ied the doctor's wife, gratefully.

"I can do no good, Barnes, so I will go on with Murray here, and bring
back Frank. You will send to me if there is the slightest need. There,
good-night, all. This has been a scare, but it may have had its crisis,
and a few days hence, I hope we shall all be laughing at our fright."

He shook hands, and moved towards the door.

"Now, Greig, Murray," he said.

But Murray was standing grasping Mrs Barnes's hand, "Tell her," he
whispered, "that some means shall be devised to save her from such
another insult as this."

Mrs Barnes pressed his hand; and then hastily shaking hands with Mrs
Braine and the doctor, he hurried out into the garden and joined the
others, after which the Greigs went to their own place.

"Those boys will think we are never coming," Murray said, speaking more
cheerily now.

"Well, we will soon relieve their anxiety," replied Mr Braine. "Come,
that's better. We must not treat this as a panic, and exaggerate the
difficulty of our position."

"I do not," said Murray, quietly. "It needs no exaggeration. Look!" he
whispered; "we are followed, are we not?"

"I can hardly see for the darkness. Possibly. His men are always on
the watch. No European monarch was ever better served by his secret
police."

"But tell me," said Murray; "are you going back quietly to your place as
soon as you have fetched Frank?"

"Not directly, perhaps, but very soon. We had better separate, and seem
to be treating all this calmly, for our acts are certain to be reported
to the rajah."

"And what about our words at the house?"

"What? the possibility of them having been heard, and the information
conveyed to the rajah?"

"Yes."

"I cannot say. Let us both sleep on it. To-morrow I may have some
plan."

"And the boys. Are they to know?"

"As little as possible. Here we are. How quiet and peaceful the place
seems! Asleep, I suppose. Tired of waiting."

There was a dim light in the house devoted to Murray and his nephew; and
as they reached the steps, the naturalist felt a pang of annoyance at
not seeing Hamet start up and challenge them, for, as a rule, he was
always in the veranda on the watch.

"It has been a long and weary day," said Murray, with the depression
from which he suffered affecting his voice. "Will you go on first?"

"No; you are the master; lead on."

Murray stopped short.

"Look here," he said. "Let the boys sleep. Stop here with me