The Rajah of Dah Part 27

"Oh yes. They don't seem to mind much. They'll go back into the water even after the Malays have cut them open and taken out their inside.

They always do that to see whether they are man-eaters. They're doing it now. Come and look."

"No," said Ned. "I'm satisfied. We've caught him. That's all too horrible."

By this time the report was being spread that the monster had been taken, and footsteps were heard approaching, quite a little crowd hiding the reptile from the boys, and out of which crowd rose directly after a low wailing sound.

"How horrid!" whispered Frank.

"What does it mean? Are they sorry we've killed it?"

"No, they have found something inside the beast which tells them that we have caught the right croc. I daresay it's the one that took the poor girl."

Frank was right, and after a time the lads returned, the crowd--a part of which had gone back in procession toward one of the houses--making way for them.

The men standing about the horrible reptile gave them a quiet but warm greeting, and there was a look of triumph in their eyes as one of them told Frank, what he afterwards interpreted to his companion, that this was undoubtedly the monster that had taken the poor girl; and they showed him too a silver ornament, blackened and strange looking, which must have been in the creature for perhaps months.

Ned turned shuddering away from this recital to examine the hideous mud-coloured brute, Frank eagerly showing him how the loose strands had opened out as the reptile bit at them, its great teeth pa.s.sing through without damaging the strength of the rope; and it was interesting to see how the hook had taken too fast a hold to be dislodged. Then he examined the great bulky body with its crooked legs and claws, and the formidable tail, everything tending to show that it was a reptile just in the full vigour of its existence.

"They never get bigger than this, do they?" said Ned, after a careful measurement had proved the crocodile to be within an inch or two of eighteen feet, and bulky in proportion.

"Bigger? Yes, half as big again. My father saw one twenty-five feet long, but he says those very large ones are so heavy that they are slow and not so dangerous. It is those fellows from fifteen feet to eighteen that the men are most afraid of. They can quite dart through the water like a fish."

"What will they do with it?"

"They are going to leave it here till our people have seen it, and then throw it in the river again. And I hope," added Ned merrily, "it will be a lesson to all the others, and that they will behave better. Here, come along, and let's get something to eat. I say, what a horrid mess!"

"It's dishgusting, sor," said Tim. "Here, I must light a pipe to take the taste out of my mouth. But it's a puzzle--a reg'lar conundhrum, that's what it is."

"What's a conundrum?"

"Why sor, whatever crocodiles could have been made for. But I say, Masther Frank, he thought it was a chicken. He nivver knew it was a tough ould hin."

CHAPTER TWELVE.

THROUGH THE JUNGLE.

A few days later, in which interval several little boating journeys had been made, the results of which could be seen in Murray's house, which was rapidly beginning to show traces of its being intended for a museum, the morning broke fine and comparatively cool; and just at sunrise Mr Braine came to where Ned and his uncle was seated at their early breakfast, to announce that the preparations settled upon the previous evening had been made.

Murray had finished his meal, but Ned was still engaged in getting ready for a tolerably long fast to mid-day, when a good meal would be prepared.

He was still lingering reluctantly over his breakfast when Frank appeared, and as soon as the two boys were together, Murray drew Mr Braine out into the veranda. "Well," he said; "any fresh news?"

"No," replied Mr Braine; "and in spite of my long experience of the man, I am half-disposed to think that I may be wrong."

"Then you do not think I need stay?"

"Oh no."

"Because I should not like to be out of the way if there was any trouble."

"You need have no fear for to-day. He has been perfectly quiet and interested in some affairs connected with the rajah of the next state.

This man has offended him, and I should not feel a bit surprised if war broke out between them."

"I don't care what breaks out so long as you are wrong in your ideas about that affair," said Murray, excitedly. "It worries me so that I hardly like to leave the place to go collecting."

Mr Braine smiled to himself as he saw how genuine Murray's interest was.

"You shall have the earliest information if anything is wrong," he said.

"But why wait for anything to be wrong. Would it not be much better for the ladies to leave this place at once?"

"Much better, of course."

"Then why not make a strong effort, and get them down to Malacca?"

"For the simple reason that no efforts we could make would be half strong enough. The only way would be to try to escape."

"Well, why not try that?"

"Because there is such a thing as failure, my dear fellow, and that would mean placing us all in a ten times worse position than we are in now."

Murray frowned and looked intensely miserable.

"Come," said Mr Braine; "don't let us conjure up what may be imaginary troubles. Call those boys, and be off before the sun gets more power.

I tell you that you may go away perfectly contented, for this man moves very slowly, and we shall have ample warning of any danger before it comes."

Murray sighed, and it was in rather a half-hearted manner that he handed his guns and cases to Hamet, who bore them off, and directly after they heard him talking to some one, whose voice told at once, from its peculiar, highly-pitched intonation, that it was Tim Driscol, who the next minute appeared at the door.

"Beg pardon, sor," he said, "but masther says if it's at all convaynient would you--"

"What's the matter?" cried Murray, eagerly, catching the man by the arm.

"Oh, jist nawthing as ye may say, sor. A little out of ordher for want of fresh air, and the masther says if ye wouldn't mind takking me with ye to-day, I might be a bit useful."

Murray turned away with an impatient gesture, and exchanged glances with Mr Braine.

"I'm very sorry, sor," said Tim, quite crest-fallen, for he had been longing intensely to go on the trip. "The masther thought it would do me good, or I wouldn't have asked."

"Oh yes, you can come, my man," said Murray. "Take hold of that bag of cartridges, and go on after Hamet."

"Thank ye, sor," cried the man eagerly; and taking up the bag, and giving the two boys a delighted look, he hurried off.

"Sure, if I stay near him, and he looks at me," said Tim to himself, "he may alter that bit of him that he calls his mind."

As soon as Tim was out of hearing, Murray said excitedly: "There, you will be another man short. I had better give up the expedition."