shook his head.

"What are we to do, sahib, if we are attacked?"

"It depends on what these Malays do. If they make a good fight for
it, we will fight, too; if not, and we see that resistance is
useless, we will remain quiet. It would be of no use for six men to
fight fifty, on such ground as this. They would creep up and hurl
their spears at us and, though we might kill some of them, they
would very soon overpower us.

"Drop back, and tell the four troopers that on no account are they
to fire, unless I give them the order."

Presently the Malays came to a stop, and the officer hurried back
to Harry.

"We have heard the sound of footsteps in the wood, and one of my
men says he saw a man running among the trees."

"It may have been some wild beast," Harry said. "There are plenty
of them in the wood, I hear, and your man may have been mistaken in
thinking that he saw a human figure. And even if it was so, it
might be some villager who, on hearing us, has left the path,
thinking us to be enemies."

"It may be that," the officer said, when the words were translated
to him. "But it is more likely that he was posted there to watch
the path, and that he has gone to tell his band that a party is
approaching."

"Even if it were so," Harry said, "the band may be only a small
one."

The officer moved forward, and joined his men. Half an hour later,
without the slightest warning, a shower of spears flew from among
the trees; followed immediately afterwards by a rush of dark
figures. Several of the Malay escort were at once cut down. The
rest fled, at full speed.

Harry saw that resistance would be hopeless, and would only ensure
their destruction. He therefore called to his followers to remain
quiet. The four bearers, however, threw down their burdens, and
fled at full speed down the path, just as a number of Malays poured
out on either side.

They were evidently struck with the appearance of Harry and his
followers; but were about to rush upon them, when a chief ran
forward and shouted, to them, to abstain from attacking the
strangers. Then he walked up to Harry, who was evidently the chief
of the party.

"Who are you, white man?" he asked, "and where are you going?"

The interpreter replied that they were going on a visit of ceremony
to the Rajah of Johore.

"We are his enemies," the chief said, "and now you must come with
us."

"This lord--" the interpreter began, but the chief waved his hand
for him to b