Page 102 - Malay sketches

MALAY SKETCHES
and know the jungle, as to be in another district.
As for hearing anything, that too was most unlikely :
the only people he could hear from were Malays, the
only means of communication the Malay language, of
which Grant knew very little, and the only condition
on which information is to be obtained from Malays
about Malays would be an intimacy with and respect
for the threatened man to which Grant could hardly
There must be some influence
aspire. very powerful
at work to induce a Muhammadan, who is not per-
sonally in danger, to tell a Christian that there is
a Muhammadan plot against his life. Grant, at any

rate, if he thought about it at all, could hardly
expect that he, a new-comer, possessed friends who
would do so much for him.
a
He was still resting when, about 4 P.M., party
of nearly twenty armed men suddenly appeared in
front of the house and stood some fifty yards away,
while two of them, carrying only the ordinary jungle
came to the house and asked Grant if he
knives, up
wanted to buy fowls. He told the inquirers to take
and as the left him.
them to his servant, got up Malays
The men had no fowls, and instead of going to
the servant's quarters they rejoined their companions,
and the whole body advanced towards the house.
At this moment MaSmih appeared, and instantly
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