Ensign Long looked very stand-offish; but the eager face of Bob, the only one about his own age of whom he could make a companion, was too much for him; and as Bob got up and made a place for him, Mr Ensign Long unbent a little, and really, as well as metaphorically, undid a button or two, and got into the captain's gig. "I say, look here, Tom, old man, what's the use of us two always falling out, when we could be so jolly together?" said Bob. "I don't quite understand you," said Tom Long, stiffly. "I am not of a quarrelsome disposition, as any of my brother officers will tell you." "Then it must be me then who is such a quarrelsome beast, and there's my hand, and we won't fall out any more." Ensign Long undid a few more buttons, for it was very hot, and condescended to shake hands. "I'm sure it's not my wish to be bad friends," said Ensign Long. "I think the members of the two services ought to be like brothers." "So do I," said Bob. "I say, sentry, keep a sharp look-out for the captain, and I'll stand a glass for you at the canteen next time I come ashore." "Yes, sir," said the sentry. "But p'raps, sir, I mayn't see you next time you come ashore." "There's an artful one for you, Tom," cried Bob, getting his hot wet hand into his pocket with no little difficulty, and throwing the man a fourpenny piece. "Now, look here, Tom," he continued, as the man cleverly caught the tiny piece and thrust it in his pocket, Ensign Long carefully closing his ear and looking in the other direction the while, "you and I might have no end of games if we could only keep friends." "Well, let's keep friends, then," said Tom Long. "Agreed," said Bob, "and the first one of us who turns disagreeable, the other is to punch his head." "No, I can't agree to that," said Tom, thoughtfully, "because we could not settle who was in the wrong." "Then we'd punch one another's heads," said Bob; "but never mind about that. Look here." Ensign Long undid a few more buttons, of which he had a great many down the front of his mess waistcoat, just like a row of gold-coated pills, and then he proceeded to _look there_, that is to say mentally, at what his companion had to say. "Do you know that young Malay chap, who came on board yesterday with his father, the Bang-the-gong, or Tumongong, or whatever he calls himself?" "Yes, I saw him; he came afterwards to the fort, and was shown round." "Didn't you speak to him?" "Not I. Don't care much for these niggers." "Oh! but he's no end of a good chap," said Bob. "He can't help being brown. I took him down to the gun-room, and we smoked and talked; he can speak English like fun." "Indeed!" "Yes, indeed; and I tell you what it is, he's worth knowing. He's quite a prince, and as jolly as can be. He says there's out-and-out shooting in the jungle, and if we'll go ashore and have a turn with him, he'll take us where we can have a regular good day."