Thence he went to the compound of a pilgrim named Haji Mih, who was
engaged in getting his property out of his house in case the fire spread. Haji Mih
asked To’ Kâya how the fire had originated.
'God alone knows,' said To’ Kâya, and so saying, he stabbed Haji Mih through
the shoulder.
'Help! Help!' cried the pilgrim, and his son-in-law Saleh and four other men
rushed out of the house and fell upon To’ Kâya, driving him backwards in the
fight until he tripped and fell. Then, as he lay on his back, he stabbed upwards,
striking Saleh through the elbow and deep into his chest. At this, Saleh and all
the other men with him fled incontinently. To’ Kâya, then picked himself up. He
had not been hurt in the struggle, for Saleh and his people had not stayed to
unbind their spears, which were fastened into bundles, and, save for the slight
wounds in his hand and on his back, he was little the worse for his adventures.
He next went to the Makam Lĕbai Salâm—the grave of an ancient Saint—and
here he bathed in a well hard by, dressed himself, and eat half a tin of Messrs.
Huntly and Palmer's 'gem' biscuits, which he had brought with him. Having
completed his toilet, he returned to Haji Mih's house and cried out:
'Where are those my enemies, who engaged me in fight a little while agone?'
It was now about 3 A.M., but the men were awake and heard him.
'Come quickly!' he shouted again, 'Come quickly, and let us finish this little
business with no needless delay.'
At this, ten men rushed out of Haji Mih's house, and began to throw spears at
him, but though they struck him more than once they did not succeed in
wounding him. He retreated backwards, and, in doing so, he tripped over a root
near a clump of bamboos and fell to the earth. Seeing this, the men fancied that
they had killed him, and fear fell upon them, for he was a Chief, and they had no
warrant from the Sultân. Thereupon they fled, and To’ Kâya once more gathered
himself together and returned to Lĕbai Salâm's grave, where he finished the tin
of 'gem' biscuits.
At dawn he returned to Haji Mih's house. Here he halted to bandage his wounds
with the rags of cotton that had been bound about some rolls of mats and
pillows, which Haji Mih had removed from the house at the alarm of fire. Then
he shouted to the men within the house to come out and fight with him anew, but