Saïdjah considered and said:—
“Count the moons; I shall stay away three times twelve moons, . . . this moon not included. . . . See, Adinda, at every new moon, cut a notch in your rice-block. When you have cut three times twelve lines, I will be under the Ketapan the next day, . . . do you promise to be there?”
“Yes, Saïdjah, I will be there under the ketapan, near the djati-wood, when you come back.
Hereupon Saïdjah tore a piece off his blue turban, which was very much worn, and gave the piece of linen to Adinda to keep it as a pledge; and then he left her and Badoer. He walked many days. He passed Rankas-Betong, which was not then the capital of Lebak, and Warong-Goonoong, where was the house of the Assistant Resident, and the following day saw Pamarangang, which lies as in a garden. The next day he arrived at Serang, and was astonished at the magnificence and size of the place, and the number of stone houses covered with red tiles. Saïdjah had never before seen such a thing. He remained there a day, because he was tired; but, during the night, in the coolness, he went further, and the following day, before the shadow had descended to his lips, though he wore the large toodong[1] which his father had left him, he arrived at Tangerang.
At Tangerang he bathed in the river near the passage, and rested in the house of an acquaintance of his father’s,
- ↑ See p. 83.
