The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-02-16
Chapter Eight
Refuge!

Refuge!
CUDDENLY, there was q ripping
y crackle of rifle fire, concentra-
ted at first, then quickly subsiding
into the ragged pounding OF ir-
regularly reloaded guns. Over
these presently began TO sound the
hoarse, blunt conclusion Of Ian
takas, the small brass cannon
Of the Malays.
Something like cold fire jumped
into my uncle's eyes. By God,
Mantusen still hold BalingongI"
remember hearing myself say,
The Dyaks may be fighting among
themselves"
with lantakas. you fool?"
His decision then was instant,
without thought or reason; il was
as sudden as the reflex Of a muscle,
or the crack Of whip.
Paul, swing he4 nose up
stream! Set your oars! I'm going
through"
started to say, "waitI You
can't"
He didn't hear me. "Wait your
swing-wait your swing-NoW
pull"
The faces Of the men were blank
with establishment, but they
obeyed with everything they had.
dashed into action by the sting OF
Clyde's voice. Pull. you foolsl
Pull as you never pulled Lift her,
II you want to Iyel"
The water boiled from the
blades, and from every blade a
deep spiraling hole in the river
opened up 10 90 whirling away
down the stream. It was as If the
violence Of my uncle's win had
lifted the whaleboat half out of
the water, and kicked the river
out from under him.
Now the ugly, rabbish drone Of
voices with which Dyaks 60 into
action rose from the stockade.
Brown figures raced along the
shore and ran parallel to US in the
jungle. They piled into 20 praus.
A throwing-spear splashed into the
water close by the boat, sending
up a little crystal spout from the
brown polished surface of the
flood. II was a small sound, not
terrifying IN itself; it might have
been made by a jumping fish, ex-
cept that had seen the quick slie-
ing flicker IN the air that was the
attempt OF brown savage to get
himself an oarsman.
Pull. win your Can't you pull7"
Somehow we made the turn un-
touched. Far up ahead, az the end
Of the next long reach, Balingong
hove in sight at last. raised high on
pllings whose feet were IN the
water.
BalingoAg was a strange town,
built there by many elements, not
one OF which was white. Not even
a single ugly Dutch bodega soft
ened its completely native look.
The river here spread out widely
into many-throated shadows. cut
up by sandbarS and mud islands;
and most Of the houses stood upon
pilings in the water itself. or in
mud which would be water when
the river turned brackish with the
high tide. There were about 400
OF those houses. set high on their
stills. made Of bamboo and split
bamboo and nipa thatch. The dis
orderly arrangement Of the place
made Il look larger than il was.
rambling and tortuous. so that the
first time I ever saw Il I thought
there were thousands Of those
houses there.
shower OF Spears
JUST now Balingong nad a single
- immediate meaning. II was
refuge. The bold. dangerous recon-
noiseFing OF my uncle had sud-
denly changed into something else.
We had come gropiugly at first.
feeling our way. clyde's abrupt
brilliantly swift decision - even
then ! thought il questionable in
the extreme-had Snatched US
through the blockade, and there
was no longer any question OF turn
ing back. Already We were ire
trievaoly caught IN the undertow
OF events.
With the first sight Of Balm
gong. I saw that the town was
strangely changed. and after a
moment knew what was the mat
Ter. The palace OF the Raiah Man
tusen was 40 longer there.
Because his slaves could bring
In his water ssfpplv from distant
springs, the RaIah Mantusen had
been able to elect that no other
house in Balingong should be be-
tween his own and the sea IL had
been set IN the river Ike most OF
the rest. and Ike them had been
built OF bamboo. but topped with
shingles. is roof-trees decorated
with carved fgureheadx. Stilted
upon pilingS, but impressive IN
is extent. the bamboo palace rad
always been the first thing IN sight
coming ~ the river.