204 IN THE EYE OP DAY 



Now and again we hear of a " converted " China- 

 man; but I never saw one that had really broken 

 from the faith of his fathers who was not the less 

 trustworthy. In a considerable experience with 

 many kinds of natives in the wilderness of their 

 own country, I have invariably found the ones 

 farthest from " civilization " and the " convert- 

 ing " influence of conflicting white man creeds, to 

 be the most honorable and dependable. I mean 

 this as no unkindly reflection upon the Christian 

 faith or upon the zeal, often so ignorantly directed, 

 of many good people. 



Nao Anak's spirits underwent a decided change 

 so soon as we had penetrated the edge and got into 

 the real jungle. Up to this he had been blithe and 

 gay— the strutting leader of the party and ob- 

 viously glad of it; now he grew less talkative and 

 appeared depressed. Neither Scott nor I gave 

 him much thought; we presumed he was taking 

 us to the place where so often he had seen the sela- 

 dang, and meanwhile, I, at least, was greatly inter- 

 ested in the country through which we were pass- 

 ing. It was much more open jungle than any I 

 had yet travelled, with many hills and small val- 

 leys or swales in which grew big patches of very 

 coarse lalang as high as our heads, and bearing 

 blades an inch wide. Hence for the first days we 

 were more in the open under the sun, " eye of 



