"Not much, old boy," said the middy; "but I don't much care. Never mind, shake hands. No, don't. Let's do it mentally. Here's old Ali coming, looking as black as a civilian's hat. Hallo, Ali, old chap, ain't you precious proud of your dear fellow-countrymen?" "Poor fellows; poor fellows!" said Ali, sadly, as he looked from one to the other. "Poor fellows!" said Long. "They're a jolly set of sharks, with stings in their tails, that's what they are," said Bob. "The poor fellows have been crushed down by cruel governments, and made the slaves of piratical rajahs and cowardly sultans," cried Ali, indignantly. "They are a brave set of fellows, and they are only fighting against you because they are set on by their leaders." "Then all I can say is," said Bob, "that I should like to have a pop at their leaders. But cheer up, old chap, you needn't look so down-hearted." "Not look down-hearted," cried Ali, passionately, "how can I look otherwise? Where is my father? Where are our friends? What is my position here? Do you think it gives me pleasure to see the poor brave men who are fighting against you shot down by your guns? It makes me wretched." "Well, never mind," cried Bob, kindly, as he rose and clapped the young chief on the shoulder. "It will all come right in the end." "I hope so," said Ali; "but tell me, what have you decided to do?" "Well, that's announcing the secrets of the council of war," said Bob. "Shall I tell him, Long?" "Oh, yes, we can trust him," replied the ensign. "We are going to stay and fight it out." "Of course, of course," said Ali, nodding. "You could not give up. You must not give up." "But we want to get some news of the expedition party, by sending a trustworthy spy," said Bob. "Can you get us a man whom you can trust?" Ali stood thinking for a few moments, and then shook his head sadly. "They would all say the risk is too great. They would lose their lives if discovered." "Then what is to be done?" cried Bob. Ali stood thinking for a few moments in silence, and then he looked frankly from one to the other. "I will go myself," he said. The two young men stared at him. "You?" they exclaimed in one breath. "Why, just now you said the risk was too great." "That the men would lose their lives!" cried Bob Roberts. "If they were discovered!" exclaimed Tom Long. "Yes," said Ali, quietly, and he smiled back in their astonished faces. "And yet you would run that risk?" said Bob Roberts. "Yes: why not?" "But for us?" "Is one's life to be devoted to oneself?" said Ali calmly. "I am not as you are. You are Christians. I am a follower of the prophet. We call you dogs and giaours. You look upon us with contempt. But men are but men, the whole world over, and it seems to me that one's life cannot be better spent than in trying to do good to one's friends." "But," said Tom Long, "you would be fighting against your friends, the Malays."