, and jumping up again, he took a
geological hammer from his belt, and began to crack and chip the stones
and masses of rock which peered from the barren-looking ground, the two
boys, one of whom carried the gun, watching him intently.

"Plenty of quartz, Ned," said Murray. "Quite possible that one might
find gold here."

As he spoke, he broke a piece of gray stone which he had hooked out from
among the grass, and laid in a convenient place. A quick ejaculation
came from his lips, and Frank cried excitedly, "Why, you haven't found
gold?"

"No, my lad, but I have found a valuable metal. Look!"

He handed the broken halves of the stone to the boys, while the Malays
crouched together, chewed away at their betel, and watched them.

"Well," said Ned, "I don't see any valuable metal. Do you?"

Frank shook his head.

"That is a fairly rich piece of ore too," said Murray. "Don't you see
those little black grains running through the quartz?"

"No. These are all standing still," said Frank, laughing.

"Facetious, eh?" said Murray, smiling. "Well, those black grains are
tin."

"Oh, they do get tin somewhere up the river," said Frank, eagerly; "but
it isn't a bit like this."

"But it is like what this would be if it were smelted, young gentleman,"
cried Murray; "and, judging from appearances, I should say that the
rajah could get tin enough in these hills to make him as wealthy as he
likes."

"He ought to be satisfied, then, with what you have done, uncle," said
Ned.

"But he will not be, my boy. He will not care to set up works, and
he'll want us to try again for something better. There, we'll take our
specimens to show to Mr Braine, and start back now. Give me the gun,
and I'll go in the centre, and you two shall walk on either side of me,
say fifty yards or so distant. You may beat up some specimens, and give
me a better chance. Ask the men to keep about a hundred yards behind
us."

Frank went and spoke to the men, and told them what was about to be
done, and they rose, took their spears and waited while the boys started
off to right and left, Murray waiting till they had guessed their
distances, and then at his signal, a low whistle, the start was made for
the river, down the steep slope, and bearing off so as to leave their
outward track on their left.

It was a laborious descent, and Ned found the path he had to follow
encumbered by loose gray stones, and full of gins and traps, in the
shape o