Jungle and Stream: or, The Adventures of Two Boys in Siam. Fenn George Manville
Prince too."
"Oh no," said Phra; "I'm just as bad as he is, sir."
"I begin to think you are," cried Mr. Kenyon. "Look here, Cameron; they've had a fight with the boa whose skin I showed you, and another with that crocodile. That ought to satisfy any two boys who love adventure for quite a month."
"Well, it is a pretty good morning's work," said the doctor, laughing. "Take my advice, lads, and have a rest till dinner-time, and another afterwards. As it happens, Kenyon, I told the wife I shouldn't be back to dinner."
"You wouldn't have gone back if you had not," said Mr. Kenyon laughing. "Oh, by the way, have you completed your collection of fireflies?"
"No; there is one which gives out quite a fiery light, very different from the greeny gold of the others. I've seen it three times, but it always soars away over the river or up amongst the lofty trees."
"I know that one," said Phra eagerly.
"I've seen it once," said Harry. "Old Sree would get you one."
"I've asked him, but he has not succeeded yet," said the doctor.
"We'll try, then," said Phra, springing up, an action followed by
Harry.
"But the fireflies are best caught by night," said Mr. Kenyon drily.
"Of course," cried Phra, reddening through his yellowish bronze skin, and he dropped back in his chair, with Harry following suit.
But in spite of the heat, the boys could not sit still, and began fidgeting about, while Mr. Kenyon and his friend chatted about the state of the colony.
For want of something else more in accordance with their desires at the moment, the two boys began to go over the various objects in the large, high-ceiled room, which were the result of ten years' collecting. There were bird-skins by the hundred – pheasants with the wondrously-shaped eyes upon tail and wing, which had won for them the name argus; others eye-bearing like the peacock, but on a smaller scale; and then the great peacock itself – the Javanese kind – gorgeous in golden green where the Indian kinds were of peacock blue.
Every here and there hung snake-skins, trophies of the jungle, while upon the floor were no less than six magnificent tiger-pelts, each of which had its history, and a black one too, of murder committed upon the body of some defenceless native.
Leopard-skins, too, were well represented. Elephants' tusks of the whitest ivory; and one strange-looking object stood on the floor, resembling a badly rounded tub about twenty inches in diameter, and formed out of the foot of some huge elephant.
Skulls with horns were there, and skulls without; cases and drawers of birds' eggs, and lovely butterflies and moths, with brilliant, metallic-looking beetles; and the boys smiled at one another as they paused before first one thing and then another in whose capture they had played a part.
Here, too, was another stand of weapons that would be suitable for the attack upon some tyrant of the jungle, or for defence against any enemy who might rise against the peace of those dwelling at the bungalow.
The boys were interested enough in the contents of the museum they had helped to form; but at last the weariness growing upon them became unbearable, and they moved towards the door, expecting to hear some remark made by either Mr. Kenyon or the doctor; but these gentlemen were too intent upon the subject they had in hand, and about which they were talking in a low voice.
"They didn't hear us come out, Phra," said Harry. "Here let's run and see whether old Sree has gone yet. I hope Mike Dunning has given them all plenty to eat."
"He was told to," said Phra quietly.
"Yes, he was told to," said Harry; "but that does not mean that he always does as he's told."
"One of our servants dare not forget to do what he was ordered," said
Phra, frowning.
"No; but our laws don't allow masters to cut off people's heads for forgetting things."
By this time they had passed round the house, to find right at the back Sree and his two men busy at work cleaning and polishing the guns and spears that had been used that morning, while Mike, whose task it was by rights, lounged about giving orders and looking on.
"Have you given those men their dinner, Mike?" asked Harry.
"Oh yes, sir, such a dinner as they don't get every day," replied the man.
"That's more than you know, Mike," said Harry. "Hunters know how to live well out in the jungle; don't they, Sree?"
"We always manage to get enough, Master Harry," said the man, smiling; "for there is plenty for those who know how to find it in the jungle, out on the river's edge, or in the water."
"And you know how to look for provisions if any man does. But here, you, Mike, they've no business cleaning these things. You finish them; I want to talk to Sree."
Mike took the gun Sree was polishing without a word, and went on with the task, while the hunter rose respectfully and stood waiting to hear what the boys had to say.
"We want to have a day in the jungle," said Harry. "What is there to shoot?"
"A deer, Sahib."
"No," said Phra, frowning; "they are so hard to get near. They go off at the slightest noise."
"The young Sahibs might wait and watch by a water-hole," said the hunter. "It is easier to catch the deer when they come to drink."
"But that means staying out in the jungle all night."
"Yes, Sahib, it is the best way."
"No," said Phra.
"What else, Sree?" asked Harry.
"The Sahib said he would like two more coo-ahs; would the Sahibs like to lie in wait for them? I could make them come near enough by calling as they do —Coo – ah! coo – ah!"
The man put his hands before his mouth and softly imitated the harsh cry of the great argus pheasant so accurately that Phra nodded his head and smiled.
"Yes, that's like it," cried Harry. "Coo – ah! coo – ah!"
"And that isn't a bit like it," said Phra laughingly. "You would not have many come to a cry like that; would he, Sree?"
"No, my Prince," replied the man, shaking his head; "the great birds would not come for that."
"Very rude of them," cried Harry merrily; "for it's the best I can do.
Well, shall we try for the coo – ahs?"
"What else do you know of, Sree?" asked Phra.
"There was a leopard in the woods across the river yesterday, my
Prince; but they are strange beasts, and he may be far away to-day."
"Oh yes, I don't think that's any good," said Harry. "I should like to try for an elephant."
"There are very few near, just now, Sahib," replied the man. "It is only a month since there was the great drive into the kraal, and those that were let go are wild and have gone far away."
"Oh, I say, Phra, and we call this a wild country! Why, we shall have to go beetle-catching or hunting frogs."
Sree smiled, and Harry saw it.
"Well, propose something better," he cried.
"The men were at work in the new sugar plantation," said the man quietly.
"Well, we don't want to go hunting men," cried Harry impatiently.
"And the tiger leaped out of the edge of the jungle, caught the man by the shoulder, and carried him away."
"Ah!" cried Phra excitedly; "why didn't you tell us that at first?"
"Because he kept it back for the last," said Harry. "That's just his way."
"Would the Sahib and my Prince like to try and shoot the tiger?" asked
Sree.
"Would we? Why, of course we would," cried Harry excitedly. "What shall we do? Have