110935    Now, Mister Bondy, I wasn’t going to tell these lizards how it was wonderful, marvellous, astonishing to see what an animal like that could do, but now I can tell you that I was … I was … well simply thunderstruck.”

110936    “As I can see,” answered Mister Bondy.

110937    “Yes, that’s right.

110938    As you can see.

110939    I was so confused at all this that I stayed there another day with my ship, and then in the evening went back to Devil Bay and once more I watched how the sharks were eating my lizards.

110940    That night I swore that I would put an end to that, lad.

110941    I even gave them my word of honour.

110942    Tapa-boys, I said, Captain J. van Toch hereby promises, under the majesty of all these stars, that I will help you.”

110943    Captain Van Toch’S Business

110944    While Captain van Toch was saying this the hair on the back of his neck had risen with his anger and excitement.

110945    “And so I swore.

110946    And ever since then, lad, I’ve not had a moments peace.

110947    In Padang I took some leave due to me and sent a hundred and seven pearls to those Jew-boys in Amsterdam, everything those animals of mine had brought me.

110948    Then I found a kind of lad, Dayak he was, a shark-killer, they go in the water and kill the sharks with a knife.

110949    Terrible thief and murderer he was, this Dayak.