ingness to _do right_," suggested Nigel.

"I know not," returned the hermit, as if musing, but never raising his
voice above the softest whisper. "My difficulty lies here; I _must_ go
forward to save the life of my friend. I must _not_ leave you at the
mouth of a mangrove river to die or be captured by pirates, and yet I
have no right to ask you to risk your life on my account!"

"You may dismiss your perplexities then," said Nigel, promptly, "for I
decline to be left to die here or to be caught by pirates, and I am
particularly anxious to assist you in rescuing your friend. Besides, am
I not your hired servant?"

"The risk we run is only at the beginning," said Van der Kemp. "If we
succeed in passing the Dyaks unseen all will be well. If they see us,
they will give chase, and our lives, under God, will depend on the
strength of our arms, for I am known to them and have thwarted their
plans before now. If they catch us, death will be our certain doom.
Are you prepared?"

"Ready!" whispered Nigel.

Without another word the hermit took his place in the bow of the canoe.
Moses stepped into the stern, and our hero sat down in the middle.

Before pushing off, the hermit drew a revolver and a cutlass from his
store-room in the bow and handed them to Nigel, who thrust the first
into his belt and fastened the other to the deck by means of a strap
fixed there on purpose to prevent its being rolled or swept off. This
contrivance, as well as all the other appliances in the canoe, had
previously been pointed out and explained to him. The hermit and negro
having armed themselves in similar way, let go the bushes which held
them close to the bank and floated out into the stream. They let the
canoe drift down a short way so as to be well concealed by the bend in
the river and a mass of bushes. Then they slowly paddled over to the
opposite side, and commenced to creep up as close to the bank as
possible, under the deep shadow of overhanging trees, and so noiselessly
that they appeared in the darkness like a passing phantom.

But the sharp eyes of the pirates were too much accustomed to phantoms
of every kind to be easily deceived. Just as the canoe was about to
pass beyond the line of their vision a stir was heard in their camp.
Then a stern challenge rolled across the river and awoke the slumbering
echoes of the forest--perchance to the surprise and scaring away of some
prowling beast of prey.

"No need for conceal