to the water first
and swimming to the boat.

The sound came again, exactly, as Ned said afterwards when he felt quite
safe, like the cry of a magnified tom-cat.

But a couple of hours passed away without further alarm, and somewhere
about that time Murray gave a start, for he had been fast asleep.

"Ned," he whispered.

A heavy breathing was his answer, and the next minute he too was fast
asleep only to be awakened by the warm sun at last, and to find from
Hamet that the boat had been cast off, and they had been rowing steadily
up the river from the earliest dawn of day.

"Ned," said Murray. "Ned."

There was no answer, and he caught hold of the boy.

"Hi, uncle! quick! the gun! It's got hold of my arm."

"What has?"

"Oh, it's you," said Ned, with a sigh of relief. "I dreamed something
seized me, and I didn't know whether it was a tiger or a croc."

CHAPTER FOUR.

GUESTS OR PRISONERS?

Five more days were passed ascending the river, which by degrees began
to display banks that were park-like and densely packed with forest
trees. The dismal mangroves had disappeared, and in their place
graceful palms shot up and spread their feathered plumes; bamboos rose
in clumps like gigantic grasses, and canes swung from branch to branch,
and festooned specimens of timber which was often one blaze of colour,
and whose petals sprinkled the now bright clear water.

A tiny village was passed at intervals, and from time to time some boat
floated by them deeply laden with rice or tea. At night the boat was
moored to some tree trunk. The men went ashore, and collected wood and
lit a fire for cooking purposes, and then all returned to sleep on board
before starting early in the cool misty morning, so as to have some
hours' rest in the middle of the day, before the journey was resumed in
the evening.

It was a calm and peaceful, even if it were a monotonous little voyage,
for, in spite of some object worthy of a naturalist's attention being
pointed out, Murray preferred to wait till he was farther on his way
before commencing his collecting; and white-plumaged falcon and
beautiful long-tailed kingfishers were allowed to fly by unmolested.

"Wait a bit, Ned," he said, "and you shall have your hands full."

The river was now beautiful. It was a broad clear stream, with
mountains visible away to the east, wherever an opening occurred in the
woods, and it seemed a wonder that so lovely a country should show so