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Updated: May 9, 2025
With the flood-tide arrived all the well appointed and imposing little fleet, and with them the cutter and sampan with two out of the three men belonging to the boat of which they had been in chase; the third having been speared by Seboo, on showing a strong inclination to run a-muck in his own boat, i. e. to sell his life as dearly as he could.
Ere we are five miles from the sampan these festive mariners of the Kan-kiang have developed into shuffling, shirking gormandizers, who peer longingly into every eating-house we pass by and evince a decided tendency to convert their task into a picnic.
"I went up and down all the rivers of Sarawak in a sampan with an English gentleman who was crocodiles, monkeys, mias, snakes, and birds picking up." "Wrong!" exclaimed Morris. "You know better than that, Achang." The native repeated the reply, putting the verb where it ought to be. "He was a naturalist," added Louis. "Yes; that was what they called him in the town."
The same sampan is re-engaged to convey us farther down stream; beneath the housing of bamboo-mats, the rice-chaff leaves barely room for us to crowd in and huddle together from the rain and cold prevailing outside. The worst the elements can do, however, is far preferable to personal contact with these vile creatures; and so I don my blanket and gossamer rubbers, and sit out in the rain.
"See you down to the boat, of course, my dear." A very few minutes later the Doctor's wife was standing on the banks of the river watching the Resident's handsomely fitted sampan not his official dragon-boat being punted by two sturdy men up the glistening waters, Minnie turning from time to time to wave her hand, and lastly her scarf, just as they disappeared.
Then he resumed his watch for the friendly prahu, or smaller sampan which he knew time would eventually bring from up or down the river to his rescue, for who of the surrounding natives would dare refuse succor to the powerful Rajah of Sakkan! At the long-house which harbored Ninaka and his crew, Barunda and Bulan stopped with theirs to obtain food and rest.
But at that very instant Jim Dent dipped his paddle deep on the left side, the Shan made a corresponding movement with his oars, and the light vessel spun round on her heel and darted away from the impending stroke. So close were the two boats when this skilful manoeuvre was executed that the dripping bow oar of the pursuers was flourished almost in Jack's face as the sampan flew round.
Jenks," she said, clasping her hands in an agony of entreaty, "do not kill more men for my sake!" "For my own sake, then," he growled, annoyed at the interruption, as the sampan was afloat. "Then I ask you for God's sake not to take another life. What you have already done was unavoidable, perhaps right. This is murder!" He lowered his weapon and looked at her.
We had not, however, walked many yards along the river bank before it became apparent that there were any number of birds, and I already regretted having so few cartridges with me. After crossing the creek in a crazy sampan the party separated, each taking his own line of country.
"What is the matter, Achang?" asked the captain, as he observed the uneasy movements of the Bornean as the yacht approached the junction with the Sadong. "Have bore soon; better go no farther," replied the native. "Upset all boats and sampans." Captain Scott ordered the helmsman to go to the shore, and there the painter of the Malay sampan was cast off, and her men got to the land.
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