The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-03-14
Chanter 20


III ~t-fst - - A@--~
THAT audience with the Tenya-
Il lang rifiemen and the Dyak
chiefs was the beginning Of series
lasting many days. Upon that first
night Clyde returned to his ship.
leaving me in charge; but in day
or two he moved his personal
things to the Balingong compound,
and set about his JOB with all the
energy he possessed.
Though Robert Forester was
often too i'll to leave the Avon,
Christine, in spite of Clyde's vio-
lent objection, came to Balingong
every day. But ] saw her only IN
a series Of glimpses. Once, / re-
member, she received delegation
Of wives Of the native chiefs; and
there was tea ceremonial with a
great deal of excited arm-waving
by strange little women dressed IN
Chinese silks of every conceivable
color. Queer creatures, half-crazy
with God what tribal lore
arrived from lbackfeountry .vil-
lagos. These were ManaT1gs, half
witch-doctor and half .priestess,
come 10 size Up the white dyahg.
And yet inath6se san1es dass she
found time to get some new shirts
made for Clyde-and showed our
Chinese cook how to make sort
of bitter-sweet relish that was a
God-send after the monotonous
pickle-and-soy f1avoring that sea-
soned most of our dishes.
Together with Christine, Clyde
now thrashed out plans for the
first things that he must do, and
the first policies that he must at
tempt. Anthony Forester would
have been proud of his daughter
then. I wondered if he ever knew
how much Christine had benefited
by the knowledge which had cost
Forester himself so many drudg-
ing years.
Out OF their long arguments
presently began TO appear definite
plans. The all-day audiences with
the several hundred tribal pan
grams began to take shape and
force.
Clyde had a notion that the
limits Of Balingong raj, very vague
to Mantusen. could be claimed 10
include all the drainage basins of
the Siderong and PaloWit rivers
a handy natural bounding, domi-
mating more than 100 miles Of
coast. william inland depth that
pEubably averaged betweerl1 and
90 miles.
He now hauled of and slammed
the Dyaks with a decree that shook
them 10 their very keelsons. They
were TO lay down their arms and
do some actual work. They must
prepare 70 plant greater guam
tity Of rice than they had ever
planted before. The rice produc-
ton must be doubled over the pre-
vious season, and every paddy
must be doubled. upon penalty Of
the rajah's rage.
We were az the last Of June, and
II was time TO begin the clearings
and burnings which in the Dyak
method OF agriculture are neces-
sary every year as a prelude to the
August and September paintings.
The winter rains then bring in the
rice, and II Clyde could swing his
Dyaks, April would see the most
abundant supply Of food and the
greatest cargoes Of surplus rice
that Balingong had ever known.
There was great question. Of
course, as to how many would
obey Not only did they balance
against Us all custom, considerable
religion, and the natural native re-
sistsnce to effort They even had
a sensible reason. they hated to-
plant more than they Absolutely
had 70 have because any slack was
blNa -
Return TO NOrsAa
I BEGAN TO see that theg pas zes
4 valued heads so highly beca.Is
heads were the only thing the
Malays did not take away from
them. Clyde was trying 70 tell them
that they would no longer be
forced 70 sell anything they did
not wish 10 sell. and each man
could make his own price: but We
could not tell il any Of them be-
Eeved US.
BY the middle OF the second
week there ha6 been four or FIVE
stealthy head murders under cover
Of the dark. There were likely 20 be
more. Since they were no longer At
war with a stubborn enemy. the
tribes might at any moment begin
10 turn upon each other. Over
Clyde hung the very immediate
necessity Of getting the tribesmen
out Of there. What with all-day
audiences and all-night argn-
nents, Clyde was working more
than 20 hours a day.
he seemed 70 thrive upon IT,
he even found time for the be-
mlnning Of vigorous projects. Work
crews uprooted from the river the
-@------------ -=---------- /.