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To this plan Captain Cloete at once gladly acceded; for he did not suspect that Kalong's chief object was to spy out the condition of the people whose habitations we might pass, that, should his tribe wish to get a few heads, he might be the better able to lead them to the attack. Such, however, Hassan told us he had no doubt was his intention.
Our great risk was that of getting on a shoal; but, thanks to Kalong's pilotage, we avoided all dangers in our way, and at last dropped anchor opposite a spot where a village had once stood. Fairburn and I recognised it as the one attacked by the Sooloo pirates. Tears started to the eyes of the poor people as they witnessed the desolation which had been wrought among their late habitations.
I fear that I have ill succeeded in giving an idea of Kalong's mode of expressing himself. In an artless way he exhibited his affection for me, and described the dangers and hardships he and Hassan had endured to discover me.
We also carried a number of articles for trading with the natives, whom we hoped, from Kalong's account, to find friendly. We had thus left but a small number of men on board, but as the brig was in a safe place, the captain, trusting to Kalong's report, considered that there was no risk of her being attacked by pirates.
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