ight which they welcomed gladly. The
loft stood upon a dozen wooden supports raised six or seven feet from
the ground. It had no window, but, upon moving the dried grass aside,
they could peep through the chinks in the floor of logs. Peering
cautiously down, they saw a yellow umbrella, and presently that was
laid aside as the _pothoodaw_ seated himself in shade of the loft and
began busily to recite his prayers.

When these were ended he sat to all appearance absorbed in profound
meditation. But had anyone been near enough, they would have found
that a busy whispered conversation was going on between the
_pothoodaw_ and those hidden in the loft above his head.

For half an hour the holy man sat there, then went his way. But in
that time Jack and his father had learned much of deep interest to
them. Me Dain told them that Buck and Jim Dent were now camped in a
lonely place among the hills near upon twenty miles away, awaiting the
Burman's return. The latter had been sent in disguise to U Saw's
village to pick up what information he could, and had only just
arrived when Jack saw him on the edge of the slope above the swamp. He
told them he would stay in the neighbourhood and watch for a
favourable moment to make a start for the camp where their friends
awaited them.

For two days the fugitives lay in hiding under the care of the native
woman and in perfect safety. They proved once more the truth of the
old adage that "the nearer to danger the nearer to safety." U Saw and
Saya Chone urged the pursuit with the most savage eagerness. They
searched every corner of the great swamp, every cane-brake, every
patch of forest, every nook, and every corner. They had a cordon of
sentinels drawn round the valley, patrolling day and night, so that no
one could slip through their hands. But it never occurred to them for
an instant to search a cottage lying almost beneath the walls of the
Ruby King's stronghold, a hut so slight that it seemed incapable of
concealing anything.

Another piece of luck greatly befriended them.

On the day that they were tied up at the edge of the swamp, one of U
Saw's retainers had been cruelly flogged for some misdemeanour. The
man had deserted the same night, and was never heard of again. The
idea at once got abroad that it was he who had released the prisoners
in order to spite the Ruby King, and had guided them out of the
country.

Then, on the third night, the luck of the Haydons came to an end,