“I knew,” said Johannes, “that I was not mistaken in him.”
Wienersdorf, who had been meditating, now remarked: “It is all very well that La Cueille has found this gold, but how are we to carry it away with us?”
“Pray don’t trouble yourself about that,” rejoined Johannes.
“Not trouble about it?” asked Wienersdorf. “Perhaps you mean to forward it by railroad or express!”
“Ah, it will take some time yet ere the whistle of the locomotive will be heard in these parts. But listen! We will carefully separate the nuggets from the gold dust. For the former we will make leathern belts doubly lined. Each of us will carry one of these belts filled with about eight pounds of gold. For the gold dust we will make four walking sticks or leaping poles., employing for the purpose Dayak blow-pipes. Let me, however, advise, if you pay visits on the road never to leave your walking cane behind you.” [[337]]
“By George, no,” said La Cueille, “especially as we could not advertise them in the morning papers, offering a reward to the honest finders. But a belt around one’s waist weighing eight pounds, and a walking-stick of two pounds’ weight in one’s hand, will be no treat in addition to the burden we shall have to carry on our journey.”
“Quite so. Besides your rifle and cartridge-box you will have to carry on your back a basket of provision and reserve ammunition. But all this we will arrange hereafter. If, however, you imagine that our possessions are to be easily transported you are greatly mistaken. That train about which Wienersdorf joked just now is not ready yet, therefore you will be compelled to carry your treasure yourselves.”
“So you see again that nothing in this world is perfect,” said the Walloon.
“Now that I am a rich man, I naturally long for others to do the work for me.”
Johannes now thought of finding some means for disposing of the goods which he had procured from Baba Poetjieng, from Bapa Andong and from kotta Baroe, with the view of trading with the Olo Ott. Now that they had amassed a considerable fortune this barter seemed unnecessary, but Johannes was anxious to witness himself and to show his companions the Dayak manner of doing business. He therefore talked the matter over with Harimaoung, who found the plan perfectly feasible. Everything was therefore prepared for the trading expedition and one fine morning our four white friends, accompanied by Dalim, Harimaoung Boekit and Amai Kotong, sailed up soengei Miri in a [[338]]rangkan chartered for the purpose. The journey was rather a long one. On the third day the travellers reached soengei Danom Pari, where they landed at a gigantic and umbrageous tree near the brink of the river. At the foot of the tree they spread mats, upon which they placed heaps of salt, glass beads, articles of clothing—such as jackets and ewahs made of coarse linen or bark; about twenty mandauws, several pieces of iron, a few dozen rudely manufactured knives and numerous parcels of tobacco made into little bunches. All these were laid out separately on the extemporized stall. Some edibles were added consisting of cakes. The drinkables were represented by a huge jar of toeak.