UP A TREE IN THE JUNGLE 201 



the desire to go rhinoceros-hunting was alive in 

 the village, I knew that the selection of nine men 

 would make rivalry keen, and that those who were 

 selected would be proud to go. 



Shortly after dawn the next morning we left the 

 kampong and struck out toward the spot where 

 the rhinoceros had been located. We kept up a 

 good pace during the day, following the trails 

 through the jungle and cutting our path. Three 

 days later we came upon signs of the rhinoceros 

 and began tracking the spoor. 



At sundown, as we were approaching an open- 

 ing where we intended to make camp, we heard a 

 crash in the jungle. "Seladangs !" screamed the 

 Malays. 



The men dropped everything and jumped for 

 the trees just as two seladangs came charging 

 down upon us. Ali, who was carrying my rifle 

 and who had become separated from me when the 

 men rushed for the trees, started toward me. 

 Gauging the distance, I saw that he could not 

 make it and I yelled to him to save himself. I 

 jumped backward and made for a tree; then, as I 

 pulled myself up, I saw the bull seladang catch Ali 

 on his horns and toss him. I dropped to the ground 

 again, horrified; I wanted to get my rifle and I 

 forgot about the other animal. 



The cow seladang charged, and I barely had 

 time to get behind the tree. Unconsciously I had 

 drawn my parang, and, as the great chocolate- 



