l, wherever he
went. We had representatives, therefore, of a large number of the
creatures inhabiting those regions. As soon as we reached the highroad
I have described along the rocky but dry stream, we halted, to conceal
as much as possible the place where we entered it from view, by placing
boughs at the entrance and strewing the ground thickly with leaves,
retreating backwards as we did so. This done, we again moved forward at
a rapid rate. The men could not march more easily, in reality, than the
weaker members of our party, as they were all heavily laden. We had
gone some way, when Mr Sedgwick thought of despatching Tanda as a scout
to bring us information of what the Malays were about. We should thus
run less risk of being taken by surprise. Our road was far from even,
or such as would have suited delicately-nurtured people, but fortunately
even the girls had become accustomed to rough walking, and made no
complaint of the difficulties. Now and then we had to descend into a
hollow, now to scramble over some huge boulders. More than once,
scorpions, centipedes, snakes, and other reptiles, started up from under
the rocks. We each of us, I should have said, carried pieces of ratan
in our hands, which against such enemies proved useful weapons, as a
well-aimed blow with a ratan at even a large snake will turn it aside.
Our numbers, also, kept the larger serpents and beasts of prey at a
distance.

We had still some way further to go, before we could reach our proposed
fort, when we who were in advance heard a loud rustling in the underwood
near us. We called to Mr Sedgwick. He turned round and peered in
among the trees. Nothing could be seen. "Perhaps Merlin will find the
creature, whatever it is." I called Merlin up, and he instantly
understood what he was to do. My uncle was unwilling to fire, lest the
sound of the shot might be heard by the pirates. He told the men,
however, to be ready to use their bamboo spears, which might keep even a
tiger at bay. Suddenly Merlin began to bark furiously. Now he darted
forward, now he retreated. There was evidently some animal concealed
there. "Shout!" cried my uncle; "that may possibly rouse it." We did
so, when Merlin having pushed aside some boughs, we saw lurking among
them a huge tiger. The creature was apparently alarmed at seeing so
many enemies, and unaccustomed to the sound of the dog's voice, could
not make out what it was. The underwood, also,