TALES OF A NOMAD. 



managed to haul ourselves up by the knotted roots which 

 here formed the upper part of the bank. The rifles were 

 handed up, and we were all ready for sport. A Dyak 

 whispered to me, that whatever it was, we had it at a 

 great advantage, for it was in a loop of the river. That 

 is to say, it was practically on an isthmus of which we 

 occupied the neck. It was now low tide, and the animal 

 would not dare to jump into the water and swim, because 

 it would be unable to get through the deep belt of mud 

 and mount the farther bank. I could see that the neck 

 of the isthmus was not more than sixty or seventy yards 

 wide at this point, so that as the animal was bound to 

 break back we were certain to get a shot. Dangerous 

 game when cooped up like this, sometimes behave in a 

 peculiar manner, and go for you if you are anywhere 

 near their path of exit. In this case, there would 

 certainly be no golden bridge for a flying enemy, there- 

 fore it became advisable to look out for squalls. 



The other boat had come up now, and its occupants 

 had mounted the bank also. 



When I started on this expedition my Dyak orderly 

 was sick, and I had brought a Pathan with me to act in 

 his place. I handed the Pathan my express rifle loaded 

 with hardened solid conical, telling him to support me 

 in event of danger, and I instructed the Dyaks to take 

 to the river if necessary. Leaving a couple of men to 

 look after the boats, I took up my No. 8 bore and we 

 went in search of our quarry. 



The ground here was fairly open for jungle. There 

 was long coarse grass everywhere, and clumps of nipas 

 and isolated small trees were scattered about ; but in 

 most parts I could manage to see for about sixty or 

 seventy yards. 



