Page 259 - Malay sketches

JAMES WHEELER WOODFORD BIRCH
coxswain urged the Sikhs to fire on the Malays,
but they said they could not do so without an
order ! He accordingly gave the order, and some
shots were fired which for a moment cleared the
bank. A small boat with two men in it put out
lower down stream to intercept the fugitives, and
two of them were wounded by shots from these
men. The coxswain then wrenched a rifle from a
Sikh and shot one of these assailants. After this
the boat unmolested to Bandar Bharu.
proceeded
Long before they arrived there the interpreter died.
Mr. Abbott, shooting on the other bank, was
warned of what had taken place, and with great
into a and made his down
difficulty got dug-out way
stream under the fire of the Malays on the bank.
The attack, the murder of the Resident, his in-
the Sikh and the and the
terpreter, boatman, escape
of the rest of the party was the work of a few
minutes. Whilst still the passion of strife and
bloodthirst swayed the crowd, the Maharaja Lela
walked into their midst and asked whose hands had
done the Resident and his men to death. Instantly
and the
Pandak Indut, Siputum, others, claimed
credit for their murderous work. The Chief said,
" none but those who struck blows can
It is well,
1
share in the spoil.' He then called a man forward
243