down the bushes and open fire."

"I don't see why that should not succeed, sir. Of course the most
difficult part of the operation is dragging the guns. These native paths
are only broad enough for men in single file."

"Yes, that is the difficulty. We could not employ axes to cut down the
trees, and to saw them down would be an interminable work. I think, Mr.
Ferguson, we should have to carry them."

"I doubt if we could carry a twenty-four pounder, sir; but we might
carry an eighteen. They have bamboos of almost any length here, and if
we were to lash an eighteen pounder between two of them, I should say
that ten men each side ought to able to carry them, while as many more
might take the gun carriage."

"We will get some bamboos today, Mr. Ferguson, and try the experiment of
how many men will be required to carry a gun; but now I think of it,
I fancy that it will be still easier to lay the guns down on a sledge
shaped piece of timber--these paths are smooth enough where the natives
tread, and the men could haul the guns along with ropes."

"That would be better and easier, sir. The difficulty with the carriages
will be greatest, but they might be taken to pieces as far as possible
and slung on bamboos."

"I think that we shall be able to manage all that," the captain said
cheerfully. "The first thing is to find the path. There is almost sure
to be one from the village the Malay spoke of as close to the mouth
of the creek, and the pool, and if we send the boats up as soon as we
arrive at the creek, to row with muffled oars until they get near the
pool, and then land and find the path, it would diminish very much the
distance they would have to go and the work to be done."

"It would be a great thing to find that out beforehand, sir. If you
like, I will drop down the river this afternoon in the gig; that will
attract no attention, for it will be thought that we are merely going
fishing or shooting. As soon as it is dark we will muffle the oars,
and row up the other branch, find the mouth of the creek and row up it,
first find how far it is to the pool, then drop down a quarter of a mile
and land, strike into the jungle, and look for the path. I should, of
course, choose a point where the creek bends that way, for as the path
no doubt goes straight from the village to the pool, it would be nearer
the creek at a bend than it would be at any other point. If it is a
sharp bend it might go quite close to it."

"Th