just passed.
And then he felt very miserable and dejected, and wished he was anything
but what he was, until he saw Bob Roberts, sitting in the "Startler's"
dinghy by the landing-place, and forgot all about everything but the
shooting excursion.

"Come along! You are a chap," shouted Bob. "I've been waiting over
half an hour."

"Met the ladies," said Tom, "and was obliged to speak."

"Oh, you met the ladies, did you?" said Bob, looking at him
suspiciously. "Well, never mind; jump aboard. Got plenty of
cartridges?"

"Yes, heaps; and some food too."

"So have I," cried Bob. "Now, then, pull away, Dick. Set us ashore
under those trees. Hooray, Tom; look! There's young Bang-gong there,
waiting with a couple of niggers."

Dick pulled steadily at the sculls, and the little dinghy breasted the
water like a duck, soon crossing the intervening space, when the two
lads landed with their ammunition and stores, shook hands with the
handsome dark young chief who confronted them, and at once started off
for the jungle, while Dick stood refilling his right cheek with tobacco,
before rowing the dinghy back to the steamer.

"Ah!" he said, as he once more took the sculls, "they never asked me to
go, too. Now you see if by the time they get back to-night they hain't
been in about as pretty a bit o' mischief, as was ever hatched."

Old Dick had no intention of setting himself up as a prophet of evil,
for his remark was made more out of spite than anything else, it having
struck the old fellow that a good idle ashore would be very pleasant,
especially with plenty to eat and drink, and a fair supply of tobacco.

"It wouldn't be very hard work to carry all the game they shoot," he
said, chuckling; "and one might get a good nap under a shady tree."

But Dick's hopes were blighted, and instead of shade under trees, he had
to row back to where the "Startler" was blistering in the hot sunshine,
and take his part in the regular duties of the day.

Meanwhile the two lads with their companion were striding along beneath
the shade of the trees, with the naval and military services of her most
gracious Majesty completely forgotten, and their elastic young minds
bent entirely upon the expedition. They looked flushed and eager, and
the Tumongong's son, Ali, was just as full of excitement.

The latter was about the age of the young English officers, and their
coming was to him delightful. For his father was wise enough to forese