n, no want no poison, sahib."
"He's about right there, middy," said Tom Long. "Here, let's look at
some fruit."
This brought Bob Roberts back to the object of his mission; and
realising at once that Tom Long's object was a present, he, by what he
considered to be a lucky inspiration, turned his attention to the
flowers that were in the boat.
For the Malays are a flower-loving people, and there is nothing the dark
beauties of this race like better than decking their jetty-black hair
with white and yellow sweet-scented blossoms.
Bob was not long in securing a large bunch of arums, all soft and white,
with the great yellow seed vessel within. To this he added a great
bunch of delicately tinted lotus, and then sat down on the edge of the
boat to see what Long would purchase.
Tom Long was hard to please; now he would decide on a bunch of delicious
golden plantains, and then set them aside in favour of some custard
apples. Then he wondered whether the ladies would not prefer some
mangoes; but recollecting that they had had plenty of mangoes, and the
delicious mangosteen in India, he decided upon some limes and a couple
of cocoanuts, when the Kling exclaimed, "Why not sahib buy durian?"
"What the dickens is durian?" said Tom.
"Durian best nice fruit that grow, sahib."
"Oh, is it?" said Tom. "Then let's have a look."
The Kling said something to the Malay, who stooped down, and solemnly
produced what looked like a great spiney nut, about as large as a boy's
head.
"That durian, sahib," said the Kling, smiling.
"Oh, that's durian, is it?" said Tom, taking the great fruit in his
hands, and turning it over and over.
"Nice-looking offering for a lady," said Bob Roberts, laughing. Tom
Long looked up sharply, and was about to speak; but he said nothing,
only kept turning the great fruit over and over.
"Taste nice, most nice all fruit, sahib," said the Kling.
"Here, let's try one," said Bob, laying down his flowers; and the Kling
signed to his companion to give him another, which the Malay did with
solemn importance, not a smile appearing on his face, nor a look
suggestive of his being anxious to sell the fruit in the boat.
The Kling took the great wooden fruit, laid it on the thwart of the
boat, and reaching a heavy knife from the side, he inserted it at the
head of a faint line, one of five to be seen running down the wooden
shell of the fruit, and following this mark, he was able to open the
cur
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