noon
So it was that as Bulan advanced he found the long-houses in his path deserted , and came to the larger river and turned up toward its head without meeting with resistance or even catching a glimpse of the brown-skinned people who watched him from their hiding places in the brush . That night they slept in the long-house near the bank of the greater stream , while its rightful occupants made the best of it in the jungle behind . The next morning found the four again on the march ere the sun had scarcely lighted the dark places of the forest , for Bulan was now sure that he was on the right trail and that the new river that he had come to was indeed the same that he had traversed in the Prahu with Barunda . It must have been close to noon when the young giant 's ears caught the sound of the movement of some animal in the jungle a short distance to his right and away from the river . His experience with men had taught him to be wary , for it was evident that every man 's hand was against him , so he determined to learn at once whether the noise he heard came from some human enemy lurking along his trail ready to spring upon him with naked parang at a moment that he was least prepared , or merely from some jungle brute . Cautiously he threaded his way through the matted vegetation in the direction of the sound . Although a parang from the body of a vanquished Dyak hung at his side he grasped his bull whip ready in his right hand , preferring it to the less accustomed weapon of the head hunter .