ir and foolish
to neglect my chance now that I am thrown by accident among the natural
history objects I came so many thousand miles to find."

As he spoke he moved off in the direction pointed out by their guide,
while Shaddy chuckled directly they were alone.

"That's the way, Mr Rob," he said; "give him something to think about
and make him busy. `A merry heart goes all the day; a sad one tires in
a mile,' so the old song says. Mind, I don't mean he's merry, but he'll
be busy, and that's next door to it. Now then, I'm ready. Let's get
the string on and bend our bow."

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

A SUDDEN ALARM.

The silken string Rob had twisted was found to be quite dry, and pretty
well kept its shape as it was formed into a loop and passed over the end
of the bow nicked for its reception, and after bending secured with a
couple of hitches over the other.

"Now, Mr Rob, sir, try it, and send one of your arrows as far as you
can. Never mind losing it; we can soon make plenty more. That's the
way! Steady! Easy and well, sir! Now then, off it goes!"

_Twang_! went the bow-string, and away flew the arrow high up toward the
river, describing its curve and falling at last without the slightest
splash into the water.

"Well done!" cried Shaddy, who had watched the flight of the arrow,
shading his eyes with his hand. "That's good enough for anything. A
little practice, and you'll hit famously."

"Oh, I don't know, Shaddy."

"Well, but I do, sir. If Indians can kill birds, beasts, and fish with
their bows and arrows, surely a young Englishman can."

"I shall try, Shaddy."

"Of course you will, and try means win, and win means making ourselves
comfortable till we are taken off."

"Then you think we shall be some day?"

"Please God, my lad!" said Shaddy calmly. "Look! Yonder goes Mr
Brazier. He's forgetting his troubles in work, and that's what we've
got to do, eh?"

Rob shook his head.

"Ah, you're thinking about poor young Jovanni, sir," said Shaddy sadly,
"and you mustn't. It won't do him no good, nor you neither. Bring that
bow and arrows along with us. I'm going to try and get a bamboo to make
a spear thing, with a bit of hard wood for a point, and it may be useful
by-and-by."

Rob took up the bow and arrows, but laid the larger part of his sheaf
down again, contenting himself with half a dozen, and following Shaddy
along the edge of the forest to what looked like a clump of reeds,