Evening star., 1928-04-08
anoe Travellers Hounded by Hidden Drums in Bornean Jungle

that we could find. and in q CROWNS
| reckieSSneSS kept only one man or
watch at the river bank
1T was still dark when I was awakened
by the Dyak on watch. "Toean
toean!" he whispered. "undanoem naik Z
| The soldiers were SQuatted low to ths
ground, holding their rifles in readi.
ness. and the PunanS held their long
knives close to the earth, so that they
would give no fash in the faint moon
| light
As I waited, listening. the Dyak al
my side pointed to the wall Of jungle
that followed the river bank. It sud-
! denly flashed over me that the medi-
cine drums were no longer beating:
nerved myself. as If 1t were the final
showdown, and set my ear m the di-
rection that the Dyak pointed. The
perspiration came to my forehead. and
my hands were 50 moist and Shaky that
could scarcely hold the rife. Very
family could hear cautious sound
so soft that IL seemed 10 be my
imagination that heard it. A moment
later IL started again.
Immediately became cool and conf
dent OF myself, was no longer nervous
for I had heard the Undanoems ]
waited. eager for the sight OF a duSky
shape: / prayed that they might come
on. and on.
For q half hour We crouched notion
less. The PunanS fingered the handles
OF their knives. and my rife lay across
my knee rs my mind viSioned over and
over again the fight that was to come
how could kiln this one with a bullet,
how my knife would bite through the
neck OF another. But still We waited
The sky became gray, and dawn broke
slowly, One OF the soldiers turned to-
wards me and smiled wryly. Another
laid down his gun. and barred his teeth
IN . snarl at the jungle. We had been
fooled again.
We fired volley of shots into the
thicket where We had heard the move
mentS. and then went in TO see what
had happened during the night. They
had been there. sure enough. Little de-
preSSionS In the damp mold showed
where they had knelt, and BY examining
the lianas and tree trunks we found
slight cuts their knives and spears had
made in being dragged through the
dark. Somehow, they knew that We
were on guard. and had slipped awav
even more silently than they had come
N{ - AucW HOW tnAt tkilIlkN were START
" Ing. and were glad. In way. II was
the beginning Of some kind of an end,
and from now ON We might expect any
thing, The DyakS land there were but
three Of them0. never accustomed to
being hunted In this fashion, were Wild
To get at the undanoeniS Their knives
were keen, and II had allowed IL they
Would have tracked down the undano-
ems and fought 10 finish Hut they
were too valuable 20 risk losing. and
compelled them To stay with us We
made no secret OF our departure. and.
talking as II nothing had happened. the
dugout was loaded and We went ON our
way, Only by our noiseless paddltng
would one know that We were hooking
for something, and that something was
looking for Us,
And 10 aclock that morning We came
10 an impossible rapids There was
nothing to do but cut through the
Jungle around 1t. and carry the dugout
with US, as there was no hope OF getting
another at village farther on And
al the same time | reallaed why the
undanoems had not attacked Us early
that morning Before us was a walk
through the Jungle Of At least three
miles, II might be % miles We we're
forced to ehoose the side Of the river
on which We had hlveuaeked the previous
night. for on the other side sheer wall
OF limestone rose up 10 hlcck any prog.
reSs, And the undaaoems were ON the