ves on for about a mile, or it might have been more, when, turning
a point, we saw before us in the deep bay a prow at anchor. She was so
close in shore, that should we continue in that direction we could
scarcely hope to escape the observation of those on board. Should she
prove to be one of the fleet with which we had had the scratch a few
days before, her people might not be inclined to treat us very civilly.
Still, hunger made us desperate. We pushed on, therefore; when,
surmounting a rocky height and looking over the ridge, we saw down below
us a party of dark-skinned natives, collected at a short distance from
the shore, while three or four other prows were at anchor a little
further on. Some of the people were squatting round a fire cooking,
others were repairing a boat, and others lying on the ground. An old
man with silvery beard, whom we took to be a chief, was seated on a
carpet, under the shade of a tree, smoking his long pipe, while two or
three men squatted at a little distance, apparently ready to obey his
commands. We discovered that they had each of them some ugly-looking
weapons in their hands, and it suddenly occurred to us that should we
make our appearance together, they might, without asking questions, use
them upon our heads. I, therefore, undertook to go forward by myself,
advising my companions, if they saw me killed, to make the best of their
way off in an opposite direction.

"By the powers, though, but that will never do!" exclaimed Brady. "If
anybody's to be killed, I'm the boy, and so just let me go forward, if
you plase."

"No, no," I said, "I am young, and much less likely to excite their
anger than you would be."

Pat still demurred. At length I had to exert my authority, and directed
him to stay quiet while I went forward. I shall not forget the poor
fellow's look of anxiety as he saw me creep away down the hill, for I
was anxious that the Malays should not discover from what direction I
came. I confess that I did not feel quite comfortable about the matter,
but I thought to myself, it is just as well to be killed outright as to
die by inches from starvation. The Malays were not a little astonished
at seeing an English midshipman in their midst, although I certainly had
very little of the smart look which belongs to the genus. The guards in
front of the old Rajah, as soon as they cast eyes on me, started to
their feet with uplifted weapons, at which I halted, and made a p