distance；andonanotheroccasionaDutchcorvette，blackandheavilysparred，loomedupontheirquarter，steamingdeadslowinthemist。Theyslippedthroughunseenordisregarded，awan，sallow-facedbandofutteroutcasts，enragedwithhungerandhuntedbyfear。Brown’sideawastomakeforMadagascar，whereheexpected，ongroundsnotaltogetherillusory，toselltheschoonerinTamatave，andnoquestionsasked，orperhapsobtainsomemoreorlessforgedpapersforher。YetbeforehecouldfacethelongpassageacrosstheIndianOceanfoodwaswanted——water，too。
`PerhapshehadheardofPatusan——orperhapshejustonlyhappenedtoseethenamewritteninsmalllettersonthechart——probablythatofalargishvillageupariverinanativestate，perfectlydefenceless，farfromthebeatentracksoftheseaandfromtheendsofsubmarinecables。
Hehaddonethatkindofthingbefore——inthewayofbusiness；andthisnowwasanabsolutenecessity，aquestionoflifeanddeath——orratherofliberty。Ofliberty!Hewassuretogetprovisions——bullocks——rice——sweet-potatoes。
Thesorryganglickedtheirchops。Acargoofproducefortheschoonerperhapscouldbeextorted——and，whoknows？——somerealringingcoinedmoney!
Someofthesechiefsandvillagehead-mencanbemadetopartfreely。Hetoldmehewouldhaveroastedtheirtoesratherthanbebalked。Ibelievehim。Hismenbelievedhimtoo。Theydidn’tcheeraloud，beingadumbpack，butmadereadywolfishly。
`Luckservedhimastoweather。Afewdaysofcalmwouldhavebroughtunmentionablehorrorsonboardthatschooner，butwiththehelpoflandandseabreezes，inlessthanaweekafterclearingtheSundaStraits，heanchoredofftheBatuKringmouthwithinapistol-shotofthefishingvillage。
`Fourteenofthempackedintotheschooner’slong-boatwhichwasbig，havingbeenusedforcargo-workandstarteduptheriver，whiletworemainedinchargeoftheschoonerwithfoodenoughtokeepstarvationofffortendays。Thetideandwindhelped，andearlyoneafternoonthebigwhiteboatunderaraggedsailshouldereditswaybeforetheseabreezeintoPatusanReach，mannedbyfourteenassortedscarecrowsglaringhungrilyahead，andfingeringthebreech-blocksofcheaprifles。Browncalculatedupontheterrifyingsurpriseofhisappearance。Theysailedinwiththelastoftheflood；theRajah’sstockadegavenosign；thefirsthousesonbothsidesofthestreamseemeddeserted。Afewcanoeswereseenupthereachinfullflight。Brownwasastonishedatthesizeoftheplace。Aprofoundsilencereigned。Thewinddroppedbetweenthehouses；twooarsweregotoutandtheboatheldonupstream，theideabeingtoeffectalodgmentinthecentreofthetownbeforetheinhabitantscouldthinkofresistance。
`Itseems，however，thatthehead-manofthefishingvillageatBatuKringhadmanagedtosendoffatimelywarning。Whenthelong-boatcameabreastofthemosquewhichDoraminhadbuilt：astructurewithgablesandrooffinialsofcarvedcoraltheopenspacebeforeitwasfullofpeople。Ashoutwentup，andwasfollowedbyaclashofgongsalluptheriver。Fromapointabovetwolittlebrasssix-poundersweredischarged，andtheround-shotcameskippingdowntheemptyreach，spirtingglitteringjetsofwaterinthesunshine。Infrontofthemosqueashoutinglotofmenbeganfiringinvolleysthatwhippedathwartthecurrentoftheriver；
anirregular，rollingfusilladewasopenedontheboatfrombothbanks，andBrown’smenrepliedwithawild，rapidfire。Theoarshadbeengotin。
`Theturnofthetideathighwatercomesonveryquickinthatriver，andtheboatinmidstream，nearlyhiddeninsmoke，begantodriftbacksternforemost。Alongbothshoresthesmokethickenedalso，lyingbelowtheroofsinalevelstreakasyoumayseealongcloudcuttingtheslopeofamountain。Atumultofwar-cries，thevibratingclangofgongs，thedeepsnoringofdrums，yellsofrage，crashesofvolley-firing，madeanawfuldin，inwhichBrownsatconfoundedbutsteadyatthetiller，workinghimselfintoafuryofhateandrageagainstthosepeoplewhodaredtodefendthemselves。Twoofhismenhadbeenwounded，andhesawhisretreatcutoffbelowthetownbysomeboatsthathadputofffromTunkuAllang’sstockade。Thereweresixofthemfullofmen。WhilehewasthusbesetheperceivedtheentranceofthenarrowcreekthesamewhichJimhadjumpedatlowwater。Itwasthenbrimfull。Steeringthelong-boatin，theylanded，and，tomakealongstoryshort，theyestablishedthemselvesonalittleknollaboutninehundredyardsfromthestockade，which，infact，theycommandedfromthatposition。Theslopesoftheknollwerebare，buttherewereafewtreesonthesummit。Theywenttoworkcuttingthesedownforabreastwork，andwerefairlyentrenchedbeforedark；meantimetheRajah’sboatsremainedintheriverwithcuriousneutrality。Whenthesunsettheglareofmanybrushwoodblazeslightedontheriver-front，andbetweenthedoublelineofhousesonthelandsidethrewintoblackrelieftheroofs，thegroupsofslenderpalms，theheavyclumpsoffruittrees。Brownorderedthegrassroundhispositiontobefired；alowringofthinflamesundertheslow，ascendingsmokewriggledrapidlydowntheslopesoftheknoll；hereandthereadrybushcaughtwithatall，viciousroar。Theconflagrationmadeaclearzoneoffirefortheriflesofthesmallparty，andexpiredsmoulderingontheedgeoftheforestsandalongthemuddybankofthecreek。AstripofjungleluxuriatinginadamphollowbetweentheknollandtheRajah’sstockadestoppeditonthatsidewithagreatcracklinganddetonationsofburstingbamboostems。Theskywassombre，velvety，andswarmingwithstars。Theblackenedgroundsmokedquietlywithlowcreepingwisps，tillalittlebreezecameonandbleweverythingaway。
Brownexpectedanattacktobedeliveredassoonasthetidehadflowedenoughagaintoenablethewar-boatswhichhadcutoffhisretreattoenterthecreek。Atanyratehewassuretherewouldbeanattempttocarryoffhislong-boat，whichlaybelowthehill，adarkhighlumponthefeeblesheenofawetmud-flat。Butnomoveofanysortwasmadebytheboatsintheriver。OverthestockadeandtheRajah’sbuildingsBrownsawtheirlightsonthewater。Theyseemedtobeanchoredacrossthestream。Otherlightsafloatweremovinginthereach，crossingandrecrossingfromsidetoside。Therewerealsolightstwinklingmotionlessuponthelongwallofhousesupthereach，asfarasthebend，andmorestillbeyond，othersisolatedinland。Theloomofthebigfiresdisclosedbuildings，roofs，blackpilesasfarashecouldsee。Itwasanimmenseplace。Thefourteendesperateinvaderslyingflatbehindthefelledtreesraisedtheirchinstolookoveratthestirofthattownthatseemedtoextendup-riverformilesandswarmwiththousandsofangrymen。Theydidnotspeaktoeachother。Nowandthentheywouldhearaloudyell，orasingleshotrangout，firedveryfarsomewhere。Butroundtheirpositioneverythingwasstill，dark，silent。Theyseemedtobeforgotten，asiftheexcitementkeepingawakeallthepopulationhadnothingtodowiththem，asiftheyhadbeendeadalready。’
theeventsofthatnighthaveagreatimportance，sincetheybroughtaboutasituationwhichremainedunchangedtillJim’sreturn。Jimhadbeenawayintheinteriorformorethanaweek，anditwasDainWariswhohaddirectedthefirstrepulse。Thatbraveandintelligentyouth“whoknewhowtofightafterthemannerofwhitemen“wishedtosettlethebusinessoff-hand，buthispeopleweretoomuchforhim。HehadnotJim’sracialprestigeandthereputationofinvincible，supernaturalpower。Hewasnotthevisibletangibleincarnationofunfailingtruthandofunfailingvictory。Beloved，trusted，andadmiredashewas，hewasstilloneofthem，whileJimwasoneofus。Moreover，thewhiteman，atowerofstrengthinhimself，wasinvulnerable，whileDainWariscouldbekilled。Thoseunexpressedthoughtsguidedtheopinionsofthechiefmenofthetown，whoelectedtoassembleinJim’sfortfordeliberationupontheemergency，asifexpectingtofindwisdomandcourageinthedwellingoftheabsentwhiteman。TheshootingofBrown’sruffianswassofargood，orlucky，thattherehadbeenhalfadozencasualtiesamongstthedefenders。
Thewoundedwerelyingontheverandatendedbytheirwomen-folk。Thewomenandchildrenfromthelowerpartofthetownhadbeensentintothefortatthefirstalarm。ThereJewelwasincommand，veryefficientandhigh-spirited，obeyedbybyJim’s“ownpeople，“who，quittinginabodytheirlittlesettlementunderthestockade，hadgoneintoformthegarrison。Therefugeescrowdedroundher；andthroughthewholeaffair，totheverydisastrouslast，sheshowedanextraordinarymartialardour。ItwastoherthatDainWarishadgoneatonceatthefirstintelligenceofdanger，foryoumustknowthatJimwastheonlyoneinPatusanwhopossessedastoreofgun-powder。Stein，withwhomhehadkeptupintimaterelationsbyletters，hadobtainedfromtheDutchGovernmentaspecialauthorizationtoexportfivehundredkegsofittoPatusan。Thepowder-magazinewasasmallhutofroughlogscoveredentirelywithearth，andinJim’sabsencethegirlhadthekey。Inthecouncil，heldateleveno’clockintheeveninginJim’sdining-room，shebackedupWaris’sadviceforimmediateandvigorousaction。IamtoldthatshestoodupbythesideofJim’semptychairattheheadofthelongtableandmadeawarlikeimpassionedspeech，whichforthemomentextortedmurmursofapprobationfromtheassembledhead-men。OldDoramin，whohadnotshowedhimselfoutsidehisowngateformorethanayear，hadbeenbroughtacrosswithgreatdifficulty。Hewas，ofcourse，thechiefmanthere。Thetemperofthecouncilwasveryunforgiving，andtheoldman’swordwouldhavebeendecisive；butitismyopinionthat，wellawareofhisson’sfierycourage，hedarednotpronouncetheword。Moredilatorycounselsprevailed。
AcertainHajiSamanpointedoutatgreatlengththat“thesetyrannicalandferociousmenhaddeliveredthemselvestoacertaindeathinanycase。
Theywouldstandfastontheirhillandstarve，ortheywouldtrytoregaintheirboatandbeshotfromambushesacrossthecreek，ortheywouldbreakandflyintotheforestandperishsinglythere。“Hearguedthatbytheuseofproperstratagemstheseevil-mindedstrangerscouldbedestroyedwithouttheriskofabattle，andhiswordshadagreatweight，especiallywiththePatusanmenproper。WhatunsettledthemindsofthetownsfolkwasthefailureoftheRajah’sboatstoactatthedecisivemoment。ItwasthediplomaticKassimwhorepresentedtheRajahatthecouncil。Hespokeverylittle，listenedsmilingly，veryfriendlyandimpenetrable。
Duringthesittingmessengerskeptarrivingeveryfewminutesalmost，withreportsoftheinvaders’proceedings。Wildandexaggeratedrumourswereflying：therewasalargeshipatthemouthoftheriverwithbiggunsandmanymoremen——somewhite，otherswithblackskinsandofbloodthirstyappearance。Theywerecomingwithmanymoreboatstoexterminateeverylivingthing。Asenseofnear，incomprehensibledangeraffectedthecommonpeople。Atonemomenttherewasapanicinthecourtyardamongstthewomen；
shrieking；arush；childrencrying——HajiSamanwentouttoquietthem。
Thenafortsentryfiredatsomethingmovingontheriver，andnearlykilledavillagerbringinginhiswomen-folkinacanoetogetherwiththebestofhisdomesticutensilsandadozenfowls。Thiscausedmoreconfusion。
MeantimethepalaverinsideJim’shousewentoninthepresenceofthegirl。Doraminsatfierce-faced，heavy，lookingatthespeakersinturn，andbreathingslowlikeabull。
Hedidn’tspeaktillthelast，afterKassimhaddeclaredthattheRajah’sboatswouldbecalledinbecausethemenwererequiredtodefendhismaster’sstockade。DainWarisinhisfather’spresencewouldoffernoopinion，thoughthegirlentreatedhiminJim’snametospeakout。SheofferedhimJim’sownmeninheranxietytoohavetheseintrudersdrivenoutatonce。Heonlyshookhishead，afteraglanceortwoatDoramin。Finally，whenthecouncilbrokeupithadbeendecidedthatthehousesnearestthecreekshouldbestronglyoccupiedtoobtainthecommandoftheenemy’sboat。
Theboatitselfwasnottobeinterferedwithopenly，sothattherobbersonthehillshouldbetemptedtoembark，whenawell-directedfirewouldkillmostofthem，nodoubt。Tocutofftheescapeofthosewhomightsurvive，andtopreventmoreofthemcomingup，DainWariswasorderedbyDoramintotakeanarmedpartyofBugisdowntherivertoacertainspottenmilesbelowPatusan，andthereformacampontheshoreandblockadethestreamwiththecanoes。Idon’tbelieveforamomentthatDoraminfearedthearrivaloffreshforces。Myopinionis，thathisconductwasguidedsolelybyhiswishtokeephissonoutofharm’sway。Topreventarushbeingmadeintothetowntheconstructionofastockadewastobecommencedatdaylightattheendofthestreetontheleftbank。Theoldnakhodadeclaredhisintentiontocommandtherehimself。Adistributionofpowder，bullets，andpercussioncapswasmadeimmediatelyunderthegirl’ssupervision。