Now, with monkeys, no less than with men, there is many a slip ’twixt the cup and the lip, for the mias had just begun its meal, or, rather, its dessert, when a crocodile, which the professor had not observed and Nigel had mistaken for a log, suddenly opened its jaws and seized the big monkey’s leg.  The scene that ensued baffles description!  Grasping the crocodile with its other three hands by nose, throat, and eyes, the mias almost performed the American operation of gouging—­digging its powerful thumbs and fingers into every crevice and tearing open its assailant’s jaws.  The crocodile, taken apparently by surprise, went into dire convulsions, and making for deep water, plunged his foe therein over head and ears.  Nothing daunted, the mias regained his footing, hauled his victim on to a mudbank, and, jumping on his back began to tear and pommel him.  There was nothing of the prize-fighter in the mias.  He never clenched his fist—­never hit straight from the shoulder, but the buffeting and slapping which he gave resounded all over the place.  At last he caught hold of a fold of his opponent’s throat, which he began to tear open with fingers and teeth.  Wrenching himself free with a supreme effort the crocodile shot into the stream and disappeared with a sounding splash of its tail, while the mias waded lamely to the shore with an expression of sulky indignation on its great black face.

Slowly the creature betook itself to the shelter of the forest, and we need scarcely add that the excited observers of the combat made no attempt to hinder its retreat.

It is said that the python is the only other creature that dares to attack the orang-utan, and that when it does so victory usually declares for the man-monkey, which bites and tears it to death.

The people of the village in which the hunters rested that night were evidently not accustomed to white men—­perhaps had never seen them before—­for they crowded round them while at supper and gazed in silent wonder as if they were watching a group of white-faced baboons feeding!  They were, however, very hospitable, and placed before their visitors abundance of their best food without expecting anything in return.  Brass rings were the great ornament in this village—­as they are, indeed, among the Dyaks generally.  Many of the women had their arms completely covered with them, as well as their legs from the ankle to the knee.  Their petticoats were fastened to a coil of rattan, stained red, round their bodies.  They also wore coils of brass wire, girdles of small silver coins, and sometimes broad belts of brass ring-armour.

It was break of dawn next morning when our hunters started, bearing their wounded comrade and the dead orangs with them.

Arrived at the village they found the people in great excitement preparing for defence, as news had been brought to the effect that the pirates had landed at the mouth of the river, joined the disaffected band which awaited them, and that an attack might be expected without delay, for they were under command of the celebrated Malay pirate Baderoon.