Page 289 - Malay sketches

NAKODAH ORLONG

means and hard whatever the
delay work, but,
trouble and delay, hardly any consideration will
an attack without at least one
justify gun.
The river journey was accomplished without
a was effected, and the
incident, landing party
moved off. The scouts were in front, followed at
an interval by half the detachment of the lOth r
Captain Innes and the sailors with a rocket-tube
came next, then the Sikhs and Penang Police under
Mr. and last of all the remainder of the
Plunket,
roth Regiment.
We began the march gaily enough, not expecting
to meet with any resistance till near Pasir Salak.
After walking a mile or so, always close by the
river-bank, we came to a large field of Indian corn.
The plants were eight or ten feet high, and so-
thick and close that it was impossible to see more
than three or four yards in any direction ; the ground
between the corn-stalks was planted with hill-padi,
and that was a of feet in
couple height.
On this field we out to cover
entering opened
as a front as
large possible, and, when half way
through the corn, passed a gigantic fig-tree growing
on the edge of the river bank. On my right was
Nakodah Orlong, and to the right of him one of his
men called Alang; on my left was Raja Mahmud
273 s