“Good; we may receive an answer to-day.”
Inwardly, the doctor was glad of the escape of the deserters; but his joy would have visibly evaporated could he only have known where they were at that moment.
The day following the return of the Colonel the report was spread in the kampong at Kwala Kapoeas that Dalim and two other Dayaks, who were all three under the supervision of the police, had been seen at soengei Naning. Nobody knew that they had served as oarsmen to the funeral canoe and when the Colonel spoke of their absence to the Chief of the district he confirmed [[92]]the statement that three Dayaks had disappeared. The Chief also related the whole history of the crocodile hunt at Poeloe Kanamit and declared that he had already sent out trustworthy messengers to bring those men back again. On the Colonel’s enquiry whether there was any connection between the disappearance of these fellows and the desertion of the four Europeans, the Tomonggong laughed good-naturedly.
“Impossible, sir! You saw the palefaces go on board that schooner with your own eyes. What business could they have with these Dayaks, who perhaps have been taking a holiday to soengei Naning? You know that Dalim’s brother lives there.”
The Colonel shook his head, but remained silent.
When however two days afterwards the wounded from soengei Mantangei were brought in and with Eastern exaggeration talked about the rifle-fire as if a hundred men had been engaged—when too, the doctor imprudently declared that he was unable to say whether or not the wounds were inflicted by round bullets, but rather thought that they looked more like wounds torn by explosive balls, the Colonel began to reflect. He desired the Chief of the district to appear, talked the matter over with him and finally ordered him to keep thirty Dayaks ready. He also bade him send the Chief of the kampong, Damboeng Papoendeh, to the fort to receive further instructions.
On leaving the fort the old Tomonggong met the doctor.
“It is all over with them now,” he said. “Their track is clear.”
“But, Tomonggong, how is it possible that these Europeans could have fought in soengei Mantangei?” [[93]]
“I cannot explain the possibility, sir, but I will swear that it was they.”