be attacked and, as it matters
little to us where we live, we move away perhaps a hundred miles,
and then settle on another line of traffic. We have not been here
long; we were last down by Tannoo, and did well for a long time
there; until at last the governor raised all the villagers, and
hunted the woods, and we found that we had to leave. I expect we
shall stay here some time, now. There is no fear of troops being
sent out, and we can afford not to press too hardly on travellers;
for we have done so well, of late, that we could separate and
return to our homes, each with a good store of booty. Half our
number did leave, when we came up from the south; and more of us
would go, if it were not for this order that everyone shall join
the army. It is much pleasanter to live here, free to do as we
like, than to be driven down like a herd of beasts, to fight.
Besides, we have no quarrel with your people. It was the officials
at Aracan who began it; let them fight, if they like."

Stanley remained a fortnight with the band. At the end of that
time, they heard that a party of thirty traders were coming down
together, and that they had with them ten armed guards. This, they
no doubt supposed, was ample protection for, as the band generally
worked in such small parties, it was believed that there were but a
few outlaws in the forest. All the band went out, and returned in
the evening, laden with spoil. Two or three of them were wounded,
but not severely.

"So you had resistance today, Meinik."

"It lasted only for a minute," the man said. "As soon as they saw
how strong we were, the guard were glad enough to put up their
swords and let us bind them hand and foot, while we searched the
merchants. As you see, we have made a good capture, though we have
not seized more than a fifth of what they brought down with them;
but it will take them some time to pack their bales again, for we
searched everything thoroughly, and made all the merchants strip,
and searched their clothes and their hair."

"What did you do that for?"

"Well, it was this way. I said to my comrades, as we went along
this morning:

"'The Englishman is going to leave us, in a day or two. I have not
forgotten what I owe him, and should like to make him a present. I
propose that we search all the party thoroughly, today. From what
we heard, some of them come from the ruby country, and are pretty
sure to have gems concealed about them, or in their baggage. I