Now was Tungku Pa's opportunity, but instead of
seizing it and rushing in upon To' Kaya to finish him with his _kris_,
he let go the handle of the spear, and fled to a large water jar, behind
which he sought shelter. To' Kaya tugged at the spear, and at length
succeeded in wrenching it free, and Tungku Pa, seeing this, broke cover
from behind the jar, and took to his heels. To' Kaya was too lame to
attempt to overtake him, but he cried out:

'He, Pa! Did the men of old bid thee fly from thy enemies?'

Tungku Pa halted and turned round. 'I am only armed with a _kris_, and
have no spear as thou hast,' he said.

'This house is thine,' said To' Kaya. 'If thou dost desire arms, go up
into the house, and fetch as many as thou canst carry, while I await thy
coming.'

But Tungku Pa had had enough, and he turned and fled at the top of his
speed.

'Hah! Hah! Hah! Ho! Ho! Ho!' laughed To' Kaya. 'Is this, then, the
manner in which the men of the rising generation fight their enemies?'

Seeing that Tungku Pa was in no wise to be tempted or shamed into giving
battle, To' Kaya went past the spot where the body of Ma' Chik still
lay, until he came to the pool of blood which marked the place where
Tungku Long Pendekar had come by his death. Standing there, he cried to
Tungku Itam who was within the house:

'O Tungku! Be pleased to come forth if thou desire to avenge the death
of Tungku Long, thy cousin. Now is the acceptable time, for thy servant
has still some little life left in him. Hereafter thou mayst not avenge
thy cousin's death, thy servant being dead. Condescend, therefore, to
come forth and fight with thy servant.'

But Tungku Itam, like Gallio, cared for none of these things, and To'
Kaya, seeing that his challenge was not answered, cried once more:

'If thou will not take vengeance, the fault is none of thy servant's,'
and, so saying, he passed upon his way.

The dawn was breaking grayly, and the cool land breeze was making a
little stir in the fronds of the palm trees, as To' Kaya passed up the
lane, and through the compounds, whose owners had fled hastily from fear
of him. Presently, he came out on the open space before the mosque, and
here some four hundred men, fully armed with spears and daggers, were
assembled. It was light enough for To' Kaya to see and mark the fear in
their eyes. He smiled grimly.

'This is indeed good!' cried he. 'Now at last shall I have my fill of
stabbing and fighting,' and, thereu