the little vessel shakes the water off her and
rushes through it all. But I did want some calmer weather; we haven't
done a bit of fishing since we left the Red Sea, and I meant to try
every day. Well, captain, how long is this going to last?"

"Another twelve hours, I should say," replied the captain, "and then we
shall have calm weather all the way to Singapore, and with the exception
of a few thunderstorms, light winds among the islands."

It turned out exactly as the captain had said. The weather calmed
rapidly, and their run down to the equator, between the Malay peninsula
and Sumatra, was in brilliant hot weather all through the morning; while
early in the afternoon, with wonderful regularity, there came on a
tremendous thunderstorm, with peals heavier and lightning more vivid
than anything Jack had ever encountered, and then at the end of a couple
of hours all was clear again, and the evening was comparatively cool and
beautifully fine.

Singapore was so fresh and attractive that of necessity a few days were
spent there, before a fresh start was made for a cruise through the
islands in the region which was now exciting Jack's expectations. Soon
after they were passing great heavy-looking junks with their Celestial
crews, or light Malay prahus with their swarthy, coffee-coloured sailors
in tartan skirts, in whose folds at the waist the formidable wavy dagger
known as a kris was worn, the handle, like the butt of a pistol in form,
carefully covered by the silk or cotton sarong to indicate peace.

"If you see one of them with the handle bare," said the mate to Jack,
"one has to look out, for it means war."

Malay prahus were so thoroughly connected in the lad's reading with
piracy, that he looked curiously at the first they encountered, and
eagerly scanned the calm, rather scornful faces of the men who
apathetically stood about the bamboo deck, and watched the passing of
the swift, white-sailed yacht, while they distorted their cheeks by
slowly chewing something within.

"What's that fellow doing?" said Jack, handing his double glass to the
mate, who gave a quick glance through and handed it back. "Look for
yourself."

Jack resumed his inspection of the prahu's deck, for it was not above
forty yards away.

"Doing something with a bit of--I don't know what, which he has taken
out of a little bag."

"Betel-nut from one of the palms which grow in these parts," said the
mate.

"Now he has slowly taken