’In such converse and in gloating over the view
of Patusan, which he had determined in his mind should
become his prey, Brown whiled away most of the afternoon,
his men, meantime, resting. On that day Dain Waris’s
fleet of canoes stole one by one under the shore farthest
from the creek, and went down to close the river against
his retreat. Of this Brown was not aware, and
Kassim, who came up the knoll an hour before sunset,
took good care not to enlighten him. He wanted
the white man’s ship to come up the river, and
this news, he feared, would be discouraging.
He was very pressing with Brown to send the “order,”
offering at the same time a trusty messenger, who for
greater secrecy (as he explained) would make his way
by land to the mouth of the river and deliver the
“order” on board. After some reflection
Brown judged it expedient to tear a page out of his
pocket-book, on which he simply wrote, “We are
getting on. Big job. Detain the man.”
The stolid youth selected by Kassim for that service
performed it faithfully, and was rewarded by being
suddenly tipped, head first, into the schooner’s
empty hold by the ex-beachcomber and the Chinaman,
who thereupon hastened to put on the hatches.
What became of him afterwards Brown did not say.’
CHAPTER 40
’Brown’s object was to gain time by fooling
with Kassim’s diplomacy. For doing a real
stroke of business he could not help thinking the white
man was the person to work with. He could not
imagine such a chap (who must be confoundedly clever
after all to get hold of the natives like that) refusing
a help that would do away with the necessity for slow,
cautious, risky cheating, that imposed itself as the
only possible line of conduct for a single-handed
man. He, Brown, would offer him the power.
No man could hesitate. Everything was in coming
to a clear understanding. Of course they would
share. The idea of there being a fort—all
ready to his hand—a real fort, with artillery
(he knew this from Cornelius), excited him. Let
him only once get in and . .
. He would impose
modest conditions. Not too low, though. The
man was no fool, it seemed. They would work like
brothers till . . . till the time came for a quarrel
and a shot that would settle all accounts. With
grim impatience of plunder he wished himself to be
talking with the man now. The land already seemed
to be his to tear to pieces, squeeze, and throw away.
Meantime Kassim had to be fooled for the sake of food
first—and for a second string. But
the principal thing was to get something to eat from
day to day. Besides, he was not averse to begin
fighting on that Rajah’s account, and teach
a lesson to those people who had received him with
shots. The lust of battle was upon him.
