bountiful supply of fruit, which grew in abundance
round the village. It was not long before a meal was served to the
officers, fowl having been hastily killed as soon as the boats were
seen approaching; several jungle fowl had been brought in that morning;
plaintains and rice were boiled, and cakes baked. Tea was forthcoming
from the boats' stores, and a hearty meal was eaten.

CHAPTER XI.

After the meal was concluded, the captain said to the chief:

"Now, Hassan, we want to know how it was that you arrived at the nick of
time to save my officers' lives."

"I had been watching for some days," the chief said quietly. "When I
heard that many chiefs had joined Sehi Pandash, I said 'I must go and
help my white brothers,' but I dared not take many men away from here,
and as I had to hide, the fewer there were with me the better; so I came
down into the forest near Sehi's town, and found the wood full of men.
We had come down in sampans, so that I could send off messengers as
might be required. One of these I sent down to you, to warn you to be
prepared for an attack. Other messengers I had sent before from here;
but they must have been caught and killed, for I had been watched
closely when they found that I would not join against you.

"When my last messenger returned, I was glad; I knew that you would be
on your guard, and would not be caught treacherously. Two of my men
were in the town when they began to fire on the ship, and I saw the
town destroyed, and followed Sehi to the place where the six prahus were
lying, and crossed the creek, and lay down in the woods near the village
on the other side; for I thought that something might happen. One of my
men went down in the night, and brought me news that the ship was gone.
As my messenger had told me that you had questioned him as to the other
entrance to the creek, I felt sure that you had gone there; so I was not
surprised when, just before daybreak, two guns were fired. We saw the
fight, the sinking of two of their vessels, and the attack by the water
pirates, and by the men of the rajah and the chiefs with him, and I
feared greatly that my friends would be overpowered.

"I sent one of my men down to the mouth of the creek, to tell you how
much aid was wanted; but he saw the ship steaming up as he went, and so
came back to me. Then we heard the ship's great guns begin to fire, and
soon all was quiet where the fight had been going on. Then I saw the
other fou