To turn back was out of the question. I
had come a good way, and I had no idea where the rest were, and from
the uproar at the back I imagined the Doboduras were coming down the
track after me. I hastily decided to go by the old saying, "If you
go to the right you are right," and it was well for me that I did so,
as I found out later from the police that if I had gone to the left --
well, there would have been nothing left of me, especially after one
Dobodura meal, as the enemy were there in full force. As it was, I
soon afterward came up with the police, feeling rather shaky and white.
The police had captured a middle-aged woman, whose face and part
of her body were thickly plastered with clay. This was a sign of
mourning. We learnt that she was a Notu woman, who had been captured
some time previously by the Doboduras. She was much alarmed, and
whined and beat her breasts, and caressed some of the police. We
made her come on with us, and the rest of the party soon joining
us, we came to another village, which we "rushed," but it, too,
was deserted. There was more killing of fowls and pigs, and a scene
of great confusion as our people speared and clubbed them and ran
about in all directions, looting the houses, picking coconuts, and
cutting down betel-nut palms, many of them decorating themselves
with the beautifully variegated leaves of crotons and DRACAENAS,
some of which were of species entirely new to me.
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