Next day the party arrived at another village, where, the report of their approach having preceded them, they were received with much ceremony—­all the more that the professor’s power with the rifle had been made known, and that the neighbourhood was infested by tigers.

There can be little doubt that at this part of the journey the travellers must have been dogged all the way by tigers, and it was matter for surprise that so small a party should not have been molested.  Possibly the reason was that these huge members of the feline race were afraid of white faces, being unaccustomed to them, or, perchance, the appearance and vigorous stride of even a few stalwart and fearless men had intimidated them.  Whatever the cause, the party reached the village without seeing a single tiger, though their footprints were observed in many places.

The wild scenery became more and more beautiful as this village was neared.

Although flowers as a rule were small and inconspicuous in many parts of the great forest through which they passed, the rich pink and scarlet of many of the opening leaves, and the autumn-tinted foliage which lasts through all seasons of the year, fully made up for the want of them—­at least as regards colour, while the whole vegetation was intermingled in a rich confusion that defies description.

The professor went into perplexed raptures, his mind being distracted by the exuberant wealth of subjects which were presented to it all at the same time.

“Look zere!” he cried, at one turning in the path which opened up a new vista of exquisite beauty—­“look at zat!”

“Ay, it is a Siamang ape—­next in size to the orang-utan,” said Van der Kemp, who stood at his friend’s elbow.

The animal in question was a fine full-grown specimen, with long jet-black glancing hair.  Its height might probably have been a few inches over three feet, and the stretch of its arms over rather than under five feet, but at the great height at which it was seen—­not less than eighty feet—­it looked much like an ordinary monkey.  It was hanging in the most easy nonchalant way by one hand from the branch of a tree, utterly indifferent to the fact that to drop was to die!

The instant the Siamang observed the travellers it set up a loud barking howl which made the woods resound, but it did not alter its position or seem to be alarmed in any degree.

“Vat a ’straordinary noise!” remarked the professor.

“It is indeed,” returned the hermit, “and it has an extraordinary appliance for producing it.  There is a large bag under its throat extending to its lips and cheeks which it can fill with air by means of a valve in the windpipe.  By expelling this air in sudden bursts it makes the varied sounds you hear.”

“Mos’ vonderful!  A sort of natural air-gun!  I vill shoot it,” said the professor, raising his deadly rifle, and there is no doubt that the poor Siamang would have dropped in another moment if Van der Kemp had not quietly and gravely touched his friend’s elbow just as the explosion took place.