that which was total, as he went
down, yards away from the boat, into the cold black water, one thought
alone filling his mind, and that thought was--crocodiles.

CHAPTER TEN.

HOW BOB ROBERTS WAS NOT DROWNED.

For a few minutes it was a question of whether the boat would be swamped
or no, as she lay beneath the great bamboo screen, which completely
paralysed the efforts of the crew. The prahu was still floating with
the stream, and the boat being dragged along in her wake, while, awaking
now to a sense of their assailants' position, the Malays hurriedly
thrust out sweeps, and others fired, and hurled their spears, a couple
of dozen of which stuck in the bamboo mat. Dick in the stern, and a
couple of the men in the bows, however, began a steady fire at the
prahu, loading as rapidly as they could, while the men amidships cast
off the awkward canopy, and, half stunned, but panting with rage and
excitement, the lieutenant once more gave his orders.

"Oars, lads!" he cried, "and give way. We shall have 'em yet."

"Boat ahoy!" came from out the darkness.

"Why, that's young Roberts, sir," cried Dick. "Ahoy-oy-oy."

"Help here!" came from the stern again.

"We shall lose the prahu," cried the lieutenant.

"But we must have Mr Roberts, sir," cried old Dick, excitedly. "Give
the word, sir--starn all--and we'll overtake her arterwards."

"Starn all, my lads, and do your best."

"Ahoy!" came once more, faintly, out of the darkness.

"We're going away from him," cried the lieutenant. "Pull round, my
lads," he cried, seizing the tiller. "Now then, steady. Be smart there
with a boat-hook. Roberts, ahoy!"

"Help, help," came again, from somewhere astern now, for the poor fellow
was growing weak.

For as he had plunged down, with the thought of the great reptiles
uppermost in his mind, Bob Roberts had felt a chill of horror run
through him that seemed for the moment to rob him of all power; but as
he rose to the surface again, and felt that he could breathe, he struck
out manfully in the direction of the firing; but in his confusion, after
swimming for a minute, he found from the noise behind that he was making
for the stockade, and he turned hastily to swim after the boat.

It was no light task, dressed as he was. He had a sword in his belt,
and on the other side a revolver, and his first thought was to rid
himself of them; but a strange feeling of dislike to parting with his
weapons made him put off