t to work piling up dead wood and dry canes to make a fire,
when by its light and that of the dammar-torch the doctor proceeded to
roughly dress the Malay's wounds.

The tiger had seized him by the muscles of his left shoulder and clawed
the upper part of his arm--terrible wounds enough, but not likely to
prove fatal; and when the doctor had done all he could to make the poor
fellow comfortable, the Malay lay down, gazing up at him as he trickled
a little brandy from his flask between the poor fellow's lips.

"You are good," he said at last. "You saved my life. Now I shall save
yours."

"Save mine?" said the doctor. "Well, I hope we shall have no more
tigers to face."

"No," said the man, "not from tigers, but from men. You did not eat
blachang to-night?"

"No," said the doctor. "Why?"

"Sultan Hamet had _toobah_ put in it to-night: same as to make fish
sleep."

"What? I don't understand you!" cried the doctor excitedly.

"Sultan Hamet means to have all the English krissed to-night while they
sleep," said the Malay; "but you have saved my life: shall save yours."

CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN.

HOW DOCTOR BOLTER GOT IN A MESS.

Doctor Bolter felt as if the place was swimming round him, and the
fire-light seemed to dance as he heard these words. Then, as he
recovered himself somewhat, he gazed full in the Malay's eyes, to see
that the man was looking up at him in the calmest and most unruffled
way.

"Are you mad?" exclaimed the doctor.

"No," said the Malay. "I say what is right. Sultan Hamet joins with
Rajah Gantang to kill off all the English--the sultan here; the rajah
there, with his prahus."

"It is impossible!" cried the doctor. "You are deceiving me."

"No, no, I tell the truth," said the man; "but you shall not be hurt.
Let them kris me first. You shall live."

"Let us get back," cried the doctor, seizing his gun; and the tiger with
the beautiful skin, which he had meant to have for a specimen, was
forgotten.

"No, no," said the man, "you must stay in the jungle. The tigers are
better than Hamet."

"Can you walk?" said the doctor, quietly.

The man got up for answer.

"Can you find your way back?" said the doctor.

"Yes," said the other, with a scornful look. "I could find the way with
my eyes blinded."

"Then start at once. Here, take some more of this."

He gave the injured man another draught from his flask, for the poor
fellow seemed terribly faint.

The few drops of