tered, sprang from his steed, and threw the rein to an
attendant, after which he marched up to me, and bowed low as he
approached, to say only two words, which drove away all the hopes I had
been nursing.

"His highness!" he said, and I knew then that he was the avant-courier
who had galloped on to announce his lord's coming. After which he
stepped on one side and drew his sword, to stand on guard waiting for
the rajah's entry.

For a time, as I strove hard to be firm and ready to meet the greatest
enemy I had, I listened vainly for some sign of his drawing near, but
for a long space there was nothing but the customary bird-cries from the
forest. At last, though, there was the unmistakable sound of
approaching cavalry, and feeling firmer, I still sat with my eyes fixed
upon the narrow opening, schooling my lips to utter the final word,
"No," when he should come and repeat his offer.

"He will not kill me," I said to myself, "only put me in prison to make
me weary and glad to accept his offer; but he does not know how
obstinate I can be."

The open space surrounded by trees was now flooded with the rich orange
light of sundown, and as I listened to the approach of horse, and saw a
troop of showily dressed men ride in, I could not help a lingering
sensation coming over me, and the temptation would, I felt, be a hard
one to battle.

But first one and then another party rode in, till quite a hundred men
had formed up, with their dress looking brilliant in the sun's
horizontal rays. But there was no rajah, and I had begun to wonder at
his non-appearance on his favourite Arab.

The wonder passed away directly after, for all at once there was a
peculiar soft tread and rustling that was very familiar, sounding quite
distinct from the heavy sharp trampling of horse, and directly I saw the
painted head and gilded tusks of an enormous elephant come from among
the trees. Its head was covered with a scarlet cloth, heavily fringed
with gold, upon which sat its white-robed mahout, and the rest of the
housings were also of the same brilliant red, embroidered and fringed
most heavily with gold, the trappings completely hiding the huge
animal's sides, while the ropes which secured the massive silver howdah
were also twisted and tasselled with the rich yellow metal, much of
which was used to compose the rails and front of the canopied structure
in which the rajah was seated, completing what was a dazzling object
towering far a