f Malays on the ground below, who in turn were pointing guns
at the whites; whilst to the right of this picture was drawn another
group, a most sinister one, for it represented Gaunt and Percy bound to
two trees and surrounded by a pile of--presumably--branches, to which
other Malays were in the act of applying _a blazing torch_!

Henderson and Manners studied this document most attentively for some
time, and they at length agreed that only one meaning could possibly be
intended to be conveyed by it--namely, that if the fort and all it
contained, including weapons, were surrendered by sunrise, or sunset--
but most probably the former--next day, Gaunt and Percy should be
delivered up by their captors; but if not, then the fort would be
attacked, and the two captives _burnt alive_!

"Why, this is horrible!" exclaimed Henderson, as he finally folded up
the document and carefully placed it in his pocket. "We cannot possibly
make the unconditional surrender which they demand, it would simply be
placing the entire party, Gaunt and his child included, at the mercy of
a pack of treacherous, bloodthirsty scoundrels, who would probably
slaughter us all in cold blood as soon as we had delivered up our
weapons. On the other hand, it is equally out of the question that we
should abandon those two poor souls to the frightful fate with which
they are threatened. What is to be done, Manners?"

"Let us go up on the parapet and talk the matter over with Nicholls,
sir," was the reply. "He is a quiet, inoffensive fellow, but thoroughly
to be depended upon in a fight, and he is pretty long-headed too,
perhaps he may be able to help us out with a suggestion. At all events,
sir, you may depend upon it neither Mr Gaunt nor little Percy--poor
little chap!--shall be burnt, alive or dead, whilst I can strike a blow
to prevent it."

"Come, then," said Henderson, "let us go and hear what Nicholls has to
say upon the matter." And he led the way up to the parapet once more.

But Nicholls, honest man that he was, seemed completely to lose in
horror the long-headedness with which Manners had credited him, as soon
as he was made acquainted with the terms of the singular document handed
in by the Malays, and beyond the utterance of several very hearty
maledictions upon the heads of those scoundrels, and the reiterated
declaration that they should kill him before they harmed a hair of the
heads of either of the prisoners, he had nothing to say.