l come here again and see the rest of our
_file_--and Rajah Suleiman's too."

Hamet shook his head.

"Some of your people from the campongs, who know you--they may come
back, but none of the others."

"Well, you stop at any rate."

"No," said the young Rajah. "If my people have forsaken me, I must not
forsake them. Here, you promised, you know, to come and spend a few
days with me, and have some tiger-shooting. When is it to be?"

"When my major gives me leave. Stop! Stop now, and ask him. He or Sir
Charles Dallas will put you up for the night."

"No, Maine; they don't believe in me enough. Somehow they have no faith
in me at all, and because I'm Suleiman's enemy--or rather, he is mine,
for I have no feeling for or against the fellow--they think that I am
opposed to the English, with whom I want to be friends and to get their
help to civilise my people. No, I must be off to my boat at once, and
try to get in touch with my people as soon as possible. They will keep
to the lower elephant-patch, as near to the river as they can. There,
try and get leave, old chap. I want you to come. I say, you don't mind
my calling you `old chap'?"

"Like it," said Archie, holding out his hand. "I am disappointed,
however, for I should have liked you to stay. But hadn't you better try
to bring some of your men back?"

"No. They wouldn't come now, for fear of being laughed at for being
such cowards."

"Well, if you must go, you must; but, as I said, I should have liked you
to stay. It would have looked so friendly to my people."

"I hope they will believe in me some day without that," said the young
Malay. "But tell me, if you had been in my place, and seen your people
scared away by the English soldiers, would you have stayed?"

"No; I'll be hanged if I should," said Archie with energy. "I should
have felt too mad."

"Thank you," said Hamet. "That sounds frank."

"It is frank," said Archie. "But I say, now, tell me: has it made you
feel mad against us?"

"No-o; only sorry for my people. I want to train them up to know you
better, and to be ready to fight with you."

"Fight with us?"

"Yes; not against you--fight side by side with you, so that you may help
me to civilise my folks more, and join us to put down the Malay chiefs
like Suleiman."

"You don't like Suleiman, then?"

"Like him!" said the young man scornfully. "I like no man who cannot
stretch out his hand to me and take mine in an hone