arm about.

"I say, gently," he said. "I don't think I'm much hurt."

"You don't feel it yet," cried Bob Roberts.

"Look out there!" cried a voice in authority somewhere behind; and then
a couple of men ran up with a light hospital litter for wounded or sick
men.

"It went--it went--" said Tom Long, slowly.

"Why, confound you, Long," said Captain Smithers; "you've not been
scratched."

"No; I do not think I am," said the ensign, getting up, feeling himself
carefully about the chest. "It went through my tunic and under my left
arm."

"Why, you've got about six inches of padding in your coat," said Bob
Roberts, whose hands were busy about the young man's breast.

"Yes," said Tom Long; "more or less."

"Forward!" shouted Captain Smithers; and the march was resumed, with Tom
Long looking very woeful about the two holes that had been made in his
scarlet tunic, and gradually growing terribly annoyed, as he saw Bob
Roberts pretending to stifle his laughter; while the men, in spite of
the danger on either side, tittered and grinned as they kept catching
sight of the young officer's scarlet cloth wounds.

Major Sandars was equally anxious with the resident to get back to the
island, for a feeling of dread had risen up that the residency might
have been attacked during their absence. In fact, it seemed now that
they had been out-generalled; and if their fort, and provisions, and
stores should be in the hands of the Malays, their position would be
perilous in the extreme.

As Bob Roberts went on, he found the men eagerly discussing the matter,
not from a feeling of fear, but of love of excitement; and, among
others, Private Sim was saying in a low voice, that if he had only been
well and strong, nothing would have pleased him better than fighting his
way back through the jungle, "anywheres--to the world's end if they
liked."

Meanwhile, though it was evident that there was a large body of Malays
on their right, the answer they had got to their first attack had kept
them off, and the long line of troops and blue-jackets went on
unmolested by their enemies. Every precaution was taken; and in some of
the denser portions of the jungle they regularly felt their way with
advance guards and flankers, who, poor fellows, had a most tough job to
force their way through the tangled creepers and undergrowth.

At length, however, the river was reached, and it was evident, to the
great delight and relief of all, that the