The negro appeared to meditate for some moments on the extent of a “reasonable” time, for his huge eyes became huger as he gazed frowningly at the ground.  Then he spoke.

“A ‘reasonable’ time, massa, is such an oncertain time—­wariable, so to speak, accordin’ to the mind that t’inks upon it!  Hows’eber, if you’s promised, ob coorse dat’s an end ob it; for w’en a man promises, he’s bound to stick to it.”

Such devotion to principle was appropriately rewarded the very next day by the arrival of the trading prau in which the professor had embarked.

“We did not expect you nearly so soon,” said Nigel, as they heartily shook hands.

“It vas because zee vind freshen soon after ve set sail—­ant, zen, ve made a straight line for zis port, w’ereas you possibly crossed over, ant zen push down zee coast.”

“Exactly so, and that accounts for your overtaking us,” said the hermit.  “Is that the lad Baso I see down there with the crew of the prau?”

“It is.  You must have some strainch power of attracting frondship, Van der Kemp, for zee poor yout’ is so fond of you zat he beg ant entreat me to take him, ant he says he vill go on vit zee traders if you refuse to let him follow you.”

“Well, he may come.  Indeed, we shall be the better for his services, for I had intended to hire a man here to help to carry our things.  Much of our journeying, you see, must be done on foot.”

Baso, to his great joy, thus became one of the party.

We pass over the next few days, which were spent in arranging and packing their provisions, etc., in such a way that each member of the party should carry on his shoulders a load proportioned to his strength.  In this arrangement the professor, much against his will, was compelled to accept the lightest load in consideration of his liability to dart off in pursuit of creeping things and “bootterflies” at a moment’s notice.  The least damageable articles were also assigned to him in consideration of his tendency at all times to tumble into bogs and stumble over fallen trees, and lose himself, and otherwise get into difficulties.

We also pass over part of the journey from the coast, and plunge with our travellers at once into the interior of Sumatra.

One evening towards sunset they reached the brow of an eminence which, being rocky, was free from much wood, and permitted of a wide view of the surrounding country.  It was covered densely with virgin forest, and they ascended the eminence in order that the hermit, who had been there before, might discover a forest road which led to a village some miles off, where they intended to put up for the night.  Having ascertained his exact position, Van der Kemp led his followers down to this footpath, which led through the dense forest.