great
argus pheasant. I don't suppose you would be able to come across one,
but if you do--"

"Down him," said Tom Long.

"Exactly," said the doctor. "There, my lad, I won't give you any
medicine, but prescribe a little short exercise."

"Thank you, sir," said Tom, trying hard to restrain his eagerness.
"Might I have a run to-morrow? I have felt very languid to-day."

"To be sure. I'll see the major, and get leave of absence for you. Be
careful, though. Don't overheat yourself; and mind and not get into any
scrape with the Malays."

"I'll mind, sir," said Tom.

"That's right. Be very careful not to spoil the plumage of the birds.
You can make a Malay boy carry them tied by the beaks to a stick. Stop
a minute; as you are here, you may as well cut up these cards for me in
thin strips. I'll go and ask the major the while."

Tom set to work at the cards with a pair of scissors, and the doctor
donned his undress coat, went out and returned with the requisite
permission.

"By the way, look here, Long; if you'll promise to be very careful, I'll
lend you my double gun."

"I'll take the greatest care of it, sir," was the reply.

"Good! There it is; so now be off; and to-morrow night I shall expect a
nice lot of specimens to skin."

So Tom Long went off with the gun, and the doctor helped to turn the
residency into an abode where danger usurped the place of safety, and
peace was to be succeeded by the horrors of war.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

A JAUNT IN THE JUNGLE, WITH AN AWKWARD END.

Tom Long rather overslept himself, but it was pretty early when he
started from his quarters, to encounter Captain Smithers soon after,
looking anxious and annoyed. He nodded shortly, and the young ensign
went on through what was quite a wilderness of beauty, to meet, next,
Rachel Linton and Mary Sinclair, who had been flower-gathering, and who
stopped for a few minutes' conversation with him, the former nearly
spoiling the expedition, by turning the foolish youth's thoughts in
quite a contrary direction from collecting or shooting.

But Rachel Linton quietly wished him success, and Tom went off telling
himself that it would look foolish if he did not go.

He had not far to go to the landing-place now; but in the little space
close by the resident's garden he encountered Private Gray, who saluted
him, and sent Tom on thinking that he wished he was as old, and
good-looking, and as manly, as the young soldier he had