| caption: |
Chapter Sixteen. Into the Blue |
| caption: |
negotiations with Noklak men; war as a sport |
| text: |
The negotiators are obviously nervous, and their astonished gaze wanders from one to the other of these four white men, but their faces lighten as they recognize Chingmak, and the time-long adversaries greet each other as old friends, and soon squat chatting cheerfully on the ground before us. As a rule there exists little personal hate between the individuals of two hostile Naga villages. War is a sport, and no one is blamed if now and then a head is brought home. The opponents are quite unembarrassed when they meet on neutral ground, and are often to be seen drinking a mug of rice-beer together in the most friendly fashion. |
