ongicorn," he said, fishing a pill-box from his pocket, and
carefully imprisoning his captive. "Ah, my dear boys, what a pity it is
that you do not take to collecting while you are young! What much
better men you would make!"

"There," said Bob, as soon as they were alone, "how do you feel about
your poison now?"

"He says it is not, just to cheer me up," said Tom Long, dolefully. "I
say, Bob Roberts, if I die--"

"If you what?" cried Bob, in a tone of disgust.

"I say, if I die."

"Oh, ah, of course. Now then, let's have it. Do you want me to write a
verse for your tombstone?"

"They'd pitch me overboard," said Long, dolefully.

"Not they," said Bob. "This promising young officer, who had taken it
into his head that he had been wounded by a poisoned kris, was buried
under a palm tree, to the great relief of all who knew him, for they
found him the most conceited--"

"Bob Roberts!"

"Consequential--"

"I tell you what it is--"

"Cocky--"

"I never heard--"

"Unpleasant fellow that ever wore Her Majesty's uniform."

"Just wait till I get well, Master Bob Roberts," said Tom Long,
excitedly, "and if I don't make you pay for all this, my name's not what
it is."

"Thought you had made up your mind to die," said Bob, laughing. "There,
it won't do, young man; so now go to sleep. I've got another half-hour,
and I'll sit here and keep the flies from visiting your noble corpus too
roughly; and when you wake up, if you find I am not here it is because I
am gone. D'ye hear?"

"Yes," said Tom Long, drowsily; and in five minutes he was fast asleep,
seeing which Bob sat till the last minute, and then went out on tiptoe
to run and learn whether the boat was waiting by the landing-stage.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

AN UNPLEASANT INTERRUPTION.

The feeling of satisfaction was very general at the lesson given the
rajah; and though his two prahus had escaped, his power had received a
most severe blow.

Sultan Hamet was sincere enough in his demonstrations of pleasure,
sending presents five or six times a day to the resident, the various
officers, and, above all, fruit for the wounded men.

The presents were but of little value, but they showed the Malay's
gratitude, and the officers were very pleased with what they looked upon
as curiosities. Even Bob Roberts and Tom Long were not forgotten, each
receiving an ivory-mounted kris, the young chief Ali being the bearer.

The resident, however, felt that the