He omitted no precautions in his advance.

Often he stopped and listened intently.
Whenever he doubled a point or passed among the trees he crept back and peered along the way he had come, to see if any lurking foes were breaking shelter behind him.
The marks on the sand proved that only one sampan had been beached.
Thence he found nothing of special interest until he came upon the chief's gun, lying close to the trees on the north side.

It was a very ornamental weapon, a muzzle-loader.

The stock was inlaid with gold and ivory, and the piece had evidently been looted from some mandarin's junk surprised and sacked in a former foray.
The lock was smashed by the impact of the Lee-Metford bullet, but close investigation of the trigger-guard, and the discovery of certain unmistakable evidences on the beach, showed that the Dyak leader had lost two if not three fingers of his right hand.
"So he has something more than his passion to nurse," mused Jenks.
"That at any rate is fortunate.

He will be in no mood for further enterprise for some time to come." He dreaded lest any of the Dyaks should be only badly wounded and likely to live.