nts till
they reached the deserted earth-works, and crouched there exultingly.

An hour later the sky was overclouded; and in the darkness the Malays
came crowding up by hundreds, evidently ready for an assault, while most
ominous of all was the fact that numbers of them bore bundles of light
wood, and some lumps of dammar ready to continue the task they had had
to give up, consequent upon the steamer's return.

CHAPTER FIFTY TWO.

HOW THE STEAMER WENT UP THE RIGHT ARM OF THE RIVER.

A night journey on a river, when the stars give but little light, and
the banks are dense jungle overhanging the water's edge, is one of no
little difficulty. Certainly the crew of the steamer had upon their
side the fact, that the stream, though swift, was deep, and its bottom
mud. There were no rocks and cataracts to encounter in its lower
course; and even if they did run aground, there was but little risk to
the vessel. But all the same the most constant watchfulness was needed,
and Lieutenant Johnson himself joined the look-out at the bows,
communicating by a chain of his men with the engine-room and man at the
wheel.

For some distance after leaving the island they proceeded very slowly,
little more than mastering the stream; but as soon as they felt that
they were beyond hearing the speed was increased, and for some miles--
through which the course of the river was well-known--the "Startler"
proceeded at a pretty good rate, so that by morning half the journey was
accomplished, and they were abreast of the stockade they had attacked
and destroyed.

About a couple of miles past this the course of the right river opened
out, one that a navigator strange to the river would have hesitated to
take, for it was narrow at the mouth, overgrown with trees, and seemed
to form a chain of lakes, that were one blaze of colour with the blossom
of the lotus.

On the other hand, what seemed the regular course of the river ran broad
and clear, and apparently without obstruction of any kind.

The Malay, who was leaning over the bulwark with his mouth distended
with betel, pointed one brown arm towards the narrow branch, and the
steamer's engines were slackened and nearly stopped while a boat was
lowered, and the crew rowed some little distance along the winding,
sluggish stream, sounding every few yards, to find the river extremely
deep with muddy bottom; and as it seemed to wind right on precisely the
same in character, they returned an