Ran away from the Dutch

by M. T. H. Perelaer

“Well, listen now. By and by I will put out the hooks and you will have to be present. You have slept long enough, have you not?”

“Yes, I have. But why do you need my presence when you are putting out the hooks?”

“You will see that afterwards. Your duty will be light enough; [[69]]only mutter some prayers and as we shall be probably entirely by ourselves, you may even omit that for my part. But mind! in case we catch a crocodile you will have to pray properly to-morrow. You will actually have to charm the monster, lest some mishap should occur to me. Here is a well-fingered Malay sermon of Roorda van Eysinga; it will serve as a Koran—I am sure it looks dirty enough.”

After this conversation both men followed the example of their companions, enveloping themselves in their blankets and went to sleep.

When the “Taloetoek,” a small kind of owl with black downy feathers and red wings and tail, sounded its melancholy koekh, koekh, at midnight, Johannes signalled the Walloon and woke one of the two Swiss to look after the general safety. They then entered a djoekoeng, in which they found long rattans tied together and forming cables of thirty to forty yards long, at the ends of which there were strong iron hooks of about a foot and a half in length and about an inch thick. After having lit a small lamp they proceeded to bait the hooks with live ducks. Both hooks and ducks were fastened to a small raft of pisang trunks in such a manner that the ducks remained floating on the surface. As soon as they had finished Johannes extinguished the lamps. They then floated gently and without the least noise down the soengei, being guided by the myriads of little fire-flies which glittered on the leaves of the trees lining the banks of the rivulet like solitary bright sparks.

They put out a few hooks in the main stream of the soengei and tied the ends of the rattan cables to a heavy block of wood, [[70]]which they fastened to some branches on the bank in such a manner that at the least pull they would break and set the wood floating. They also placed similar tackle in the mouth of the river and on the western shore of the island Kanamit. When all was arranged the two Europeans rowed quietly back to their starting place and went to sleep.

As soon as the sun appeared again in all its glory the inhabitants of the hut as well as the men in the boat were awakened by a couple of boys who, having gone down the soengei, had brought tidings of the disappearance of one of the decoy ducks stationed at the mouth of the rivulet. They had also observed far up the stream a piece of wood which seemed to be tugged forcibly against the running tide.

After hearing this report every man hurried forward, and as soon as breakfast had been despatched they all took to their djoekoengs and soon disappeared from the view of the two Swiss who remained behind on guard.

The bait placed at the mouth of the rivulet had disappeared, hook and rattan cable included. A sharp lookout was kept and presently a large piece of wood was seen, which from time to time was pulled forcibly against the tide to the north of the island, just as the boys had described it.

In a very short time the djoekoengs reached the log of wood. All hands grasped the cable and hauled in, when a monster at least twenty feet long became visible. When the animal was brought to the surface it gave a terrible leap, exposing the whole of its body to view, and tried to tear away or break the hook. It lashed the water fearfully with its tail and dashed forward [[71]]with such force as to compel the men to let go, in order to prevent their canoes being capsized. They had barely time to throw the log of wood overboard again. They however took to their oars, and following kept it in sight. When this wild race had continued for half an hour the speed of the log began visibly to diminish, until at last it lay quite still on the surface of the water. The djoekoengs now approached again and their occupants recommenced their task of hauling the crocodile from the depths of the river to the surface. The monster renewed its struggles, turning the cable violently around and around and lashing the water into foaming spray. Then starting forward in mad fury it tried to drag the boats to the bottom. At last, however, its speed diminished and the moment drew near for the Pangareran and his acolyte to act their parts. The canoe in which they had seated themselves approached the side of the crocodile. The Pangareran had now to recite the excuses of the Dayaks for being compelled to kill a crocodile, a child of Djata, brother to Mahatara, the omnipotent. He had also to plead that they were compelled to take vengeance as one of their relations had been killed. This form was necessary to satisfy Dayak superstition.