His followers were pressing round him, with Daman and Sentot, who were
muttering incantations; and even the Pangerans had moved closer to the
hatchway. Jaffir's opportunity had come but he lingered by the side
of his Rajah. In the clear air the sun shone with great force. Tuan
Jorgenson looked once more toward Belarab's stockade, O Rajah Laut! But
there was nothing there, not even a flag displayed that had not been
there before. Jaffir looked that way, too, and as he turned his head he
saw Tuan Jorgenson, in the midst of twenty spear-blades that could in an
instant have been driven into his breast, put the cigar in his mouth and
jump down the hatchway. At that moment Rajah Hassim gave Jaffir a push
toward the side and Jaffir leaped overboard.
"He was still in the water when all the world was darkened round him as
if the life of the sun had been blown out of it in a crash. A great wave
came along and washed him on shore, while pieces of wood, iron, and the
limbs of torn men were splashing round him in the water. He managed to
crawl out of the mud. Something had hit him while he was swimming and he
thought he would die. But life stirred in him. He had a message for you.
For a long time he went on crawling under the big trees on his hands
and knees, for there is no rest for a messenger till the message is
delivered.
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