of their number down to the side of the stream; and that there
would therefore be the more chance of the garrison making their way
out, at the other end of the village. Three hours after it was
dark, the chief mustered all his men. They were about five-and-forty,
in all. Will signed that each should take with him a water basket or
large gourd so that, in case they failed in defeating the enemy, and
breaking up the blockade, they might at least be able to bring a
supply of water into the village. Will then, with much difficulty,
explained to the chief that the old men, boys, and women remaining in
the village were, the moment they heard the sound of the attack upon
the enemy's rear, to shout and yell their loudest, and to shoot
arrows in the direction of the enemy.

A few sticks had already been pulled up at the point of the hedge
through which Will intended to make a sally, and the band now
passed noiselessly out. The chief himself led the way, the white
boys following behind him. Lying upon their stomachs, they crawled
noiselessly along down the little depression and, in ten minutes,
were well in the wood; without having met with an enemy, although
they had several times heard voices among the trees, near them.

They now rose to their feet and, making a wide detour, came down,
after a quarter of an hour's walk, upon the stream. Here the gourds
and baskets were filled; and then, keeping along by the waterside,
they continued their march. Presently they saw a number of fires,
round which many Malays were sitting. They crept noiselessly up
until within a few yards and then, with a yell, burst upon the
enemy. Numbers were cut down at once; and the rest, appalled by
this attack on their rear, and supposing that the inhabitants of
some other village must have arrived to the assistance of those
they were besieging, at once fled in all directions. Those
remaining in the village had seconded the attack by wild shouts, so
loud and continuous that their besiegers had no reason to suppose
that their number had been weakened.

For a few minutes the pursuit was kept up; then the chief recalled
his followers, with a shout. The water baskets--many of which had
been thrown down in the attack--were refilled, and the party made
their way up to the village, where they were received with shouts
of triumph.

The panic of the Malays had been, in no slight degree, caused by
the appearance of the two boys; who had purposely stripped to t