Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-19
Copyright, 1895, by Housewife wildman)


What is it. tiger child?" I asked. be-
slowing on him the title the Malays of
Kampong Clam had given him as per-
petual reminder of his famous adventure.
Dimples came into either tear-stained
cheek. He smoothed out the rents in his
small sarong and without deigning to
notice his late captor said in a soft, sing
song voice:
"Tuan consul, Baboo want to go with
the heaven born to Pahang. Baboo six
years old-can fight pirates like Aboo Din.
the father May Mohamet make Tuan as
you are a boaster before Allah, Baboo."
I said smiling.
Baboo dropped his head in perfectly sim
ulated contrition.
Il have thought much, Tuan."
News had come to me that an American
merchant ship had been wrecked near the
mouth of the Pahang river and that the
against the English resident, had taken
possession of it's cargo of petroleum and
made prisoners of the crew.
had csked the colonial governor for
guard of five SikhS and launch that l
night steam up the coast and investigate
the alleged outrage before appealing Of
ficially to the British government.
OF course Baboo went, much to the dis
gust Of Aboo Din, the syce.
1 never was able to refuse the little fell
low anything and 1 knew If 1 left him be-
hind he would be revenged by running
away.
1 had vowed again and again that Baboo
should stay lost the next time he INDUCED
in his periodical vanishing acts, but each
time when night came Aboo Din, the syce,
and Fatima, the mother, crept pathetically
along the veranda to where was smok-
ing and steeling my heart against the
little rascal 1 would snatch up my cork
helmet and spring into my cart which
Aboo Din had kept waiting inside the sta
bles for the moment when would relent
Since Baboo had become hero and
earned the aprellation of the Hartman
toward kamponS Clam, the Malay quar-
ter of Singapore. Here no was generally
to be found, seated on richly hued Indian
rug, with his feet drawn up under him,
amid a circle of adnirinS shopkeepers
syces. Kebuns and fishermen. narrating
for the hundredth time how he had been
caught by tiger, carried through the
jungle on it's back until he came TO great
banyan tree, into which ne mad crawled
while the tiger slept, how SladanS came
out of the lagoon and killed the tiger, and
found him and kissed him many times.
Often he enlarged on the story and re-
peated long conversations that he had had
with the tiger while they were iourneying
through The jungle.
A brass lamp hung above his head In
which the cocoanut Oil sputtered and burned
and cast a htful half-lght about the box
like stall.
Only the eager faces of the listeners stood
out clear and distinct against the shadowy
background OF tapestries from Madras and
Bokhara, soft rich rugs from Afghanistan
and Persia, curiously wrought finger bowls
Of brass and copper from Deb and Siam,
and piles Of cunningly painted sarongs
from Java.
Close against a naked fisherman sat the
owner of the bazaar, in tall conical silk
plated hat and flowing robes, miniStering
to the wants OF the little actor, as the soft
monotonous voice paused for brief in
re h1on1 poffn
1 never had the heart to interrupt him In
the midst of one of these recitals, but
would stand respectfully without the circle
of light until he had finished the last sem
tence.
He was rot frightened when kicked the
squatting natives right and left and he did
not forget to arise and touch the back Of
his open palm to his forehead, with a calm
reverent: "Tabek, Tuan" Directing, My
Lord.
So Baboo went with US to fight pirates.
He unrolled his mat out on the bow.
where every dash Of warm salt water wet |
his brown skin, and where he could watch |
the flying fish dash across our way.
He was very quiet during the two days of |
our trip, as though he was fully conscious
of the heavy responsibility that rested upon |
his young shoulders.
l had called him a boaster and it had cut |
him to the quick.
on a sunken coral reef near the mouth of |
the Pahang river, but every vestige of her
cargo end stores was gone, even to the
glass in her cabin windows and the brasses
on her rails.
We worked In along the shore and kept a |
lockout for camps or signals, but found
none.
1 decided to go up the river as far as DOS
sible in the launch in hope of coming |
across some trace of the missing crew al.
though l was satisfied that they had been |
captured by the noted rebel chief, the |
Orang kayah Of Semantan, and were being
held for ransom.
1t was late in the afternoon when we en-
tered the mouth of the Sungie Pahang.
Aboo Din advised delay until the next |
morning.
1.-The Orang kayaks Malays are pirates.
Tuan," he said, with a sinister shrug of |
his bare shoulders: he has many men and |
swift prans; the Dutch at Rio have sold |
them guns and they have their krisses-
they are towards in the day."
I smiled at the syre's fears.
l knew that the days of piracy in the
Straits OF Malacca, except for an occasional |
outbreak Of high-sea petty larceny on a |
Chinese lumber junk or native traders |
tongkang were past. and did not believe |
that the rebels would have the hardihood |
to attack. day or night, boat however
unprotected. bearing the American flag.
For an hour or more we ran along be-
tween the mangrove-bound shores I'D q |
swiftly flowing muddy current
The great tangled roots of these trees
stood up out of the water like a fretworl<
of lace. and the interviewer branches above |
sun. We pushed on until the dim twilight !
faded out and only phosphorescent glow |
on the water remained to reveal the sna ps
that marked our course.
The launch was anchored for the night |
close under the bank, where the maze of |
were beginning to give place to |
the solid ground and the Jungle
Myriads of firefes settled down on us |
and hung from the low limbs of the over |
hanging trees, relieving the hot. murkv
darkness with their thousands of throhbine
lamps.
From time to time a crocodile splashed |
in the water as he Slid heavily down the |
clayey bank at the bow.
In the trees and rubber vines all about 10 |
a colony of long-armed wah wah monkeys |
whistled and chartered, and farther aWav |
the sharp. rasping note of a cicada kept nm |
a continuous protest at our invasion |
At intervals the long, quivering veil of q |
tiger frightened the garrulous MONKEYS in |
to silence and made us peer apprehensfyeIy |
toward the impenetrable blackness of the |
jungle.
Aboo Din came to me as I was arranging |
my mosquito curtains for the night
He casting quick, timid glances over
his shoulder as he talked.
"Tuan, no like this place. Too close
bank. Ten boat lengths down stream bet |
ter. Baboo swear by Allah he see faces be- |
hind trees-once, twice-Baboo good ewes