' So he went in and searched in every corner, even through the
beds, but came to me very much disappointed.
"Then I began a little probing myself, and requested him to tell me the
circumstances about those watchmen of whom he spoke. And this is what he
related to me: 'When you first came to us, _tuan_, we were very angry at
you. We did not want you to live among us; we did not trust you, and
believed you had some design against us. Therefore we came together, and
resolved to kill you and your wife. Accordingly, we went to your house
night after night; but when we came near, there stood always, close around
the house, a double row of watchmen with glittering weapons, and we did not
venture to attack them to get into your house. But we were not willing to
abandon our plan, so we went to a professional assassin [there still was
among the savage Battas at that time a special gild of assassins, who
killed for hire any one whom it was desired to get out of the way], and
asked him if he would undertake to kill you and your wife. He laughed at us
because of our cowardice, and said: "I fear no God, and no devil.
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