“I am acting, and for the best,” whispered Sir Charles. “I would give my life to save Minnie if she is in danger, but I feel it my duty to try to comfort you.”
The next minute he was busy with the officers and the men, hurrying along the river-bank and sending off boats up the stream, in one of which—his own, manned by a dozen men—he was standing with Captain Down and the Major, watching the sides of the river, sometimes plunged in black darkness, at others glistening in the light of the moon, which had now risen far above the trees. But they had not been gone above half-an-hour before news came, to run through the ranks of the searchers left behind, some of whom, on the possibility that those sought might have had an accident with the boat and been compelled to land and fight their way through the jungle, had penetrated some distance along the path nearest to the river-side, and been recalled by one of the officers’ whistles.
On hurrying back they had encountered the Sergeant going the rounds, who had to announce that the sentry stationed at the hut above the chief landing-place was missing, and no answer could be obtained to the calls that should have reached his ears had he been anywhere near.
It was a night of excitement, misery, and despair, and the short dawn, when it broke, brought not hope but horror and dismay, for all at once, when the morning mist was lying heavily upon the lower reach of the river, the sound of oars was heard approaching the campong, and as it neared the lower landing-place, to which several of the party hurried, it seemed quite a long space of time before the heads of the rowers began to come gradually out of the grey fog; and soon after it was made out to be Rajah Hamet’s naga, or dragon-boat, towing behind it a second boat that had been overturned.
The news was passed inward, and this brought the Major to the landing-place, where the Rajah was waiting.
“Ah!” cried the old officer, “you have brought news?”
The young Rajah bent his head.
“Yes,” he said hoarsely. “Is this your boat?”
“Yes, yes—the Resident’s—Sir Charles’s. Been overturned?”
“We found it amongst the trees far down the river. One of my men caught sight of this hanging in a bush;” and he held up a large, thin, gauzy-looking white scarf, torn almost in two.