THE SAILS OF THE HIGH SEAS

- Chapter 42 -

For a man like Sandokan, a quick brawl with a determined tiger was one of his favorite pastime activities. It also made him... even more determined to win than the tiger. Especially now, when Marianna's life was at stake.

Sandokan had seen the carriages approaching. He waited for them in the spot he and Yanez had agreed upon. And he waited. And waited. The moment he saw the carriages get closer to him, his heart skipped a beat. There she was - his Marianna, his beloved, his one and only. And there it was... The tiger, hiding in the bushes on the other side of the road. To be honest, the tiger may have actually done him a favor, because Sandokan was not sure until the last second how he would appear before the Colonel's men. But since the tiger not only stopped the caravan, but also caused the Colonel's men to waste all of their ammunition, he was grateful to the beast. And it made it all the more sad for him to have to kill it. Though, he knew he had to.

As such, he fought with the tiger. And he would have enjoyed it, had it not been for Marianna's screams and shouts, and oddly, Ada's cheers. Sandokan understood the law of nature, and honored its principles. He was aware of the fact that if he meant to finish off the beast, he best not prolong it. So, without giving the tiger any further hope of a victory, he pulled out the dagger from behind his back, and cut through the tiger's stomach. The beast roared one last time, and fell motionless atop Sandokan.

"Sandokan!" Marianna screamed at the top of her lungs and tried to jump off the carriage to rush to her beloved.

"Marianna, no!" Ada held onto her as firmly as she could. "The beast might still be alive! It could launch at You!"

"Does it matter?!?" Marianna turned to her with tears in her eyes.

"Yes. You would be foolish to think otherwise," Ada replied with her voice as cool as possible. "You cannot battle a tiger with nothing but anger!"

"But...!" Marianna tried to set herself free from Ada's firm embrace.

"No! You stay here!" Ada replied firmly after seeing that the three villagers that were freed by Yanez escaped into the jungle. She leaned in toward Marianna to whisper the rest of her words. "Sandokan still has to free us from the Colonel's guards. We must not get involved just yet."

"Ada, I hate when You are right," Marianna shook her head, and turned toward Sandokan as he crawled out from under the lifeless tiger.

"Stay back! He's dangerous!" Yelled one of the guards at Yanez, who jumped off his carriage and walked over toward Sandokan. "He will attack You since You are one of us!"

"Oh, but You are mistaken!" Yanez flashed his pearly whites at the guard and stopped right beside Sandokan. "I will never be one of You. I am with Sandokan!"

"What!?!" Exclaimed the guards.

"You heard him!" Sandokan smiled, happy to be reunited with his best friend.

"That cannot be!?! You came from the Americas!" Shouted one of the guards.

"That much is true! But My name is not Lord Welker!" Yanez grinned as he patted Sandokan's back. He, too, was glad to see his best friend, and even more glad to be able to finally shed his pompous and fake persona.

"Then who are You?!?" Asked another guard.

"Yanez de Gomera, at Your service," Yanez flashed his pearly whites again, and was all the more happied when Sandokan patted his back.

"Pirates! How can it be?" Shouted another guard.

"What does it matter!?!" Shouted another one. "Attack!"

The guards launched at Sandokan and Yanez. But they were no match against the skill and determination of the two pirates. Even if they were the Colonel's men. The guards fell, wounded by either Sandokan's sword, or the dagger Sandokan handed to Yanez. And Sandokan had to admit that for British soldiers, the Colonel's men were rather unprepared for hand to hand combat. Much to his and Yanez's advantage.