“Dalim pointed to the north just now,” observed Johannes. “That is our way, but how are we to get through? The slightest imprudence may prove fatal to us.” “Speak. You have lived in the country longer than any of us, and must be our guide.” “You must have noticed that I was talking to Dalim this evening,” continued Johannes. “Well this is the result of our conversation. We will try to get into the Kapoeas river through soengei Basarang. We then sail up that river as far as we can, cross the Kaminting mountains and make for the north coast. Don’t imagine, however, that all will go as smoothly as I plan it.” “No, no, we understand that,” Wienersdorf said, smiling; “still we should like to have a sketch of what we are likely to encounter.” “I really cannot tell you,” proceeded Johannes, “but we have to be extremely cautious. While we are in the lower country we have everything to fear from the Dutch. Let them only suspect that we are here and we shall be hunted down like wild animals. When we get into the upper country it will be yet more dangerous, for if the natives only guess that we are Europeans we are lost. A European skull means four thousand florins.” “What do you say?” cried La Cueille, terrified, as he raised his hands to his head. “Is this then worth so much? I did not know it. It pays then to take care of it.” “You are joking, are you not?” Schlickeisen asked, impatiently. “By no means. The skull of Colonel George Muller, who was killed in 1825, while travelling across Borneo, was actually sold for that amount and is still preserved as a valuable relic by the Olo Ot Panganese. The skulls of the Europeans belonging to the Onrust captured by the Dayaks in 1859, were all disposed of at the same rate. The skull of the commander proved a mine of wealth. After removing the flesh they filled it with dry katjang beans and immersed it in water. The beans, swelling, caused the skull to burst into numerous fragments, the smallest of which fetched two hundred reals.” “What do they do with these skulls?” “Well you might almost call them articles de luxe. You will see plenty of them in the upper country. Each benting or fort is ornamented with grinning skulls fixed on the points of the palisades. There is not a house in which you will not find some skulls tied together like a rosary and affixed as an ornament to the walls. When a young man proposes for a young woman her friends do not ask how much money the aspirant has, but how many heads he can furnish. Do you understand it now?” “I indeed perceive that it will be ‘look out for your head.’” “Quite so; that will be our motto, Look out for your head! The country abounds in head-hunters. I dare say you have heard of them.” “Certainly; but I have always thought that the reports are grossly exaggerated.”