sor. Knocked me all of a heap when I heard of it."

"The news is about Rangoon, of course, Jim?" said Buck.

"Came at once," replied Dent. "The Professor was known to so many
people here."

"Well, between me and you, Jim," said Buck in a low voice, "that's
just what I've come to talk about. You know the ropes in this country
pretty well, and I want your advice."

"Been in Burmah twenty-eight years, and spent a good deal of the time
shiftin' about here and there," remarked Jim Dent. "I know a thing or
two, as you may say. But come in; I should like to hear all about it."

He secured the outer door, put out the lamp which lighted the shop,
and led the way to an inner room. Here another lamp was burning, and
all three sat down. Buck plunged into the story, and Dent listened
attentively, now and again putting a question.

"They've got the Professor all right," said Dent at the conclusion of
Buck's narrative.

"You, too, think so?" cried Jack.

"Oh, yes, sir," returned Dent, nodding at him, "they're going to make
your father show 'em his find, there's no mistake about that. The
thing's been done before, but the men have been collared in this
country, I admit. I've never known anything so big and daring as this,
but still it's on the cards, and Buck has tumbled to the right
conclusion."

"But how could they carry off my father with such secrecy?" asked
Jack. "It was impossible to book a passage back in any vessel. They
would have been found out at once."

"That's right enough, sir," replied Dent. "They must have had a vessel
of their own, but that's a puzzling thing. Did you see any sign of
this Saya Chone on the voyage, Buck?"

"Not a hair of him," replied Risley.

"He and his pals might have been among the third-class passengers
after all," said the gunsmith. "You weren't looking out for them, but
it's pretty plain they were looking out for you. They must have been
fly to your posting that letter, and got an idea somehow or other of
the address. Well, this is a rum go. What's your next move, I wonder?"

"Go straight up to Mogok," suggested Jack, "and strike into the
country where my father was exploring. Surely we can lay our hands
upon one or other of his native guides, and they will lead us to the
place. Then we can discover whether those people you suspect of
kidnapping him are anywhere in that neighbourhood."

Dent nodded his head in agreement. "Well, sir," he said, "you'll have
to do something after t