picturesque, with
its ornamented reed-woven walls, and carefully thatched roof of attap.
The broad verandah, with its punkahs, was made gay with beautiful
creepers, climbing the pillars of palm and bamboo, and festooning the
edges, some of these being jasmines of great size and beauty; while
rough rotan baskets hung at intervals, full of moss and dead wood, on
which flourished the wonderful orchids and pitcher-plants that were the
delight of the ladies of the residency.

By the help of Doctor Bolter and Adam Gray, a large cask had been cut in
half, and decorated on the outsides and edges with rough bark, in whose
interstices were planted orchids, and the pretty maiden-hair fern; while
upon these being both mounted upon a short rough stump, they formed a
couple of rustic vases of huge size, standing just inside the broad
verandah, on either side of the entrance door, and looked, when filled
with water, and supplied with aquatic plants, no slight additions to the
beauty of the place.

Upon one of his excursions with net and can, Doctor Bolter had succeeded
in capturing several of the beautiful little chaetadons, or
shooting-fish; tiny little broad fellows, beautifully banded, whose
peculiarity was the adroitness with which they would lie in wait for any
unfortunate fly that settled on the edge of an aquatic leaf, and then
fire--or rather, water--off at it a tiny globule, with such unerring
aim, that the insect was generally brought down into the water and
swallowed. Three or four would sometimes sail round one after the other
shooting at a fly in turn till it was knocked off, when a rush took
place for the dainty prize.

But the river and the little jungle streams abounded with miniature fish
of great beauty, their peculiarity being the way in which they were
coloured, some being of a most gorgeous scarlet, with broad bands of
vivid blue across their sides.

All on board the "Startler" was the perfection of neatness, and from a
friendly rivalry the residency and fort were as smart and neat; perhaps
never did they look to greater perfection than on the day after the
adventure of Bob Roberts and Tom Long.

The morning drill was over, and the sun was growing intensely hot, when
there was heard the sound of a gong in the distance, and one of the
sentries announced the coming of a boat.

As it drew near it was seen to be one belonging to the sultan, with a
couple of his principal officers therein.

They landed, each