320 A NATURALIST IN CELEBES ch. xii 



they liad passed the last mountain, they came to some large 

 houses where they received a friendly welcome. The appearance 

 of the people, however, did not favourably impress Louis, who 

 warned Salmon to be careful. ' These people will rob us when 

 we fall asleep, and perhaps murder us ; we must therefore be on 

 our guard and watch by turns.' The prince was a bad watchman 

 and sleep overcame him, and while they both slept they were 

 robbed of all their possessions. The thieves ate up the crows 

 they had stolen from the lads, and as these were poisoned by 

 the horse-flesh, the thieves to the number of forty died. 



The two travellers then went on their way, and at last they 

 came to the dwelling of the cruel but beautiful princess, and 

 were received with much hospitality. The first evening the 

 princess turned the conversation to her favourite pastime, but 

 the young prince became uneasy, and was about to say that he 

 was not clever at asking or guessing conundrums when Louis 

 whispered in his ear that he should ask the princess to allow 

 them to leave her presence for a moment. ' Now,' said the slave 

 to Salmon when they were alone, ' first ask her this riddle : " One 

 dead kills two, and two dead kiU forty," and don't give her the 

 slightest clue to the answer or she will ask you a conundrum. 

 Returning to the princess, Salmon said, ' One dead MUs two, 

 and two dead kill forty.' 



The princess could not of course give an answer to this 

 conundrum at once, but she determined to spare no trouble to 

 find out what it was. Louis, suspecting that she might use un- 

 fair means to obtain the answer, said to his master, ' To-night 

 probably the princess will send some one to find out the answer 

 from me. Keep awake, therefore, and when you hear me cough 

 come out angrily and ask who is making such a noise.' Every- 

 thing happened as Louis had foreseen, for no sooner did the 

 household suppose that the prince was asleep that night than 

 the wife of one of the chiefs came to Louis, and tempted him with 

 a sack of money and caresses to give her the answer to the 

 riddle. Louis coughed loudly, and Salmon came to the door and 

 in an angry voice asked him who was making such a noise. The 

 woman rushed away frightened, leaving behind her the sack of 

 money and her sarong, which Louis had held on to. The same 

 thing occurred on four nights ; each time the wife of a different 

 chief came to find out the secret. On the fifth night Louis said 



