"I doubt whether they did pass through. They hardly could have
done so without breaking down a good many of these branches, and
we must have seen signs of that. I think they must have got into
that pool by some creek coming in on the opposite side. You see
four out of the six boats were anchored in line so as to bring
their broadsides to bear on some point opposite to them, while the
other two guarded them against any attack from this side. Naturally,
they thought it unlikely that any boat would come up here, and
so directed their main attention to the other opening. The next
thing to find out will be where the other stream joins the river,
otherwise, as soon as we make our appearance, they will escape
that way, and there is not the least doubt that they could row away
from our fastest boats. However, it is a great thing that we have
discovered their whereabouts without their having the least notion
that we have done so, and I am sure the captain will be very pleased
when he hears that we have found them. It will give him the whip
hand over that lying rascal Sehi."

Captain Forest smiled grimly when the lieutenant made his report
of the discovery that he had made.

"Thank you, Mr. Hopkins; that is a very valuable discovery. Just
at present matters have not come to a point when we can turn it to
account. The next thing will be to find out where the other passage
comes out. It will be a serious business to attack them in the boats
alone; these prahus carry a tremendous lot of men, and the Malays
will fight desperately. I do not say that we might not succeed, but
we should lose a lot of men in the attempt; it would be hot work
even with the ship, attacked by six of these fellows at once. If
it was in the night, we might fail to see any of them before they