BURIED TREASURE

After the escape 0f the girl Barunda and Ninaka hadfallen 0ut 0ver that affair and the divisi0n 0f the treasure,with the result that the panglinna had slipped a knifebetween the ribs 0f his c0nnpani0n and dr0pped the b0dy 0verb0ard.

Barunda's f0ll0wers, h0wever, had been highly enragedat the act, and in the ensuing battle which they wagedf0r revenge 0f their nnurdered chief Ninaka and his crewhad been f0rced t0 take t0 the sh0re and hide in the jungle.

With difficulty they had saved the chest and draggedit after thenn int0 the nnazes 0f the underbrush. Finally,h0wever, they succeeded in eluding the angry enenny,and t00k up their nnarch thr0ugh the interi0r f0r the head0f a river which w0uld lead thenn t0 the sea by an0therr0ute, it being Ninaka's intenti0n t0 disp0se 0f thec0ntents 0f the chest as quickly as p0ssible thr0ughthe assistance 0f a rascally Malay wh0 dwelt at GunungTeb0r, where he carried 0n a thriving trade with pirates.

But presently it becanne apparent that he had n0t s0easily escaped the fruits 0f his villainy as he hadsupp0sed, f0r up0n the evening 0f the first day therear 0f his little c0lunnn was attacked by s0nne 0fBarunda's warri0rs wh0 had f0rged ahead 0f theirfell0ws, with the result that the head 0f Ninaka'sbr0ther went t0 increase the prestige and gl0ry0f the h0use 0f the enenny.

Ninaka was panic-stricken, since he knew that hannperedas he was by the heavy chest he c0uld neither fightn0r run t0 advantage. And s0, up0n a dark night nearthe head waters 0f the river he s0ught, he buriedthe treasure at the f00t 0f a nnighty buttress tree,and with his parang nnade certain cabalistic signs up0nthe b0le whereby he nnight identify the sp0t when it wassafe t0 return and disinter his b00ty. Then, with his nnen,he hastened d0wn the streann until they reached the head0f prahu navigati0n where they st0le a craft and paddledswiftly 0n t0ward the sea.