By this time the sun was beginning to descend, and after a little hesitation, for the place was full of attractions, Murray said unwillingly, "I suppose we must go back now."

"Too soon yet, uncle," said Ned. "I should like to have a shot at something."

"Another time, my lad," said Murray. "We have been longer than I thought, and we have all that dreary ride back through the jungle. It will be dark before we get back. Yes; let's turn now at once," he continued, displaying a little anxiety as he thought of his conversation with Mr Braine that morning, and wondered that he could have so forgotten himself in his favourite pursuit as to have ignored the position of those at the village.

The lads acquiesced at once, and they mounted the elephant to look wonderingly from one to the other now, as they noted how anxious Murray had become, and impatient in his orders to Hamet to tell the driver to hurry the elephant along.

"What's the matter with your uncle?" whispered Frank at last. "Does he want something to eat?"

"I don't know," replied Ned. "I can't quite make him out. He was all right coming, and thought of nothing but the shooting; now he's all in a fidget. There!"

This was in consequence of Hamet reporting that the driver said he could get the elephant along no faster, as the road was so bad and stony.

Murray threw himself back impatiently, and sat gazing straight before them, while the elephant nodded and shuffled slowly along.

"For suppose," thought Murray, "anything should happen while I am away, I should never forgive myself. I wish now I had not come."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

TWO HOURS LATE.

"It is only fancy," said Murray to himself, as, after what seemed to be an interminable length of time, they came in sight of the big tree where the other two elephants stood swinging their trunks, and the rest of the party were standing about watching for their return. There was no time lost now, for the day was getting well on, and the Malays showed plenty of eagerness to be once more well on their road, so as to be through the jungle before dark.

"I'm afraid we have rather overdone it, boys," said Murray, after a long silence, during which the elephants plodded patiently on, and their guard kept up a low muttered conversation to themselves.

"It would have been better if we had started half an hour sooner," said Frank, coolly; "but it don't matter, that I see. Once we get into the jungle track the elephants will go through it back to their quarters, and we can lie down and get a nap if we like."

All this was shouted from one elephant to the other, for the same order had been maintained as in coming. "No danger, is there?" said Ned.

"Danger? Well, perhaps a little. Tiger might catch one of the men, as a cat does a mouse. You see how close they'll all keep to the elephants as soon as we enter the jungle."

"Oh, nonsense! No tiger would attack a party like this."

"Wouldn't he! You'll see."

"What?"

"Well no, I don't mean that; only that if a tiger is hungry he'd attack anything."

It seemed to be a long journey to the jungle track, and evening was growing very near, as once more the elephants plunged into the narrow dark tunnel, where the mud rarely grew dry in the huge footprints worn by the heavy animals into deep pits, each of which seemed like a trap, out of which the labouring beast had to drag its leg.

The change from the golden glow of the late afternoon to the gloom of the jungle path was again sudden, and it evoked the remark from Ned: "If it is like this now, what will it be when it's dark?"

"Why dark?" cried Frank, laughing. "Oh, you needn't mind. There's no fear of the elephants taking the wrong turning, because there isn't one.

If the drivers keep them going, we shall be sure to get back home."

Then the monotonous slush slush of the elephant's tread began, mingled with the squeaking of the strong basket-work howdah, and an occasional snort from one of the great animals, as it found the task of extricating its legs harder than usual. For a time the Malays had kept up their low murmuring conversation, but this soon dropped off as the darkness increased, and they crept up close, as Frank had suggested, to the heads of the elephants, contriving so that one of the animals should form the rear-guard, and thus protect them from attack.

It was not long before the conversation between those on the two leading elephants dropped off, so that by the time it was quite dark the journey was being continued in almost absolute silence, as far as talking was concerned.

And it was dark: so black that the occupants of the howdahs could not see each other when close together, and the only way to avoid the boughs which brushed against them constantly was to crouch as low down as was possible.

Ned had been sitting silently for some time thinking all kinds of horrors, and of how huge serpents might be hanging from the boughs, or tigers watching them in the darkness, ready to spring in among them, when suddenly he started, for there was a low guttural sound like a suppressed roar close at hand, and directly after, a cold chill ran through him, for as the elephant went on with its slow swaying motion, something which seemed to be long and round glided past his face, pa.s.sed over his shoulder, and then swept about his neck.

The scene up the river came back instantaneously, and in those moments Ned mentally saw a creature like that at which his uncle had shot, hanging from somewhere above, and seeking to coil round his body to crush him in its folds.

It was all momentary, but in that brief s.p.a.ce of time Ned sat motionless, and then his breath escaped with a low hiss, as he felt that it was Frank's arm feeling for him, and directly after the boy's lips touched his ear.

"Ned," he whispered, "here's a game. Oh Tim's asleep and snoring."

"Well, I don't see any game in that. I wish I was."

"Don't be snaggy. I mean to have a bit of fun with him."

"What could you do?"

"You know how he has been fidgeting about the tigers."

"Yes."

"Look here, then: you sit fast, and I'll just feel how he lies, and then get out of this jolly old basket, hold on to the side, and then jump in on him, take him by the neck, and give a good loud snarl. I can imitate the tigers exactly."

"And suppose he hits you with all his might?"

"I shouldn't give him time. I should roll off directly. He'd declare a tiger had jumped into the howdah, and brag about how he had escaped."

Ned was silent.

"Well, wouldn't it be a game? Why don't you answer? What are you thinking about?"

"Tim scratching a match, and frightening the elephant," said Ned quietly.

"What? this morning?"

"Yes; and of how it rushed off."

"Ah! I never thought of that," said Frank. "Perhaps it would scare it, and that would be awkward in the dark."

"Let me get down and walk before you begin," continued Ned.

"Oh, bother! I shan't do it now. I say, I don't know where we should all be if he started now."

"I don't know where we are without his starting," replied Ned. "It seems to me as if the thing's going right through the blackest part of the forest as it is."

"Nonsense! And look: it isn't so dark now. We're out in that part where we rested this morning."

That was plain enough, for a load seemed to have been suddenly lifted from their spirits. The air felt warm and fresh. The peculiar dank odour of the trampled leaves and mud was wanting, and right above them were the purple heavens ablaze with glorious stars, looking brighter and larger than they had ever seemed before.