For half an hour or more Buck and Jack turned over Dent's stores, and laid in a very complete stock of weapons and cartridges. As the gunsmith talked, speaking of the wild jungle into which they must wander, the wild people they would be likely to meet, and what they would need to meet the chances of their journey, his eye fired and his excitement grew. He poured forth a flood of information, of warning, of directions, which showed how complete was his knowledge of the wilds into which they were about to venture, how deep was his lore of jungle-craft, and how great his passion for the life of the explorer and adventurer. His flood of speech ended on a sigh. "Five years it is now," he said, "since I made what I call a real trip, getting clean off the track and striking a line which you might fancy no white man had ever struck before." Buck had been watching his old acquaintance keenly. Now he leaned over and laid his hand on Dent's arm. "Look here, Jim," he said, "you're achin' in every bone o' your body for a real good trip again. Come with us." The invitation was like a spark thrown upon gunpowder. The gunsmith struck the counter with his open hand till the weapons danced again. "By George, I will!" he cried, "I'll come fast enough. It's the sort o' trip I'd choose out of a thousand." Jack saw what a splendid recruit offered here, and he hastened to second Buck. "If you could, indeed, spare time to accompany us, Mr. Dent," he said, "we shall be delighted to have your company and assistance." "Well, sir," said Dent, "I'll give you a month. I can manage, I know, to get the business looked after by a friend as long as that. And within a month, if we go the right way to work, we ought to get a good idea as to whether the Professor's in the hands of that gang or not." "And if your business suffers at all, Jim, you need never fear you'll be at a loss in the end," said Buck. "There's plenty of money for everything." "Oh, that's all right," returned Dent. "Didn't you say you're offering a reward of £500 for finding the Professor?" "That's so," replied Risley. "Very good," said Dent. "Suppose I hit on him first and pick that up. That'll clear my expenses, and a bit over bar the fun o' the trip." "Oh, Mr. Dent," said Jack, "we're paying all expenses, of course." "Better an' better still," chuckled the gunsmith. "I get all the fun and the chance of £500 thrown in, and the lot for nothing. You can count in Jim Dent on this game." And so the matter was settled. CHAPTER VII. UP THE RIVER. It was on a Tuesday evening that Risley and Jack entered Dent's shop in Rangoon: late on the Thursday afternoon the three comrades stepped out of the train at Mandalay.