he steamer was kept abreast, while Bob Roberts and
a party of marines and Jacks went ashore and made preparations to burn
her.

Ali stepped into the boat with his friend, and advised caution; for he
warned Bob that, although severely punished, the rajah was in no wise
beaten, and that, as likely as not, a force of men were lying hidden
amongst the reeds to protect the injured prahu.

"All right!" said Bob, "I'll be careful." And to show how careful he
intended to be, he let the cutter run up amidst the reeds, and jumped
out with a dozen men, provided with some fiery spirit, and some spun
yarn and matches.

"I think you ought to search the reeds first with a few shots from your
marines' rifles," said Ali, who was gazing around very distrustfully;
and no wonder, for there was every likelihood of some of the Malays
being in ambush.

"No need," said Bob, laughing. "We've given them such a lesson as they
won't forget for some time, my lad. Come along."

Ali leaped ashore, and they tried to get on board the prahu, which
seemed close in to the bank; but finding this was not the case, they
returned to the boat, and pushed off through the rustling reeds to row
round to the other side, and there board her by means of a rope.

It was well for the little party that they returned as they did, for in
twenty places dark figures were stealing through the thick, long reeds
quite unseen, but all converging upon the spot where the cutter ran to
the shore.

The return to the boat upset the plans of the ambush, but the Malays who
formed the party were not beaten; and finding their first plan hopeless,
they immediately adopted another, and began creeping through the reeds,
hardly making them rustle as they made now for the prahu.

"Heave up a rope, one of you," said Bob, "unless anybody can climb up."

This was as the bowman held the cutter close up against the prahu's side
with his boat-hook.

"If one on 'em keeps the cutter alongside, sir, I can get up, and then
make fast a rope," said the bowman.

"All right! up with you," said Bob; and as another man held on by one of
the big oars that hung in its place, the boatman hooked on his boat-hook
in one of the rattan-twisted ropes, and cleverly climbed up, catching
the rope that was thrown up and making it fast, when half a dozen of the
sailors, with Bob Roberts and Ali, were soon on the short, bamboo deck.

"It seems almost a pity to burn her," said Bob, who was greatly taken