ld fruit-seller; and that message
was never written by young Ali, unless he, too, is an enemy!"

"My life upon it, he is not," cried Bob.

"Then either he has been killed, or our plans were overheard, or
betrayed, or something or another! That fellow--I see it all now it is
too late--has quietly led us up here, awaiting his chance, and it came
when those big boughs swept the side. He swung himself into one of the
trees, and is by this time on his way back to his friends."

"But the jungle is not passable!" said Bob.

"Then he will make a bamboo raft and get down the river. Oh, that we
could be such fools!"

Bob Roberts stood in the gathering darkness staring at his superior
officer, and trying hard to believe that the Malay might have been swept
over by accident; but by degrees he felt his mind veering round to the
lieutenant's ideas.

The next minute orders were being given respecting the watch on deck,
every light was extinguished, and extra care taken lest they should have
been led into a trap and attempts be made to board the steamer during
the night. But as the hours glided on, all they heard was the distant
roar of some beast of prey, or an occasional splash in the water--sounds
that had a strange attraction for Bob Roberts, as, with no thought of
going to his cot, he leaned against the bulwark watching the fire-flies
amid the trees, and mournfully wondered how they were getting on at the
station, and what had become of Ali, shuddering again and again as the
lieutenant's ominous words recurred to his mind.

CHAPTER FIFTY THREE.

PRIVATE SIM IS VERY WIDE AWAKE.

Lieutenant Johnson had said that in all probability Ali had been killed,
this being of course his surmise, for he had no real reason for such an
assertion. He was quite right, though, about having been tricked, for
one of Rajah Gantang's cleverest spies after hearing from his
hiding-place the plans that had been made, assumed the part of Ali in
disguise, and passed unchallenged by the sentries to go straight to the
rajah and plan with him a way to divide the forces by sending the
steamer upon a false scent.

This had been done, with the success that has been seen. But though the
little garrison was awakened to a sense of its danger, very soon after
the steamer had taken its departure, it did not realise the fact that
they had all been deceived.

All the requisite precautions had been taken, and saving the guard, the
little garrison h