The Colfax chronicle., 1890-06-21


by piracy on the high seas and frequent
marauding expeditions against their
weaker neighbors. Being a strong, ac-
tive lad, was assigned place in the
wood-cutting gang. Their method of
telling trees was very primitive. The
wood-cutter sits in squatting attitude
beside the tree he wishes to fell, and
hacks it-with kind of adze at q height
of about two feet from the ground. 1t
struck, and after day or two at it de-
termined to show them how trees were
felled where I came from. In their
stores found good Green River axe,
taken no doubt from some American
vessel years before, for its edge was
dull and it was rusty from long disuse.
I then told the man in charge Of my
gang that had a new way of cutting
wood, and he reported 1t to the old
chief. was sent for by that worthy
whilst was sharpening my new-found
treasure on a piece Of sandstone that
very evening.
II have heard" said the chief, as he
regarded me with threatening look,
''that you have way to cut wood which
is better than ours, Is that SO ?"
replied that their way was . slow
and tedious one as compared to mine.
"Come, boaster, then," said the chief,
we will test the truth of what you say.
If you have lied, it will be the worse for
you."
He led the way to where two largo
trees-a kind of native oak-grew. In
dicating that l should fell one (the
larger of the two), he directed his most
expert wood-chopper to attack the
other.
only asked few minutes time to
put my axe into better condition, point
ing out that it was still dull. The re-
quest was granted.
/ will give you while / am smoking
one pipe" said tho old chief; ''then you
will have to make the trial, dull axe or
sharp axe"
set at work at once with my piece of
sandstone, and before the old chief got
through with his pipe, 1 had an edge on
the axe like that of a razor. then an
nounced myself ready to undertake the
contest.
MY opponent was q great, brawny
fellow, weighing close on to 200 pounds.
The contest looked like an unequal
one; but in reality it was nothing of
the sort.
At a signal from the old chief we set
| to work, America VS.. Borneo.
1 will say this for the Dyak. He
chopped like q Trojan. The perspira-
ton poured off his black face, and the
way in which, in his cramped position,
he made the chips fly, was something to
wonder at.
Before he had been at it five minutes,
however, it was quite apparent to all
that he was not in the race. Expert as
he was in Borneo, he could not have
made his salt in the backwoods of Wis
consin.
Crash, bang. thud, went my good
Green River axe through the yielding
wood. / was back again in the old
land, hardy boy at work in my native
forests. The tall oak swayed, toppled
and fell to the ground with mighty
crash. Then l turned to inspect the
work Of my opponent. He was about
played out, and was still chopping
feebly, for he knew he would be pun
ished If he rested; but his tree was not
half way through.
The next morning was made fore
man of the gang, but was soon recalled
from work of that kind and given
| lighter tasks, for the old chief took a
liking to me. He was pretty decent
fellow for pirate. To amuse him,
made q board and men and taught him
play checkers, and we used to sit
gambling away our tobacco and drinking
arrack by the hour together, until al
most forgot was a prisoner, and some-
times really enjoyed myself. l will do
myself the justice to say that whatever
influence had over the old man exer-
cised for good. 1t was at my instance
that the barbaroussy system of fpunishments
in vogue when / first landed became
greatly abated. Ny first real step in the
direction of reform, however, was in
teaching his son to read. When once
its advantage had been impressed upon
him, 1 had hopes that the old chief
would permit the establishment of q
school where the young Dyaks, at least,
could be given some sort of an education.
knew the old ones we're hopeless.
After about three months steady work
/ got the alphabet and its uses through
young Tum's skull, and an additional
six weeks made him a tolerably pro-
fcient reader. To enable us to write,
made pen from the feather of goose,
which was as good as could be desired;
thin bark was our paper, and the cuttle
fish, which abounds on those coasts,
supplied US with our ink. Inow thought
the time had arrived for me to show the
old chief the power of what he had al
ways regarded, as had his six wives, as
q species of fetish. and one day pre-
pared special exhibition to illustrate
the advantages Of writing and reading,
which was the best and most convincing
/ could think of at the time. l arranged
with the old chief that his son Tum
should be blindfolded and led of into
the woods, and that the chief should
hide any thing he chose in any place he
liked, and then tell me, and should
send a sfetish'' to Tum informing him