Sabau

Sabau is a Malay pirate whose rise in Sandokan’s crew is marked by two linked facts: he was the first to follow Sandokan onto a junk, and, after Patan and Giro-Batol fell in battle, he was entrusted with the men they had commanded. The narrative gives his advancement a concrete basis in both prior action and demonstrated courage, then places him beside Sandokan during the perilous escape toward the river mouth and the cruiser’s attack.

Identity and Early Service

Sabau is introduced as a Malay with a gash across his face. The brief physical detail distinguishes him when Sandokan calls for him, but the more significant mark of his identity is his record of service: Sandokan reminds him that he was the first to follow him onto the junk. Sabau confirms this, connecting his standing to a specific act of commitment rather than to rank or reputation alone.

That early loyalty becomes the basis of an explicit promise. Sandokan tells Sabau that, once Patan is dead, he will take command of Patan’s crew. The promotion is prospective at this point, and it makes Sabau’s future role part of the pirates’ immediate wartime arrangements. Sandokan dismisses him afterward and goes down to his cabin; the exchange is brief, but it establishes that Sabau is already regarded as a suitable successor.

Promotion After the Battle

The promise acquires a larger consequence when Sandokan later reports that both Patan and Giro-Batol are dead. They fell while leading their crews against the British cruiser, and Sandokan now gives Sabau command of both groups’ men. The change is therefore not simply an advancement into Patan’s vacant position: the deaths of two leaders leave a wider gap, and Sabau is appointed to assume responsibility for their crews together.

The narrative identifies the experience behind his elevation. Sabau is described as one of Sandokan’s bravest men, having earned the rank of commander after risking his life more than twenty times. His authority is presented as earned through repeated exposure to danger. That record also gives weight to the contrast between the fallen commanders and their successor: Patan and Giro-Batol died leading their men in battle, while Sabau is charged with carrying those men forward after their leaders’ deaths.

Sabau thanks Sandokan, addressing him as the Tiger of Malaysia. Sandokan answers that he expects Sabau to fight as bravely as the dead commanders. The exchange frames the new command as both recognition and obligation. Sabau receives authority, but the standard attached to it is the courage of men who have already died in his cause.

Beside Sandokan During the Escape

Sabau’s later actions place him close to Sandokan at a different stage of the danger. As the pirates attempt to get clear of the cruiser, Sandokan sits at the wheel with Sabau at his side and steers the prahu toward the river mouth. The scene makes Sabau’s role practical as well as hierarchical: he is present beside the leader during the navigation of an escape, not merely named as a commander in an earlier announcement.

The circumstances make that movement especially precarious. Darkness conceals the vessel, with storm clouds blotting out the stars and dense trees and leaves making it difficult for Sandokan to scan the riverbanks. Silence is enforced aboard the prahu while they try to pass the ship. Sabau’s presence at the wheel beside Sandokan places him within this carefully controlled attempt to evade the cruiser, although the account does not specify a separate action or spoken contribution from him during the passage.

Readiness for the Cruiser’s Attack

When the cruiser prepares to attack, Sandokan gives Sabau a direct command: he is to stand ready, with eight men assigned to the firelocks. The cruiser then fires from its bow. Its cannonball severs the tip of the pirate ship’s mainmast before falling into the sea, and the advancing warship makes clear that escape will no longer be unopposed. Sabau’s assigned place in this moment is at the point where command turns into readiness for combat: he is responsible for bringing a specified group of armed men into action.

Across these episodes, Sabau’s development is measured less through private reflection than through successive assignments. He first distinguishes himself by following Sandokan onto the junk; he earns command through repeated risks; he inherits the crews of men killed in battle; and he stands beside Sandokan as the surviving pirates try to escape and then face the cruiser. The sequence presents leadership as a transfer made under pressure, with Sabau’s proven courage serving as the link between the fallen commanders and the men who remain.