"Yes, yes, I know," said Archie excitedly. "But you don't tell me. Have you found out where she is?"

"No, sir; not yet. I couldn't leave you."

"Not leave me, man? You must get out of this place as soon as you can, and either find her or make your way to headquarters, and let the Doctor and Major Knowle—oh, and Sir Charles too—know what has happened."

"Mister Archie, sir," said the lad, laying a cool hand on his young officer's burning brow, "don't, sir—please, don't! They must know all you want to say long enough ago, and before now they have got all our brave lads out searching the country; and you may lie still, sir, and think to yourself that nobody will rest until Miss Minnie is found."

There was silence for a few minutes, during which Peter Pegg half lay beside his wounded officer, listening to words uttered in command that sounded familiar. They were evidently orders addressed to the elephant, which was shuffling by the great stable, making a whining sound as if protesting against being driven.

Then all was still again, till Archie said quietly:

"Yes, Pete, you are quite right, and I pray Heaven that she may be quite safe by now. But tell me, do you think I—I mean we—did all we could?"

"Mister Archie, sir, once more, don't, please! I am only a poor, ignorant chap, but I do know this, through having been in horspittle, that you have got to keep quiet and not worry yourself if you are going to get well. First thing, sir, is that you have got to get strong enough so that we can escape."

"Yes, yes, Pete; that's right! Escape!" cried Archie excitedly.

"Take it coolly, sir," remonstrated the lad.

"Well, I will be cool, Pete."

"That's right, sir. We've got to escape, and I have begun preparations already."

"Yes, that's right. What have you done?"

"Got a spear to begin with, sir."

"Ah, well, that's something."

"Yes, sir—something for you to handle like a bay'net if they won't let us go quietly."

"Right—right!"

"And the next thing, sir, is for you to get strong to handle it."

"Ah, and I am so weak!"

"Of course you are, sir, when you have had nothing but a drop of water for days."

"For days!"

"Yes, sir; and now your breakfast's waiting. It's only bread and fruit and water, but it's wonderful stuff to put strength in a man, and you have got to begin getting it into you at once."

"No, no; not yet," pleaded Archie. "Let me lie and think a bit first."

"Not a minute, sir," cried the poor fellow's nurse. "You feel as if you couldn't touch anything, of course, but your horspittle orderly says it is only making a beginning; and here you are—cocoa-nutful clear, fresh water, so tip it down at once."

Archie protested feebly, and then obeyed; and after taking a sip or two from the thick-lipped vessel, he ended by finishing the cooling draught with something like avidity.

Shortly after Peter Pegg was watching his patient crumbling some of the bread-cake and dipping pieces in a fresh supply of water and beginning to eat.



CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

PLANS.

"Now, Mister Archie, sir, you was precious cross with me for bothering you into eating that little bit; but ain'tcher ever so much better now?"

"Oh yes, Pete. That horrible feeling of faintness is going off; but my head—"

"Oh, you let your head alone, sir. That'll come right if only you keep on eating directly you begin to feel faint, if it is ever so little a bit."

"You must make me, then, Pete. Never mind my turning disagreeable. It's because I am not myself."

"All right, sir. Now you just tell me what we are to do."

"Find means for us to escape."

"That's what I want, sir, so as just to have the way ready. But it's no use to get out and me to have to carry you on my back."

Archie sighed, for he was forced to accept the truth of his companion's words. He lay thinking then of his interview with the Doctor, and he said to himself:

"I wanted something to take the boyishness out of me, and this has come and swept it away at one stroke and for ever.—Look here," he said aloud; "look round and see whether it is possible for you to get out—I mean, just think the matter over so that you may be able to contrive to get outside after dark and examine our surroundings a bit."

"That's all settled, sir. There's no breaking through the door, but I have been thinking that I might climb up inside here, sir, get as far as them bamboo rafters, and squeeze a way out on to the roof through them palm-leaf mats. Pst!"

"What is it?"

Peter Pegg held up one finger, and then pointed sharply towards the door.

"Some one there? I don't hear anything."

"No, sir. That topper you got seems to have made you a bit deaf," said the lad, as he crouched close up to his companion's head. "I don't suppose if we spoke loud that any one would understand us; but there's some one outside there, and after a bit I am going to look if he ain't gone."

The lad waited for a while, and then rose and began to pace slowly up and down the front of his prison, and ended by climbing quickly up by the door and peering out through the hole the elephant had made.

He only gave a glance, before descending quickly, to continue his marching up and down for a time, when he ended by throwing himself beside his companion and settling down as if for a nap. The lad preserved silence, lying with his eyes closed, while Archie watched him anxiously.

"Did you see anything?" whispered the young subaltern at last.

"Yes; a chap there in a yellow-and-red sarong, and as I was looking out, the ugly, black-looking beggar was squinting in. I wasn't sure at first, but it's like this 'ere: when they thought we was too bad they didn't trouble about us, but somebody must have been watching, and seen you beginning to pick a bit, and that's made them think that it's time to look after us, so they have planted a chap outside as a sentry."

"How horrible!" whispered Archie.

"Well, it's bad, sir; but it's good too. He's got a big spear and one of them crooked daggers stuck in his rolled-up sarong; and them's just what I want."

"Yes; but you can't get them, Pete."

"I dunno so much about that, sir. If I get out I might be able to drop down upon him from the roof and help myself to his tools before he knew where he was."

"What! murder the sentry?"

"Not me, sir. It's only war now. 'Sides, I won't hurt him if he will give in quietly. It strikes me that if I could manage to drop down upon him sudden he would be so scared that he would be ready to cut. But don't you bother about that, sir. You leave that to me. You have got nothing to do now but eat and drink and sleep till you are fit to take command."

As the day wore on the heat of the place grew half-suffocating. They had both been too ill to notice this at first, but now it grew to be insufferable.

"I wonder how the sentry stands it," thought the young private; and taking advantage of the Malay being very quiet—for not so much as a step had been heard for quite an hour—Peter made a sign to his companion not to take any notice, and then crossed to the other side of his prison, and after walking to and fro slowly and quietly a few times, he raised one foot to a bamboo cross-piece, sprang up, caught at a second bar, and held on just long enough to get one glance through the hole, before dropping lightly down again.

"Look at that, now," he muttered, for he had had time to see that the sentry was squatting down upon his heels, his chin buried in his breast, and evidently fast asleep. "What a chance if I was outside!" thought Peter; and he climbed quickly and silently up now to have a good look at their guard, just in time to see him start up erect and catch hold of the spear he had leaned against the tree that shaded him.

At the same moment Peter Pegg grasped the fact that the Malay had not been disturbed by his movements, for he was gazing right away down the forest path facing the big door.

"It must be somebody coming," thought Peter. "He sleeps like a weasel, with one eye open."

He had proof the next minute that he was right. The steps became audible, and a couple more spear-armed men approached; there was a short whispered conversation, and one of them took the sentry's place.

"Changing guard," muttered Peter, "That's imitation of what they have seen us do. Wonder whether they are going to carry that on all night."

In due time there was another visit from the party which had brought the fruit and water, the surly-looking leader having the door unbarred, to give a look round, and then, on their being satisfied that the prisoners had an ample supply of provisions, the door was closed again, to Peter Pegg's great relief, for he placed his lips close to Archie's ear and whispered:

"Oh, I have been squirming! I was afraid they would begin to hunt for the spear they left behind."

"Spear left behind?" said Archie.

"Yes; didn't I tell you? They forgot one last night, and it's tucked in behind you, under the leaves.—Now then," thought the lad, "what's it going to be—sentry by day only, or one all night?"

The latter proved to be the case, for after the two prisoners had partaken of an evening meal—Archie making no opposition now—Peter Pegg peered out from time to time, to see that the sentry had drawn nearer to the door; and there he was, plain enough, till it grew too dark to distinguish anything a few yards away, when at last the silence became so profound that the lad began to hope that the watch was given up. He whispered his belief to his fellow-prisoner, and said that he was going to see whether it would be possible to creep out by way of the roof, when his hopes were dashed by a cough; but on peering out he could see nothing, and, full of disappointment, he walked slowly to where Archie lay, and whispered to him again.

"I can't see anything," he said, "but I have watched him so often that I could make it all out. He's been taking a bit of one of them betel-nuts out of a bag, and then taking a sirih-leaf from a sort of book, and laying it on his hand before he opened his little brass box full of that wet lime. Then he smeared some of the lime over the leaf, laid the bit of nut on it, rolled the leaf up into a quid, and tucked it in his cheek, just like a Jack-tar. Nasty brute! Making his teeth black and the corners of his mouth all red. 'Tain't as if it was a bit of decent 'bacco! Well, perhaps when he has had a good chew he will go to sleep."

"It will be impossible for you to try to get out to-night, Pete."

"Impossible, sir? I'll just show you! I'm not going to be kept shut up here like a tame hanimile in a cage, I can tell him."

"But supposing you do try to break through the thatch, he is certain to hear you."

"Suppose he does, sir! How will he know but what I'm one of them big monkeys as they send up trees to pick the cocoa-nuts, or one of the wild cat sort of things as the jungle's full of? You let me alone, sir. I mean to make a beginning. Sha'n't do much till you get stronger, sir. Then we shall get out together, and make straight for the camp."

"But how about finding our way?"

"Well, sir, between ourselves, I have got two plans. One is, to get down to the river and find a boat. You see, once aboard that, all we have to do is to let it float down till we come to Campong Dang."

"Yes; that sounds simple and easy. But you said that you had got two plans."

"Yes, sir. That's the wet way; t'other's dry. You haven't seen because you have been too bad, but they keeps helephants here, and I know one of them."

"You know one of them?"

"Yes, sir; he's been to see me twiced."

"Are you dreaming, Pete?"

"Yes, sir—with my eyes open. I have thought it all out. I want to get him here some night, and then break a way out and get you on him—I knows how to ride like a mahout—and I'll make him take us to headquarters. What do you say to that?"

"Say to that, Pete!"

"Ah! don't you get talking like an unbelieving heathen, sir. You don't know what a lot of sense there is in one of these 'ere helephants. Once I get you on board—I don't suppose there would be a howdah, but you could hold on to his ropes—I've got a spear to guide him, though he wouldn't want no steering once I got him into one of those paths. They all lead to one or other of the campongs, and if we don't get into the right one at first we will try again."

Archie sighed.

"Ah, you think I can't do it, sir; and you are low-sperrited because you ain't strong enough."

"It all sounds so wild, Pete," said Archie faintly.

"Course it do, sir. Helephants ain't horses."

"Thank you," said Archie, with a faint scintillation of his old ideas of fun.

"They are wild beasts, and big 'uns, too, at that."

"Yes, yes; but this all sounds nonsensical."

"Course it do, sir. That's the best of it. You can't grarsp it because you have been lying there onsensible and don't know what's happened. I didn't believe it myself at first; but you remember about the review and the big Rajah's helephants?"

"Yes, of course."

"Well, when I was off duty for a bit I goes and makes friends with one of the swell mahouts—him as drove the Rajah's own helephant. The mahout let me feed him, and the big beast was quite chummy with me—took me up in his trunk, and set me up astride on him."

"Well, suppose he did," said Archie peevishly; "what's that got to do with our position here? Where is your chummy friend?"

"That's what I want to tell you, sir. He found me out here, and he comes and shoves his trunk through that hole as you can't see now because it's dark. 'How are you, old man?' he says. 'Who'd have thought of seeing you here? Tuck one or two of them bananas in the end of my trunk and see me eat them, and I will show you;' and I did. Then he says, 'Give us a drink of water;' and so I did, and he played it into himself just as if he was a portable fire-engine. What do you think of that?"

"I think," said Archie faintly, "that if I was like I was in the old days, Peter, I'd punch your great, stupid head. What do you mean? Do you think I'm as weak as a child, and that you must try and please me by telling me all that flam?"

"Haw, haw!" laughed Peter Pegg softly. "I knowed you'd say that. But it's all as true as true. I don't mean to say that he talked to me like that in plain English, but he chuntered and grunted and squealed, and ate nearly all the bananas and bread, and drank up the water before he went away, and come again for more."

"Oh, I could believe that. But what makes you think it's the same elephant as the one you saw before?"

"Oh, I did doubt it at first, sir; but I am sure now."

"Why?"

"Because of his size. He's the biggest one that came to the camp; and he knowed me again by the smell."

"Bah! He smelt the fruit."

"But the smell of the fruit wouldn't make him stroke me down all over and talk to me in his way. You wait a bit till he comes next time. He will soon show you how friendly he is to me. Why, it was only yesterday, I think—though the time goes so rum here, where one sleeps so much—he come to see me, and one of the Malay chaps as was taking him to the water tried to drive him away, and, my word, you should have seen him chivy the chap off and call him a hinterfering blackguard, in helephant! He's my friend, sure enough, sir; and it will take a bit of time to settle matters, but I think I can make him understand what he's got to do, and start off some night and carry us to Campong Dang."

"Ah, if you only could, Pete!" said Archie faintly; "but it all sounds to me like a dream, and—"

There was a deep breath, and silence.

"And what, sir? What were you going to say?—Why, I'm blessed if he ain't asleep!" muttered Peter. "Well, so much the better. Now I'm going to see if I can't get out; and if that beggar hears me I must try and gammon him. Wonder whether I can come that chicker, chicker, chick, chack, chack, chack, like one of them big monkeys. I did manage to imitate it pretty fairly time back when I teased that one as Captain Down used to make a pet of. Well, why shouldn't I now?"



CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

PETER PEGG SAYS "YUSS."

"Yuss," said Peter Pegg, as he sat in the profound darkness, for it was some hours before the moon would rise, and he was solacing himself with a piece of the bread-crust, which was terribly dry and exceedingly hard—"yuss, this is precious nice tackle for a fellow's teeth. Wants nibbling like a rat. Yuss, what I have telled the young governor sounds 'most as easy as cutting butter, only not quite. I can get the helephant up to the door here, and I don't see much hardship in mounting him and riding off; only how am I to manage to get him here at the right time? Ah, well, I'm getting on. The governor's better, and I have got a spear, and, so to speak, I have got a helephant, and a fine one, too. So I am not going to give up because some of the job is hard. This 'ere bit of bread is as hard as wood, but I am getting through with it, and that's what I mean to do about our escape. Where you can't take a fair bite at anything, why, you must nibble; and I must go on nibbling now to find some way of getting out of this here ramshackle place. If I can just contrive a hole so that I can climb on the roof whenever I like, and be able to cover it up again so that these beauties don't know, I don't feel a bit doubtful of being able to slide down to the eaves, and then hold tight and get my toes in here and my toes in there, and climbing back'ard till one gets to the ground. As to getting back again—oh, any one could do that. He will do it as well as I can as soon as he is better. Now then, ready? Yuss. Then here's to begin."

He rose softly, stepped quietly over the leaves, and deftly climbed up the door again, where he applied his eye to the ragged lookout.

"My, it is dark!" he said to himself. "There must be a regular river fog floating over the place. I can't see a star."

He stopped peering out and listening, but everything was so black that he could not even distinguish the tree opposite to him beneath which the sentry had taken his post.

"So still," muttered the lad, "that I don't believe he can be there. If he was, everything is so quiet that—Whoo—hoop! What's that? Like somebody learning to play the key bugle without any wind. Here, I know: it's one of them long-legged, long-necked birds with a big beak, that stands a little way out in the river and picks up the frogs. Yes, that's it. Now it's all right, so here goes."

He crossed to the other side of the building so as to be farthest from the tree where he had last seen the sentry, and, as quietly as he could, he began to climb the back wall of the great stable; and, as he had anticipated, this did not prove difficult, the crossbars and uprights, interlaced with cane and palm-strip, furnishing plenty of foot and hand hold, so that, without making much rustling, he drew himself up and up till his head came in contact with one of the sloping bamboo rafters, to which battens of the same cane were lashed with thin rotan; and, as he expected, upon these battens lay a dense thatch of so-called attap—that is to say, large mats of palm-leaves were laid one over the other till a thick cover, which would throw off the most intense of the tropic rains, roofed the building in.

Standing with his toes well wedged into the side, the would-be fugitive raised one arm and began feeling about in the mats above him, and chuckled.

"Why, it's just nonsense," he said. "Talk about escaping. Why, one has got nothing to do but shove these up a little way and creep through. Then the attap will all fall back again, and no one will see as the place has been disturbed. Then there is the getting down again. Well, that's just as easy as it is to get up. Oh, don't I wish Mister Archie was all right! These 'ere Malays must be fools to think of shutting up a couple of English young fellows in a place like this. Well, it's awful hot here. The mats are quite warm still with the sunshine. I will just let in some air."

He began thrusting the attap thatch a little upward, and there was a loud scuffling and beating of wings.

"Birds," he muttered; "and a good roost, too. Wonder what they are."

Then there was a puff of cool, moist, night air seeming to be sucked into the building as he made an opening.

"Ah, that's just prime," he sighed; and he raised himself a little more, and then, as he thrust out one hand to get a fresh hold of the bamboo batten, he stopped short, silent and motionless, and with cold perspiration breaking out all over his face, for his hand had closed upon one of the battens, which felt cold and scaly; and but for the fact that his left arm was hooked over one of the sloping supports of the ridge-pole, he would have dropped heavily back on to the floor of the elephant-stable.

As it was, his legs felt as if they were hanging paralysed downward, and he was conscious of the fact that the batten that he had last grasped was slowly gliding through his right hand and getting thinner and thinner, till it passed rustling away right in amongst the palm-leaf thatching.

"Oh dear!" sighed Peter Pegg, "could that have been fancy? It felt just like a big snake. Phew! How hot it is! And yet I feel quite cold. Is it fancy? I know snakes do climb trees, but what could a snake be doing up here in the thatch? Oh, murder! It's all right enough. I know! Didn't the Doctor tell Mister Archie that they crawled up the walls and had their regular runs so that they could catch the rats and birds?"

He made a movement, as he began to master the strange feeling of dread, to replace his feet in the rough trellis into which his toes had been thrust, and then woke to the fact that his legs were not swinging downwards, for the half-paralysing sensation had been caused by sheer dread.

"Think of that, now!" he said. "I thought they would give way. Here, let's get down out of this. Shouldn't be at all surprised if there's snakes swarming all over the place. That one didn't bite me, did it? Don't know that I should mind a honest bite, but some of these things are poison. Here, I have had enough of this;" and he felt about with a strange feeling of creepiness for the batten that he had not touched. This he grasped shrinkingly.

"Oh, this ain't a snake," he said. "Bamboo; and a thick 'un, too, for here's a knot. Here, don't be such a coward, Peter. Go on, comrade. That there snake's gone, and it was more afraid of you than you were of it."

Gaining fresh courage, he had very little difficulty in creeping out from beneath the great mat and drawing himself upwards till he lay out in the darkness upon the roof, panting heavily as he breathed in the soft, cool, night air.

"Now, can I find this hole again?" he said to himself. "Oh yes, all right. And what's this?" For his hand encountered a good-sized stone secured in its place by a thin rotan bound over it, and passed through the thatch and under one of the battens. "That's all right," he said to himself, as he began to crawl up the slope towards the ridge; and in doing so he found that flat, rough, slaty pieces of stone followed at intervals to weight the roof, and formed supports for his feet, so that he was able to creep with the greatest ease right up to the ridge.

"Be quite jolly," he said, "if it wasn't for the feeling that I may be crawling over millions of snakes. However, I am in for it now, and I must chance it. Now about getting down."

He lay upon the back slope of the building, resting with one arm over the ridge, listening intently, knowing that he must be gazing in the direction of the sentry; but the silence was as intense as the darkness, and he still hesitated as to whether he should lower himself down again in the direction from which he had come.

Feeling, however, that if he descended from there it would be into the jungle, which he knew from experience was one tangled and matted mass, impervious to human beings, he decided to go on, and proceeding very cautiously, he began to lower himself down towards the eaves by the help of the many stones which offered support to hand or foot.

"Why, it's just like going downstairs," thought the lad; and then, as if to prove it was not so easy, one of the stones, upon which he was bearing with his foot, slipped from its rotan tie and began to rustle loudly down before him.

Then there was a sharp hiss, which made the lad cling tightly and begin to feel a return of the paralysing shudder which had unnerved him a few minutes before. The hiss was repeated, and followed by a sound like a quick reiteration of the word Yah; and then Peter Pegg's heart began to palpitate heavily as he realised that it was a human utterance coming from the direction of the sentry's tree, and followed by a quick movement as of some one advancing towards the stable door.

"You brute! How you frightened me!" said the lad to himself, as, obeying his next impulse, he tore a stone that was held in its place by the thin cane, raised it above his head, and hurled it with all his might in the direction of the sentry.

"There's a fool!" he muttered to himself as he lay full length, listening to a gabbling, threatening utterance from below, which was slurred with hisses and dotted with angry ejaculations. "He's a-swearing at me in his ugly lingo," thought Peter. "Can't see him, so he can't see me, and of course he can't tell who it is up here. Here, I know," he continued, as there was a series of hisses such as would be uttered by one who was trying to drive some obnoxious creature away.

"Hississh!" cried the sentry again.

"Blest if he don't think I'm a big monkey up here," thought Peter. "Monkeys throw sticks and stones. What a lark! Wish Mister Archie was here with me. I'll let him have another;" and feeling for the next stone, he threw it from him sharply. "Frighten the beggar away," he muttered.

But it had the contrary effect of arousing a fresh burst of hisses, stamps, and subdued yells.

"Oh, get out with you, you idgit!" said the young private, in a whisper, to himself. "Wish I could recollect how that big ape Captain Down used to keep chained up went on when he teased it. Chance it," he muttered; and raising both hands to his mouth so as to speak between them, he sent forth his imitation of an angry monkey, spattering through the night air, his utterance being produced with wonderful rapidity:

Chick, chick, chick, chick, chick, chick, chuk, chick! Chick, chuk, chack!

Errrrrr! growled the Malay.

Chick, chack, chuk, chack, chick, chack, chuk, check, check, chuk! snarled the imitation monkey.

What evidently meant in the Malay tongue, "Be off, you ugly beast!" came from below, followed by a pant as of somebody exerting himself; and simultaneously Peter Pegg felt a tug at one leg of his trousers, and a slight scratch which made him dart his left hand down and feel the bamboo staff of a spear which had passed right through his garment and had pinned his leg down to the thatch, in which the spear was deeply buried.

"You cowardly beast!" panted Peter softly. "This is getting a fellow's monkey up in reality;" and without pausing to reflect upon what might be the consequences, he began to reach for and tear out every stone he could find, to hurl them with all his might in the direction from which the hissing and growling came.

The first must have gone pretty close to the angry sentry, the second startled him, and the third produced a yell as it struck him full in the back, for he had already begun his retreat; and after sending two or three more with all the vigour produced by anger, Peter Pegg lay back on the roof, listening to the distant pattering of feet, and laughing with suppressed mirth till the tears ran down his cheeks.

"Took me for one of them big monkeys," he panted at last; and, in closer imitation than ever, he sent forth a final Chick, check, chuk, chick, chick, chack, chack, chack, after his retreating enemy.

"Don't be a fool, comrade," he said at last. "He can't hear you. Poor old Job Tipsy! He always said me and the governor were just like a couple of schoolboys with our games and larks, and I suppose he was right. Poor old Bully Bounce! But I do wish he was here now to help us two out of this hole, and a dozen of our chaps at his back, for it's rather a different sort of game to what it used to be when we got found out. Here's poor Mister Archie lying down below badly hurt, and me stretched on the top of this attap roof, pinned out like a jolly old cock butterfly meant for a specimen. Think of it," he muttered, as he sat up and began feeling down his leg. "Shied a spear at me. It hurts, too. Good job it didn't hit me in the middle. It's a bit wet, but it can't be bad. Scratted a bit, and then it went through the leg of my trousers. Well, I call that a narrow escape."

As he muttered to himself he began tugging at the spear-shaft, only about two feet of which stood out above the cloth; and from his cramped position the young private found that, tug as he would, the weapon was too deeply buried in the thick thatch for him to draw it out.

"Well, this 'ere's a nice game," said the lad softly. "Won't come out, won't you? All right! More ways of killing a cat than hanging it. Go in, then;" and reaching upward with both hands, he began to press upon the butt of the spear, and drove it a little farther in. "If you can't pull a spear or a harrer out, the best thing to do is to shove it through. That's what I'm a-doing; only, as you may say, I'm walking off it." As he spoke he raised his leg up, holding on to the attap roof the while, gave two or three sharp kicks, and threw his leg off the spear-shaft and let it fall free upon the slope, where he lay now upon his back shaking with laughter.

"Oh dear! Oh dear!" he said. "What a game! Pinned down like a specimen! I can't stop it. Just like it's often been when we have been on the march, feeling half-starved and empty, and I have made the lads turn savage, and bang me on the back, and call me all the fools they could lay their tongues to, as they kept telling me to leave off, when I couldn't. Pinned down like a cockchafer! 'Tention! Oh, I say," he gasped out excitedly, "I never thought of that! Here was I wondering how I was to get hold of another spear, and it's come flying at me. Where are you?"

He felt about till his hand came in contact with about two feet of the haft standing out of the thatch, and he began tugging at it to draw it forth. "Won't come, won't you? All right, then, go;" and catching hold of the bamboo staff with his left hand, he doubled his fist and turned his right into a mallet, thumping the butt, which readily yielded and went farther and farther through, till he struck the bamboo and mat together, when a final blow sent the weapon right through, and it was gone.

"My!" he muttered at last. "Suppose Mister Archie was just underneath, listening! Not he, poor chap! He'll be fast asleep," thought Peter. "Well, there's no considering what I ought to do next. I have just got to get back and pick up that there spear. Mr Sentry will never think it's gone through, and if to-morrow he comes to look for it, he will think that there monkey has carried it away sticking in his back. Phew! My leg smarts; and that ain't the worst of it. I have got to get up to the ridge here, and down the other side to where I crept out; and that's where there's snakes."

It took a little resolution when the lad had reached the loose portion of the mat, and he hesitated and kicked about a bit, to scare any enemy away, before raising the mat, passing his legs through, and lowering himself partly down.

A few minutes later he was holding on with one arm, having wedged his toes into the side of the stable wall, while he carefully drew back the thatch into its place.

Directly after, he stood listening amongst the rustling palm-leaves, then crept to Archie's side, to hear him breathing heavily, fast asleep; and then, after refreshing himself with a draught of water, he began to search for the fallen spear. This he passed several times before he found it sticking upright in the floor, gave it a hug of delight, and was about to carry it to thrust it in beside its fellow, when he paused.

"That means if they find one they will find t'other," he said to himself, "so that won't do."

This thought resulted in his finding another hiding-place for his newly acquired treasure.

"We are getting on," he said in a satisfied way—"only got to smug a couple of krises, and there we are. I say, my leg smarts, and I should like to have a look at it; but I won't light a match, because it would be risky in amongst these leaves—and I ain't got one. Well, that will do for to-night, so good-night. I am beginning to think I am tired."

Before five minutes had elapsed Peter Pegg proved the truth of his assertion by the utterance of a very regular snore, which kept time with his breath till broad daylight, when he started up.

"Reveille, comrade!" he cried aloud; and then, "Blest if it ain't that helephant again!"



CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

MORE ABOUT A FRIEND.

"All right, old man," cried Peter Pegg, as he sprang up and crossed to the door, where his visitor was chuntering, as the lad called it, and making a succession of peculiar snorts as he waved his trunk up and down. "What's the matter? Want some breakfast?" And after a moment's hesitation he stretched out his hand and began to stroke the great, prehensile organ that was now passed over his shoulders and down his sides. "You won't hurt me, will you, old chap? That'll do. Steady, and I will get you some breakfast."

The quiet, soothing tone of the lad's voice seemed to convey his meaning, for the elephant curved the end of his trunk right upwards and began to trumpet.

"Hear that, Mister Archie?" cried Peter, as he made for where the fruit-basket stood.

"Yes," replied the subaltern, raising himself slowly and painfully. "Is anything the matter?"

"No, sir; only my friend come to see us."

"Your friend?" said Archie wonderingly.

"Yes, sir; the helephant. Can't you see him?"

"No," said Archie. "Oh yes, I can see its trunk."

"That's right, sir; come for some breakfast;" and the young private strode back, breaking up the cake and placing a goodly piece within reach of the extended trunk, for it to be taken and disappear through the opening, when the trunk quickly returned ready for more.

The business was repeated again and again, and the pieces of bread were followed by bananas and a fair-sized vegetable which might have been either pumpkin or melon.

The trunk curled round it directly, but this proved too great in diameter to pass altogether through the hole, dropping from the trunk and being dashed at by its donor.

"Well caught!" cried Peter. "You must wait a minute, old chap," he continued, pulling out his knife, with which he divided the small pumpkin in four, each portion being quietly taken and drawn through, to disappear in the monster's cavernous interior, to be followed by several more bananas, Peter dealing out his gifts deliberately so as to make more of what in its entirety was a mere snack for the visitor.

"There," he cried at last; "that's all you'll get, so you had better toddle."

Hoomph! grunted the elephant.

"What do you mean by that?"

Phoonk! came in a hollow-sounding grunt.

"Oh, why didn't you speak plain? Want water, do you? Can't spare any. My young governor wants a good wash. Go on down to the river. There's plenty there. Good old chap," he continued, softly stroking the trunk; and after a low, muttering sound the elephant submitted to the caresses, and then began to respond.

"Take care, Pete!" said Archie in a low whisper.

"All right, sir. He knows me."

"But he may turn spiteful. A blow from an elephant's trunk would dash you across the place."

"Oh, he isn't going to dash me—are you, old man?"

"Take care!" whispered Archie hoarsely, for the great serpentine trunk glided completely round Peter and drew him close up to the hole, raising him from the ground, so that he hung three or four feet above the dried leaves.

"Ah-h!" sighed Archie, with an ejaculation of relief, as the elephant lowered the lad again and withdrew his trunk through the hole, and the two young men heard the soft movements of his huge, yielding feet as he slowly shuffled off, making a deep, low, muttering sound.

"There, Mister Archie, what do you think of that?"

"Think!" said the lad excitedly. "I was afraid the brute would crush you to death."

"Not he, sir. Didn't you see what friends we were?"

"Oh yes; but they are dangerous friends."

"He isn't going to be dangerous to us, sir. I am glad you woke up. I wanted you to see him; and now you know how easy it will be for us to escape. Once I get you on his back, he will take us to camp as easy as you please."

"Yes, once we are on his back," sighed Archie. "But how's that to be managed?"

"Oh, you want your breakfast, sir. You've got the dismal empties bad. Now, what do you say—a cup of water and a bit of bread to soak in it, or shall I give you a wash first?"

"A wash! Oh Pete, if you could only bathe that place on my head first, I feel as if it would be so refreshing."

"All right, sir. Plenty of water. That's why I wouldn't give any to the helephant. You've got a handkerchy, and I shall have to trouble you for that there tie as well; that silky thing will do to bathe the place nicely, and the handkerchy to dry you with.—No, it won't. I never thought of that."

"Oh yes, take them," said Archie eagerly. "The tie will soon dry again."

"Yes, I know that, sir; but your puggaree would have been better, only you lost that along with your cap."

"Never mind. Make haste; the place is so hot and stiff."

"Yes, sir, I know; but the wash must come last."

"Why?" cried Archie irritably.

"Because this 'ere ain't a bath-room, sir, and there ain't no washhand-stand. You see, I have only got that there big jar of water, and a cocoa-nut shell to drink out of. You must have breakfast first, and here goes."

Archie remained silent while, taking the cup, the lad fetched the great jar, which was half-full of water.

"There you are, sir," cried Peter, as he filled the cup. "What do you say? Think you could sit up now, or shall I help you?"

In response, wincing a little from pain and feebleness, Archie sat up, took the cup, and drained it with thirsty haste.

"That's good," cried Peter, taking and refilling it. "It does me good to see you, sir. Oh, you are coming on fine. Slep' all night, didn't you?" he continued, as he steadied the cup.

"I suppose so, Pete," said Archie, with a sigh. "I don't remember any thing."

"That's a good sign, sir. Now then, have another, or will you try a little soaked bread first?"

"No," said Archie decisively. "You drink that."

"No, no, sir; after you have done."

"'Tention! Drink first," said Archie, speaking more firmly.

"Oh, if you give commands, sir," said Peter, "I must do it;" and he drained the little vessel, with almost as much avidity as his patient, "Fine tap, ain't it, sir?" he continued, as he drew breath.

"Yes. Now give me another cup and a piece of bread, so that I can break it and soak it."

"Hooray! You are getting hungry, sir;" and the lad broke off some of the bread from the big cake that was left, handed a piece to his subaltern, and watched him with intense satisfaction as with trembling fingers he held a wedge in the cup, keeping it there till it was thoroughly soaked.

"Now then, you do the same," said Archie.

"Oh, I can wait, sir. I ain't in no hurry."

"Obey your orders, sir," cried Archie sternly.

"Right, sir," was the prompt reply; and the private followed his officer's example, this being repeated in each case, with results doubly satisfactory to Peter Pegg. "They make capital bread here, sir, don't they?" he said, smiling, as he partook heartily of his share of the food.

"Yes," replied Archie quietly. "I seem to be able to taste it better this morning."

"That's good, sir. Ready for a piece more?"

"Yes; about half as much as you gave me."

The repast went on till Archie refused another portion.

"Give me some more water. I think I can manage," he said. "Now," he continued, after drinking, "take as much water as you like."

"Sure you won't have some more, sir?"

"Quite."

"'Cause there won't be another chance till the niggers come with the next lot.—Oh yes, I didn't think of that," cried Peter; and after drinking a couple more cupfuls, he placed the brimmed shell upright in one corner of the stable, before proceeding carefully to bathe his companion's face and hands, and ended by applying a succession of drenched pads to the painful, stiffened wound.

"How does that feel, sir?" he asked after a time.

"Oh Pete, I can't tell you! It's something heavenly. Go on, please. The necktie keeps getting so hot. Ah yes, better and better," he sighed. "There, that'll do," he said at last. "You must be tired now."

"Not me, sir," replied the lad. "It's easy enough. I could go on for a week—only I am glad you cried halt."

"Yes; I thought you must be weary," said Archie.

"No, sir, 'tain't that, I tell you. There!" and he withdrew the silk necktie, dripping, from the bottom of the jar. "That's sucked up the very last drop, sir. Hold still, sir, and let me lay this just on the top, and as soon as you begins to feel it too warm I will take it away and hang it up to dry. I won't dab the place with the handkerchy, because it will feel cooler if you let it dry by itself."

"Why, Pete, you are as good as a nurse."

"Oh, I don't know, sir. Tidy, like—tidy. You see, I have had two goes over the chaps in horspittle, and one can't help picking up a bit."

"No nurse could have done better," said Archie in a tone full of relief.

"Well, sir, 'tain't much to talk about. You see, I ain't got no proper tackle—not so much as a sponge. Now, if Dr Morley was here he'd put on some lint and a bandage."

"Yes, I suppose so. Is the wound very big?"

"Quite big enough, sir. Might be bigger. Worst of it is, it's so much bruisy-like. But you are getting better, sir, splendid."

"Ah, and I have been so selfish, thinking only of myself. You must be longing for a wash, and there isn't a drop of water left."

"Oh, I don't mind, sir. I shall crumble up some of them leaves and have a dry wipe, for I suppose my skin don't look very cheerful."

Archie held up his hand.

"What's that, sir? Somebody coming?"

Archie bowed his head, and Peter Pegg went on tiptoe to his observatory, and drew himself up, holding back as much as possible, to see a Malay, whom he recognised as the previous night's sentry, standing back at some little distance, shading his eyes with his hands as he looked upward, and then changing his position time after time as he seemed to be sweeping the roof with his eyes, before hurrying away.

"Why, I'd 'most forgotten that," said Peter to himself. "He was looking up there to see if he could find where that there spear's sticking in the roof, and," he added, with a chuckle, "it ain't sticking there a bit. I suppose he's afraid of being hauled over the coals by his sergeant for losing his weapon. Sarve him right! The beast! Why, he might have sent it right through me."

This thought seemed to suggest what he had gone through over-night, for after taking a final glance in the direction of the retiring sentry, he dropped softly down to where the broad patch of light lay upon the leaves, drew up the leg of his trouser, and examined an unpleasant-looking wound.

"Might have been worse," he thought. "Only wants leaving alone. Just a wash and a dab of old Jollop's sticking-plaister; and it won't get neither, for it will heal up by itself and be something to show," he chuckled—"PP's first wound in the Malay Expedition!"

Getting up actively enough, for he fancied he heard a sound, he climbed to the hole once more, and found he was right, for the Malay sentry was returning, shouldering a fresh spear.

"Now, where did he get that?" thought the lad. "It's wonderful to me how quiet everything is here. There must be houses, or huts, or something, and a fairish lot of men; and, of course, there's helephant-sheds. Only where are they? Jungle, jungle, jungle, without so much as a squint of anything else. Wonder what Mister Archie thinks about it."

The lad dropped down again, after noticing that the sentry was now leaning on his spear, scanning the roof once more; but as Peter stood listening and laughing to himself, he muttered:

"He must have thought it was a big monkey!" and he mentally pictured what had passed in the night, when a smart tap caught his ear which sounded as if the shaft of the spear had been brought down with a rap upon the ground. This was followed by a step or two.

"Coming here," thought the lad, and he stepped quickly over the leaves, to throw himself down close to Archie as if he were asleep, but keeping one half-closed eye fully observant of all that passed.

The sunlight was streaming in through the sides of the building in several places, and the watcher was conscious of the movements of the man by his shadow crossing first one and then another of these openings, one of which he directly after darkened.

"Don't you stir, Mister Archie," he whispered. "Sentry's squinting through one of the holes."

There was no reply, and Peter watched till the light struck in again through the darkened hole. This was followed by footsteps.

"You see him, didn't you, sir?" said Peter, turning in his fellow-prisoner's direction.—"Look at that, now! I was shamming sleep, but, my word! he's off again, sound as a church; and that means he's getting well. I feel better too after that bread and water. Now then, some of that fruit."

He went gently to the basket, which held a still ample supply.

"Might have given old Two-tails some more," he muttered. "This won't do. We shall eat some, but there will be a lot to spare, and if they come and find the basket like this they will grow stingy; and I can use any amount for our friend."

Taking up the basket, he carried it to one corner, raised a few leaves, and placed part of the bananas in the clearing, before lightly covering them up, taking the basket back to Archie's side, and placing several of the yellow fruits close to his hand.

"I might go to sleep," he thought, "and they will be ready for him."

Then settling himself down near the empty water-jar, which he carefully wiped out and turned upside-down to dry, he began to munch his own share of the fruit, making up his mind the while to think out thoroughly a good plan for their escape.

"One helephant," he said softly, "two spears, one officer, and one private who knows how to use the spears. Wanted: two krises and how to get away. Well, there's nothing like thinking, so here goes."



CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

"R-A-A-A-AH!"

Three weeks had passed away. Morning had come at last, and Archie Maine was beginning to breathe more freely, after passing a very bad night. For, as if it had scented an easy prey close at hand, a deep-voiced tiger had startled him from his watch about an hour before midnight by a deep-toned roar which had made the young subaltern stand half-paralysed for a few minutes, feeling as he did that there was nothing but the partly woven, fence-like wall of the big stable between him and the most savage beast that ranges the Eastern jungles.

The lad was stout-hearted enough, but he could not help feeling that though the building was strong of its kind, it would prove but a frail defence against the mighty arms and tremendous claws of a furiously hungry tiger; and after the first shock he crept cautiously to the hiding-place of one of the spears and drew it out, to plant the butt against one retired foot and hold it with the keen blade about breast-high in the direction of the bamboo uprights and palm lath slats that were woven in and out in duplicate.

That deep-toned roar was followed by a silence that was awe-inspiring in its way, and as Archie listened it seemed to him that he could hear the snuffling breathing of the savage animal that must have scented him during its rounds.

That silence lasted about a quarter of an hour before it afforded some amount of encouragement to the listener. The loneliness was awful, for he was sure that he and his fellow-prisoner were correct in coming to the conclusion that very soon after sunset the sentry had crept silently away, this terrible roar suggesting itself as an explanation of the reason for the elephant-stable with its prisoners being left without a watcher during the night.

Several times over, since he had been sufficiently recovered to sit wakefully chatting with Peter Pegg as to the best way of making their escape, he had heard snarling cries, shrieks that were thrilling enough in themselves, and which the two lads had set down to be the utterances of some ape that had been scented out and pounced upon by one of the cat-like creatures during its nocturnal search for prey. They had heard too, and rightly judged what were the authors of, other night cries, some of which, coming from a large kind of stork or crane that lurked upon the banks of the neighbouring river, were horrible and weird in their intensity. But though the jungle was supposed to contain plenty of tigers, it was only once that the prisoners had heard what they knew for certain to be the huge cat's roar.

Archie felt that he would not have cared upon the present occasion if Peter Pegg had been by his side, and in imagination, as he stood with the lowered spear, he saw himself taking turns with the young private in stabbing at the savage beast as it was snarling, tearing, and trying to force its way through the tangled side of the big stable. But to do this alone, it seemed to him, would only result in irritating the beast and make it more furious at his efforts to drive the sharp blade into a vital part.

"We might have settled it between us," he thought; and then, in the midst of the weird darkness, he shivered, for a fresh horrible thought assailed him, which made the palms of his hands grow damp and the moisture gather upon his brow.

What did it mean—this savage monster making its way close up to his prison that night of all those that had passed? Could it be that it had tracked stealthily, after the habit of its kind, and pounced upon poor Peter Pegg, dragged him down, and hidden his body somewhere in the dense thicket, and now, guided by its keen scent, followed the flair to where he stood with the cold perspiration now beginning to trickle from his temples and the sides of his face?

There was not another sound, and after a sturdy battle with his feelings, Archie began to force himself into the belief that it was his weakness that made him imagine that such a catastrophe had occurred. But all thought of sleep had passed away for that night. He felt it would be impossible, and he stood with every sense strained, listening for some movement; but it was quite an hour later, and after he had begun to feel overcome by weariness from standing so long in one position, that he took a deep breath and began to walk lightly up and down the building, fully expecting that the rustle of the palm-leaves would excite the tiger into some fresh demonstration of its proximity.

But the beast made no sign, and beginning to indulge in the hope that after its roar it had crept stealthily and silently away upon its cushioned, velvet paws, he made his way to the stone jar, felt for the cocoa-nut, took a draught, and began to think of what had passed during these many weary days and nights of his struggle back towards recovery.

There was not much to dwell upon, for it had been terribly monotonous, that time, and sadly punctuated with either mental or physical pain. The mental was all embraced in the one painful thought of Minnie Heath and what had been her fate; the physical was mingled with the pain caused during the healing up of the horrible contused wound above his temples; while when he had not been suffering from this he was burdened by a series of wearing headaches, which would wake him from a refreshing sleep somewhere about the middle of the night, and not die out again till just before it was light.

Then day after day there had been the trumpeting sounds of the elephants shuffling by the prison on their way to water, the regular visits of one of their number, Peter's friend, to thrust in his trunk for a fresh supply of bread and fruit.

The dwarfish little Malay whose task it seemed to be to drive the great beasts to their morning bath, from which they returned muddied and dripping, had twice over, to the recovering lad's knowledge, shouted at and tried to drive Peter's friend from the stable door, but on the second occasion he had been so nearly caught by the huge beast that he was satisfied to leave him to his own devices, and Rajah, as Peter had christened him, came and went as he pleased.

Then, after the heat of the day had passed, the head keeper, as Peter called him, came with his followers to bring a fresh supply of their monotonous food and water; and it was he who, at irregular times, would come to change the sentry, peering through one of the holes to make sure that his prisoners were safe, and then going away as silently as he had come.

All this was discussed, as Archie grew stronger, again and again by the two prisoners, and they came to the conclusion that they must be deeply buried in an out-of-the-way part of the jungle from which it would be impossible for them to escape, and that that was the reason for so little attention being paid to their security.

"That's it, Pete," Archie had declared. "They know we can't get away, or else there would be more regularity about our guard, and whoever is on sentry would not disappear as soon as it is dark."

Peter's answer repeated itself with additional force on this particular night of Archie's watch, for the lad had said, "They know 'tain't safe, sir. It's my belief that if the sentry kept guard there one night, he would never do it again."

"Poor Peter!" thought Archie as, refreshed by his draught of water, he began slowly to pace the rustling floor again. "In such a silent night as this," he mused, "one's thoughts ought to flow easily enough, and I was hopeful that when he came back I should have hit out some better plan for our escape; but ever since that horrible night all power of thinking seems to have gone. Sometimes I do get fancying that the power is coming back, but it is only for me to seem weaker again, and—Oh, I wish I had not let him go! I am too cowardly now to be left alone, and—"

R-a-a-a-ah!

Archie started into his old position, for once more, apparently from close at hand, came the deep-toned, savage, snarling roar of some huge tiger that had approached the big stable without a sound, and in imagination Archie could see its fiery, glaring eyes distended with a gaze that seemed to pierce the woven wall, as, with the soft white fur of its under parts brushing the earth, it gathered itself up ready to dash like some living catapult clean through the frail partition to his very feet.

"To impale itself, if I am lucky," thought Archie. And then the silence continued for what seemed to be an hour, before, in the hope that the monster had once more stolen away as silently as it had come, the young man once again ventured to recommence the duties of his lonely, rustling beat. And now again he was attacked by his former horrible dread. The imaginary picture was in all its force. Poor Peter must have been followed by the tiger and dragged down helplessly to a horrible death; and, yes—for it was all too clear—this was indeed the reason why they were not guarded at night.

There was the temptation for them, had they known, to attempt to make what would seem to be an easy escape; but for what? One sudden blow from a tremendous paw—and death.

The thought was sufficient to prostrate a man in the full vigour of his health and strength, and hence it was more than enough to cause a weak lad, slowly recovering from the fever and suffering from the shock of concussion and wound, to lean heavily upon the staff of the spear he held and feel at times that he should sink down in a heavy swoon.

It was a terrible night—one which seemed as if it would never end; but he fought bravely on, proving in himself that hope springs eternal in the human breast, and driving back what he called to himself his coward thoughts, till at last, after twice more being startled by the coming of the tiger, he did sink down heavily amongst the rustling leaves, and buried his face in his hands, that had quitted their hold of the spear, to receive the quivering face that now lay motionless upon them.

But it was no new coming of the enemy that had banished sleep and set every nerve pulsating before it seemed to lie weak and slack. It was one strange, twanging cry that he recognised at once as the call of the argus pheasant, far away in the jungle, and it meant so much—the fading away of the black darkness, and the glowing golden red of the rising sun to tell him ere long that it was morning and that the disturber of his would-be restful watch must have slunk away; and Archie Maine crouched there with his face still buried in his hands, quite sensible, for his lips were quivering and his breath coming and going more strongly, and causing a slight rustling of the dry leaves beneath. And then there was a whisper of thankfulness, as the lad now slowly rose from his knees with a weary sigh.



CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

"LIKE AN OLD TOM-CAT."

There was nothing but the suggestion of the faint light of dawn stealing through the Rajah's hole, as Peter called it; but Archie knew well enough the way to the cocoa-nut and the stone jar for a refreshing draught, after which he pulled himself together, and began to wonder at the different phases of the night.

"I don't think I should have been such a coward before that dreadful night," he said to himself. "What horrors one can imagine at a time like this!"

For there seemed to be a something in the coming of day that brought with it the flagging hope that had passed away, and minute by minute there was something to take his attention.

He felt that there was no occasion to carry the spear any more, and he crept to its hiding-place and thrust it in where it would be safe, before crossing to the door and making use of Peter's steps as he drew himself up to peer out and breathe in the cool, soft, refreshing air.

And now the varying notes of birds came more often—cries of stork and crane, the whistle of the smaller parrots, the harsh shrieks of those of larger growth; and then he seemed to hear nothing, for all his feelings were concentrated in thoughts of his fellow-prisoner, in repetitions of how they had canvassed one particular thing, how he had objected, and how Peter Pegg had fought for and won in his determination that he would creep out from the roof, lower himself down, and make an expedition that should put away doubts and prove to them what their position really was, how near they were to their guards, and where the stables of the several elephants that passed their prison lay.

"You see, Mister Archie, sir," Peter had insisted, "we must do something. You are getting well on your legs now, and if we don't make a heffort we may be kept here for months. You are my officer, and I take my orders from you, but I do beg and pray, sir, as you will let me have a try. I can get out easy enough, and I can get in again. An hour or two would do it."

And Archie had at last given way, to find that the hour or two had not done it, for the night had passed; it would soon be broad day, with the elephants being driven to water and a sentry resuming his post; and a chill was beginning to paralyse him, while hope grew more and more dull for the searcher for the way to freedom.

There was a faint tint of red now right away over the top of the distant trees, and what seemed to be a mountain appeared above the jungle; but it brought no return of the hope, to Archie, as it grew redder and redder, it looked blood-like—a forecast, as it were, of the horror and despair that were soon to come upon him in the shape of a dreadful truth. For Peter had not come back; and even if he were to come now, it would only be to be seen and made a closer prisoner; the secret of his way out would be known, and they would be more carefully imprisoned. He must be seen now, for there was the distant trumpeting of the advancing elephants, and it was quite light enough for the sentry to make his way along the forest path to take his place beneath the tree, and perhaps come to peer in first to see if his prisoners were safe.

Archie thought that perhaps the elephants might come by first, and then contradicted himself as he felt convinced that it would be the sentry; and as he peered forth from the hole, with the cold chill of despair increasing, there, far down the path, came the squat figure, with the light playing upon the end of his spear.

"It's all over," thought the prisoner; and then he almost fell from the hole, and turned to stare wildly up at the mats which sloped down to the eaves of the building, and saw a leg thrust through hastily, then another, and the next moment Peter Pegg's toes were kicking at the wall as he struggled, hanging by one hand, to rearrange the attap mat of the roof, and then, panting and breathless, he lowered himself down and dropped at Archie's feet.

"Oh, I say!" he groaned. "That was close! Sentry's coming down the path."

"Yes, I saw him. Did he see you?"

"No. I was creeping along like an old tom-cat to get round to the back, and, my word, ain't I scratched! Talk about thorns!"

"Oh Pete, how you frightened me!" said Archie faintly.

"Frightened you, sir? Well, didn't he frighten me?"



CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

MUST CHANCE IT.

The sound of a step outside made Peter Pegg throw himself quickly down in a pile of the crushed leaves, burying his face in his hands, while Archie began to walk slowly up and down, conscious the while, through the shutting out of the morning light, that their guard had come up to the side of their prison and looked in, before going back to the sheltering tree, where he squatted down, to watch carelessly the coming of the elephants, one of which made for the hole, and was in the act of thrusting its trunk through, when it was charged by its big companion, the Rajah, who uttered a fierce squeal and drove the intruder away, before inserting his own trunk as usual, making no scruple about taking his customary refreshment from Archie's hand, having during the past few days grown accustomed to the subaltern's presence, and ending by giving the lad a few of the friendly touches that he was in the habit of bestowing upon Peter Pegg.

As soon as the elephant had gone, and after giving a glance at their guard, Archie, who was burning to listen to what his fellow-prisoner had to say, lay down beside him, under the impression that weariness had kept him from rising to attend to the elephant's visit.

He found him so soundly asleep that he did not even respond to a sharp shake of the arm which Archie gave him on receiving no reply to his whispers; and then he had to contain himself till evening, when their usual visitors came; and it was not till long after, when they were once more alone, that the young private suddenly started up.

"Have I been asleep?" he said half-wonderingly.

"Asleep! Yes; and I want to know what you have found out."

"Let's have a drink and something to eat first. I feel half-starved."

"Yes, of course—of course. Go on."

"Now," said Peter, after a ravenous attack upon the bread and fruit. "Oh, here, this is good! Only I think it's time we got some meat. I'd give anything for a bit of commissariat bacon. You want to hear what I did, sir. Well, it was next to nothing but crawl like a slug in and out amongst trees, scratting one's self with that long, twining, climbing palm, and not once daring to stand up and walk."

"Well, but what did you find out?"

"Nothing at all, sir, except that there's a bit of a lodge here which seems as if it might belong to the Rajah, and be where he lived and slept."

"And was he there?"

"Oh no, sir; there's nobody there, only about a dozen Malay chaps, besides them as come to see us; and then there's a very big helephant-shelter, like this, only quite new and good, at the end of that there left path; and right away beyond that, in a sort of clearing where the jungle has been cut down—if I didn't tell you before—there's some big trees and a sort of scaffold of bamboos that looks like a shelter such as any one would climb up to shoot tigers, and under it some bones, just as if a buffalo had been tied up for a bait."

"Yes, I see," said Archie. "Well, go on."

"What about?"

"About what you found next."

"I didn't find nothing next, only paths—helephant-paths that go right away somewhere."

"Yes. Go on."

"Well, I did go on as far as I dared, sir; but it was all dark, and I couldn't do anything so long as the Malay chaps were talking, and when they were quiet I was afraid to stir for fear of waking them up."

"But didn't you find out where the paths led to?"

"No, sir. I did try."

"Well, but didn't you strike out into the jungle?"

Peter chuckled.

"Strike out, sir! Why, you're shut in everywhere, and it's like trying to break through a sort of natural cane basket."

"Then you really have done nothing?"

"No, sir; only found that this seems to be the place in the forest where somebody comes to shoot tigers. And talk about them chickens—that's why I did not go so far as I might. Every now and then I could hear one of them calling to its mate; and the first time it scared me so that I swarmed up a tree into the shelter or scaffold sort of place, where you could sit down."

"Well, what then?" said Archie impatiently.

"Well, sir, I sat down."

"Naturally," said Archie.

"And then, when I thought it safe, and I was going to climb down in the dark to have another look, mi-a-o-u! There was that there great pussy again—and he was a whopper!"

"But you couldn't see him?"

"No, sir; it was too dark. I knew he was a whopper, though, by the size of his squeak. But I am pretty sure that he could see me, for he seemed to come and sit upright in the middle of the clearing, and began to purr. Blessed if he didn't sound just like a threshing-machine out in the fields at home after harvest-time."

Archie was silent for a few moments, and Peter Pegg went on quietly and thoughtfully:

"Yes, sir; it sounded just like that."

"Then you stopped up in that shelter for long enough?"

"I just did, sir—for hours."

"Did you go to sleep?"

"Did I go to sleep, sir? No! Never felt so full of wide-awake in my life. Why, if you had heard that there thing roar—"

"I did hear it roar," said Archie quietly; "and it kept me awake all night."

"Hark at that now, sir," said Peter. "My word, Mister Archie, sir! wouldn't one of them be a fine thing to train young recruities with, and teach them how to keep awake on sentry?"

"But you said something to me, Peter, about having to make our escape by daylight. Why?"

"Why, sir? Because as soon as you try and travel out in that there jungle, it's so dark that you can't tell which way to steer."

"But we should have to trust to the elephant—if we could get him."

"Oh, that wouldn't do, sir. We should have trouble enough with it all clear daylight. I've thought it all over till my head won't think, and it's all as clear as crystial. We must wait for morning, when the helephant comes for his titbits before one of these chaps mounts guard, and then slip out and chance it. I believe in chance, sir—chance and cheek. You can often do things by risking it when you makes all sorts of plans and fails."

"Well, Peter," said Archie wearily, "I can propose nothing better."

"I wish you could, sir."

"So do I," said Archie. "Well, we must try; and if they catch us, why, they can but bring us back. I don't think they dare use their spears, for fear of what might follow when our people come to rescue us."

"Oh, they won't dare to savage us, sir. I believe these are Rajah Suleiman's men, and he wants to keep friendly with the Major."

"There I think you are wrong, Pete. If he wanted to keep friendly, he would not have set his men to attack our boat."

"I don't know, sir," said Peter solemnly, "for there's a deal of cunning and dodgery amongst these krisy chaps, and you never knows what games they may be at; and as to waiting for our Bri'ish Grenadiers to march up and find us, I'm thinking that we may wait till all's blue. My old woman used to say—my granny, you know, as brought me up—'Peter,' she used to say, 'I am going to give you a moral lesson, boy: don't you wait for people to help you, my lad; you help yourself.'"

"That was very good advice, Pete," said Archie, smiling, and uttering a deep yawn.

"Yes, sir; and that's what I used to do."

"Help yourself?"

"I didn't mean that, sir. I used to hear it so often that I used to do as you did just now."

"What do you mean?"

"Yawn at it, sir."

"Oh!" said Archie. "Well, but, Pete, that tiger you talked about kept me awake all night."

"So he did me, sir."

"Yes," said Archie, laughing; "but you've slept all day since."

"Right, sir. That's one to you, Mister Archie. Well, sir, that's our game, just as I say. We'll lay up a good stock of rations—I mean save the fresh and keep on eating the stale, and be all ready for the right morning, and when it comes, nip outside, mount the helephant, and away we will go—I mean, that is, if you think that you can creep up same as I do, and lower yourself down from the roof."

"I think I could now, Pete."

The lad grunted.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It means I don't, sir. I know you'd try, but try ain't enough. You must do. Still, it don't mean that we are going to start to-morrow morning; and a good job, too, because there's grub, and our sleep-chests is pretty well empty. We must both be as fit as fiddles, sir, and then we can play a tune that will make the niggers stare."

"Yes," said Archie, after lying in silence for a few minutes, with the darkness rapidly approaching. "We will worry our brains no more. This plan is simple. We will be prepared, and then good luck go with us. We will make our start."

"Bray-vo!" cried Peter. "That's talking like our own old Mister Archie. I say, sir, you are picking up!"

"Am I, Pete?" said the lad sadly. "Feel my arm."

Pete ran his hand down his companion's limb from shoulder to wrist.

"Well, sir, that's all right."

"All right! Why, I feel like a skeleton."

"Well, but the bones is all right, sir. You went for ever so long without eating anything at all but water, and there ain't no chew in that; and when you did begin to peck, what's it been? Soaked bread, and 'nanas and pumpkins. You couldn't expect to get fat on them. Just wait till we get back to camp, and you are put on British beef and chicken, and them pheasants as you officers shoot. My," said the lad, with a smack of his lips, "couldn't I tackle one now—stuffed with bread-crumbs and roasted! I should be sorry for the poor dog as had to live on the bones. A bit of fish, too, fried, sir—even if it was only them ikon Sammy Langs. Here, stow it! I only wanted you not to fidget about being a bit fine. You get your pluck, Mister Archie; and you are doing that fast. Never mind about the fat and lean so long as you feel that you can hit out with your fist or tackle a kris chap with one of our spears. Doing a thing, sir, is saying you will do it and then doing it in real earnest. I say, how soon it has got dark! Now, what do you say to a bit of supper, and then finishing up our sleep?"

"Agreed, Pete. But what about keeping watch for the tiger if it comes?"

"Ah, I didn't think about that, sir; but we've got to chance getting the elephant here and riding away before the sentry comes."

"Yes; we've settled that we must chance that."

"Yes, sir; and we must chance the tiger if he comes, which maybe he won't, for we haven't heard much of them chaps before."



CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

IN THE ELEPHANT-HOLES.

"Did you hear anything in the night, Pete?" said Archie the next morning.

"There he is, bless him!" whispered Peter, from where he was peering through the lookout-hole.

"What do you mean?"

"That Malay chap, sir—the big one with the squint. I should like to drop upon him and smug that kris of his. Just think of it! As soon as we made up our minds to toddle the first time we can get the helephant here before they mount sentry, here he comes, just as if orders had been given for that to be done regular."

Peter dropped down from his lookout-hole, and began to pick out the worst of the fruit for the elephant when he came.

"Seems hard on a friend, Mister Archie, but I don't suppose the Rajah minds them being a bit over ripe."

"Not he," replied Archie; "but I meant, did you hear anything in the night?"

"Oh, you mean the tiger, sir? Yes, I heerd him three or four times, but I was too comfortable to sit up and bother about him. Did you hear him?"

"I suppose I did, but it all seems as if it was part of a dream."

"That's all right, then, sir. I say! Hear 'em? Here's the helephants coming. You get up and look."

Archie mounted to the hole, and saw, following steadily one after the other, four of the great beasts, with the little, squat driver seated on the neck of the last; and after they had passed, loafing carelessly along as if he were too important and disdained to be driven, came the Rajah, muttering as if to himself, and walking straight up to the big stable door before going on to take his bath.

Archie dropped down, after seeing that the sentry was quietly rolling up a fresh betel-quid, and Peter stood aside for his companion to take his place by the basket.

"Never mind me, sir. Let him stroke you over as much as he likes; and you mustn't mind if he smells you too much with the wet end of his trunk. I want you to be as good friends as me and him is."

The result was that Archie fed the great beast, and was caressed, the sensation being upon the lad, as he listened to the flapping of the elephant's ears, that the beast's two little, pig-like eyes were piercing some crack in the door and watching him intently.

Then, as if quite satisfied with his share in the provender, which he must have taken as a dainty addition to the vast quantities of jungle grass and leafage which formed his real support, the elephant swung off, bowing his huge head and muttering softly, to overtake his companions, while Peter gave his officer a very knowing look.

"There, sir," he said, "that's just what we want, only no sentry. You will have to creep out with the prog and the spears, and the krises when they comes, which we shall have all ready, while I'm feeding him, and then go on yourself giving him some bread which we will save up for him. I shall join you, and tell him to kneel down; up we gets. You will crawl on and hold on by the ropes while I settle down with my legs under his ears. It will be just as easy as A, B, C."

"IF," said Archie, in capital letters.

But the days passed wearily on; provisions were stored up, and there had been no chance of securing a kris, let alone two, and Peter declared that it was all out of aggravation that some sentry or another always took up his daily task before the elephants came.

"They are making a regular custom of it, sir," he said. "Cuss them!"

"What's that, Pete?"

"I only said custom, sir. I warn't swearing. I won't say what I might have said if you hadn't been here."

That very afternoon, as if fate had become weary of fighting against them, Peter, who had been watching the sentry's weapons with covetous eyes till it was beginning to grow dusk, suddenly uttered an ejaculation.

"What is it, Pete?"

"Look here, sir. Be smart, before it gets dark. I have been watching this 'ere chap for a hour. He has been nodding off to sleep all the time, and now he's off sound."

"What of that?"

"Kris, sir," said the lad; and crossing the floor of the great building, he climbed cleverly up to the thatch and passed out, and Archie heard a faint rustling, and then sat listening in the dark till, after what seemed to be an impossibly short space of time, the rustling began again, and a few minutes afterwards Peter, panting heavily, dropped down on his knees by the subaltern's side.

"Well, was it still too light for you to venture?" asked Archie.

"Poof!" ejaculated the lad. "Ketch hold 'ere, sir;" and he thrust the pistol-butt-like handle of a kris into his companion's hand. "Sound as a top, sir. Ain't that prime! Don't I wish he had had a mate, so that I could have got two!"

"But he will miss it as soon as he wakes," exclaimed Archie.

"Not 'im, sir; and if he does, he'll think that one of his mates has been larking. Wait a bit, and I shall get another chance, for we ought to have two."

But Fate was going to smile again, for the very next morning, in a wild state of excitement, the lad gripped his young officer's hand tightly between his own.

"No larks, sir," he half-sobbed. "Don't gammon me. If you don't feel strong enough, say so, and we'll wait."

"What do you mean? What's the matter?" whispered back Archie.

"Look there, sir! The helephants are coming, and there ain't no sentry."

"Oh!" ejaculated Archie, wild now with excitement, "I'm strong enough for anything."

"Then take it coolly, sir, just as if we weren't going to make a bolt. That chap must have been a bit sick last night, or been taking bhang or something, and he's overslept himself this morning. Now then! Spears— kris—victuals. Ready for action. Let's get part of the prog on to the thatch. You hand it up to me, and then mount yourself.—Oh dear, we sha'n't have half enough time!"

"But suppose the sentry comes?"

"Lie down on the thatch. You will be out of sight."

The low muttering of the elephants was heard as Peter scrambled up to his hole in the roof. Archie handed up the spears, which the lad took, and used one to help him in drawing up the basket of provisions, leaving Archie to follow with a couple of cakes thrust into his breast; and by the time the young subaltern was climbing along the thatch preparatory to lowering himself down, five of the elephants had shuffled by, with the squat little driver mounted on the last, and disappeared round a curve of the narrow elephant-path.

As usual, their great fellow, Rajah, as Peter called him, was coming muttering up, apparently only seeing the ground just where he was about to plant his feet, so that he started and prepared to swerve as he suddenly caught sight of the private standing waiting for him, this being something entirely fresh.

But Peter did not lose his presence of mind; he called him by name and held out a piece of the cake, when the great animal uttered a loud grunt, stopped short, and extended his trunk, not to grasp the tempting offering, but to bring to bear his wonderful sense of smell before he was satisfied.

Then he passed his trunk over the lad's chest, muttering pleasantly the while, and taking the piece of cake, transferred it to his cavernous mouth.

"Now, Mister Archie, sir, bring what you can, and never mind the rest. We haven't a moment to spare. Come gently, whatever you do."

Archie was slowly descending the slope of the great thatched roof, which seemed to be a perfectly easy task, but so novel to one who had not had Peter's experience that when he had nearly reached the eaves and was planting his feet carefully, in preparation for lowering himself down the eight or nine feet of perpendicular wall, whose trellis-work would afford him support, the tied-in piece of flat stone upon which he had planted his foot suddenly gave way, and slipped from the thin cane. A faint cry escaped from the young officer's lips as he grasped at the brittle attap mat, which gave way at once. He slipped over the ragged mat which formed the eaves, and the next moment, crack, crack, crack, he was hanging feet downwards, and then fell heavily in a cloud of dust bump upon the trampled earth, in company with a snake about six feet long, which began to glide rapidly away.

"You've done it, sir!" panted Peter; and then loudly, "It's all right, old man," he continued, as he held out the rest of the piece of cake. "That's only his way of coming down. Whatcher frightened about? Oh, I see; it's that snake;" and catching up one of the spears which he had leaned up against the big door, he used it pitchfork fashion to the writhing reptile, and sent it flying upward on to the roof, for it to begin scuffling away amidst the leafy thatch.

Phoonk! said the elephant; and he slowly turned himself as if upon a pivot, and extended his trunk to the coveted cake.

"Don't say you are hurt, sir!" whispered Peter. "You can go on, can't you? Oh, do say you can!"

"Yes, yes," panted Archie confusedly; "I think I am all right."

"Then here goes for it, sir. I don't feel a bit sure, but I am going to try as soon as I have fed him a bit more. Don't you bother about the prog. I am going to make him carry it as inside passengers. It will please him, and if he will carry us we will eat leaves or grass.—Come on, old man. Here you are! Ripe 'nanas, and one of them pumpkin things. What! rather have the pumpkin first?" he continued, as the great trunk curved slowly towards the golden-hued, melon-like fruit. "Can't swallow that all at once, can you? And I don't want to stop and cut it. What! you can? Oh, all right, then. I forgot you'd got grinders as big as meat-tins.—Good-bye, pumpkin.—Now, Mister Archie, I am not sure, but I think I can say what the mahout does when he wants him to kneel down. Then don't you stop a moment, but climb up and get hold of them ropes that he has got round him, pull yourself up, and hold on. Ready?"

"Yes," said Archie dreamily; but he was shaken up and confused by his fall.

"Now, Rajah, kneel down!" cried Peter, in the nearest approach he could recall to the Malay mahout's command; and, to his great delight, the huge beast swayed from side to side and sank upon the earth, at the same time curving his trunk towards Peter as he raised his head.

"There you are," cried Peter, as he passed a couple of the bananas he held ready, and the moment these had been grasped and the trunk lowered again, "Now then, up with you!" cried the lad; and planting a foot upon one of the corrugations of the wrinkling trunk, Archie began to scramble up, passing over the animal's forehead, up between the extended ears and over the rugosities between head and neck.

He nearly slipped as he reached for one of the ropes that girdled the animal's loins, but recovered himself, and, to Peter's satisfaction, seated himself, holding on tightly by the howdah-stays.

"Here you are!" cried Peter again, and this time he handed a great lump of cake, which the elephant took contentedly.—"Now, Mister Archie, sir," he cried, as he seized the two spears and handed them up, "take hold; I'll carry one by-and-by.—Now, old chap," he continued, "it's my turn now. Up with you!" And once more his memory served him in giving some rendering of the mahout's command, for in his slow, lumbering fashion the monster began to sway.

"Hold tight, sir, whatever you do," cried Peter.

"Yes. Are you going to walk?"

"Not me, sir; but I do wish that we hadn't got to leave that basket behind."

By this time the towering beast was once more upon its feet, and Peter was puzzling his head for an order he had forgotten; but just as some misty notion of the Malay words was hovering in his brain the great trunk encircled his waist, he was lifted from the ground, and the next minute he was gliding safely into the mahout's place, his widely outstretched legs settling themselves behind the monster's ears.

"Now, Mister Archie, give us one of them spears. Got it! Now then— talk about a mahout!—Geet! geet! Netherway!" he cried, using the words familiar to him from the days when he used to watch the carters and their teams. "What are you up to now?—Look at that, now, Mister Archie!" For, to the lad's great delight, the elephant had swung himself round a little, the effect being to Archie that of a heavily laden boat in a rough sea, and reaching out with his trunk towards the basket with the rest of the fruit, he had picked it up, and then began to march solemnly and sedately in the direction taken by the other elephants every morning since they had passed the great shed.

"Can you hold on, Mister Archie?" said Peter.

"Yes; pretty well. Are you all right?"

"Oh, I'm all right, sir; but 'ware trees as soon as we get into that path in front. Mind as the branches don't wipe you off."

"I'll try."

"I say, sir, don't the Rajah know how to take care of hisself!" cried Peter, carrying his spear diagonally, and looking as if he was prepared to use it if any one should present himself to stop their way. "Now what do you think of our plan, sir?"

"Oh, it's splendid," replied the young officer. "But never mind me. Don't talk much, for I hurt my head a little when I fell."

"Don't think about it, sir. It will soon pass off," cried Peter without turning his head, and then muttering, "Think of me talking to the poor fellow like that!—Now then, go ahead, Rajah! Best leg foremost, old man. Headquarters, please; and I hope you know the way, for I'm blest if I do. All I know is that I don't want to see that little chap again for him to go and fetch some of them guards."

The elephant slowly shuffled along for the next ten minutes or so, before the first difficulty that presented itself to the amateur mahout appeared in front; for after they had pursued the regular elephant-path beyond the clearing for some little time, there in front was a dividing of the road, and upon reaching this the elephant stopped as if in doubt, and began slowly swinging his head, ending by planting the basket he carried upon the earth and helping himself to another of the coarse melons.

"Which way?" growled Peter, as he looked down each path in turn, the one being fairly trampled, but green with the shoots of the cane; the other showing the regular holes, and being wet and muddy in the extreme.

"All right," thought the lad. "That must be the way down to the river where t'others have gone for their bath. Right!" he cried, as the elephant raised the basket again and inclined his head slowly as if to follow the muddy path, from some distance down which came the grunting of the other elephants, when, in his excitement, Peter uttered a savage "Yah-h!"

This did as well as the purest Malay order meaning to the left, for the elephant turned his head in the other direction at once, and then planting his great feet carefully in the fairly dry holes, he began to follow the greener path.