wood, where you can sleep without fear of disturbance. The ranee is sorry
to turn you out to-night, but we start at daybreak, and I should have no
opportunity of slipping away and letting you out."

Everything being now arranged, the ranee rose. Ned reiterating the
expression of the gratitude of his brother and himself, the ranee
coquettishly held out a little hand whose size and shape an Englishwoman
might have envied; and the boys kissed it--Ned respectfully, Dick with a
heartiness which made her laugh and draw it away.

"You are a darling," Dick said in English, with the native impudence of a
midshipman, "and I wish I knew enough of your lingo to tell you."

"What does he say?" she asked of Ned.

"He is a sailor," Ned said; "and sailors say things we on shore would not
venture to say. My brother says you are the flower of his heart."

"Your brother is an impudent boy," the ranee said, laughing, "and I have a
good mind to hand him over to the Nana. Now good-by! Ahrab will let you
out."




CHAPTER X.

TREACHERY.