although there was a wall of green on each side of the boat, and the river was not more than sixty feet wide, the explorers found that everything close to the earth was under water. if the dense jungle had not prevented, they might have sailed inland, they knew not how many miles. as the stream became narrower the current increased in force. the trees were full of monkeys, and hundreds of them appeared to be in sight all the time. they were of the most common kind to be found in borneo, and the yacht created no excitement among them. they were so tame that any number of them could have been brought down by the hunters.
"the water is not so dirty as it has been everywhere below," said captain scott, as the blanchita stemmed the current without any difficulty, where paddling a sampan must have been a laborious occupation. "it is tolerably clear along here, and we might take our morning bath very comfortably."
"we might if a big crocodile did not break his way through the bushes to pay us a visit," replied louis.
"after the experience of this morning, i am not disposed to try it again, and i shall take my bath in a[97] wash-bowl with a sponge, though i am very fond of swimming. but, louis, don't you think we have had about enough of hunting in borneo?"
"enough! why, we have not yet been a week on the island," replied louis, not a little astonished at the captain's question. "i have enjoyed myself very well so far, and i certainly do not wish to leave till we have killed at least one good-sized orang."
"it is rather stupid hunting here, for about all the country is under water," added scott. "there seems to be nothing but monkeys here; and they are very small game, even if we were disposed to shoot them."
"but there are some lakes up the river, mr. eng told me; and i think we shall get out of this tangle very soon; and when we come to higher ground we will go on shore, and try our luck on foot."
the captain talked as though he had some scheme in his head which he was not yet prepared to unfold to his companions. but what could he do? nothing had been said on board of the ship about coming back to sarawak for the hunters, and to give up hunting and exploring would be simply to return to kuching, and idle away the time for the next two weeks. louis did not like this idea at all; and yet it seemed to be the alternative which scott must have in his mind.
"mias!" shouted achang, when the conversation had proceeded so far.
"where is your mias?" demanded louis; for[98] most of the party had come to calling the orang by his malay name.
the bornean pointed into the forest, the trees of which were growing in the water, though there was an undergrowth of screw-pines, which had been abundant all along the river. they were not pines as the explorers understood the word at home. the plant is a bush or small tree with half a dozen or more branches angling upward from the trunk, and twisting a little towards it, from which feature it takes its name. it has long, lanceolated leaves, and therefore is not at all like the american pine.
"stop her, lane!" called the captain in a tone that "meant business." "back her!"
the last order was given because there was an opening through the screw-pines which afforded a full view of the taller trees about twenty rods farther from the stream. the captain then took the wheel from lane, rang the gong to go ahead; and, putting the helm hard-a-starboard, the boat came about, headed into the opening. looking forward, there seemed but very few trees or bushes compared with the number along the flowing stream.
"do you see the mias, louis?" asked scott.
"i do; and he is in a very favorable position. he is a big one, and must be a male," replied louis, who stood at the stem with a repeating-rifle in his hand.
"do you see him, flix?"
"i do; and he has a green nest in the same tree with him."
"you are near enough, captain." "you are near enough, captain."
page 99.
[99]
by this time all the party had taken their rifles. the boat moved very slowly. a seaman sounded the depth with a boathook, and reported eight feet. as she approached the orang, the brute showed his teeth, and uttered several successive growls, as though he understood that danger was near; but he did not attempt to escape.
"i wonder can the blackguard swim," said felix, who had his rifle ready to fire.
"i have read that he is a poor swimmer," replied louis.
"how does he get about here where the water is eight feet deep?"
"he is not as agile as the gibbon; but he can make his way from one tree to another in the same manner, and his road is through the trees, and not on the ground."
"here i am, and i can't go any farther," said the captain, as he rang to stop her. "i can't get the boat through this clump of bushes."
"you are near enough, captain; let her rest where she is," replied louis, as he aimed his rifle at the orang, which was sitting on a branch holding on with both hands.
louis fired, and the creature fell with a loud splash into the water at the foot of the tree. but he was not dead, and was struggling to escape. he was evidently wounded very badly, and when the hunter saw his opportunity he fired again. the orang had grasped a screw-pine, and he held on, but[100] he struggled no more. the captain had ordered the sampan to be brought alongside, and two men were at the paddles. louis and felix joined them, and they paddled towards the game.
"i think he is dead though he still holds on at the bush," said louis.
"we shall soon find out," added clingman, as he threw a slip-noose over his head. "heave ahead now!" he continued, as clinch grasped the line with him, and they pulled together.
the orang did not make any movement, and it was certain that he was dead. when they had drawn him within a few feet of the sampan, the line was made fast, and the men paddled to the steamer. a purchase was rigged to the top of one of the stanchions, and the dead animal was hoisted into the sampan.
"now, lane, measure him," said the captain.
the body was laid out at full length in the bottom of the boat; and the carpenter took his length on a boathook, which he notched to indicate the height of the animal. he was directed to take several other measurements; in fact, louis kept him at work for over an hour, with another hand to assist him in spreading out the limbs. the captain became quite impatient; for he was less a scientist than the young millionaire, though he had a taste for natural history.
"have you finished, louis?" asked scott as the former returned to the yacht.[101]
"all done; but lane must sum up the results," replied louis.
"what good will all those measurements do you?" demanded the captain rather contemptuously.
"they will not put any money in my pocket, but i want to know the size of the game i have killed," answered louis, somewhat nettled by the manner of scott. "when a man has caught a fish he wants to know what his prize weighs."
"all right; but i want to get a little farther into the woods here, and i can get around the bushes ahead of her," replied the captain, who had been studying up a course by which he could go a considerable distance farther inland.
he backed the boat, and then went ahead very slowly, with clingman feeling of the bottom with the boathook. it was novel sailing through the forest in a steam-launch, and all hands enjoyed it. the screw-pines were rather scattered, and the forest of large trees was quite open. after the boat had gone about half a mile, as the captain judged, clingman made a report.
"by the mark, one," said he, as the depth is given with the lead, in fathoms.
"six feet; we are shoaling," added captain scott. "try it again."
"five feet," returned the seaman.
the steamer continued on her course, with scott at the wheel, for some time longer. the dry land could be seen through the trees at no great distance ahead.[102] the boat continued on her course for a quarter of an hour, when clingman call out a depth which caused the captain to ring the gong to stop her. the last report was three feet, and the keel was evidently grinding through the soft mud. then he rang to back her; and when she had increased her depth to four feet, he struck the gong to stop her.
"dinner is ready, gentlemen," said pitts.
"we must attend to that before we do anything more," added the captain. "keep a sharp lookout ahead, clingman."
the party went into the after cabin, and the novelty of dining on board of a steamer in the woods was sufficiently inspiring to add a big interest to the occasion.
"what have you got for dinner, pitts?" asked felix, as he entered the cabin. "have you got any stewed crocodiles?"
"not a croc, mr. mcgavonty," replied the cook.
"any boiled orang-outang?"
"not an orang. the captain bought six dozens of eggs at the village where we stopped yesterday, and i have ham and eggs for dinner, which i hope will suit you," replied pitts.
"the best thing in the world for me. whisper! are they crocodiles' eggs?"
"not a bit of it, sir."
the principal dish proved to be very satisfactory to the boys, whose appetites had been sharpened by the exercise of the forenoon. the cuisine had been[103] very good along the rivers, for pitts had generally been the caterer as well as the cook and steward. chickens and eggs had been plentiful enough, and at the town he had obtained some fish. there was no fresh beef or mutton. they had a barrel of excellent salt beef from the stores of the ship; and pitts made a splendid hash, which suited all hands better than almost anything else.
while they were at dinner the steward brought in lane's report of the measurements of the orang louis had shot. it was given to the captain at the head of the table; and he read it off: "height, 4 feet, 5¼ inches; arms spread out full length, from end to end of longest fingers, 7 feet, 10 inches; length of arm, 3 feet, 3 inches; length of hand, 10½ inches; length of foot, 12¼ inches; round the waist, 4 feet, 2 inches. four men estimated on the weight, and the average is 185 pounds.'"
"big mias," said achang.
"do you think you can skin and stuff him, achang?" asked louis.
"know i can; have done it with naturalist."
"then you may go to work on it as soon as you please, and i will give you five dollars for the job," added louis. "take your time, and do it well."
"where i work? sampan no good."
"i can make a place in the waist," said the captain; "besides, i want the small boat, for we can see higher land farther in, and i wish to go ashore there; we may find some shooting."[104]
the boxes and barrels were moved farther forward and aft, and a workshop made for the bornean. the sampan was cleaned out when the hands had finished their dinner, and the "big four," embarked in it. they did their own paddling, for there was not room enough for any more in the boat without crowding. each of them carried a rifle. it was but a short distance, and the party were soon on the dry land.
louis had hardly put his feet on the shore when he levelled his gun and fired. a moment later felix followed his example; and each of them had brought down a deer. they rushed forward to secure their game; and then the other two hunters discharged their rifles, and a couple of wild pigs rolled over on the ground. it was plain that they had struck a spot where hunters seldom came. if there was any more game near, the report of the guns had driven it off.
"that was pretty well for a five minutes' hunt," said louis when he and felix had dragged the two deer to the water. "i think we had better stay here over night, and hunt on high ground to-morrow."
"that wouldn't do, louis, and i should not dare to keep the blanchita here over night," replied captain scott.
"why not?"
"the water is high and low up here by turns, and i am afraid i should find the yacht on the bottom in the morning," replied scott. "then we could[105] not get her out of the woods, and might have to stay here a week or two, waiting for water to float her. no, no; i won't take the risk."
the game was dragged to the shore, and loaded into the sampan; for the appalling picture the captain had made of low water induced them all to hurry on board of the yacht.
