Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-04-17

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wood, and he reported it to the old
chief. l was sent for by that worthy
whilst was sharpening my new-found
treasure on a piece of sandstone that
very evening.
Il have heard said the chief, as he
regarded me with a threatening look,
that you have a way to cut wood which
is better than ours, Is that so?
replied that their way was a 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 large
trees-a kind of native oak-grew. In
dicating that / should fell one (the
larger of the two), he directed his most
expert wood-chopper to attack the
other.
l 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.
1 will give you while I am smoking
one pipe, said the old chief; ''then you
will have to make the trial, dull axe or
sharp axe"
l set at work at once with my piece of
sandstone, and before the old chief got
through with his pipe, had an edge on
the axe like that of razor. l then an
nOunced myself ready to undertake the
contest.
My opponent was a 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.
l will say this for the Dyak. He
chopped like a 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
colsin.
Crash, bang, thud, went my good
Green River axe through the yielding
wood. ] was back again in the old
land, a hardy boy at work in my native
forests. The tall oak swayed, toppled |
and fell to the ground with mighty |
crash. Then 1 turned to inspect the |
work of my opponent. He was about |
played out, and was still chopping |
feebly, for he knea 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 a pretty decent |
fellow for a pirate. To amuse him, / |
made 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 prisoner, and some
times really enjoyed myself. 1 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 barbarOussystem of punishment
in vogue when l first landed became |
\ itd6AN dJdbtu. VI lISt EtGi SOtD III II6
direction of reform, however, was in
teaching his son to read. When once
its advantage had been impressed upon
him, | had hopes that the old chief
would permit the establishment of a
school where the young Dyaks, at least,
could be given some sort Of an education.
l knew the old ones were hopeless.
After about three months steady work
l got the alphabet and it's uses through
young Turns skull, and an additional
six weeks made him a tolerably pro-
ficient reader. To enable us to write, /
made pen from the feather of a goose,
which was as good as could be desired:
thin bark was our paper, and the cutie
fish, which abOTndS 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
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. | arranged
with the old chief that his son Tum
should be blindfolded and led off into
the woods, and that the chief should
hide any thing he chose in any place he
liked, and then tell me, and l should
send fetish" to Tum informing him .
of what had been done. Tum was then
to find the hidden article.
The old chief asserting to this ar .
Tum was sent off into the !
woods with strong bOdy-gua.d. The :
chief then took my aXe-head and caused J
a pit to be dug at the foot of the great ;
post III the confer Of the town. Into !
this pit he threw the axe-head, covered d,
1T up, and covered over the spot num-
Der of bags of rice which entirely con- =,
cealed the freshly-turned earth.
Now" said the old chief. 'if your
fetish tells Tum where the axe-head is,
there is something in it; but if not, you :
are fraud, and shall go back to wood
Paying no attention to this little {
pleasantly on the part of the old gentle
man, sat down and wrote on piece of
bark to Tum as follows: +
''Tum: Your father has hidden nv Y
axe-head in pit at the foot of the great Y
post where they logged Maxi yesterday @
for stealing. Take away the rice sacks i
and dig it up. The old man has got the @
spade under his robe" i
a messenger, faithfully guarded, was
then dispatched to young Tum. r
In about fifteen minutes Tum made his u
appearance. Ny heart misGave me some I
what as saw him take out the piece of c
bark and study attentively, whilst he a