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Updated: May 26, 2025
"What have you got?" asked Nigel, doing his best to restrain a laugh. "A splendid Ornit'optera a day-flying moss," said Verkimier as he cautiously rose, "vich mimics zee Trepsichrois mulciber. Ant zis very morning I caught von Leptocircus virescens, vich derives protection from mimicking zee habits ant appearance of a dragon-fly."
For some time they gazed up among the branches without seeing anything, but at last, in a place where the leaves seemed to have been thrust aside near the top of one of the highest trees, a great red hairy body was seen, and a huge black face gazed fiercely down at the hunters. Verkimier fired instantly, the branches closed, and the monster moved off in another direction.
"You see," said Verkimier, in a low voice, to Nigel, as he went a step in advance peering up into the trees, with rifle at the "ready" and bending a little as if by that means he better avoided the chance of being seen. "You see, I came to Borneo for zee express purpose of obtaining zee great man-monkey and vatching his habits. Hush! Do I not hear somet'ing?"
He saw nothing consciously, he heard nothing, but there stole over him, somehow, the feeling of a dread presence! Was he asleep? Was it nightmare? No, it was night-tiger! He knew it, somehow; he felt it but he could not see it. To face death is easy enough according to some people but to face nothing at all is at all times trying. Verkimier felt it to be so at that moment.
"We's allers ready to fight in a good cause," remarked Moses, just before filling his mouth with rice. "Or to die in it!" added Verkimier, engulfing the breast of a chicken at a bite. "But as zee pirates are not expected for some days, ve may as veil go after zee mias zat is what zee natifs call zee orang-utan. It is a better word, being short."
It need scarcely be said that his name is Verkimier. There is no accounting for the tastes of human beings. Notwithstanding all his escapes and experiences, that indomitable man of science still ranges, like a mad philosopher, far and wide over the archipelago in pursuit of "booterflies ant ozer specimens of zee insect vorld."
The tiger came indeed to the spot, but he came in precisely the opposite direction from that which the watcher expected, so that while Verkimier was staring over the goat's head at an opening in the jungle beyond the pond, the tiger was advancing stealthily and slowly through the bushes exactly behind the hole in which he lay. Suddenly the professor became aware of something!
"What does he say?" asked Niger. "Dat Massa Verkimier is in full chase, an' it's my opinion dat when he comes back he'll be wet all ober, and hab his shins and elbows barked." "Why d'you think so?" "'Cause dat's de way he hoed on when we was huntin' wid him last year. He nebber larns fro' 'sperience."
It is dancherous to disobey zee Rajah ant I am sorry very sorry zat I cannot show you zee booterflies to-day. No matter. Better lock zee next time!" Although Professor Verkimier had promised to return at once, he was compelled to encamp in the forest, being overtaken by night before he could reach the river and procure a boat. Next morning they started at daybreak.
They hurried home therefore with this information, and that day accompanied by the Dyak youths, Nigel, the hermit, and Moses Verkimier started off in search of the mias; intending to camp out or to take advantage of a native hut if they should chance to be near one when night overtook them.
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