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Updated: June 16, 2025
He struck on one of the cushions, and the cord prevented him from going any farther. Scott and Morris had just reached the fore cabin at this moment, and they started back as though they had been bitten by the snake. His head, tail, and belly were bright red, with white stripes upon a dark ground along his back and sides. No one but Achang had ever seen such a serpent, even in a museum.
"If we lie up in the night, I shall divide them both into quarter-watches, and have one man on duty all the time; for we may be boarded by a huge crocodile or a boa-constrictor if we are not on the lookout. But Achang is a pilot for these rivers. Isn't that so, Captain Bakir?"
They had learned in Singapore and Batavia how to deal with Chinese traders, and they seldom gave even more than one-third or one-half of what was demanded. After diligent search Achang found a certain Dyak tool he wanted, a sort of axe, which Lane, the carpenter's assistant, ridiculed without mercy.
The swimmers had not been in the water more than five minutes when the cry of "Crocodiles!" came from Achang, who had stationed himself just forward of the engine. Probably he had a keener vision for the reptiles than the Americans; for the seamen had not yet seen anything that looked like one.
"Take the wheel, Achang," continued the captain. The sampan was sent ashore to cast off the fasts. The river at the town is over four hundred feet wide, and deep enough in almost any part for the Blanchita. As soon as the lines were hauled in, the captain rang one bell, and Felipe started the engine. The helmsman headed the boat for the middle of the stream, and the captain rang the speed-bell.
Achang," added the captain. "I see the Delhi is setting her foresail, and that means wind enough to add something to her eight knots an hour." Lane at the wheel struck eight bells a few minutes later; and the officer and engineer of the port watch came promptly on deck from the cabin, as did the seamen from the fore cabin.
"That's what we call it; but I forgot the name," said Achang. "He is one of the otter family; and Mr. Hornaday, whose book I hope you will all read when you return to the ship, thought it might be called the otter-cat. I wish we could have taken him alive, for it would have made a very nice specimen to set up in the cabin of the Guardian-Mother."
Achang was hard at work all the time, taking all the pains with his operation which Louis had required of him; but his occupation did not prevent him from looking about him, and he soon made a discovery. "Mias! Mias!" he shouted, pointing to a tall tree a few rods from the boat. "Mias fast asleep!" All the party looked in the direction indicated, and saw the orang.
"There is no end of 'paddies' along this river, and I'm sure they cannot understand your lingo." "Is it paddies in this haythen oisland?" demanded Felix, suspending the operation of dressing himself, and staring at his fellow deck-hand. "I don't belayve a wurrud of ut!" "Are there no paddies up this river, Achang?" said Louis, appealing to the Bornean.
The third engineer of the ship was to go with the quartette, in charge of the engine; five of the youngest of the seamen were selected to make the venture safer than it might otherwise have been. Achang Bakir, a native Bornean, who had been picked up off the Nicobar Islands, after the wreck of the dhow of which he had been in command, was to be the guide and interpreter.
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