rch in earnest, and
will track our footsteps. We had better take to a tree, now. It
will not be safe to stay here."

The others cordially agreed as, for some time, they had heard the
roars of wild beasts, which abounded in these forests; and Harry
and Abdool had run with their open knives in their hands, prepared
for a sudden attack.

"The others will have gone back to the village, long ago," the
Malay said, when they had made themselves as comfortable as they
could, in the forks of the tree, "except the men who were guarding
us. They will not dare venture into the village, for they would
fear the rajah's anger, even more than death from a tiger. They
will be first in the search, tomorrow morning.

"Which way do you wish to go, my lord?"

"I have been thinking it over, as we came. I think that our best
plan will be to go on to Johore. Doubtless the road down the coast
will be watched. How far from Johore do you think we are?"

"Not very far," the Malay said. "We have been going in that
direction, ever since we first turned--not very straight, perhaps,
but certainly in that direction. I think that we cannot be more
than five or six miles from the town. It lies between the hills we
crossed, and the higher ones beyond. We have been descending a
little, all the time."

"I am afraid that Johore will not be very pleased to see us
arriving empty handed, and to learn that the escort he sent us have
all been killed. Still, the news that we bring him, that his
enemies are not far off, will be useful to him; and we will offer
to aid him in the defence of his town, if he is attacked. At any
rate, it is a satisfaction to know that we have not very far to go,
and have got so good a start of the fellows behind us that they are
not likely to overtake us, before we get there."

More than once, during the night, they heard angry growling at the
foot of the tree. Towards morning there was a scraping sound.

"That is a leopard, sahib," the Malay said, in alarm; "he is
climbing the tree to get at us."

Abdool was sitting immediately below Harry, and the latter called
to him to come up beside him.

"Mount as high as you can, my lord," the Malay said. "The trunk is
not so rough, when you get higher; and the beast will find it
harder to climb."

"We shall do better, here," Harry said. "These two arms, nearly
opposite to each other, are just the thing for us.

"You go out to the end of one, Abdool, and I will go out to the end