For in his excitement Mr Braine was leading the party wide of the boat, which was reached at last, just as lanterns were moving on the river, and voices were shouting from different directions.

"Now for it!" whispered Mr Braine. "Quick! All in! Every man take an oar. We must make a dash for it. The stream will help us. Don't attempt to fire unless they board."

"No, no," cried Hamet again, as they struggled into their places; and there was so much authority in his tones, that for a while all paused, and the Malay silently took one of the poles from the side, and keeping the boat well under the shelter of the bank, forced her up stream instead of down, always keeping close to the sh.o.r.e.

Mr Braine saw the wisdom of the act directly, for the boat progressed slowly and without a splash, being a good thirty yards away as Murray's guards reached the bank just below where they had embarked.

An eager shouting and interchange of questions followed; two lights were seen moving down stream in a zigzag way, and all at once a dazzling blue light began to burn a couple of hundred yards from them, lighting up one of the prahus moored in mid-stream; but though every figure on the large vessel, and the shape of another near, stood out plain, the fugitives were in darkness, and though they felt that they must be seen, Hamet worked calmly and steadily with his pole, sending the boat higher and higher, the force of the stream being only slight so close to the bank.

Then, again, the wisdom of his plan became evident, for the bank was now dotted with dammar torches, and their swarthy bearers could be seen holding them over the water as they hurried down stream toward where the closing in of the jungle would soon preclude further progress on foot.

The blue light burning in a vessel on the first prahu died out, but before it was extinct another flamed up from the second prahu, and the scene was wonderfully picturesque to the little party still moving up stream. Both banks were lit up, with the shapes of the trees standing out distinct and clear, while the river seemed to flow on like glittering steel, on which, growing distinct now, three nagas were visible for a few moments and then disappeared.

By this time Hamet's efforts had sent the boat four hundred yards above the last prahu, and as he grew more distant, his strokes grew quicker and less cautious, till it was wonderful what speed one pair of arms kept up.

And now for the first time Mr Braine leant forward to the man and whispered: "Well done; but you are taking us farther from safety."

"No," said Hamet, quietly. "Up the river. Hide. Some night creep down. Back to Dindong."

"Yes. I see," said Mr Braine. "He is right."

Silence was preserved once more, and Hamet kept on so close in-sh.o.r.e that the overhanging boughs swept the thatched roof of the boat. Then all at once he thrust down his pole deep into the gravelly sand, and, as it were, anch.o.r.ed the boat.

"Now," he said, panting with his exertions; "all take oars and row."

"Yes," said Mr Braine, eagerly, and the oars were seized; but Hamet uttered a low "hist!" and all listened.

For a few moments English ears failed to catch that which had struck upon the more keen sense of the Malay, but soon enough they could hear beat--beat--beat--beat--the sound of rapidly plied oars, and it was plain that a naga had now come up the river in pursuit.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

A DETERMINED PURSUIT.

"Lost!" said Murray, bitterly.

"No," replied Mr Braine, quietly; "they have to take us yet."

"Hist!" whispered Hamet, and parting the overhanging boughs, he forced the boat in till, as far as they could tell, they were hidden--a branch acting as anchor--and they listened to the water rippling by them, and the beat, beat, of the oars.

Sound travels so rapidly over smooth water, that it was long before the fugitives could feel that the boat was close at hand. Then, on it sped nearer, and above the sound of the oars came that of voices in low, angry discussion. Two of the leaders were evidently disputing, and their words were plain to three at least on board.

Abreast now, and becoming then just visible through the drooping boughs, and as Ned and Frank sat together, hand clasped in hand, the unspoken question was: "Will any of the keen eyes on board see us."

"Our escape cut off this way," thought Ned, the next moment; and then he placed his lips close to Frank's ear and whispered, for the boy had suddenly given his hand a quick pressure.

"What did they say?"

"It was the Muntrie," whispered Frank in the same way. "Says there is no boat missing, and that we can't be on the river. The only boat out is the one up by, where we are in prison."

"Hist!" came from Hamet, and instead of the sound of oars growing fainter, they waxed loud.

The boat had been turned, and swept by them again down stream, the search being deemed useless.

Ten minutes after, when the beat of oars had died away, the boat was thrust out again, and all joined now in sending her up stream with a quiet steady stroke, which was kept to for a couple of hours; and then all at once the river mist began to be flushed with opal tints, the haggard faces of the occupants of the boat grew plain, and marks of blood were detected and rapidly washed away.

The bright sunshine and some refreshment sent a gleam of hopefulness into every breast, and the men rowed on with renewed energy. They were all together now, and if they could manage to sustain life for a few days, they would be able either to reach the campong of the neighbouring rajah, and throw themselves on his mercy, or, after hiding, drop down the river some dark night.

As the sun rose higher, their exertions began to tell; the strokes given by Frank and Ned grew more feeble, and a suitable place being found, the boat was run in under shelter among the overhanging boughs, and an hour's rest taken. Then once more forward, in spite of the heat, till well on in the afternoon, when, as Frank and Ned were again resting, and the boat was slowly making way against the stream, Ned spoke, for the first time for quite an hour.

"I suppose we've pa.s.sed the place where they took us."

"Eh?" cried Frank, starting. "I don't know. I forgot that. I say, Hamet, hadn't we better go on the other side of the river?"

He had hardly uttered the words, when a spear flew from among the bushes not many yards away, and stuck in the bottom of the boat close to where Hamet was seated.

Mr Braine s.n.a.t.c.hed his revolver from his waist and fired in the direction of the enemy, who replied with a couple more spears, both of which fell short, dropping into the water with a light splash, for Hamet had made a tremendous sweep with his oar, and sent the boat's head round toward the farther sh.o.r.e, so that in a minute or two they were out of danger.

"I will not fire again," Mr Braine said; "not that it much matters, for these men will warn any boat which follows that we have gone by."

At last the heat began to be less oppressive, and better progress was made. The party were divided into two crews, one of which rested while the other pulled, the four ladies insisting all through the night in taking an oar, so that as the sun rose next morning, they had reached the spot where the party had made their first exploring trip--the open park-like tract beyond the jungle, with a view of the hill-country in the distance.

"Why not halt here for a few hours!" the doctor said. "It is impossible for us to go on without getting food, and to stop at any village means danger."

His propositions were acceded to, and the boat run into a nook, where it was hidden from any one pa.s.sing along the river; and the possibility and risk of shooting something to supplement their supplies were being discussed, when once more Hamet raised his hand.

There it was again, the faint beat of oars a long distance off, but plainly indicating pursuit; and with the knowledge that the enemy on the bank would tell of their pa.s.sing, it was decided to land at once and strike for the hills. The mist would hide them for the time, and if their boat was not discovered, it would still be available after the danger had pa.s.sed.

Very few minutes had elapsed before they were all ash.o.r.e, and once more taking the way through the park-like country, Frank acting as guide, and taking care to keep his party well hidden from the river; an easy enough task, as the open glades were well furnished with clumps of trees, each of which acted as a screen from any one who might be in pursuit.

Of this, however, as the hours pa.s.sed, there seemed no sign, and place after place was recognised in pa.s.sing. The morning was glorious, and to the great satisfaction of all, game was seen to be sufficiently plentiful to set famine at defiance. But, of course, no shot was fired, the efforts of all being devoted to reaching the hills, where the first halt would be made for rest and food.

The comparative coolness of the air as they ascended, the lovely scenery of the higher ground, and the feeling of hopefulness that danger was escaped, at all events for the present, made the long tramp pleasant; and the ladies laughingly disclaimed all feelings of fatigue, when Mr Braine called a halt beneath a huge tree high up on the slope they had ascended, and from which they had their first glimpse of the river they had left.

They had just seated themselves about the baskets, and were laughingly sharing out the shrunken remains of the provisions hastily gathered, when the doctor said, "How long do you think it will be before the Rajah gives up the pursuit?" when Tim, who had been getting his breakfast ready, as he merrily whispered to the boys, and withdrawn to take it in smoke some distance apart, suddenly jogged his master's elbow.

"What is it, Tim? Oh yes; you are not forgotten. This is our--"

"Sure, we're none of us forgotten," whispered Tim, pointing.

And there, to the horror of the party, in a bend of the river, and apparently close to the spot where they had landed, lay two large prahus in the broad sunshine.

Every eye was fixed upon them as they glided straight in their direction along one of the bends of the winding river.

"Well, he means to capture us," said Mr Braine, quietly, as the prahus disappeared behind the trees; "but he will have to land his men, and even if they came on at once, it must be hours before they reached here.

So breakfast, dinner, or whatever it is, and then another start."