ready to look for his chief. He found him half dead and totally blinded,
with nobody near him but his daughter Aissa:--the sons had fallen
earlier in the day, as became men of their courage. Helped by the girl
with the steadfast heart, Babalatchi carried Omar on board the light
prau and succeeded in escaping, but with very few companions only. As
they hauled their craft into the network of dark and silent creeks, they
could hear the cheering of the crews of the man-of-war's boats dashing
to the attack of the rover's village. Aissa, sitting on the high
after-deck, her father's blackened and bleeding head in her lap, looked
up with fearless eyes at Babalatchi. "They shall find only smoke, blood
and dead men, and women mad with fear there, but nothing else living,"
she said, mournfully. Babalatchi, pressing with his right hand the deep
gash on his shoulder, answered sadly: "They are very strong. When we
fight with them we can only die. Yet," he added, menacingly--"some of us
still live! Some of us still live!"

For a short time he dreamed of vengeance, but his dream was dispelled by
the cold reception of the Sultan of Sulu, with whom they sought refuge
at first and who gave them only a contemptuous and grudging hospitality.
While Omar, nursed by Aissa, was recovering from his wounds, Babalatchi
attended industriously before the exalted Presence that had extended to
them the hand of Protection. For all that, when Babalatchi spoke into
the Sultan's ear certain proposals of a great and profitable raid, that
was to sweep the islands from Ternate to Acheen, the Sultan was very
angry. "I know you, you men from the west," he exclaimed, angrily. "Your
words are poison in a Ruler's ears. Your talk is of fire and murder
and booty--but on our heads falls the vengeance of the blood you drink.
Begone!"

There was nothing to be done. Times were changed. So changed that, when