!67 



ed. Here every thing was motionless, except 

 the detachment, w hich necessarily bnjke the si* 

 lence in its progress ; but'even over an air of 

 silence was thro\*n, ^nd* the men held their 

 b eath as they ihrew keen glances into the bush- 

 es and at the surroundings heights, which they 

 expected eath moment woultl become iiisittict 

 with life, and re echo with volley, afier volley. 

 Well dp I remember too the feeling of disap- 

 pointment which was experienced when the 

 rear of the column emerged in safety front this 

 defile, which a handful of resolute na^a could 

 have defended against a host, and how, when, the 

 officers found this advantage thrown away, liiey 

 coincided with their Malacca friends rn the opi- 

 nion that not a shot would be fired. 



But, alihaugh such searching looks had been 

 directed into the brushwood, there was a glit- 

 tering eye fixed intently on the detachment, and 

 the sparkle p is^ed unnoticed by all. Within a 

 few feet of the pathway, concealed in the tang- 

 led brushwood, lay the son-in-Jaw of Rajah Alii 

 — Syed Snhban, So motionless was this chief 

 that not a stir of a lent betraved his hiding place* 

 and he counted man and officer as the troopS 

 slowly filed past him. 



Rajah Alii, with a faith in the British Govern- 

 ment which did him infinite credit, alihongh he 

 had received no reply from it, had directed Syed 

 Sabban to take up this position in order to see 

 whetlier Hajah taboo were realty accompanying 

 the force ; and^ on receiving a reply in the nega- 

 tive, addressed the Fanghooloo of Nanning, tell- 

 ing him that it was evident that no hostile de- 



