Chapter 44

Summary

Under Cornelius' guidance, Brown sails through the secret passage. Brown commands all his men to load their rifles and keep them ready for action. Meanwhile Tamb'Itam is welcomed at Dain Waris's camp and repeats Jim's message. He hands over the ring to Waris to prove that the message is truly from Jim, and he slips it on his finger. Dain Waris, therefore, gives instruction to his men not to obstruct Brown and his followers in their retreat.

On the river, Brown begins to implement his plan. After he crosses the point where Dain Waris has stationed his troops, Brown lands his men in silence and pushes them ahead to the edge of the forest, where he orders his men to proceed. At first, fourteen shots are fired at the Bugis in a massacre filled with "cold bloodied ferocity." Pandemonium is unleashed among the natives. Tamb'Itam falls down at the first volley and pretends to be dead. Dain Waris is struck by a bullet on his forehead and dies. After firing two more rounds, Brown and his men retreat, leaving Cornelius behind among the corpses. Tamb'Itam rises and sees Cornelius trying to escape; he chases him and stabs him to death. Tamb'Itam then knows that he must go and deliver the bad news of the massacre to the Bugis in the village.

The contrast between Brown and Jim is clear in this chapter. Jim is tortured by one error of his life and is determined to live the rest of his days by a code of honor and redeem himself. He has earned the trust and love of the Bugis through hard work, faithfulness, and bravery. Brown, who has also suffered disgrace, spends the rest of his life taking revenge on the world. His massacre on the innocent Bugis is typical of his evil ways. He also uses Cornelius to achieve his goal and then deserts him. Tamb'Itam sees Cornelius and stabs him to death. He then goes to warn his master about what has happened. The plot is about to reach its final climax. For Jim, the opportunity to make amends for his past has arrived; he will have the chance to die with honor and self-esteem.

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