Page:The further side of silence (IA furthersideofsil00clifiala).pdf/353

 occasioned by the fire was at hand, To' Kâya sud- denly flung himself upon him out of the darkness and stabbed him in the ribs. Thereafter. for a space, They fought, Tungku Long lashing his assailant again and again with his sword, but inflicting upon him nothing more serious than a number of bruises. Al length To Kaya was wounded in the left hand and at the same moment he struck Tungku Long's shield with such force that its owner fell. To' Kaya at once trampled upon him and stabbing downward, as one spears a fish, pinned him through the neck. At this Tungku Itam, who had been watching the struggle without taking any part in it, much as though it were a niere cock fight, showed the great- est presence of mind by taking to his heels.

Tungku Long being disposed of, To' Kaya turned and passed out of the compound, whereupon Che' Mat Tukang ran out of the house, climbed the fence, and threw a spear at him, striking him in the back. This done, Che Mat also most prudently ran away.

To Kaya, passing up the path, met a woman named Ma' Chik-an aged, bent, and feeble erone- and her he stabbed in the breast, killing her on the spot. Thence he went to the compound of a pilgrim named Haji Mih, who also was busy getting his property out of his house, fearing that the fire might spread.

"What has caused this fire?" Haji Mih inquired of To' Kaya.

"God alone knows," replied To Kaya, and so saying, he stabbed Haji Mih through the shoulder.