t last, "I'm very sorry. I did mean to be
careful, and not do anything to worry you. I couldn't help that, could
I?"

"No, it was an accident, and will be a lesson to you to be careful. You
see how soon anything goes wrong."

About this time the tide, which had helped them well on their upward
journey, began to grow slack, then to pause; and the men rapidly rowed
across to the edge of the mangroves, where the boat was made fast in the
shade, and Hamet signified that they would rest now for some hours till
the tide turned, and the sun was beginning to get low.

Food was produced, but Ned did not want much dinner, and sat with rather
a disgusted look upon his countenance, gazing between the leaves at the
surface of the river, watching for the muddy-looking prominences above
the eyes of the crocodiles; and thinking how he should like to spend the
next few days gliding about in a boat, sending bullets into the brains
of the treacherous-looking brutes as they slowly swam about in the tidal
stream.

The sound of heavy breathing made him turn his head at last to see that
the Malays were all fast asleep, and that his uncle had followed their
example; and as Ned looked, he could see the great drops of perspiration
standing upon his forehead.

Perhaps it was the effect of seeing others asleep--perhaps the heat--at
any rate, the result was that a drowsy sensation stole over the boy; and
the dark leaves which touched the palm thatching of the roof, the
metallic dazzling glare from the surface of the river, and the rippling
sound of the water all passed away, as Ned dropped into a dreamless
sleep, which lasted till he was touched by his uncle.

"Wake up, Ned. Going on."

"Have I been asleep?"

"Look for yourself."

The Malays were forcing the boat out into the stream once more, which,
instead of glancing like molten silver with a glare which was painful to
the eyes, now seemed to be of a deep glowing orange, the reflection of
the wondrous sky rapidly changing in its refulgent hues from gold to
orange, to a deep-red and purple, as the sun sank rapidly behind the
great dark belt of trees on their left.

"The tide is just upon the turn again. Can't you feel that it is much
cooler?"

"No, not yet," replied Ned. "I turned hot when we first got to
Singapore, and I've never been cool since."

"Not when you plunged into the river?"

Ned gave him a sharp look.

"I don't remember anything about that," he replied; "but