Page 283 - Malay sketches

A PERSONAL INCIDENT

was the next inquiry, and the reply was, "Blanja."
" "
Where are you for ? and other questions fol-
lowed, but by this time the bow of the boat was off
and we were drifting stern-foremost out into the
stream and the sheltering fog. As the distance
widened and shouts came to stop, the answers
returned were derisive and for
misleading, every-
one felt that the real danger was past and the life
he had made up his mind to lose would not be
required of him that night after all.
It was true that we had yet to pass the Residency
at Bandar Bharu, five miles lower down, and we
had been told this was in the hands of the Maharaja
but there at least there was no
Lela, barrier, and
we were confident that we had nothing more to
fear.
We Bandar Bharu we saw a
passed quietly, light
on each bank and a man on watch by the light, and
we said to each other that it would be very easy to
shoot the men as they placed themselves so con-
veniently en evidence.
Ten miles lower down the
river, it being then
only 3 A.M., we were suddenly hailed by a voice
threatening death and other penalties if we did not
immediately declare who we were. That was a
very welcome challenge, for I recognised the voice,
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