“Now then, what do you say to going as far as his bungalow and telling the ladies that the river has never looked more beautiful?”
Plosh!
“Beautiful river!” said the Captain mockingly. “Like to take them on it perhaps in a boat?”
“Well, it would be very nice, with a couple of good men to pole it along.”
“Of course; and every moment expecting to see the horrible snout of one of those brutal beasts shoved over the side to hook one out.”
“Nonsense!” said Archie impatiently.
“Nonsense? Why, they often upset a boat when they are hungry, and lay hold of a nice, juicy native, to take him down and stuff him in some hole in the bank to get tender for the next feed.”
“Oh, they would never attack a boat when men are splashing about with poles.”
“Well, you don’t catch me taking ladies out on a dark night, unless it’s in a big dragon-boat with plenty of men on board; and then I should like to have a gun.”
“They are horrible beasts,” said Archie, “and I wonder that the Malay fellows don’t try to exterminate them.”