Bapa Andong, foreseeing the danger of this manœuvre, wished to signal the canoes to return; but Dalim imperatively closed his mouth and whispered something into his ear, giving him at the same time a taste of a small dagger between his ribs. The Dayak looked frightened at his compatriot; he observed how Dalim’s companions, rifle or mandauw in hand, surrounded him with anxious faces while his own mates remained almost indifferent to the scene. He could not understand it at all, but it became evident to him that for the present he had better remain silent. The two canoes on the other side still kept close to the western bank. Suddenly a fearful cry came forth from both vessels and their occupants were seen to throw up their arms and wave them about desperately. Some of them jumped into the lake and tried to save themselves by swimming as fast as they could, diving repeatedly and crying out, “badjanji! badjanji!” the bees, the bees. They had been furiously attacked by the insects whose nests had been so mercilessly robbed the night before. Stifled by the smoke and carried onward by the storm the bees had fallen to the ground stupefied. On the following morning they had returned to their old haunts in search of the nests whence they had been so rudely driven, and finding them all removed became infuriated. This is always the case; for several days after the ingathering of these harvests of wax and honey, it is extremely dangerous to approach the trees where the nests formerly hung, and of this fact Damboeng Papoendeh and his followers now received forcible confirmation. They had innocently approached the spot when suddenly clouds of bees swarmed down upon them and furiously attacked them with their envenomed stings. The Europeans on the raft looked on in speechless astonishment at the panic which seemed to have overtaken the occupants of the advancing canoes, but by reason of the distance had not the slightest idea of what had happened. When, however, they saw Dalim jump with delight and heard what kind of enemies had attacked their pursuers a selfish sensation of gratitude took possession of them. They could not help rejoicing at the denouement which had thus prevented a sanguinary encounter. When, however, they began to realize the danger to which their pursuers were exposed their hearts melted and they felt almost ashamed at idly looking on while their fellow-creatures were in their death struggles. Already the two Swiss had sprung into a djoekoeng to assist the unfortunates, in whom they no longer beheld enemies but suffering brethren. The Dayak, however, conjured them to remain where they were unless they wished to rush into certain death. The wisdom of this counsel soon became manifest, for the wild hordes of bees, not satisfied with their primary revenge on the occupants of the canoes, began to disperse about the lake and to assail every living thing they encountered.