present itself, they would seize the
chance, however hopeless it might be, for that at worst they could but
be cut down in attempting it. No chance, however, presented itself.
Two Malays always squatted near them, and their eyes followed every
movement.

"Some time tomorrow the messenger will return," Harry said. "It is clear
to me that our only chance is to escape before morning. Those fellows
will be watchful till the night is nearly over. Now, I propose that,
just before the first gleam of daylight, we throw ourselves upon them
suddenly, seize their krises, and cut them down, then leap on shore,
and dash into the jungle. The night will be as dark as pitch, what with
there being no moon and with the mist from the swamps. At any rate,
we might get out of sight before the Malays knew what had happened.
We could either go straight into the jungle and crawl into the thick
bushes, and lie there until morning, and then make our start, or, what
would, I think, be even better, take to the water, wade along under the
bank till we reach one of those sampans fifty yards away, get in, and
manage to paddle it noiselessly across to the opposite side, lift the
craft out of the water, and hide it among the bushes, and then be off."

"The worst of it is the alligators, Harry."

"Yes, but we must risk that. We shall have the krises, and if they seize
either of us, the other must go down and try and jab his kris into the
beast's eyes. I know it is a frightfully dangerous business, and the
chances are one hundred to one against our succeeding; but there is just
a chance, and there is no chance at all if we leave it until tomorrow.
Of course, if we succeed in getting over to the other side, we must wait
close to the water until daylight. We should tear ourselves to pieces if
we tried to make through the jungle in the dark."

"I tell you what would give us a better chance--we might take off two or
three yards of that bandage of yours, cut the strip in half, and twist
it into a rope; then when those fellows doze off a little, we might
throw the things round their necks, and it would be all up with them."

"But you see I have only one arm, Harry."

"Bother it! I never thought of that. Well, I might do the securing, one
fellow first, and then the other. You could get close to him, and if he
moves, catch up his kris and cut him down."

"Yes, I could do that. Well, anyhow, Harry, we can but try; anything is
better than waiting here hour