Monkeyshines

Long before Darwin made the same claim for the whole human race, the fierce Dafia tribesmen of India's northeast frontier were proudly claiming descent from monkeys. To prove it, they wore false tails, swung happily among tree branches, screeched wildly in apelike imitation of Kipling's Bandar-log and grubbed under stones and logs for beetles which they ate whole and kicking.

Some British teaplanters found the Dafias' monkeyshines vastly amusing and rewarded them liberally with gifts of precious salt, clothes and trinkets. But British officialdom took a much dimmer view of the tribesmen whose moral code held that every young man should cut off at least one human head before he was fit to claim a bride. When, as they often did, the Dafias went on the rampage, looting, burning, raping and slicing off neighboring villagers' heads with one stroke of their razor-sharp daos (short swords), the British did not hesitate to discourage them with the full force of arms, even to the extent of bombing their villages. During the long years of British rule, India's peace-loving nationalists loudly decried such "British atrocities" and urged instead a campaign of loving kindness to win over the monkey-loving headhunters.

Salting a Friendship. Last month the Dafias were growing restive once again over a fancied favoritism shown by the Indian government in granting military protection to their hated neighbors, the Galongs. With the British no longer on hand to practice their "atrocities," India sent a detachment of 23 Assam Riflemen into the Abor Hills to talk things over in a friendlier way. The Dafias welcomed the visitors and their 150 Galong porters with effusive cordiality and set to work clearing a wide space in the forest on which they could pitch their tents. The Indians met kindness with kindness and began passing out gifts of salt and medicine.

As the Indians sat down to lunch on the first day, ten fully armed Dafias came to the tent entrance protesting even further friendship and begging for more salt. An Indian sentry refused them entrance, but his commander. Major R. A. Singh, was so convinced of the tribesmen's loyalty that he urged them to come on in. Nine tribesmen marched into the tent. With one quick slash of his dao, the tenth turned and cut off the sentry's head.

Dance of the Dafias. At that, some 500 more Dafias came howling out of the forest to rush the Indian camp behind a sudden blizzard of poisoned arrows and long spears. Those inside the major's tent made short work of him and his fellows, while outside, Indian and Galong heads fell right & left. During the slaughter, three Galong porters managed to escape and carry news of the massacre to headquarters as the triumphant Dafias, holding the heads of their victims aloft, went into a wild dance of victory.

At week's end detachments of Indian riflemen and paratroopers with less friendly intent moved in on Dana territory. The headhunters offered a deal: to return each severed head for two wild bison, ten short swords and 60 yards of durable cloth.

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