The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-03-12
Chapter D
The New Rajah

A LII these negotiations had TO be
"A conducted through the goings
and comings of Lundok, for Clyde
would not go into Balingong again.
and Rajah Mantusen could not
come out Lundok's prowlings were
a little safer now, since the orders
to 1enyalang rifemen: but ne still
could travel only at night. and
often was delayed for hours in his
circuit Of the intervening miles of
jungle.
In the end, Clyde had TO make
guarantees of enormous indemni-
les II any accident should befaIl
Mantusen himself, or his goods.
when Malay praus took to the
river. This was purely a gamble on
Clydzs part; he could not pay the
indef4lnitie- if our plans went
wrong. But | think those stubborn
MalayS would have died there If
they could not have obtained terms
which they felt satisfactory to the
Swing Of face.
Our Iongboat moved up the
Siderong river at last. Il was / who
officially took over the improvised
palace which represented tie the
oretieal lordship of Balingong raj.
Clyde had been forced. after much
arguing. to admit that we could
no longer allow him TO risk falling
hostage to Mantusen.
Even the danger of some uncal-
culated indignity must be guarded
against He was no longer simply
Captain James Clyde of the Lin
kang. gunrunner to the narrow
seas. He was our new rajah. upon
whose prestige and supposed in.
fallibility all our plans must de-
pend.
There was no proclamation cere-
f1aony. under the circumstances.
But word was now running
through the Tenya.ang, and from
the Tenyalang through all the
Dyak tribes. that herewith. took
over Balingong raj on behalf of
the Rajah Clydc-rajah OF Balm
gong-in the name of Anthony
Forester. and by deed Of the Sui
tan o. Saremba. that the Ra5ah
Clyde low ruled Balingong, as
sertins the authority of life and
death to its farthest limits. but
promising friendship and assis-
lance in war TO all who were faith
ful. and that no man must inter-
fere with Mantusen as his praus
toos to the river. on pain of death
and the destruction of his village.
So at last Mantusen starter down
the Siderong in IL heavily laden
praus.
sat in the shaded ruai of the
longhouSe within Mantusen's
slockads. with large, bosun of the
Linkang. and eight of the Lin
hangs men: and when the last of
the great praus had swung its big
sea-going outrigger around the
bend of the river. we sat waiting
for long time.
Sweat was running down my
face-whach was justified by the
heat, except that this was oold
sweat | was listening for the rattle
OF gunfire. the wild yammering OF
Dyak tribesmen. and the war cries
OF the MalayS as the died shout
ing that there was no God but
God could not believe in the
barest possibility that the praus
would get through. was mentally
timing their progress so that I i
would know when they must have
reached the bay.
His First Audience
AFTER a long ln.e a curious
"A sound began TO cume from far
down the river-some Of the Ma
lay paddlefs were beginning to
Slngl They sang with an odd in
fermittent rhythm IA chorISed !
whine that car ed them six
strokes. then siler.ce for six
strokes, then the song again. And
this thing was repeated ever ana
over, until their voices thinned
away. and at last died.
/ knew after a while that the
leading praC must be passing the
delta. In imagination | counted /
those % prauS as they entered the
bay. / thought finally that they
must all be clear. Then. at the
very last gun was fired far down !
toward the mouth of the Siderong.
and this was followed. by the quick 1
snarliny sound of several more
rifles which spoke together. III
knew that il would only take a /
few minutes for that jungle 10 boil
over into q malestrom OF murder: /
and I thought that the end was
near.
Until now I had not realized
that the gong had been silent
while the Malays Sere on the
river. but now a great hammering
g excited sound broke out all #
through the jungle as gongS and 4
drums kept questioning each other
without getting any answer. To my 4
surprise and vast relief the gun
IRE ended abruptly as Il bsgzn