I feel
like a new man. Have a good sleep, sir. It helps the time along
beautifully. How did you guess an hour, sir?"

"Never mind about the time, Pete. You guess another as nearly as you
can; but wake me, of course, if there is any danger."

"You trust me, sir," was the reply; and Archie lay down, feeling that
the position would be restful, but certain that he should not be able to
sleep.

Five minutes had not elapsed, however, before he was sleeping heavily,
but ready to awaken at a touch and sit up, to stare about him wildly.

"Why, Pete," he said angrily, "I have had more than an hour."

"Well, just a little, sir. Feel all the better for it, don't you?"

"Why, you scoundrel," cried Archie as he readied for the gun, "it's
close upon evening--close upon night! How dare you disobey my orders?
Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Hadn't the heart, sir," said the lad quietly.

"But I said--"

"Yes, I know you did; and I was going to wake you up half-a-dozen times,
but I knowed how weak you were, and that you would want every bit of
strength for what we have got to do to-night; and I didn't want you to
break down."

"Am I your officer, sir, or am I not?" said Archie fiercely.

"Yes, sir, of course; and I know I ought to obey the word of command.
But you don't want me to do impossibilities, now, do you, sir?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why, sir, you don't want me to carry you and the cartridge-boxes too?"

"No; I should carry my share, of course."

"Yes, sir; but I should be having Paddy's load. You would be carrying
the boxes, but I should be carrying you and the boxes too."

"Pete--" began Archie fiercely; but he was checked by the lad's action,
for with one hand he pointed up the long reach, and with the other he
placed the gun across the subaltern's knees.

"A boat!" said Archie.

"Two on 'em, sir;" and they sat gazing up through the gathering gloom of
their shelter at what the last faint rays of the setting sun showed to
be a large sampan coming down the river, urged by a couple of Malays who
were steadily using their poles, while some distance behind a boat about
double the size was following them, propelled by oars.

"It will be all right, sir," said Peter. "By the time they come by here
it will be getting dark. Look at that farther one. The attaps looked
red just now, but they are turning brown already."

"Yes; and look there. Why, Pete--am I right? It seemed as if one of
the Malays in the