70 RAJA AMBONG. 
A tremendous fight now took place. At first Raja AMBONG 
stood on the defensive only, and hours passed before either of 
the combatants was touched. ‘They stopped for a time, ate 
betel-nut together and shook hands. Then the fight com-. 
menced. This time Raja AMBONG took the offensive. So 
fierce was the combat, and so tremendous the leaps of the 
combatant that a dust arose from the plain which obscured 
the face of the sun. . Still for a long time no one was injured. 
At last MAMBANG BONGSU failed to parry a blow and received a © 
wound in the forehead. ‘Stop now, MAMBANG BONGSU,” said 
Raja AMBONG, “for you have got a keepsake from me in 
the shape of an ornament®* for your forehead!” (karana anghau 
sudah dapat satu amanat deripada kamt memaket kilat daht) 
“ Nay,” said MAMBANG BONSU bravely, “no one who calls him- 
self a man can yield on the field of battle. It were better 
to die where I stand’—jantang anak lakt-laki undur di 
médan biar-lah ber-ubah nama dit padang ini juga). Then 
the fight continued. Raja AMBONG'S skill with the sword 
was truly marvellous. Each cut carried three minor cuts with 
it, and with every downward blow the sword fell seven times 
without being raised again! He had acquired the art from 
Si Raja NANDONG, who inherited it from SANG BARMA DEWA 
in the land of Menangkabau.t Again MAMBANG BONSU was 
wounded, this time in the ear, and again Raja AMBONG jeered 
at him asking him why he wore a blossom of the red Azdzscus 
in his: ear. MAMBANG BONGSU replied in the same tone, 
and Raja AMBONG, furious, delivered a blow with his sword 
with such lightning velocity that it went clean through the 
neck of his rival without the latter knowing it. “Try and 
look at the sun and moon,” said the victor: MAMBANG BONGSU 
did so and at once his head fell off and rolled on the ground. 
The fight being over, Raja AMBONG returned to the palace, 
and the giant was buried by the people. Soon after this 
* Kilat dahi, an ornament cut out of tinscl gummed on the forehead of a 
bride. 
} Sakali chinchang tiga anak-nia ber-turut, sakali kérat tujoh anak ber-kan- 
dong di-dalam-nia, ber-kena per-main-an kipas Si Raja Nandong ka-turun-an 
deri Sang Barma Dewa di negri Menangkabau. 
