274 IN MALAY FORESTS. 



" What is the name of this work ? " 



The old man's heart sank at the tone of the stern 

 inquiry. During the long weary vigil of the night it 

 had not occurred to him to connect his nationality 

 with the fact of his entering the trap : the villager's 

 alarm had been a shock to him, but he had persuaded 

 himself that it was the mere temporary panic of an 

 ignorant clown. But he now saw that he was on 

 his trial. 



" Let me out," he pleaded. " Let me out, and I 

 will explain everything." 



"That cannot be," replied the raja. "First you 

 must explain how you came to be in this trap." 



" Yes," agreed the voices in the background, " for 

 who would release a tiger when once it is 

 caught ? " 



" How came you here ? Was it not you whom we 

 heard roaring last night ? " demanded the raja. 



" No, raja, no," answered the old pedlar ; " the tiger, 

 which is always here, roared close to me last night, 

 and it was to save my life that I ran into this 

 trap." 



" How can any one believe such a story ? " mur- 

 mured the crowd. 



" The sole of your foot on the crown of my head, 

 raja ; have not you and all these men known me for 

 many years ? Am I not an old man and feeble, and 

 could I do such a thing as this that you think 

 of me?" 



" But who ever heard of an honest man in a tiger- 

 trap ? " reiterated with dull persistency the voices 

 behind the raja. 



