n's ready for action, with his magazine
well stored!' and they go somewhere else."

"I see, sergeant," said Gray, smiling. "Good-bye!"

"Good-bye, my lad, good-bye. Here, nobody's looking. Sim's asleep.
Shake hands, my lad, shake hands. You see, as your superior officer
that's a bit of stooping on my part; but, between man and man, I,
Sergeant Lund, look up to you, Private Gray, and always feel as if we
ought to change places."

"Good-bye, sergeant," said Gray, shaking hands warmly with the sergeant,
"and I echo your wish that I may not have to use the weapons; keep a
sharp look-out."

"You leave that to me, private," said the bluff sergeant, and he nodded
his head as Gray went off upon his mission.

It was rather an awkward one, for he wished to watch Abdullah without
exciting his attention. Gray thought, however, that he might prove a
match for the Malay, and as he wandered slowly along he began to
consider what he should do?

The first idea that suggested itself was that he should go to Dullah and
sit there and eat fruit; but he discarded the idea directly as too
palpable a way of watching. He felt that the Malay would suspect him
directly, as he was not a man who was in the habit of visiting the hut.

No; he must have some better plan than that, but no idea struck him for
a few minutes, till happening to glance at the flowing river, the notion
came, and going straight back he was soon after seen sauntering down to
the river, armed with a long bamboo, a fishing-line, and some bait, with
which he proceeded to fish as soon as he reached the river, but having
no sport he began to grow impatient, fishing here and there, but always
getting nearer to Dullah's hut, where he remained seated on the bank,
fishing very perseveringly to all appearance, and occasionally landing a
little barbel-like fellow, known by the natives as _Ikan Sambilang_, or
fish of nine, from the number of little barbs beneath its mouth.

Gray fished on, never once turning his head to see what was going on at
the hut, but making the keenest use of his ears. He made out, while
landing a fish or re-baiting his hook, that there were a couple of
sampans lying there, in which were some Malays who appeared to be
basking in the sunshine; and, soon after, his quick ears told him
plainly enough that some one, whom he believed to be Dullah, was
approaching.

As the Malay came nearer, it was to find Gray's rod lying in the water,
and the soldier,