The Europeans after witnessing these two scenes felt shame and regret at their share in the battue. But before they could find time to give expression to their feelings the Dayaks approached the wounded monkeys, mandauw in hand, and killed them all, regardless of their pitiful cries. A horrible scene now ensued. Every Dayak seized an animal, hastened to rip it open and to rout about with both hands among the yet warm viscera, as if in search of something. In the intestines of some animals, but especially in those of the boehies, a green stone of the size of a large pea is often found, to which the whitefaces used to ascribe an extraordinary medicinal power in former times. It was imported into Europe under the name of bezoar stone, and rivalled in value the most precious jewel. At present its old fame has totally disappeared amongst the whitefaces, but among the natives of the Indian Archipelago it has retained a certain value, and when large commands as much as eighty dollars in Batavia and Singapore. Our travellers were extremely fortunate on the present occasion. It sometimes happens that a hunter may kill three and even more boehies without finding a single batoe galiga, as the natives call them. They had now killed twelve monkeys and had been rewarded with eight stones which, although not all equally large, were worth fully sixty dollars each. Harimaoung Boekit smilingly collected them, put them in the hollow of a bamboo tube and offered them in token of gratitude to the preserver of his life and as a testimony of his affection for the future husband of his sister. “That greases the wheel!” La Cueille muttered, “if every shot would only yield that amount! By George! I shall keep a sharp lookout and every boehie I see shall be mine.” “You may spare yourself the trouble,” Johannes answered, “this species of monkeys is not quite so abundant. It sometimes takes a great deal of trouble to get one in view. Now that this rifle fire has sounded amongst them I would bet that you would have to wait months before seeing another.” “I have plenty of batoe galiga at soengei Miri,” Harimaoung Boekit assured Johannes. “When we get there I will exchange them for the guns you took away from kotta Djangkan. I should like to have them mounted on my kotta.” “We will talk about that when we are there, my dear Amai,” was the reply. “Perhaps in addition to the guns we may also throw in the rifles.” “I begin to believe,” the Walloon interrupted, “that we won’t reach home empty-handed.” “Possibly, but before all, let us try and get home, anyhow. I can assure you we have not come very far yet in that direction.” The Walloon heaved a deep sigh.