high, rose abruptly on their right. It was covered with jungle through which the eye could not pene- trate in any place for more than a few yards; but all the Sakai knew that its crest was a long spur or hogs- back, which if followed for a matter of half a mile would enable them to pass down into the valley of a stream that belonged to a wholly different river system. By making their way up its bed they in time would win to the mountains separating Perak from Pahang; and when the raiders, if they succeeded in picking up the carefully veiled trail, found that the fugitives had gone so far, it was possible that they might be discouraged from further pursuit, and might turn their attentions to some more acces- sible band of wandering Sâkai. The first thing, however, was to conceal all traces of the route which Ka's party had taken, and he therefore bade his people disperse, breaking up into little knots of two or three, so that no definite, well-defined trail might be left as a guide to the pursuers. Later the tribe would reassemble at a spot appointed by him. The Sakai were well versed in all such tricks, and very few words and no explanations were needed to convey to them an understanding of their leader's plan. In the space of a few seconds the little band of abori- gines had broken up and vanished into the forest as swiftly and as silently as a bank of mist is dispersed by a gust of morning wind.
Laish attached himself to Te-U and old Sem-pak, and the three, passing upstream, drew themselves with infinite caution on to its bank without bruising
