e it. The stag was a fine beast fourteen hands
high, with sharp brow antlers and a pair of thick, stunted horns
branching at the ends into two points.

Leaving the elephants to graze freely the _mahout_ and his coolie
disembowelled the _sambhur_ and hacked off the head with their heavy
_kukris_. Aided by the Political Officer and Wargrave they skinned the
animal and then with the skill of professional butchers proceeded to cut
up the carcase into huge joints. While they were thus engaged the
Colonel went to a small, straight-stemmed tree common in the jungle and,
clearing away a patch of the outer mottled bark, disclosed a white inner
skin, which he cut off in long strips. With these, which formed
unbreakable cordage, they fastened the heavy joints to the pad of the
transport elephant.

When this was done Wargrave, looking at his hands covered with blood and
grime, said ruefully:

"How on earth are we to get clean, sir? Is there any water in the
jungle? We haven't seen any."

The Political Officer, looking about him, pointed to a thick creeper
with withered-seeming bark and said with a laugh:

"There's your water, Wargrave. Lots of it on tap. See here."

He cut off a length of the _liana_, which contained a whitish, pulpy
interior. From the two ends of the piece water began to drip steadily
and increased to a thin stream.

"By George, sir, that's a plant worth knowing," said Frank.

"It's a most useful jungle product," said the Colonel, holding it up so
that his companion, using clay as soap, could wash his hands. "It's
called the _pani bel_--water-creeper. One need never die of thirst in a
forest where it is found. Try the water in it."

He raised it so that the clear liquid flowed into the subaltern's mouth.
It was cool, palatable and tasteless.

"By George, sir, that's good," exclaimed Wargrave, examining the plant
carefully. "Now let me hold it for you."

After Dermot and the two natives had cleansed their hands and arms the
party moved on, the transport elephant looking like an itinerant
butcher's shop as it followed Badshah. Again the undergrowth parted
before the great animals like the sea cleft by the bows of a ship and
closed similarly behind them when they had passed. Of its own volition
the leader swerved one side or the other when it was necessary to avoid
a tree-trunk or too dense a tangle of obstructing creepers. But once
Dermont touched and turned it sharply out of its course to escape what