This resolution was adopted; but to prepare for emergencies, Johannes and La Cueille occupied themselves in attaching the two small cannon taken from soengei Naning to a couple of solid pieces of wood, their muzzles pointing landwards. They were both charged with blank cartridges. It was intensely dark when they reached the fortifications. The oars were carefully and almost noiselessly handled. Dalim steered the canoe close to the covered bank on which the fort was situated. They proceeded slowly and had nearly reached the borders of the wood when suddenly a voice was heard, crying, “Hullo, what do these people want here?” and before any answer could be given a shot was fired which went through the roofing of the canoe. The die was cast. “They are firing on the Dutch!” Johannes cried out loudly in the Dayak language. “This kotta is now occupied by insurrectionists! Forward, attack these marauders! Fire, fire into them!” La Cueille, at his command, fired both guns which, without doing any harm, illuminated the dark night with a long ray of light and sounded like thunder as the reverberations echoed among the thickly-studded banks. Johannes and Dalim, having four rifles at their disposal, discharged them in the direction of the fortification and almost immediately reloaded them. The two Swiss opened a smart fire with their repeating rifles, which inspired the Dayaks with the belief that a considerable force, ten times stronger than it really was, had entered into action. Our adventurers kept up the firing with vigor until about a hundred charges had been spent, when Johannes gave the order to cease. Not a sound was heard. The Dayak garrison had been aroused from their sleep by the firing, but these gentry are never remarkable for bravery when exposed to fire-arms. So instead of seeking their own weapons they had become panic-stricken and had fled through the gate in the rear of the fortification, whence they escaped into the forest. So hurried was the departure of these courageous defenders that several of them nearly broke their necks in descending the ladder leading to the exterior, their flight being hastened by hearing Johannes issue his commands in Dutch. This made them imagine that they were attacked by Dutchmen; a fear confirmed by the sentries, who positively declared that they had seen the Dutch flag flying in the foremost canoe. Perfect silence reigned in the fortification. A few cries of terror only were heard from the forest in the distance. La Cueille now charged both guns with a handful of rifle bullets and discharged them in the direction whence the sounds came. The bullets flew whistling through the forest and lent wings to the retreating fugitives.