The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-02-17
chapter Nine
BaIingong


THE oarsmen laid last violence
Il into the stroke, so that the
straining sweeps bent with every
pull. We swung between those
ghoStly charcoal pilings, and drove
hard toward the steep beach be-
yond.
Ship your oars" my uncle said
From 100 yards up the hill be-
hind the beach three or four Of the
brass Mal1y lantakas now spoke
once more; their round shot went
overhead with that heavy sibilant
noise they make, something like
the cough Of horse. But they were
not firing at US; they were driving
of those now faint-hearted Dyak
praus.
WELL" Clyde said, there's our
customers, Paul"
Half the Dyak fighting men of
all Summarizing were concentrated
here-yet 100 Malays still stood
them off
The irregular crackle of gunfre
had died away as we came on, and
as our keel ran grating onto the
beach, the Siderong shore was alto
gether still.
No Malays came forward TO meet
us. saw why. Their half naked,
turbaned figures were peculiarly
grouped. They punched squatting
on their heels, close in the shadow
OF the stockade pilings, or in pecu-
Iarly shaped lines in the shelter
of the buildings, like men seeking
shade though shade was now
everywhere.
It was the first time that ! had
ever seen Malays fear guns-es-
pecially guns in the hands of
Dyaks. Mantusen's refuge con-
sisted Of two stockades. one within
the other; but these, unlike the
Dyak stockades, were of pilings no
more than four feet tall and open
to the river. The Malays like TO
spring out and meet the rush of
their enemies with a charge OF
their own, however much they
may be outnumbered. This works
well, because the Dyak has no
stomach for the cold kris, while so
Tar as have seen, the Malay ap-
pears to have no fear Of steel.
The line Of the outer stockade
was so feet beyond that of the in
ner, which was very compact; and
f. beyond the outer stockade the
ground was cleared for a distance
OF 200 yards. The whole arrange
ment was ideal for standing of the
Dyaks, for the primitive weapons
could do no damage until the at
tackers had come into the open.
Clyde looked about him, with
out any appearance of hurry, while
yet he wasted no time. Drag the
boat high" he said as he stepped
ashore. "out of reach Of the tide.
Were exposed here; well walk on
m
As he spoke, splinters jumped
from the gun'le of the boat. I'M
mediately followed by the crack
Of single rifle from the far side OF
the Siderong. Naturally. luck be-
ing what II is, il was Grogan that
the shot ALMOST got. What amazed
me was that the weil-aimed shot
must have come a good 800 yards
Your average Dyak closes both
eyes and fires in general direc-
ton, so that the gas-pipe guns most
traders were palming of on them
served as well as any. But now
some new element seemed 70 have
entered this fight, forcing the
Malays 70 take shelter from Dyak
guns for perhaps the first time IN
Their memory. and ! could not
imagine how 20 account for IL
Clyde no more than raised his
eyebrows as he turned and walked
slowly up the steep beach. the rest
OF Us following with something Of
the deliberate step Of men who no
longer have any control over their
circumstances. TEey were half
carrying Schweicamp. and Grogan
hobbled with the aid Of an car.
We Surrender Arms
NOV single figure walked for
ward. slowly. but with a roll
ing Malay swaggef Until found
difficulty in recognizing this mans
face. had not realized how fast
the twilight was falling. Now
experienced q great relief. For the
man was Lundok-perhaps the
only Malay in Baiingong. except
for MantuSen himself. who spoke
English with any fiuency. Lundok
was $50 perhaps the only Malay IN
Baling0ng upon whose word James
Clyde rested any weight. he
seemed 10 have learned. along with
English. that certain men can
sometimes make themselves a rep
utation for doing what they say
they viii: and that this reputation
Is a valuable tool
He came cut into the open. then
stood waiting. his hands on his
hips. looking about him at the tai
nibung palms 800 yards away with
an evident wonderment that the
- = =