TWO SEA-DYAK LEGENDS. 5 



avert the fate which awaited his young wife. She was silent, 

 because she saw her husband was troubled, and she was sorry 

 that she had caused him grief. 



As soon as they arrived at the house, Danjai sent for all 

 the men round about and told them what had happened, how 

 his wife bad taken and eaten the fruit of the Were-Tiger. He 

 begged them all to help to shield her, for the Were-Tiger was 

 sure to have his revenge, and come and take the head of his wife. 



So they all prepared themselves for the tiger's visit by 

 sharpening their knives and spears. Some men placed 

 themselves on the roof of the house, others in the verandah. 

 The ladder leading up to the house was also guarded, and so 

 were all parts of the house by which he was likely to force an 

 entrance. As for Danjai s wife, they hid her beneath some 

 mats and sheets in the room, and twelve brave men stood round 

 her with their swords drawn, ready to save her life even at the 

 cost of their own. 



Just before dark they heard the roar of the tiger in the dis- 

 tance. Though still a long way off, the sound was very terri- 

 ble to hear, and the men all grasped their swords and spears 

 firmly, for they knew the tiger would soon be upon them. 



Once more the tiger's roar sounded, nearer and clearer, 

 and then they heard him crash through the leaf thatch roof 

 and fall into the room. There was a great commotion among 

 the men, but though all tried to kill the animal, none could see 

 him. Soon after they heard a roar of triumph from the tiger 

 outside the house. They lifted up the mats and sheets which 

 covered Danjai 's wife, and there they saw her headless body ! 

 The Were-Tiger had succeeded in his attack, and had carried 

 off the head of his victim ! 



Loud was the weeping and great the lamentation over her 

 dead body. She was so young to die ! And what death could 

 be more terrible than hers whose head had been carried away 

 by her murderer ! All in the house mourned her loss for seven 

 days and during that time the house was very quiet, as all lived 

 in their separate rooms, and did not come out into the common 

 verandah to do work or to talk to each other. 



The death of his wife grieved Danjai very much. But though 

 his grief was great, his desire for revenge was greater still. 



R. A. Soc, No. 40, 1902. 



