bound to the poles, upon their shoulders to the feast. Thus did they, and many marvelled as they saw the long line of men, each bearing the end of a pole upon his shoulder, a pig being bound to each pole.
Now when they reached the place set apart for the feast, Dabedabe said to his men, "Set your burdens upon the ground," and they did so. Then said he to the giver of the feast, "Set free the men whom ye have bound, and I will give thee these pigs which thou seest." And the giver of the feast, greatly desiring the pigs, did as Dabedabe had said, and unloosed the bonds of the men which lay upon the ground waiting to be slain. Then did all make merry, and tired their hair, and hung many ornaments of shell and feathers upon themselves, and did eat of the pigs which Dabedabe had given them.
And in truth if Dabedabe had not done this thing, we of Papua, yea, even I who tell the tale, would have been bound upon poles and eaten at the feasts of our enemies. But from that day even until now are men spared and pigs slain when a feast is made, and at Qamana as also at Bou are abundance of pigs to this day.
