No sooner were the three lads out of sight of the attap-thatched roofs and the island, the fort and steamer, than all formality was thrown to the winds, and they tramped on chattering away like children. Tom, however, walked on rather stiffly for a few minutes, but the sight of a good broad rivulet was too much for him; drill, discipline, the strict deportment of an officer and a gentleman, whose scarlet and undress uniforms had cost a great deal of money, and in which, to tell the truth, he had been very fond of attiring himself when alone with his looking-glass, all were forgotten, and the bottled-up schoolboy vitality that was in his breast, seethed up like so much old-fashioned ginger beer. "Follow my leader!" he cried, handing his gun to one of the Malays, whose eyes rolled with pleasure as he saw sentimental Tom Long take a sharp run, leap well from the near bank, and land on the other side of the stream, but he had to catch at some bamboos to save himself from falling back into the water. "With a cheerly hi ho," shouted Bob Roberts, dropping his gun on a bush. "Look out, soldier." The words were on his lips as he ran, and in his leap alighted on the other side, in so bad a place that he had to catch at Tom, to save himself from falling, and for a few seconds there was a sharp scuffle amongst the bamboos before they were safe. "Look out, Ali," shouted Bob, on seeing their companion coming; "it's bad landing." But Ali was already in full career; as light and active of foot as a deer, he made a quick rush and a leap, and landed in safety quite a yard beyond the young officers. "Well done! Hooray!" cried Bob, who had not the slightest objection to seeing himself surpassed; while the two Malays in charge of the guns and impediments on the other side stared at each other in astonishment, and in a whisper asked if the young chief had gone out of his mind. "Now then, Sambo-Jumbo," cried Bob, "over with those guns. Come along, they are not loaded." The two Malays stared, and Ali said a few words to them in their native tongue, when they immediately gathered up the guns, and, being bare-legged, waded across the stream, which was about four yards wide. The last man came over with a rush as he neared the bank, for suddenly from a reed-bed above them there was a wallow and a flounder, with a tremendous disturbance in the water, as something shot down towards the main stream. "A crocodile," said Ali, as the young Englishmen directed at him a wondering gaze. "Crocodile!" cried Bob, snatching his gun from the attendant, and hastily thrusting in cartridges, after which he ran along the stream till checked by the tangled growth. "No good," said Ali, laughing at his eagerness. "Gone."