, and had only wished to add to
the excitement and ill-feeling that prevailed, by a tumult attended with
loss of life upon both sides.

He was well satisfied when he saw how eagerly the natives rushed to
arms, but as soon as the conflict fairly began he had sent his men among
the rioters urging them not to proceed further until the army was at
hand to support them. He knew that the plunder they had obtained from
the small shops would only excite their desire to appropriate the
contents of the rich stores in the Europeans' quarters, and was
therefore well contented with what had been done. He had happened to be
passing when the little party rushed from the burning house into the
crowd. As they did so he caught sight of the naval uniform of the boys,
and imagined that they belonged to one of the ships of war.

He saw at once that their lives might be valuable to him. If his party
triumphed he could hand them over and take credit for their capture; if
the great insurrection that was already planned failed, he could use
them as a means of obtaining favourable terms for himself. He therefore
called together two or three of his men who were in the crowd, and made
his way to the scene of conflict just as the lads succumbed to their
foes. With great difficulty he succeeded in rescuing them from their
assailants, and then had them carried into a house hard by.

As soon as it was dark the boys were wrapped up in dark cloths and
carried away through the streets. As many dead bodies were being
similarly taken off by the natives no questions were asked, nor did the
soldiers now scattered about interfere with their bearers. The motion
started the boys' wounds into bleeding again. They had difficulty in
breathing through the cloths bound round them, and when they were at
last thrown heavily down upon the ground their consciousness had almost
entirely left them.

CHAPTER X.

PRISONERS.

FOR two or three minutes after the door was shut and bolted not a word
was spoken by the three boys. All were sorely bruised, and bleeding from
many cuts and wounds, and breathless and exhausted by the way in which
they had been carried along and the force with which they had been
thrown down. Jack was the first to speak.

"I say, how are you both--are either of you badly hurt?"

"I don't know yet," Tucker replied. "It seems to me there is nothing
left of me. I am sore and smarting all over. How are you, Arthur?"

"I don't know," Arth