the doctor, excitedly. "I
should like a few words with you both. Go in, my dears. Mrs Braine,
please, don't leave them yet."

The ladies went hurriedly up the steps into the open veranda, and Mr
Braine turned to his son.

"Walk home with Ned," he said quickly. "You can stay with him till I
come with Mr Murray."

"Yes, father," replied the boy, and the two lads went off together
toward Murray's house.

"They're going to have a confab," said Frank, "that they don't want us
to hear. I was right; there's going to be a storm."

"But isn't it very strange?" said Ned, eagerly. "What does it all
mean?"

"I'm regularly puzzled," cried frank. "It's impossible, of course, but
it looks so like it, that I can't help thinking so."

"What do you mean?"

"That I hope I'm wrong, but it looks as if the old boy has taken a fancy
to Amy."

"What--an English lady! Impossible!" cried Ned, indignantly.

"'Taint impossible here; if the rajah says he will; but if it isn't so,
why did he give Amy Barnes that ring?"

"I don't know. Why did he give you that kris?"

"Oh, that was for a present. I don't understand such things, but I
believe when a gentleman gives a lady a ring, it's because he means to
marry her."

"But he can't; he has a wife."

"A wife!" cried Frank. "Lots. But that doesn't matter out here."

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

A TROUBLED NIGHT.

As soon as Amy entered her home, she let the pent-up agony and fear
which she had hidden for hours have vent in a burst of passionate
weeping, and hurried away to her own room, closely followed by her
mother and Mrs Braine, leaving the gentlemen standing in the
half-darkened room, silent, agitated, and each waiting for the other to
speak. But for some minutes no word was spoken, and the silence was
only broken by the creaking sound of the bamboo flooring, as in a
violent state of agitation, Murray walked the room from end to end.
Just then a low cat-like cry came from the jungle, repeated and answered
from different directions, and influencing Murray, so that he went and
stood at the opening, gazing across the veranda at the fireflies gliding
here and there like tiny wandering stars, and listening to the cries
which told him that on the jungle side they were surrounded by enemies.

As he stood there motionless, strange hoarse barking sounds came from
the river, with an occasional faint splash, and then a loud beating
noise, as if some monster were thrashing the su