rgrowth close at hand on either side, and
a savage yelling commenced as our pursuers forced their way through.

The men, who had been like hounds held back by the leash, were only too
glad to get their orders; and in an instant there was quite a blaze of
fire from both sides of the boat, the bullets cutting and whistling
through the thick trees and undergrowth; and the movement on the banks,
with the cracking and rustling of the bushes and tufts of bamboo,
stopped as if by magic.

"Cease firing!" cried Mr Reardon; and then, as if to himself, "Every
shot is wasted."

I did not think so, for it had checked the enemy, who allowed us to go
on slowly another hundred yards or so.

"Allee velly dleadful," whispered Ching to me, as he crouched in the
bottom of the boat. "You tinkee hit Ching?"

"I hope not," I said. "Oh no; we shall get out into the river
directly."

"No," he said; "velly long way yet."

"But who are these?" I said--"some village people?"

"Pilate," he cried. "Allee come home not kill, and findee plize-money
gone. Makee velly angly. Wantee chop off sailor head."

"Like to catch 'em at it," growled Tom Jecks, who had been very silent
for some time.

"Silence there!" cried Mr Reardon sternly. Then to me, "We seem to
have checked them, Herrick."

At that moment there was a sudden stoppage in front, and our coxswain
growled--

"Starn all!"

"What is it?" cried Mr Reardon, rising.

There was a rattle of matchlocks from our right, and Mr Reardon fell
sidewise on to me.

"Hurt, sir?" I cried in agony.

"Yes, badly--no--I don't know," he cried, struggling up with his hand to
his head. "Here! why has that boat stopped?"

His voice was drowned by the reports of our men's rifles, as they fired
in the direction from which the shots had come; and just then a voice
from the laden boat came through the semi-darkness--

"Ahoy!"

"Yes; what is it?" I said, as I saw that a man had crawled over the
stack-like load.

"There's a gang in front, sir; and we're aground."

"And the tide falling," muttered Mr Reardon. "Herrick, I'm a bit hurt;
get our boat close up; half the men are to come astern here, and check
the enemy; the other half to help unload and get enough into our boat to
lighten the other."

"Yes, sir," I said; and I gave the orders as quickly and decisively as I
could.

The men responded with a cheer; and, with scarcely any confusion, our
boat's head was made fast to the other's