“Yes? Go on.”
“They’re a-scouring the country, sir; and I hope they’ll make a clean job of it.”
“Yes, yes; but tell me everything.”
“Ain’t much to tell, sir; only one party’s gone up the river in Sir Charles’s boat, and he’s with them.”
“Yes?”
“And another party’s gone down the river to search Mr Rajah Hamet’s place.”
“But I heard that he came up here and brought in my boat, and spread the news of our being killed.”
“Yes, sir; and the Major, when we came back, said he’d been gammoning him, and that he must have been in the business.”
“No, no,” said Archie thoughtfully; “I’m sure the Major’s wrong. Well, go on. Which way has Captain Down gone?”
“He has gone along the road to the Rajah’s palace, to take him prisoner and make him give an account of himself.”