ew his men so quickly that he saw
spirits."

The chief caught his name and broke in with a question. A volley of
talk between the two was enlivened with expressive gestures by Taung
S'Ali, who several times pointed to Iris, and Jenks now anathematized
his thoughtless folly in permitting the Dyak to approach so near. The
Mahommedan, of course, had never seen her, and might have persuaded the
other that in truth there were two men only on the rock.

His fears were only too well founded. The Mussulman salaamed
respectfully and said--

"Protector of the poor, I cannot gainsay your word, but Taung S'Ali
says that the maid stands by your side, and is none the less the woman
he seeks in that she wears a man's clothing."

"He has sharp eyes, but his brain is addled," retorted the sailor. "Why
does he come here to seek a woman who is not of his race? Not only has
he brought death to his people and narrowly escaped it himself, but he
must know that any violence offered to us will mean the extermination
of his whole tribe by an English warship. Tell him to take away his
boats and never visit this isle again. Perhaps I will then forget his
treacherous attempt to murder us whilst we slept last night."

The chief glared back defiantly, whilst the Mahommedan said--

"Sahib, it is beet not to anger him too much. He says he means to have
the girl. He saw her beauty that day and she inflamed his heart. She
has cost him many lives, but she is worth a Sultan's ransom. He cares
not for warships. They cannot reach his village in the hills. By the
tomb of Nizam-ud-din, sahib, he will not harm you if you give her up,
but if you refuse he will kill you both. And what is one woman more or
less in the world that she should cause strife and blood-letting?"

The sailor knew the Eastern character too well not to understand the
man's amazement that he should be so solicitous about the fate of one
of the weaker sex. It was seemingly useless to offer terms, yet the
native was clearly so anxious for an amicable settlement that he caught
at a straw.

"You come from Delhi?" he asked.

"Honored one, you have great wisdom."

"None but a Delhi man swears by the tomb on the road to the Kutub. You
have escaped from the Andamans?"

"Sahib, I did but slay a man in self-defence."

"Whatever the cause, you can never again see India. Nevertheless, you
would give many years of your life to mix once more with the
bazaar-folk in the Chandni Chowk, and s