ance it, just as it's been ever since
we started this morning. I say, though, this 'ere's more comfortable
than riding barebacked, holding on to a rope, sir, eh?"

"Pete, my lad," said Archie, with a sigh, "it's wonderful! How did you
manage it all?"

"Oh, sir," said the lad modestly, "it's only having a bit of a try. One
never knows what one can do till you sets to work, and when you puts
your back to it and goes in for chance it as well, it mostly turns out
pretty tidy."

"Yes, Pete; but what worries me now is what we are going to do when the
elephant stops to rest or sleep."

"Don't you worry your head about that, Mister Archie. I know you are
weak and pulled down, but just you pay a bit more heed to what I say.
It's what you ought to do now, and what we must do--chance it, sir,
chance it, same as I'm doing about something else."

"What else?" said Archie wearily, as he let his aching body sway with
the movement of the great steed.

"About whether this is the right way or the wrong, sir. I don't know;
you don't know. But perhaps old Rajah does, so what we have got to do,
as I said before, is to keep our eyes on that little bantam of a Malay,
and chance it, sir--chance it."

CHAPTER THIRTY.

A JUNGLE NIGHT.

It was just as the shades of night were coming on that the great
elephant stepped out of the tunnel into comparative light. The wall of
verdure opened out on either side, and a natural clearing lay before the
travellers, while, still bearing what looked like the pale stain of
sunshine, there flowing from right to left was the river.

There was a regular track marked out by the various animals that
frequented it; and the mud-holes formed by the elephants grew deeper and
more given to spurt out water as the great animals passed on till the
edge of the river was reached, when they plunged in on to what now
seemed to be firm, gravelly soil, with the clear stream pressing against
their sides, till the smaller elephant was pretty well breast-deep.

Here Rajah stood, setting the example and drinking deeply, while those
he bore began to suffer the pangs of Tantalus as they saw the clear
stream gliding by.

"I can't stand this much longer, sir," said Peter. "Think there's any
crocs up here?"

"It is impossible to say, Pete."

"Yes, sir; but I am ready to risk it. But what I want to know first is:
are we going back, or is this 'ere a sort of ford, and the path goes on
the other side?"

He h