"Let the mat down?" said Harry, in a tone full of protest; "but if we do we can't see the fire-flies."
"Take another look, and then let it down and go to sleep."
"But we don't feel as if we could go, father."
"Of course not, if you sit up talking. There, let down the matting, for our sake as well as yours. Good-night, my boys."
"Good-night, sir."
"Good-night, father," said Harry, as he let fall the mat, and thus completely closed in the cabin-like place.—"But there's no sleep for us, Phra, I'm afraid."
"Let's try," said Phra.
"Oh, I'll try," replied Harry.
It needed no trying, for in five minutes there was no one awake in the boat, though there were wild cries far away in the jungle, strange splashings, coughings and barkings from the river, and every now and then loud cracklings and sputterings from the fire, whose rays gleamed in through the matting hung round.
But though every one slept, there was an advance about to be made upon the occupants of the boat, some forty or fifty fierce creatures making their way in through the matting to attack first one and then the other, the attack going on till the savage enemies were satiated with blood, their victims being all the while deeply plunged in sleep.