t here till he gets the chance of killing me."

"That is well," returned the chief, calmly. "My young men will hunt till
they find where he is. Then they will bring us the information and Van
der Kemp will go out with a band and slay his enemy."

"No, my friend," said the hermit, firmly; "that shall not be. I must get
out of his way, and in order to do so will leave you at once, for there
will be no further need for my services here."

The chief looked at his friend in surprise. "Well," he said, "you have a
good judgment, and understand your own affairs. But you have already
rendered me good service, and I will help you to fly--though such is not
the habit of the Dyaks! There is a trader's vessel to start for Sumatra
by the first light of day. Will my friend go by that?"

"I am grateful," answered the hermit, "but I need no help--save some
provisions, for I have my little canoe, which will suffice."

As this colloquy was conducted in the native tongue it was
unintelligible to Nigel, but after the interview with the chief the
hermit explained matters to him, and bade Moses get ready for a start
several hours before dawn.

"You see we must do the first part of our trip in the dark, for Baderoon
has a keen eye and ear. Then we will land and sleep all day where the
sharpest eye will fail to find us--and, luckily, pirates have been
denied the power of scenting out their foes. When night comes we will
start again and get out of sight of land before the next dawn."

"Mine frond," said the professor, turning his moon-like goggles full on
the hermit. "I vill go viz you."

"I should be only too happy to have your company," returned the hermit,
"but my canoe cannot by any contrivance be made to hold more than
three."

"Zat is no matter to me," rejoined Verkimier; "you forget zee trader's
boat. I vill go in zat to Sumatra. Ve vill find out zee port he is going
to, ant you vill meet me zere. Vait for me if I have not arrived--or I
vill vait for you. I have longed to visit Sumatra, ant vat better fronds
could I go viz zan yourselfs?"

"But, my good friend," returned the hermit, "my movements may not
exactly suit yours. Here they are,--you can judge for yourself. First I
will, God permitting, cross over to Sumatra in my canoe."

"But it is t'ree hoondert miles across, if not more!"

"No matter--there are plenty of islands on the way. Besides, some
passing vessel will give me a lift, no doubt. Then I will coast along to
o