, the famous pagoda, its
crest of gold glittering in the last rays of the sun; the crowd of
masts, the native boats, the swift little sampans darting hither and
thither, the quaint up-river craft, the Chinese junks--all was so new
and strange and wonderful that he could not gaze enough upon the
scene. And above all, he felt that this was the land whose wildest
recesses he must penetrate upon his quest, and his mind turned
strongly upon that.

"Do you know, Buck," he murmured to his companion, "that the sight of
all these strange new things makes the whole affair very visionary to
me?"

"I think I tumble to what you mean," replied the other. "I had a
touch of it myself when I first came to these queer parts. You feel as
if you were ramblin' about in a dream."

"That's it, exactly," said Jack. "It seems impossible that this is
workaday life in which we have a definite task."

"You'll soon shake that off," replied Buck; "the sight o' these places
makes every tenderfoot moon a bit; and we've got a straight enough job
before us. We'll have to rustle some before we've got the Professor
out o' the hands o' these people who want to jump his claim."

"You feel certain my father is here, Buck?"

"Three times as certain as when we started," replied Risley. "Mr.
Buxton's kept the search going, and found nothing. Very good. That
makes it all the surer the Professor is in front of us up this river;"
and Buck threw his hand northwards, pointing to the broad flood which
slipped past the quays of Rangoon to the sea.

At different points of their voyage they had received cables from Mr.
Buxton giving the news of the search, which was going on in vain.

The steamer took up her moorings, and the stream of landing passengers
began to flow swiftly to the quay. Jack and his companion stepped
ashore, each with a large kit-bag in hand. They had travelled light,
and all their luggage was with them. Buck held up a finger, and a
Chinese coolie darted up to them, his rickshaw running easily behind
him. The two bags were pitched into the light vehicle, and Buck bade
the man follow them by a gesture.

"This way, Jack," said Risley, and led his companion up a broad
street, which, now that the dusk had fallen and the sea-breeze was
blowing, was filled with a strange and busy crowd.

"Everybody turns out for an hour or two, now," remarked Buck. "It's
pleasant and fresh after the day. This is Mogul Street, about the
liveliest street in the c