ention was to have a look round the place; and, after a glance at
the doctor's house with its charming garden, he walked first in one
direction and then in another, conscious of the fact that his two guards
were always a short distance behind, but apparently bound on quite a
different mission, for they never seemed to look at him once.

Suddenly he altered his mind, and turned back to have a look at the
rajah's own place, and in doing this he had to pass pretty close to the
swarthy-looking spearmen, who merely drew back between two houses till
he had passed, and followed as before.

"Two for uncle and two for me," said Ned at last. "Well, I never knew
that I had two shadows before."

The light was getting a little clearer above the mist, which did not
seem to rise above the tops of the cocoa-nut trees, and he had nearly
reached the clump, in the midst of which was the clearing, when he
suddenly noticed a dimly-seen figure glide out from among the trees, and
another, and another--three who barred his farther advance.

"He has his guards too," thought Ned, and he turned back with the
intention of going as far as the jetty, and then returning to see if his
uncle was awake, when there was a sharp _clank_-_clink_ away to his
left.

The sound was familiar, but he could not recall what it was, though it
came nearer and nearer, apparently from down a lane of houses.

Then, all at once, he knew. For from out of the mist came the dark
figures of half a dozen men bearing spears, and directly after, between
two more, the prisoner he had seen brought in the previous day; and as
he caught a glimpse of the dark face, he could see that the man was
slowly chewing away at his betel-nut.

Six more spearmen followed, apparently led by an officer who marched
erect behind the heavily-fettered prisoner, with one hand resting upon
the handle of his kris.

No one heeded the boy, and the party marched on toward the river-side,
when, under the impression that the man was being taken down to embark
once more, and be sent up or down the river, Ned followed, and his guard
came now more closely behind.

To Ned's surprise, the leaders of the party turned off a little to the
right, leaving the jetty on their left, and with it the smaller boats,
but they were evidently making still for the river, and halted upon its
bank, just in front of where, half hidden by the mist, the large prahu
swung at her anchorage.

"They are going to hail a boa