There was a loud sniff; the trunk curled round the fruit, curved under, and was drawn back through the hole. The sun shone brightly in, and Peter felt conscious that the banana was disappearing into the great brute's wet mouth. Then in the most deliberate manner the end of the trunk reappeared, gliding towards him like some serpent. The light was pretty well shut out, and as the wall creaked again, Peter somehow omitted to dash right off as far away as he could go, and found himself picking up another banana, which was deliberately taken, disappeared slowly to make way for the light to pa.s.s in, and then the process was repeated once more.

"Here, who's afraid?" said the lad, mastering the oppression and panting from which he suffered, as he picked up a fourth banana. "He means friends, and I'm blessed if I don't believe it's the same one as I tackled at the sham-fight, I wish I knew.--Want another, mate?" he continued, as the trunk-end curled towards him again; and as it slowly took the banana from his hand, he pa.s.sed his fingers beyond the grasped fruit, and gave the quivering member a quick stroke or two.

To his surprise, the trunk remained motionless, and a faint snorting sound or grunt came from beyond the wall.

"All right. Paid for!" said Peter as he withdrew his hand, and the trunk disappeared. "I do believe it's the same one," repeated the lad, "and I shall be all right as long as these 'ere 'nanas last; but when they are done, suppose he comes through to see why the rations have stopped. Well, I must make them last as long as I can; and he's very cool over it, and not in a hurry. Wonder whether it is that one I knew, and he smelt me and come to see. Yah! Stuff! He smelt the fruit. Oh!

here he is again."

The next time the trunk reappeared Peter Pegg was ready with one of the oat-cakes broken in half. This was taken just as readily, and was being drawn through the hole when its awkward semicircular shape caused it to be caught against the sides, and it dropped inside instead of disappearing like the fruit. The trunk was withdrawn unsupplied, and Peter was in the act of stooping to pick up the piece of cake, when the light was obscured again, making the lad glance upwards and catch sight of the serpent-like, coiling member descending slowly upon him.

"Here, no larks!" cried the lad, dropping upon his knees and preparing to crawl out of reach; but the thought of what he had suffered before unnerved him for the moment, and he could not stir.

He uttered a faint cry as he felt the touch of the elastic organ; but it only began to stroke him caressingly, and recovering himself, he drew a deep breath, held out the piece of cake, which was smelt directly, taken, and this time disappeared in safety.

It was all done very slowly, and poor Peter thought to himself, "I suppose he's enjoying of it all--but think of me!" He grew more confident, however, and went on and on, presenting the generous supply of bananas till only four were left, and these and the other cake he thrust farther away, and stripping off his flannel jacket, he covered the remainder in the bottom of the basket.

This he had just done when the trunk reappeared as usual, and summoning up his courage to meet the disappointment and perhaps anger of his visitor, Peter cried aloud:

"There! All over, comrade! No more to-day. Off you go!"

Just as if the huge beast understood him from the tone of his voice, it raised its trunk and pa.s.sed it about his shoulders and breast; and then the poor fellow uttered a faint groan of despair.

"What a fool I was!" he thought, for he felt the trunk curl round his neck and tighten gently; and his heart began to fail, when it was uncurled, and stretched out again; the wall overhead creaked loudly, and the end of the trunk was dipped in the big earthen jar.

There was a sucking noise, the trunk disappeared slowly, and Peter drew the jar so that it stood just below the opening the elephant had made.

As this was done there came the loud squirting sound of the water being sent down the huge beast's throat.

Then the trunk descended, to be recharged and disappear again, and Peter, as the trunk was withdrawn, seized the supply-vessel and drew it right away.

"Don't believe there's half a pint left," he grumbled. "What about Mister Archie?--There, no more!" he cried aloud, as the trunk was thrust back, pa.s.sed over his shoulders again, and finally withdrawn, Peter half climbing up to peer through the hole and see his visitor go slowly muttering away.

"And him grumbling, too," said the lad--"ungrateful beast! He did give me a fright. But, my eye, what a game! Look at him!" he continued, as the hind-quarters of the monster concealed the rest of its form. "Just like an awful great pair of trousers walking by theirselves!"

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

PRISONERS.

"There's a pretty go!" he cried, as he lifted the now light basket and put it down again, and peered once more into the earthen jar. "Suppose they meant the rations and water to last for two or three days! There was a good supply, and that great beast has wolfed and drunk all. Well, it has made him friends, anyhow. He will be coming again. Yes; but who wants a friend like that to keep coming again?"

The lad glanced in the direction of his fellow-prisoner, to find that he was still sleeping; and his next proceeding was to go gingerly about, disturbing the dry leaves as little as possible, and making a more thorough examination of the place.

"Must have been a helephant stable once upon a time," he concluded at last, "for here's the great post that one of the big pigs was chained to by the leg so that he could not get at the walls. Walls! They are nothing better than so many fences. Talk about shutting up a helephant!

Why, I could pull them down myself if I wanted to get away--leastways I could climb up the side and make a hole through the roof. Can't call one's self a prisoner. Yes, I can, because I am regularly chained by the leg; for who's going to leave his comrade? Poor old chap!"

At that moment there was a deep sigh, followed by a loud rustling amongst the leaves, as Archie made an effort to change his position, slightly raising his head, but letting it fall back with a low groan, while the young private stepped softly to his side, knelt down, and bent over him.

"Hurt you much, Mister Archie, sir?" the lad whispered quietly, and one hand played over the injured head, hesitated, and was then withdrawn.

"Hurt you, Mister Archie, sir?" he said again, a little louder, for there was only a weary sigh. "Wish he'd speak," said the lad to himself, "for he ought to have something, if it's only a drop more water. What a fool I was to let that great indiarubber thing suck it all up! Why, I couldn't even use some of it now to bathe his poor head."

The poor fellow seemed to Pegg to be sleeping as heavily as ever, and after he had looked at him carefully for a few minutes, there was a deep, buzzing hum as of some insect, and a great fly flashed across the golden rays which streamed in through the thatch, and hovered around for a few moments as if about to settle upon the sleeping lad's head.

"Would you?" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Peter Pegg, striking out so fiercely and exactly that he struck the insect with a sharp pat and drove it against the woven wall, with which it was heard to come in contact, to fall directly, buzzing and rustling among the dried leaves. "That's settled you," said Peter. "I know your little game--lay eggs and make a poor fellow's wound go bad. Not this time!"

"Cowards!" came excitedly from Archie, and he once more tried to raise his head, but only for it to sink back wearily. "Burning--always burning! Oh, how hot--how hot!"

"Like some water, Mister Archie, sir?"

"Water! Who said water?"

"Me, sir. There is a little. Let me give you a taste."

There was no reply, so Peter quickly tilled the cocoa-nut sh.e.l.l, bore it to his companion's side, and knelt down.

"Now then, sir, you let me hyste you up a little. Don't you try--I can do it, and hold the nut to your lips. You will have nothing to do but drink."

At the first touch Archie started violently.

"Who's that?" he cried.

"Only me, sir. Steady, or you will upset the whole blessed apple-cart, and make yourself wet."

"Only me--only me," said Archie, and directly after the poor fellow sank back again with a weary sigh.

"Look at that, now!" said Peter. "Oh! his head must be awfully bad inside as well as out. Why, if he isn't asleep again!"

It was growing dusk, when, feeling faint, hot, and exhausted, Peter Pegg stood over the basket, looked into it longingly, and then glanced at his wounded companion.

"He's sure not to want anything to eat," he said to himself. "A drop of water's about all he will touch when he comes to; and it's lucky I held that cocoa-nut sh.e.l.l tight, or it would all have gone." He turned to the jar, into which he had poured back the contents of the nearly full sh.e.l.l. "Oh dear! To think I let that great, gorging fire-hose of a hanimal suck up nearly all that beautiful water, when this place has been like an oven and made me as thirsty as if I had been living on commissariat bacon. Can't help it. He's sure to want a drink when he wakes up. I must leave that."

As he spoke he turned the jar sideways, and the ruddy light which filtered in through the cracks showed him the cool, clear fluid in the dark bottom of the vessel. He dipped in the sh.e.l.l, and found he could fill it easily.

"More than I thought," he said joyfully. "Why, I might have half-a-sh.e.l.lful, and then there would be quite a sh.e.l.l and a half left for the young governor. Can't help it; I must," he cried impatiently.

"My throat's as dry as a sawpit."

Dipping the sh.e.l.l as he still held the jar sideways he brought it up again more than half-full.

"Too much," he said softly. "Fair-play's a jewel;" and carefully and slowly he let a portion of the precious water trickle back into the bottom of the jar.

"That's about half," he said, with a judicial look. "Now then, sip it, mate, and make it go as far as you can."

Raising the cup to his lips, he slowly imbibed the tepid liquid till the very last drop had been drained out of the sh.e.l.l. Then replacing it where it had been before, he uttered a deep sigh.

"I never used to think water was so beautiful," he said softly. "I forget what them people asked for when they had three wishes, but I know what I should wish for now. It would be for that there jar brim-full of cold water, and me to have a throat as long as a boa-constructor, so that I could feel it all go gently down."

His eyes fell upon the basket again, and the slight draught of water having turned his faintness into a strong desire for food, he could hardly restrain himself from taking one of the remaining bananas. In fact, after resisting the temptation for some minutes, he darted his hand down, caught up one of the soft, gold-tinted fruits, raised it towards his mouth, and dashed it down again.