ome prank or
another with Braine's unbroken colt. It suits you, you lazy young dog."

"Oh, uncle, what a shame! Frank and I have brought you in some splendid
specimens."

"Well, pretty tidy; but that rare trogon's tail feathers were wanting in
the three central pens."

"We'll get you another, then," cried Ned.

"You like the place, then?" said Mr Braine.

"Like it, sir! I never imagined being a prisoner was half so good."

"Ah yes--prisoners," said Murray, looking up from his work, which he was
still pursuing in spite of the arrival of his visitor. "Here! hi!
Hamet!"

"Yes, master."

"Go and turn those skins over carefully, and put them out of the sun.
They are drying too fast."

"Yes, master."

"Yes; prisoners," continued Murray. "You did not take my message to the
rajah about those spearmen always following us about."

"I did, and that was my principal reason for coming and interrupting you
this morning."

"Ah!" cried Murray, looking up with an unfortunate bird turned inside
out in one hand, and a brush laden with preserving paste in the other;
"what did he say?"

"That he esteemed the visit and presence of so great a scientific man
too highly to run any risk of his coming to harm. That many of his
people were not so enlightened as those about the court, and were likely
to resent the presence of an Englishman."

"And boy," said Ned in an undertone.

"And boy," said Mr Braine, smiling; "and that he would die of grief if
anything happened to you; whereas, if harm happened when you had your
guard, he could punish them?"

"Poor wretches!" said Murray, brushing away at his bird-skin. "Soft
soap. Gammon, Braine. He is afraid that we shall slip off, eh?"

"Yes; that is the plain English of the matter."

"And the men are to follow us still."

"Yes. You must put up with it."

"Ah, well, the place is so rich that I will not grumble. I must say
that the men are never too attentive, and it would be unpleasant if we
were to be speared and krissed; eh, Ned?"

"And skinned and preserved as specimens of the English for his
highness's museum," said Ned, quietly, as he carefully drew the skin of
a lovely blue and drab thrush over its skull.

"No one to do it," said Mr Braine, laughing.

"Well, I shall not grumble again," continued Murray. "Tell him we'll go
soon right up to the hills through the jungle, and that I'll try and
find him a gold-mine. You were quite right, Braine; we could not hav