te sufficient for
a screen, but worse than useless as a protection if the heavy guns were
once brought to bear.

Messages had come again and again from the sultan, urging that the power
of the rajah should be thoroughly crushed; in fact, his requests almost
took the tone of a command.

There was a disposition to resent this, but it was felt better to
temporise, and word was sent to the sultan by a trusty messenger that
something would be done.

The result of this was another visit from the leading chiefs, who rather
startled the resident by the message they brought, which was to the
effect that their master thought it would be better that his marriage to
the two Englishwomen should take place at once; and what did Mr Linton
think of the next day?

Mr Linton thought, but he did not tell the sultan's ambassadors so,
that he would consult Major Sandars and Captain Horton; and this he did
while the messengers waited.

Major Sandars blew his nose very loudly, and said he should like to kick
the villain.

Captain Horton said that nothing would give him greater pleasure than to
have this Mr Hamet tied up and to give him six dozen.

"This is all very well, gentlemen," said Mr Linton, smiling; "but it
does not help me out of my difficulty. What am I to say so as not to
offend this man?"

"Oh, you must offend him," said the major. "I can see nothing for it,
but to send him word that the English ladies are greatly honoured by the
sultan's proposal, but that they cannot accept it."

Captain Horton nodded approval, and the resident agreed that they could
do nothing better; so the message was delivered to the sultan's
ambassadors, who looked exceedingly depressed upon hearing it, and as if
they would have gladly exchanged places with somebody else.

"Those fellows expect to get into trouble," said the major, as he
noticed the change.

He was quite right, for the two chiefs took their departure, looking as
if they expected to be introduced by their wrathful ruler to the
execution kris as soon as they returned.

The troops had been expecting orders for a trip down the river in search
of the two prahus, but the command came upon them, as such matters
usually do, just when it was least expected. One company, under Captain
Smithers, was ordered to embark, but to Tom Long's great disgust, he
found he was not included.

He hurried to the doctor's quarters, and found that gentleman busy with
a case of instruments, open b