t of
orders, and were prepared for anything that might occur.

Roberts gave his companion a nudge with his elbow and a quick glance of
the eye, which produced "Yes, all right; I see," from Murray. "I'm
afraid--I mean I'm glad to see that I was only croaking; but I say,
Dick, have a good quiet look at those fellows and see if you don't find
some excuse for what I thought."

"Bah! Beginning to croak again."

"That I'm not," said Murray. "I only say have a look at them,
especially at that fellow smoking."

"Wait a moment. I have focussed my eye upon that beauty getting his
quid ready--disgusting!"

"Yes, it does look nasty," said Murray, with the corners of his lips
turning up. "The regular Malay fashion. That fellow never came from
these parts."

"Suppose not. Why can't the nasty wretch cut a quid off a bit of black
twist tobacco like an ordinary British sailor?"

"Instead of taking a leaf out of his pouch," continued Murray, "smearing
it with that mess of white lime paste out of his shell--"

"Putting a bit of broken betel nut inside--" said Roberts.

"Rolling it up together--" continued Murray.

"And popping the whole ball into his pretty mouth," said Roberts. "Bah!
Look at his black teeth and the stained corners of his lips. Talk
about a dirty habit! Our jacks are bad enough. Ugh!"

"I say, Dick," whispered Murray, as the Malay occupant of the boat
realised the fact that he was being watched, and rolled his opal
eyeballs round with a peculiar leer up at the two young officers.

"Now then," was the reply, "you promised that you wouldn't croak."

"To be sure. I only wanted to say that fellow looks a beauty."

"Beauty is only skin deep," said Roberts softly.

"And ugliness goes to the bone," whispered Murray, smiling. "Yes, he
looks a nice fellow to be a cultivator of the indiarubber plant."

"Eh? Who said he was?" said Roberts sharply.

"His skipper. That's what they all are. Splendid workers too. Do more
than regular niggers."

"Do more, no doubt," said Roberts thoughtfully. "But they certainly
don't look like agricultural labourers. Why, they're a regular crew of
all sorts."

"Irregular crew, you mean," said Murray. "That one to the left looks
like an Arab."

"Yes, and the one asleep with his mouth open and the flies buzzing about
him looks to me like a Krooboy. Well, upon my word, old Croaker, they
do look--I say, do you see that blackest one?"

"Yes; and I've seen them