to every sound in the forest; but no
call, or footstep, met their ears. They had no means of lighting a
fire, the first having been lit by the mate who--being a
smoker--had had a small tin box of matches in his pocket. This had
fitted closely, and kept out the water.

"What had we better do, if no one comes back?" Will said, as they
sat in their little hut.

"Build anoder boat," Hans answered.

"But how are we to do that, Hans? We might make the framework, but
we have no canvas to cover it with. Besides, even if we had, I have
no idea of the direction of Singapore, and I doubt if we could find
our way back to Java."

Hans had no further suggestion to offer.

"I suppose we could live in the forest for some time," Will said.
"I read a book called Robinson Crusoe, and a sailor there lived on
a desert island for years; but then he had a gun, and all sorts of
things. There are plenty of birds but, even if we could make bows
and arrows, I suppose we should be months before we could shoot
straight enough to hit them."

Several days passed. The lads found plenty of fruit; but the season
was advancing, and Will said one day to Hans:

"What on earth are we to do, when the fruit and biscuits are all
finished?"

Wandering in the woods, they found the bodies of the whole of their
companions. All were headless, the Malays having carried off these
coveted trophies. They did not attempt to bury the bodies for, in
such a climate, decomposition sets in rapidly, and swarms of
insects complete the work. In the grass near the hut they found one
treasure--the mate's ax--which had evidently fallen from his belt,
in his flight, and had been overlooked by the Malays.

"I tell you what, Hans," Will said, one day, "fruit is getting
scarcer and scarcer, and there are not more than five or six pounds
of biscuits left. I vote that we make through the forest into the
interior of the island. There must be some villages scattered
about. If we enter one boldly, they may not kill us. I don't know
whether they have any respect for the laws of hospitality, as some
savages have but, even if they did kill us, it's better than being
starved to death, here. It's a chance, anyhow.

"What do you say, Hans?"

"I don't zay noding," Hans answered. "I don't have no obinion, at
all. If you dink zat is ze best plan, let us do it."

So saying, Hans collected the biscuit, tied it up in his
handkerchief, and was ready to start at once.

"There is no hu