m.

"If you like, sir, Kalong and I will pull up in the canoe and try and
find out where they come from," whispered Ned; "it may be that the
natives are only holding one of their harvest feasts near the bank of
the river, or it is just as likely that a fleet of pirates has come up
through some other branch of the river, and has been plundering the
villages they have fallen in with, as I have known them often to do in
these parts. It wouldn't be safe to fall in with them. They would soon
run down our boats and not leave a man of us alive."

"Though you may be mistaken, we will take the prudent course and try to
find out who the people are," answered the first mate. "Wake up Kalong,
and you and he jump into the canoe and paddle ahead until you have
discovered what they are about. Take care, however, that you are not
caught yourselves."

Ned awakened the Malay and explained the object we had in view, when the
two hauling up the canoe alongside got into her and noiselessly paddled
up the river, keeping near the bank where we lay moored.

We waited anxiously listening for any sound, but a light breeze rustling
among the trees prevented those we had before heard from reaching our
ears.

"Ned, I hope, may have been mistaken, after all," observed the first
mate; "it would be a pity, having got this far, to have to give up our
expedition; but, as he says, it would never do to run the risk of an
encounter with those savage pirates. If he is right we must do our best
to avoid them and be ready for a start."

All hands in both boats had been aroused, and we were prepared to heave
up our anchors and get out the oars at a moment's notice. We had not
only our own safety to think of, but that of our shipmates, if there
really was a fleet of pirates in the river, should they discover the
brig--ill able to defend herself as she was--they might attack and
capture her before we could get on board. We had brought the two boats
alongside each other, so that we could talk without raising our voices.
The first mate, who had been standing up on the after thwart that he
might the better be able to see any object ahead, at length observed,
"The canoe ought to have been back by this time. Can she have been
taken by the savages?"

"If so, Kalong and Ned may for the sake of saving their lives have told
them about the brig," observed the boatswain. "If there is another
channel the pirates will go down it and attack her before they lo