ches away.

Having escaped from the reptiles so far, he felt more hopeful; and as he
stood there, behind his screen, he began to try and make his position
valuable.

He had not long to wait for this. In less than a minute, a voice, that
he took for Abdullah's, was whispering to some one on the river, and a
sampan came so close in to the bank that had he stretched out his hand
he could have touched the side.

It was a grief to him that he was not thoroughly conversant with the
Malay tongue, but he had picked up a good deal, and had mastered a
sufficiency to catch the import of the words he heard.

The principal was an order that the _orang_ should come ashore, the
order being given by Dullah.

What was the _orang_?

He puzzled for a few moments, as the sampan pushed off. _Orang-outang_!
Was this after all a trading visit, and they were going to bring some
great monkey ashore.

_Orang-outang_--man of the woods, of course. _Orang_ meant man or men,
and the men were to land. There was danger then, and men were to land.
That was enough, and now he would go and give warning; but he could not
move without being heard, and he had to remain listening, as there was
the faint beat of oars, and then, though he could hardly see them, two
long row-boats of great size seemed to come up out of the darkness, and
he felt more than saw that they were full of men.

What was the sentry about? There was one so near that he ought to have
seen or heard their coming, and Gray listened eagerly for the report of
his piece giving the alarm.

But no report came, for the sentry had not heard. He had not been
krissed, but as far as giving alarm was concerned he might have been
dead; for the sentry close at hand was Private Sim, and he was fast
asleep.

CHAPTER FORTY TWO.

WHY DULLAH CAME TO THE ISLE.

Every moment that passed was more convincing to Adam Gray that Dullah
was a traitor, and at the head of affairs for making a descent upon the
island. In place of two long row-boats, each carrying some fifty or
sixty men, it was evident now that there were four, and they were being
cautiously forced up to the landing-place, where, under the orders of
Dullah, several men ashore were ready to make them fast.

Directly after, coming like a revelation, Gray learned what a snake they
had had concealed in the grass at the jungle-station; for as he
listened, intently watching the while for an opportunity to escape, he
heard Dullah's