“But can we keep up that speed?” Johannes interrupted vehemently. “We may consider ourselves lucky if we can do so until to-night, when we may perhaps reach kotta Djangkan. If we could change oarsmen from time to time it would be different, but we cannot do so. Our pursuers, I will lay any wager, have before this taken in fresh men. But courage! let us face the situation like men; we have nothing to do but to defend ourselves. You will see that a favorable result will crown our efforts.” “God grant it,” Wienersdorf sighed. “Amen!” cried La Cueille, “and now I think we had better give a hand at the oars. Four pair of European arms like ours are not to be despised, and the greater the distance between those cheese-heads and us the better.” The journey was now continued with increased energy. While rowing the four Europeans observed between the white sand of the various projecting angles some large lumps of a black substance. La Cueille’s attention had been especially drawn to them, but he had not been able to distinguish their nature on account of the rapidity with which the canoe was proceeding. But arriving at one of the projections, just as their boat approached the objects, he leaped into the shallow water, grasped some of them and reappeared in the canoe again before it had rounded the point. “Nom d’un chien!” he cried, enthusiastically showing his prize, “real coal and of the best sort I can assure you. And this is found here along the banks of the river?” “Keep cool,” Johannes laughed, “you will see plenty more and may gather it if you like. But I am heartily glad to see it here. It is a sure sign that we are approaching kotta Djangkan. Three or four considerable strata of coal run through the hill upon which the kotta is situated and the deepest of these is said to yield capital fuel.” “That is indeed a treasure,” La Cueille observed. “Yes, it would be if properly used. But the Dayak never troubles himself about coal. His forests produce sufficient wood to render coals superfluous to him. And in many places the use of it is prohibited to him as rendering him unclean. As for the Dutch——” Johannes was here interrupted by one of the oarsmen calling out that kotta Djangkan was in sight ahead. Truly enough, there lay the fortification high on the hill. The numerous tall masts, reaching above the palisades, all of them ornamented with bleached skulls, considerably increased the impression produced upon the Europeans by their first glimpse of this formidable place. Near the bank of the river a tomoi was erected, from which a ladder descended to the water. The canoe halted there and the Poenan chief stepped on shore. After a short time Harimaoung reappeared, accompanied by his uncle Amai Kotong, a stolid elderly Dayak, who informed our friends that the kotta was altogether at their disposal. He had hardly spoken his welcome when the oarsmen sprang ashore and commenced, under supervision of Dalim, to unload the canoe.