“What rajah?”
“Rajah of Dah. Great prince.”
“Ah, well, we may as well stop and land, and I daresay we can buy some fresh fruit and chickens and rice. What’s that?”
“Ibrahim says don’t stop—not good place,” replied Hamet, for one of the men had whispered to him.
“Oh, but Mr Wilson said this was an important village, and that there were English people here.”
The question of stopping or not was soon decided, for by a dexterous turn the dragon boat was swept across them, their way stopped, and one of the Malays beneath the awning shouted something imperiously to the men.
Hamet replied in Malay, while Murray strained his ears to try to pick up the meaning of some of the words, without success, and then turned impatiently to Hamet.
“What do they want?” he said.
“To know who you are, sir, and where you are going.”
“Tell him to mind his own business,” said Murray, sharply, and to Ned’s great delight. “No; it would be uncivil. Tell him I am an English gentleman travelling for my pleasure, and that we are going to land to look at the place and buy provisions.”