You
see what a sharp watch the river-police keep. Instead of one launch on
a regular patrol, there would have been three or four shooting up to
see what the row was about."

They stripped off their wet clothes, gave them to the Burman landlord
to dry, and put on fresh garments from their baggage. Jim Dent
unstrapped the ammunition case, and each took a revolver, carefully
loaded it, and put it in a pocket hidden by the tunic.

"We don't want to walk about with holsters strapped round us just
yet," said Buck, "and at the same time we might want to do some
shooting at any minute. My opinion is that the gang is watching us all
the time."

"So I think," said Jack. "How can we drop them, I wonder, so that we
can make a start on our expedition without being ambushed as soon as
we strike into the jungle?"

"It's going to be mighty dangerous to go into the Mogok country and
follow up the Professor's trail straight from the beginning," said
Buck. "We shall be spotted at once, and, as Jack says, an ambush will
be laid for us as soon as we hit the jungle and leave the last
policeman behind."

Jim Dent scratched his jaw thoughtfully.

"They're a trifle too handy at layin' a trap for you," he remarked.
"Let's have a squint at the map. We ain't bound to follow just the
only track which would give U Saw and his men the chance to scupper us
without givin' us a chance to lay one or two of 'em out."

The map was spread on a table, and all three bent over it.

"See, now," said Jim, "everybody knows the road to Mogok. You go up
the river by steamer to Thabeit-Kyim, and then you've got sixty miles
of road across the hills to the ruby-mines."

"And the road about as quiet as Piccadilly on a fine afternoon in
June," remarked Buck. "There are mule-trains and bullock-carts, an'
men walkin' an' men ridin'. You can no more keep yourself hidden on
that road than you can if you walked down the main street of
Mandalay."

"Can't we take the place in flank?" asked Jack. "Drop somehow on my
father's line without giving them such warning as they would receive
by seeing us about Mogok?"

"Why, the bother is," said Jim, "we don't know the Professor's trail.
We must pick up one of his guides. Buck, here, can lay his hand on one
of the people who accompanied your father easily enough, but he's got
to be in Mogok to do it."

"Wait a bit," said Buck. "Not so fast, Jim, my son. I see a glimpse o'
daylight. What's this place farther up the riv