"Thanks for the lecture, Louis," said Scott when he had finished his description. "It was certainly a part of our plan in coming to Borneo to study natural history; and we are doing so instead of shooting all the time."
Just at this moment Felix, who had wandered from the fore cabin to the waist, discharged his fowling-piece. The Milesian was as good a shot as Louis, for both of them had been trained in the same shooting-gallery in New York. All hands rushed to the rail to ascertain what the hunter had brought down. On the bank of the river they discovered a creature about two feet long, lying on its back, and struggling in its death-throes.
Lane leaped ashore, and soon laid the animal on the gunwale of the boat by the side of the argus. It was a queer-looking creature about the head, and no one on board except Achang had ever seen one like it. For the length of the head, the muzzle was very broad, hardly less than three inches. It was covered with a soft and rather long fur on its body, dark brown in color.
"What do you call my game, Mr. Naturalist?" demanded Felix, addressing Louis, who was looking the animal over.
"Cynogale Bennetti," replied the young naturalist very gravely.
"Faix, that's jist what I thought he was whin Oi foired at him," added Felix. "Sin O, gal! But what had Ben Netty to do wid it? Or was Netty the name of the gal?"
"I gave you the scientific name because this creature has no plain English name, though the natives here call it the mampalon," added Louis.
"That's what we call it; but I forgot the name," said Achang.
"He is one of the otter family; and Mr. Hornaday, whose book I hope you will all read when you return to the ship, thought it might be called the otter-cat. I wish we could have taken him alive, for it would have made a very nice specimen to set up in the cabin of the Guardian-Mother."
"I should like to knock over the big orang-outang you want, Louis, my darling," continued Felix. "There comes a covered sampan up the river," he added, pointing down the stream.