146 THE TROTTING RHINO 



his brother had been killed a few months before 

 while in the sanguinary midst of a spectacular 

 period of amok* which had extended over two days 

 and resulted in the death of two men, three women 

 and two children. 



Nagh held to the Sumatran style of Malayan 

 costume, wearing trousers with a sarong wound 

 about his waist and a handkerchief bound about 

 his head. He never went forth without a hand- 

 somely carved ivory handled tumbuk lada stuck 

 in his sarong at the waist, and a Chinese oiled- 

 paper red parasol, with which he protected his 

 head from the sun. He was something of a swell 

 in his own circle and quite one of the prominent 

 young men of the kampong, if not of the district. 

 He lived with his old and rather distinguished 

 looking father, who was the Datoh— as the head 

 man of the settlement is called— and indulged in 

 the luxury of a personal servant— who, by the way, 

 he took along on the trip, and who, also by the way, 

 really became my servant as well, for Nagh did no 

 work for me that he could pass over to his own 

 servant. 



* Amuck is a corruption of the Malay word amok, as is also 

 rattan a corruption of the Malay word rotan. Amok is a species 

 of temporary insanity, which takes form in a homicidal mania. 

 The development and attack are sudden and simultaneous, the 

 deranged at once assaults with whatever weapon may be in reach 

 whoever is in sight, regardless of age or sex, friends or strangers, 

 and keeps up the attack until overpowered. 



