over them. Such is Hassan's message."

"Ask him when he is going back to his chief," the captain said.

"He go now," the interpreter said, after asking the question. "He
get as far as he can before morning. He sure many eyes watch ship
night and day to see that no message comes, or any word of what
rajah is doing. He float down stream in sampan some distance, then
paddle to opposite bank, then keep in shadow of bushes up the river,
and hide away till night comes again."

"Very well, then, tell him that he is to thank his master for
sending us warning; that we had already found out that what he told
us before he went away was true, and that Sehi is a very bad man.
Say that we are not afraid of prahus, and will make short work of
them when we get a chance. Tell him we will take great care, and
not let ourselves be surprised, and that when we have finished with
this fellow here, the ship will come as far up the river as she can
go, and show the chiefs that the English have no evil intentions
against them, and will send his three friends with a strong boat
party to pay him a visit. By the way, ask the man if he knows this
part of the country."

"Yes, Captain; he says that he has been since his boyhood a boatman,
and has worked for some years with a trader, who used to go up the
creeks, and trade with the villagers."

"Ask him if he knows a creek that turns off from the river four or
five miles above this; it is a very small one, but it leads into
a pool on which is a large village."