of the
packages and impedimenta necessary for their long trip.

"There," he said, as he finished for the time, by hanging two guns in
slings from the roof, Ned having returned to sit down, and he began
wiping his face. "I think that will do. If we had designed a boat to
suit us for our trip, we couldn't have contrived anything better. That
is the beauty of travelling in a country where the rivers are the only
roads. You require no bearers, and you have no worry about men being
dissatisfied with their loads, and then having to set up a tent when the
day's journey is over. Here we are with a roof over us in our
travelling tent, and all we have to do at night is to tether the boat to
the shore, have a fire lit for cooking, and eat, sleep, and rest."

"But you will not always keep to the boat, uncle?"

"No; we shall make a few little expeditions when we can, but, from what
I have learned, the country farther north and east is nearly all jungle,
with only a few elephant tracks through the forest by way of roads.
Here, hadn't you better sit still for a bit out of the sun."

"Yes; coming back directly," was the reply; and, going forward, Ned
stood with his hands in his pockets gazing up the river. "I say,
uncle," he cried at last; "I'm getting tired of these mangroves. Why,
the shore's all alike, and oh, how hot it is!"

The Malays rowed steadily on with their eyes half-closed, paying not the
slightest heed to the rays of the sun, which seemed now to be pouring
down with a fervour that was terrible. The tide still set up the river,
and very little exertion on their part kept a good way on the boat, as
they swung to and fro, keeping pretty well together, their eyes
half-closed, and their jaws working at the betel-nut each man had in his
cheek.

"Here, come into shelter till the heat of the day is past," said Murray.

"All right, uncle."

Ned was standing right up on the prow, intently watching the two
prominences over the eyes of one of the crocodiles which was gliding
slowly about in the tideway on the look-out for food, when the summons
came, and turning sharply, a peculiar sensation of giddiness attacked
him. He threw up his hands to his head, and in an instant lost his
balance, plunged in head foremost and was gone.

As the water splashed in over the bows, Hamet uttered a shout, the men
ceased rowing, and Murray rushed out from beneath the shelter, tearing
off his loose linen jacket, and eagerly scanning