Page 130 - Malay sketches
P. 130
MALAY SKETCHES
you doing in my house at this time? Come down on
to the ground."
Mat Nuh was alone and Megat Raja was accom-
panied by two other men, but the youth unsheathed
his kris and went down ready to accept the chances
of a hand-to-hand struggle.
Seeing that Mat Nuh would defend himself, and
knowing that he was no contemptible adversary, the
three men hesitated. What was of more account in
their minds was that Che Nuh belonged to a
and his father was one of the
powerful family,
chiefs in the There was, there-
principal country.
fore, the certainty of retaliation should they kill him,
and the uncertainty of his guilt, for Meriam was not
the only woman in the house. As the men stood
mutually on the defensive, Megat Raja asked him
and Che Nuh that
whom he had come to see, replied
it was a girl in the house. Thinking to assure him-
self on this point, the husband entered the house
and questioned one of the servant-women, but dis-
satisfied with what he heard he dashed out again
determined to attack Che Nuh.
The latter had, however, taken advantage of
Megat Raja's momentary absence to get outside the
of the and once there he shouted for
gate palisade,
and was soon surrounded
help by his friends.
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