Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-21

Dyak Headhunters BY William
Q. Krohn illustrated. Indanap.
oils: The Bobbs- Merrill Co.
IS the Headhunters. - or
sounds to that effect. give
Joyous send-off to an eX-
ncdition that. in reality. is
of scientific sobrety notwithstanding
the gay hilarity of its bearing. Merely
rroof that one doesn't have to he
solemn lust because he is serious.
The swift start made, second
thought appears to take possession OF
this adventurcr. suppose. after All.
that tho Dyaks haven't abandoned
their ancient game of separating q
man from his headniece. This is all
the head | haVe-guess III play
around bit before putting the mat
ter to a personal test. And so, IN
q mood of leisure. this traveller sailed
from Honolulu 10 Japan and then
across to China and over to Mania
for a Christmas dinner and on down
10 Singapore. cross roads of the
world" and over Java way--all the
time talking and making pictures of
every peculiar and characteristic this
and that.
in a bit of geography, both mapped
and described. to let us know exactly
where we arc From this point the
author becomes the student, the in
yestiCator, the recorder. the teller OF
exclusive truth as he finds it among
the Dyaks. This sober turn to the
prime business of the expedition does
not mean. however. that DR.. krohn
sheds. even in a single degree. the
vivacity and personal enjoyment,
communicated to readers during the
earlier part of the journey. lie Is
there to do the Dyaks. provided he
maintains himself as whole and
complete human being. He does. And
here we have in Illuminating detail
and comprehensive sweep a picture
of the junGles of Borneo where the
headhunters have set up their Lares
and Penates-dried skulls. mostly,
lust hanging around free and careless
like. A most profitable adventure
certainly to the readers of this book
and in an equal certainty to the lone
scientist himself. A comparatively
new field is spread out here in first
hand accuracy of report, in an expert
knowledge of historic background,
and in sum of vivid portrayals that
move these primitive people right up
under the eye of the reader. We
visit the Sultan the Sultan of koetai.
if YOU please. Then into Dyak land
proper where we see how these peo-
pie look and what they wear and
what they have to eat. not only every
day but on feast days and high cere-
monial occasions as we'll. We see
them at their play-and sure's you re
born there's no new thing under the
of these gentle headhunters are?
Foot bail has been played by the
Dyaks for centuries. Before any
American university was ever founded,
there were Dyak tribes justified in
boasting of their championship foot
ball players" They play about all
the things that we do to our amaze
ment and a little to our uneaslneSs.
For are we not first and foremost in
all the arts and pleasures of life?
Not quite, so the Dyak says. We look
upon his arts and crafts and listen
to his music. We see just how
Dyak man and maid get married
then, almost right after that cere-
mony we have a story and picture
of the famous business of headhunt-
ing. AS interesting book on getting
around among certain peoples, and as
the line of racial history as you will
come upon in many a day. Admir-
able and absorbing.
X Z X X
THE INTERLOPER. BY f. Phillips
Oppenheim, author of The Quest
of Winter Sunshine etc. Boston:
Little, Brown & Co.
d EVENGE is the motive of the new
~ Oppenheim novel. Truly hectic
genius to preside over Summer read
ing. But, as is the way with this
author, matters move speedily from
one little summit of interest to an
other, so that one is out of the story
before it's excuses Of temperature and
temperament really get hold of him.
The background Of activity shifts from
Italy TO England, and finally back to
the Italian hill town again. The bust
ness of the performance is that OF
running an old English family, might
lily proud of it's lineage and high place
in the life of England. Impoverished,
of course, is this family-a condition
which the "interloper" seeks with in
genuity and patience to increase. The
trick is ultimately turned, with an
old house facing disaster a the hands
of the new heir, who has, to the
amazement of every one. presented
himself as the rightful inheritor OF
titles and estates. The grievance of
the young claimant is that his mother
had been dishonored by the careless
Young EnGlishman. who. away from
home. had left a little son to grow w
in poverty and obscurity. Discovered
as a youth about to become a monk
the boy plunges into the game of get
ting even. And he makes a rather
complete job of it--Or would have
done so had there not been a young
woman in the hated English family
That fact. Of course, gives this 70.
mantle author a chance to do his Gus
tomary sleight-o' hand turn, to the de
light of readers who, whatever else
may betide, stand stanch for the
happy ending. 1t is hard to believe
that there is in all England a family
of standing whose members are such
complete MASTERS and no-accounts as
is this family Of Oppenhems concep
ton. However. without this kind, the
whole business would have faller
through pretty soon after it set out
upon its way.
TAWNY: 4 Dog of the Old West. BY
Thomas e. Hnkle. New York
William Morrow & Co.
a TRUE dog story is bound to make
unhappy reading. There is NJ
way out of it, The essential founda
ton Of every story upon this subiec
is of tragic cast. 4 dogs SURPRISING
devotion centers always in some hu
man being. an object Of loyalty that il
in about every case either not full,
understanding or not counting at al
the feeling of which he is the source
and center. Such complete surrende
to man is the pity of the thing. TO
in il LES often mistreatment and indit
ference and suffering on the part o
mans hest and p0hlpSf frip nd