tacked us; and having held a palaver, the
chief promised that if we would come out of our house our lives should
be safe. We, knowing very well that though we might kill two or three
of them--should they not value our goods they would burn us out in a few
minutes--thought it wise to agree to their terms. We told them,
however, that we must think over the matter, and if they would leave us
in quiet a short time we would give them an answer. As they had killed
all the people they could catch, the rest having escaped into the woods,
they were perfectly satisfied, I suppose, with their night's work.
Leaving a guard to watch us, the rest employed themselves in embarking
all the booty they had collected. At last the chief came back, which
made us believe that he intended to act fairly--he knew that we could
have shot him if we had been so disposed. He now shouted out to us that
as he wanted to be off we must make up our minds either to accompany him
or be killed. We replied that if we were killed our countrymen would
hear of it and punish him some day or other pretty severely. He had
heard, I doubt not, of the punishment the pirates had received in the
neighbourhood of Sarawak. He swore by the prophet that no harm should
happen to us.

"`Well, Charley,' said my mate, Pat Tandy, `there is no use making more
ado about the matter. We shall only put the fellow out of temper. It
is our only chance.'

"I agreed with him, and opening the door of our house, we went down the
steps, holding our muskets in our hands ready to have a last shot if we
saw that the pirates intended to play us a trick. We walked straight up
to the chief and took his hand to show him that we were not afraid. As
soon as we were out of the house, the people rushed in and soon carried
away the goods, the result of our trading--mats, skins, nuts, and other
things. The chief told us that we must give up our muskets, as he
wanted them; and as there was nothing said about them in our agreement,
we handed them to him, not feeling very sure but that the next moment we
might find our heads off our shoulders. However, he was a more honest
man in that respect than we took him for.

"He now marched us down to the bank, put Tandy on board his prahu, and I
was ordered on board another. We had been so long with the natives that
we understood their language. They were pretty free and easy in
talking, but we could not make out what they intended to do with us.