At first he was very reticent; but a bottle of champagne opened his lips, and he and the interpreter conversed for some time together.
"What does he say ?" Harry asked, when there was a pause in the conversation.
"He says, sir, that the country is very unsettled, and that it is unsafe to travel.

The town acknowledges the rajah as its master, and the territory through which the road runs is nominally his; but it is infested by bands owing allegiance to a neighbouring rajah, who is at war with him." "Have you asked him if it is possible to send a messenger through ?" "He said that there are plenty of men who would venture to go through, if well paid.

He thinks that two men would be better than ten, for they could hide themselves more easily in the forest." "Well, ask him what he would send two messengers through for." The Malay answered that he could not say, until he had spoken to some of them; but he thought that for ten dollars they would be willing to undertake it.
"Tell him that I would pay that, and will give them as much more if, on their return, they will guide me and my party to the residence of the rajah." The Malay shook his head.
"They would want more for that," he said.

"Two natives could pass without much danger for, if they were caught, they could say that they belonged to one of the other bands, but had lost their party.
It would be quite different if they were to have Europeans with them.
"How many would go ?" "Seven of us, altogether." "I will see about it," the chief said; "but if I succeed, you will give me three bottles of that drink." "I have very little of it," Harry said, "but I will agree to give him the three bottles, if he finds messengers to take up my letters; and arranges with them, or others, to guide us up." The Malay nodded, when the answer was translated to him; drank half a tumbler of ship's rum, with great satisfaction; and then went off.
"This is going to be a more dangerous business than our expedition to Nagpore," Harry said to Abdool, when he told him what the Malay had said about the dangers, and the state of affairs on shore.
"My lord will manage it, somehow," Abdool said; "he was born under a fortunate star, and will assuredly do what is best." "I shall do what I hope is best, Abdool; but one cannot answer how it will turn out.

One thing is certain: that if we fall into the hands of the Malays, we shall meet with little mercy." "We should have had no mercy, if we had fallen into the hands of the people of Nagpore, master," Abdool said.
"That is true enough, Abdool; and I don't think we should have been much better off, if Scindia had laid hands on us after we had bearded him in his tent.