.

In futile rage Muda Saffir called down the most terrible curses of Allah and his

Prophet upon the head of Ninaka and his progeny to the fifth generation, and

upon the shades of his forefathers, and upon the grim skulls which hung from

the rafters of his long-house. Then he turned and swam rapidly toward the

shore.

Ninaka, now in possession of both the chest and the girl, was rich indeed, but

with Muda Saffir dead he scarce knew to whom he could dispose of the white girl

for a price that would make it worth while to be burdened with the danger and

responsibility of retaining her. He had had some experience of white men in the

past and knew that dire were the punishments meted to those who wronged the

white man's women. All through the remainder of the long night Ninaka pondered

the question deeply. At last he turned to Virginia.

Why does the big white man who leads the ourang outangs follow us?" he asked.

Is it the chest he desires, or you?"

"It is certainly not the chest," replied the girl. "He wishes to take me back to my

father, that is all. If you will return me to him you may keep the chest, if that is

what you wish."

Ninaka looked at her quizzically for a moment. Evidently then she was of some

value. Possibly should he retain her he could wring a handsome ransom from the

white man. He would wait and see, it were always an easy matter to rid himself

of her should circumstances require. The river was there, deep, dark and silent,

and he could place the responsibility for her loss upon Muda Saffir.

The Monster Men