ded
eyes into the plain and along the park-like slope they had ascended.

"I can't see any sign of the prahus, Frank," said Ned. "There's nothing
on the river. Oh!"

"What's the matter?"

"Something flashed half a mile away there. Look down to the left of
that great tree. That's the one where we stopped to eat."

"Spears. I see," whispered Frank. "Here, Hamet."

The man stepped to his side.

"Look!"

Hamet crept forward and peered between the leaves of a bush, and gazed
down for some moments in silence. Then turning, he said calmly:

"Thirteen of the rajah's men. They are tracking us by the marks we have
left, and will overtake us in less than an hour."

This was spoken in broken English, but no speech was ever more
impressive to the hearers, and the gentlemen pressed together, while the
ladies listened as if to their fate.

"Well," said Mr Braine, hoarsely. "You see. What do you say?
Surrender or fight?"

"Fight," said Murray, after exchanging a glance with Amy; and the two
boys uttered a faint "Hurrah!"

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

OVERCOME.

"Now forward," said Mr Braine in a low earnest voice. "The plan will
be to keep on till we come upon a place that we can hold against attack.
Frank, Ned, lead on with the ladies; we will come last. Quick, and in
silence. Single file."

Frank led on, but at the end of half an hour no likely spot had been
found, and distant shouts told that their pursuers were closing in.

Mr Braine came now to the front.

"We must have some place found at once, boys," he whispered, avoiding
the inquiring looks of the ladies. "If it is only a patch of rocks or a
dense clump of trees."

But no such spot offered itself, and on all hands he could see how
easily they would be surrounded and at the mercy of the enemy.

At the end of another quarter of an hour they were approaching a steeper
place than usual, but their pursuers were very near now, and the
gentlemen owned to themselves that though they might shoot down a few of
their enemies, the Malays would certainly conquer; when Ned, who had
been staring about him wildly for some minutes, suddenly uttered a low
cry.

"Here, quick!" he cried. "Follow me;" and turning at a sharp angle to
the left, he seemed to be going almost back to the enemy.

"Stop! Are you mad?" whispered Murray, dashing after the boy and
seizing his arm.

"No. I know the place: this way."

"Yes, follow him," said Mr Braine. "He may kno