kely.--What say, sir?" he added, addressing an imaginary Malay
fighting-man. "Have I seen your spear? No, sir. Haven't set eyes upon
it, honour bright.--`Always tell the truth, Pete,' granny used to say.
Well, ain't that the truth? Why, I don't believe a cat could have seen
it; and if I hadn't knocked it down I shouldn't have known it was there.
Now, between ourselves, I do think I deserve something to eat after
that," muttered the poor fellow. "Here, where did I put that there
piece of cake? It must be lost amongst those leaves. Dropped it when I
was feeling for the spear. What! plenty more in the basket? No, I
won't. Wilful waste makes woeful want. Why, here it is in my trousers
pocket all the time! So, now then, let's have another try; and I will
treat myself to a banana afterwards. No, I won't; I'll have two." And
hurrying to the basket, he helped himself to the fruit, and then made
himself comfortable in the corner where he had knocked over the spear,
and began to eat with a splendid appetite.

"Oh, don't I wish you was here to help me, Mister Archie, sir!" he said,
half-aloud and rather piteously. "Poor, dear chap! I'd feed you if I
dared wake you up; but I'm sure it's right to let you sleep. But won't
you be glad when you know about that spear? If we could only get
another, and a couple of them krises, we should be regular set up if it
come to a scrimmage, as it shall, as sure as my name's Peter. We are
going to escape--somehow; and if anybody stops us it's a fight. We
sha'n't be able to throw the spears like these Malay beggars do, but me
and Mister Archie can do bay'net practice with them in a way that will
open some of their eyes. Oh, how good!" half-whispered the lad, as he
finished his frugal supper of bread and banana. "Don't it seem to put
life in a fellow! Now, what am I going to do? Sit and think of how to
escape? No hurry, lad. I want Mister Archie's orders, and I'll do the
work. Seems to me that the first thing will be for me to get out of
here somehow in the dark to go and reconnoitre, and then steal--no, it's
capture, being enemies--another spear and two krises. How? Knock down
an enemy somewhere and take what he's got. I'm game. And then--"

That was as far as Peter Pegg got, for he could not partake of so hearty
a meal, after refreshing himself in a way that thoroughly quenched his
thirst, without obeying Nature afterwards; and this he did, lying prone,
fully stretche