pearance was
calculated to cause him to wonder--and a feminine instinct made her hands
go up to her untidy hair, as she suddenly thought of her dishevelled state.
She picked up her hat and put it on.

"I've had a fall from my pony," she explained, trying to reduce her unruly
tresses to order. "It shied at the elephants and threw me. Then I suppose
it bolted."

She looked around but could see nothing except elephants, which were
regarding her solemnly.

"But where have you come from? Are you far from your camp?" persisted
Dermot. "Shall I take you to it?"

"Oh, we are not in camp," replied Noreen. "I live on a tea-garden. It is
quite near. I can walk back, thank you, if you are sure that the elephants
won't do me any harm."

But as she spoke she felt her knees give way under her from weakness, and
she was obliged to sit down on the ground. The shock of the fall and the
fright had affected her more than she realised.

Dermot laid his hand on Badshah's head, and the animal knelt down.

"I'm afraid you are not fit to walk far," said Dermot. "I must take you
back."

As he spoke he slipped to the ground. From a pocket in the pad he extracted
a flask of brandy, with which he filled a small silver cup.

"Drink this," he said, holding it to her lips. "It will do you good."

Noreen obeyed and drank a little of the spirit. Then, before she could
protest, she was lifted in Dermot's arms and placed on the pad on Badshah's
back. This cool disposal of her took her breath away, but to her surprise
she felt that she rather liked it. There was something attractive in her
new acquaintance's unconsciously authoritative manner.

Replacing the flask he said:

"Are you used to riding elephants?"

She shook her head.

"Then hold on to this rope across the pad, otherwise you may slip off when
Badshah rises to his feet. You had better keep your hand on it as we go
along, though there isn't much danger of your falling."

As he got astride the elephant's neck he continued: "Now, be ready. Hold on
tightly. Uth, Badshah!"

Despite his warning Noreen nearly slipped off the pad at the sudden and
jerky upheaval when the elephant rose.

"Now please show me the direction in which your garden lies, if you can,"
said Dermot.

"Oh, it is quite near," Noreen answered. "That is the road to it."

She let the rope go to point out the way, but instantly grasped it again.
Dermot turned Badshah's head down the track.

"Oh, what about all