With the Dyaks of Borneo: A Tale of the Head Hunters

"And will give some trouble before he is defeated. Look! he has seized a branch and means to use it as a cudgel, just as if he were a human being. But listen. There is the shout again."

Scarcely had the words left Tyler's lips than the curious call again awoke the echoes of the forest, and had barely died down when some dozen dusky figures suddenly emerged into the clearing from opposite directions and advanced upon the threatening figure, which now occupied a central point. Crash! The animal raised his cudgel at the sight of his enemies, and brought it to the ground furiously and with such force that it was a wonder that it was not broken into a hundred pieces. Then, as if the sight of the natives aroused his anger beyond everything, the ape came running to meet those who were nearest to him, his body now held fully erect. With glaring eyes and wide-open mouth, which exposed a row of terrible fangs, he ran with silent feet towards his enemies, snarling in his rage. Then, singling out one in particular, he leapt at him with unexpected suddenness, and, throwing his cudgel to the ground, gripped the unfortunate fellow in his arms.

"Look! He will kill him! The brute has caught the poor fellow's arm between his teeth, and I heard the bone crack!" cried Tyler, unconsciously raising his voice in his excitement at the scene. "Ah! the others are afraid. They are hanging back, and will desert their comrade. We must help, for we cannot lie here and see a human being killed before our eyes by such a hideous brute. Your rifle, John! Quick! out into the open!"

Almost before the boatswain had grasped his meaning, Tyler was on his feet and running between the trees at his fastest pace, and ere John Marshall could rise to follow him his leader was within a few yards of the ape. As for the natives, one more courageous than his comrades had thrust at the savage animal with a spear, and had left the weapon sticking in his back. But he might just as well have used a thorn from a neighbouring tree for all the effect it produced, for the mias did not seem to notice it, and, turning as the man dodged round him, went running towards him, still holding the unfortunate native between his teeth. And now the air was full of shouts of consternation as the natives dodged about their comrade. A few attempted to follow the example set by one of their brothers, but the gleaming fangs, the fierce snarl to which the animal gave vent as each approached, caused their courage to vanish, and instead of throwing themselves upon the ape in a body, with the firm determination to rescue their unhappy friend, they darted farther away, and stood there brandishing their weapons and calling in frightened voices to one another. Imagine their amazement when a white man suddenly burst from the trees and rushed upon the scene!

"Out of the way!" shouted Tyler, as if the natives could understand him. "Now, be ready to help me should I fail in shooting the brute. John, come up on the opposite side and let him have a bullet from your gun also."

Stepping carefully towards the ape, Tyler advanced with outstretched weapon, prepared to raise it to his shoulder the instant that an opportunity presented of firing without injuring the man; but the ape seemed to guess at his intention, for, seeing another of his enemies approaching, he suddenly opened his mouth, and, relinquishing his grip of the arm, tossed the native to one side. Then, with another of those formidable and unexpected leaps he sprang at Tyler, alighting within a few feet of him. A terrible sight he was too, with enormous fangs exposed and his lip and nose wrinkled and contracted as he snarled. His small, ferrety eyes seemed to flash fire at the intruder, while each muscle of his enormous body stood out like a cord as he prepared for the attack. Indeed, so formidable was his appearance that our hero almost faltered and gave back. But the imminence of his peril, the fact that if he but turned his back for a moment the beast would be upon him, kept him with his face to the foe. And then his spirit, the fine courage which he undoubtedly possessed, and which had already stood him in such good stead, came to his help, and at once, levelling his weapon, he fired at the ape.

"Jump!" shouted John Marshall, seeing that the brute had failed to drop. "Out of the way, sir, or he will get you in his grip!"

Quickly though the warning was given, it came too late to save Tyler from the fury of this strange enemy, for, stung to madness by the pain of his wound, the mias gave vent to a snarl of rage and leapt full upon our hero's shoulders. The brawny arms encircled the figure of the white man, and once more the capacious jaws opened in readiness to bite. A moment and the gleaming teeth would have closed upon the back of Tyler's neck, when John Marshall sprang to his aid, and, holding his fire for fear of killing his leader, thrust the muzzle of his weapon between the jaws. Then all three fell upon the ground and struggled there together, while the natives who had so unexpectedly arrived in the clearing looked on in utter amazement, incapable of giving help to those who had come so gallantly to the rescue.

"Hold it there! Keep your gun between his teeth for a little longer," shouted Tyler, with difficulty keeping his presence of mind. "My right hand is almost free, and very soon I shall be able to draw my revolver."

Putting out all his strength, he slowly drew the arm from the powerful grip which held it to his side, and then rapidly felt for a weapon. His fingers lit upon the butt of a revolver, and in a trice the muzzle was thrust against the hairy chest of his opponent. Bang! As the report rang out the lanky arms suddenly fell away, the jaws opened wide as if in another effort to tear the limbs of his white-faced enemy, and then with a sigh the terrible mias collapsed upon the ground, where he lay with arms and legs spread out in all directions. As for Tyler, he sprang to his feet with a cry of triumph, and, forgetful of the natives around, who as yet might prove to be enemies, he turned with extended hand to thank his companion.

"You saved my life, old friend," he said, in tones which showed his gratitude. "Had it not been for the fact that your weapon was thrust between his teeth he would have killed me; he would have gripped me in that awful mouth, and would have choked the life out of my body. I thank you from the bottom of my heart!"

"You're welcome, sir. I'd do the same every day of my life if you was to call for my help, for I tell yer, in this world one good turn deserves another. Where would I ha' been if it hadn't been for you, I'd like to know. Jest washing about in the sea outside, I reckon, and food for the fishes. It was you, begging yer pardon, sir, who beat off them pirates, and if it hadn't been for yer quickness we should ha' been taken by Hans Schlott and his villains. So, yer see, we're even, and there ain't nothing more to be said about the matter. But what about these chaps here?"

He turned and pointed to the natives, who stood about them still in open-mouthed amazement, looking at the white men in speechless astonishment.

"We must make friends with them," was Tyler's instant answer. "We have suddenly come to their help, and they will surely be grateful. But first of all let us look at the poor fellow who was seized by the ape. I am afraid that he has been very seriously injured."

"He's dead, sir," responded John, stepping across to the body. "That bite would have been enough for most anyone, but I see the mias give him a squeeze just before he threw him to the ground, and I reckon it jest broke every rib in his body. He's dead, sure enough, and there's no use worrying longer about him. But about these chaps. There's another coming this way, and what's more, he's a Chinaman."

"Then he may understand our language," burst in Tyler, for he had learnt from Mr. Beverley that the island of Borneo contained many of the race, who frequently sailed there after residence at Singapore. "Call him here, John, and let us attempt to talk with him."

Leaving the dead native lying upon the ground, and the enormous ape huddled in the centre of the clearing beside him, they walked towards the figure of a Chinaman who had emerged from the forest a few minutes before. As for the latter, he advanced towards them with a cry of delight and without the slightest sign of fear, and arriving within a yard of them, halted suddenly, and salaamed to them as if he realized at once that they were his masters.

"Li Sung him velly glad you comee," he said, with another of his curious bobs, which set his pigtail swaying. "Li Sung him comee along with natives and chase de mias. He reachee de edge of de forest in time to watchee de battle. Li Sung givee kow-tow. Him see velly great brave men before him."

"And you speak English," exclaimed Tyler with delight, "and will be able to show these friends of yours that we are not here to injure them. Who are they? And what do they do?"

"And where do they live?" added the boatswain suddenly. "Look here, Johnnie, my lad, we're in want of friends, and, what's more, our object is to get as far away from here as possible, for, like the mias, we are chased. A Dutchman and his cruel pirates are after us, and their prahu lies in the river beyond the trees."

"Den dey are our enemies as well," was the Chinaman's quick answer. "We livee a few miles on through de forest, and de tribe wid whom I workee am peaceful Dyaks. Dey sow de rice and work in de paddy-fields. But sometimes dese pirates comee deir way and den dey fight, for if not dey am killed and deir heads taken. Yes, de pirates am velly nasty men, and we hatee dem."

"Then the Dyak people with whom you live will befriend us," said Tyler. "Talk to them and tell them who we are, and why it is that we are here. Say that we will do them no harm, but in return for the help which we have given them just now we will ask them to shelter us for a time until we can proceed on our journey to Sarawak."

"You go dere?" cried Li Sung eagerly, pricking up his ears at the mention of Sarawak. "Den me comee too, for Li Sung havee wifee in Sarawak. But me talkee to de natives."

He went off at once to do Tyler's bidding, while the latter conversed in low tones with his companion.

"We are in luck," said Tyler, sitting upon the ground, for, now that the excitement was over, he was feeling fatigued and somewhat shaken after his struggle with the ape. "It seems that Li Sung, this Chinaman, also wishes to make for Sarawak, and we will most gladly take him with us, for it is clear that he has some acquaintance with the country, and in addition can speak the language of these Dyaks, a fact which will be of the utmost value to us. It is evident that he is pointing out to the natives what we have done for them, and I could see when he was talking to us that his bobs and kow-towing impressed them with an idea of our importance. Nothing could be better for us, for the more they respect us the safer we shall be. But here he comes again, and I see that he is bringing the natives with him."

"Li Sung him say allee dat you tellee him," began the Chinaman, "and de natives ask you to stop wid dem. Dat was deir chief,"and the Chinaman pointed to the unfortunate Dyak who had fallen a victim to the ferocity of the ape, "and dey ask dat you takee his place. Dey also say dat dis Dutchman has fought dem before, and coming upon dem suddenly has killed many of deir comrades. Den he has sailed away, taking de wives and children with him as slaves. He will follow you, dat is for sure, and dese people will have to fight. Dey ask, den, dat you place yourself at deir head and lead dem, for in attacking de mias allee alone you have shown dat you am brave and strong."

Once more the pigtail swung from side to side while the Chinaman kow-towed to Tyler. Then he stood erect again, and with outstretched hands repeated his message.

"Helpee dem," he pleaded, "and dey will drive dis Dutchman back. Refuse, and all whom you see here will die, while deir homes will be broken up. Dose dey care for will become slaves, and will be taken miles and miles away among strange people, while dose who are left with deir lives will find deir crops ruined and deir fruit-trees, upon which dey feed far more dan upon de rice, cut to the ground."

"Their chief!" exclaimed Tyler in astonishment. "You may tell them, Li Sung, that I will take the place for a time, but they must understand that at the first opportunity I shall leave for Sarawak. But we cannot discuss the matter here, and therefore I suggest that we march at once for their village. Lead the way and we will follow."

With a sharp bob and a shake of his pigtail the Chinaman showed that he understood the order and fully agreed with it Then he turned about, and, shouting some words to the Dyaks, led the way into the forest As for the latter, they ran to the centre of the clearing, and while a few lifted the body of their comrade and commenced to carry him away, the remainder hastily searched for a suitable bough and made preparations to remove the mias. A couple of lengths of creeper at once filled the place of ropes with which to bind the wrists and ankles of the animal together. Then a long stout bough was thrust between them, and three men attached themselves to either end. At a given signal they lifted their burden, and, resting the pole upon their shoulders, went staggering off towards the forest. As for Tyler and John Marshall, they fell in behind and trudged along, their minds so full of the turn which events had taken, and of the strange and unexpected manner in which they had fallen amongst friends, that conversation was impossible.

Very soon the procession came to a path which had evidently been trodden by many feet, and turning along this they pushed their way through a belt of forest which would have been impracticable had it not been for the fact that the hand of man had been at work clearing the undergrowth. On every hand enormous giants reared their leafy heads into the air, for the most part ascending some fifty feet or more before giving out a branch, while, crowded in between them, trailing this way and that in fantastic festoons, and embracing their more powerful brothers as if to protect them or to obtain support from their strength, were long creepers, with leaves of the most delicate and vivid green.

"And look at the flowers," said Tyler, who now for the first time was able to take note of his surroundings, and observe the beauties of the island of Borneo. "Whenever we happen to come upon a spot where the trees stand back and permit the rays of the sun to penetrate, orchids and other tropical blooms can be seen in profusion, dangling often from the tree tops."

"Yes, and there are palms, sir, and won't we jest enjoy them," was the sailor's reply as he pointed to several of that variety. "Nothing like cocoa-nuts to quench the thirst on a boiling hot day."

"And evidently the natives believe in them, John, for you can see that they have erected bamboo ladders against some of the trees, and have settled their abode in the midst of a plantation. Now how will they receive us, I wonder?"

By now they had come to a break in the forest path, and the trees suddenly ceased to spring up on either side. A glance at once showed that the woodman's axe had been busy here, and had kept the jungle at bay. Large areas of flat and open ground were to be seen, and all under cultivation; while farther on, a plantation of palms and abundant fruit-trees overhung an enormous house, around which swarmed numerous natives.

"The village!" exclaimed Tyler. "Seeing that long hut reminds me that Mr. Beverley told me that these Dyaks seldom have separate establishments for their families, but prefer to live under the same roof. In fact, some of their residences harbour five hundred people, and are some hundreds of feet in length. But here we are, and now I suppose that there will be a talk."

Reassured by the friendly glances of the natives, and by the words of the Chinaman, who had now rejoined them, the two young fellows marched up to the village hut with heads in the air and a smile upon their lips. But all the while their senses were fully alert, for they had heard before now of treachery, and it was well to be prepared. However, there was no need for alarm, for scarcely had they reached the steep ladder which led to the living floor than a number of women appeared bearing food for them.

"If de Englishmen will be seated deir wants will be looked to," said Li Sung, again kow-towing, a sign of respect which the Dyaks at once imitated. "Li Sung can assure dem dat dere is noding to fear, for dese men am velly friendly. Dey have seen de brave act which was meant to save de life of a comrade, and they are for ever in the debt of deir visitors. But dey bid you hasten, for if dere am evil men who hunt for you, it will not do to sitee long at food. After you have eaten we will talkee, and my master shall say what course it will be wise to follow."

"Then we shall be ready very soon, Li Sung, for we have no wish to fall into the clutches of the Dutchman. In five minutes we shall be ready, and you can bring the chief men along. Now bring the food."

With a wave of his hand the Chinaman bade the Dyak women come forward with their trays, and soon the two fugitives were indulging in an excellent meal.

"It beats everything," exclaimed John Marshall with enthusiasm as he settled himself to do justice to the repast. "An hour ago we were flying who knows where, and wondering whether we should escape with our lives. And now we suddenly find ourselves in proper trim, with victuals and drink to spare!"

"But with a great deal before us," interrupted Tyler thoughtfully, staring hard at the ground as though that would help him to decide what their next step was to be. "We have an enemy to think of, John, and sitting here will not save us from him. I am wondering what chance these Dyaks would have against Hanns Schlott, for, as you see, they are but rudely armed, and have not a single firearm amongst them. It seems to me that it will be better for them, perhaps better for us also, if we agree to part company at once, for otherwise we shall be the cause of their getting into trouble."

"And if we leave they will still have to meet the Dutchman," said the boatswain swiftly. "I say that this Hans Schlott will come this way once his trackers have got on our line, and, remembering that there are Dyaks in the neighbourhood, will make a raid upon them. The rascal makes his living by piracy, and when that fails he takes slaves and gets money by them. So he'll attack 'em, and it'll not make so much as a farthing's difference if we remain or not."

"De words am true," broke in the voice of Li Sung at this moment. "My massa, Li havee already said dat dis captain of de prahu am known to us. A year has passed since he sailed into de river, but we havee not forgotten. See dere. De trees are but sprouting from de ground, and if we had not had others to draw from elsewhere we should have starved."

He pointed to a portion of the plantation where numerous stumps protruded from amongst the vegetation.

"Yes, dere are de remains of de fruit-trees," continued Li Sung, "and deir loss was almost as bitter as de theft of de wives and children. Massa, de men here am in terror. Were dey to knowee all dat you havee told me dey would fly velly quick, for dis Dutchman am a monster in deir eyes. But here am de chiefs, and we will talkee wid dem."

He beckoned to a number of natives who had squatted near at hand, and at the signal they ascended the ladder and sat down before Tyler with an air of gravity which showed that if they were not fully aware of the close proximity of the pirates they were for all that fearful of some impending danger.

"Tell the white man that we are his children," said their spokesman, addressing his words to Li Sung, who at once interpreted them. "From the moment when he dashed into the clearing and faced the mias in the hope of rescuing our young chief we were his friends for life. And now that we are without a leader we ask him to fill the place, at least for a time. Say also that we have heard enough to show us that, the pirates are near, and that if he and his friend leave us we shall certainly fall victims. Would that we could change our home, for the soil is now past the work we demand of it, and more of the jungle must be cleared. Then, again, our lives are never safe while we remain near the river, while the mias, tribes of which inhabit the forests near at hand, rob our trees of their fruit, and make their cultivation hopeless. We are dispirited, and now a new misfortune is upon us."

"Change their home! The soil is worked out, and misfortunes constantly coming!" murmured Tyler as if to himself, while his eyes roamed round the circle of Dyaks, "Why not change their abode? Why not come to Sarawak with us and there have peace and safety under the Englishman?"

Unconsciously he said the words aloud, so that John Marshall overheard them, and instantly the latter's features brightened with a smile, while he turned with unusual eagerness to his young leader.

"I know somethin' about these here Dyaks and the China boys," he said, "for away in Singapore one met plenty of the last who had been to Borneo, and who told the tale that the tribes often wander in search of new fields for cultivation. Yer see, a couple of seasons work the nourishment out of the soil, so that it jest refuses to give good value for the labour expended on it. Then the Dyaks pack up their goods and jest march right away till they come to a likely neighbourhood. Having settled upon their new home they set to work to cut down the jungle, and then to lay out their crops. As for a house, it is nothing to build, and takes little more than a week, for you can see for yourself that the materials are close at hand, and everything jest done to last a short time only. Then, too, they've got to think of enemies, and I've heard it said that everyone is against these poor helpless people. They ain't got no firearms as a general rule, and I reckon they're at anyone's mercy. Now if we was to lead them, and, after beating back this Hanns Schlott and his fellows, to march with the whole lot to Sarawak, we should be doing them a good turn, while their company would make our journey all the more secure."

"And at the end we should bring them under the protection of James Brooke of Sarawak," added Tyler. "Mr. Beverley, who was an admirer of that pioneer, told me that the latter's chief aim and object in coming to Borneo, and in settling at Sarawak, was to look after the interests of the unfortunate Dyaks, who are fleeced, and murdered, and taken into slavery by powerful gangs of pirates composed of Malays and sea-coast Dyaks as well. Their lot, indeed, is a very hard one, and by persuading these people here to join us in our journey we should be doing them no harm. Indeed we should be conferring a benefit upon them. I admit that the journey is a long one, but then a brighter prospect will be before them at the end. But let us put the suggestion to them, when they can consider it for themselves. Listen," he went on, addressing himself to the Chinaman, "my friend and I will do what we can to lead you and protect you, and it has occurred to us that if these people here are considering a move, and above all, if by remaining here they are to run the danger of constant attack at the hands of the pirates, it would be better for them to go far away and leave this neighbourhood altogether. We are bound for Sarawak, where James Brooke has made his home, and is fighting to bring peace to the natives. Ask them whether they would care to make the journey with us, and find their new home in the place that I have spoken of."

Leaning back against the wall of the native hut, Tyler watched the faces of the Dyak tribesmen as the proposition was put before them, and noted the eagerness with which they listened to Li Sung's words. That they were impressed by the proposal became quickly evident, for at once they began to discuss the matter with every sign of interest, and, conscious that upon their decision the fate of their comrades would depend, they promptly called to those who stood about them to join in their council.

"But we must not forget the pirates," said their leader, arresting the conversation for a moment. "I have already placed a few men in the forest to keep watch, but now I will send others to the bank of the river there to spy upon their movements. Then if this Dutchman comes in this direction we shall have warning of the fact, and shall be able to stand or retire as seems most advisable. And now to settle this important question."