SEA TRAGEDY OF THE JUNGLE FOLK 137 
Qmar and Munshee helped me select the men from 
the number of those who had previously demon- 
strated their courage and resourcefulness in the 
face of danger. I had a long pole put up near the 
village, and we rehearsed the capture innumerable 
times: the pole would fall, and the men would cast 
the net and secure it over the bunch of grass tied 
to the top to represent the orang-outangs. We re- 
peated that performance for several days, and I 
always stood by with my rifle in my hands as if I 
were ready to put an explosive bullet into the bun- 
dle of grass, if it tried to escape. 
When they had played the part so many times 
that there seemed to be no chance of a blunder, we 
had a full rehearsal. As the pole fell, this time, 
the other men closed in, beating with the clubs, 
pounding tom-toms and yelling. I wanted them to 
make just as much noise as possible when the orangs 
came down; for noise paralyzes animals with fright 
and makes them easier to handle. 
On the eighth night at Omar’s village, I called 
all the men together and announced that we would 
start next morning before daybreak. Once again 
IT made them promise that they would not kill the 
beasts without my permission, and I, in turn, prom- 
ised them that I would shoot if there was the least 
danger. Long before daybreak the village was 
astir. All those who were to take no part in the 
hunt were ordered to stay behind, and they stood 
silently watching us while the men shouldered the 
