144 TRAPPING WILD ANIMALS 



bandaged it tight. By the time the procession 

 arrived, I was ready to give Omar and Munshee 

 orders about the new cage. 



While the women prepared the feast of chicken, 

 rice and sugar-cakes, the men went into the jungle 

 again and cut logs eight feet long and from six to 

 eight inches in diameter. These they drove two 

 feet into the ground, placing them not more than 

 three inches apart, so as to form a cage eight feet 

 long and three feet wide. Then they bound them 

 together tightly with rattan ropes, and made and 

 lashed down a strong roof of logs. One end of the 

 cage was left open for the animals to enter. 



Propped up on my litter, I directed the work; 

 then I was carried while I made a careful inspec- 

 tion of it. When the cage was ready, the orang- 

 outangs were brought up to the open end, the poles 

 were drawn out and the slip-knot of the outer net 

 was loosened. By using poles and working at a 

 respectful distance, the men forced into the cage the 

 single net containing the animals; then they drove 

 the end-bars into the ground and lashed thenl 

 Finally, by working between the bars, they loosened 

 the slip-knot of the net and left the orang-outangs 

 free to untangle themselves. 



By the time the job was finished, I was exhausted 

 by the fever, and my leg was paining me unbear- 

 ably. I thanked the men for their good work and 

 was carried back to Omar's house. The people 

 were disappointed that I could not take part in the 



