"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 had hardly spoken before Rajah uttered a snort and went splashing on towards the opposite sh.o.r.e, with the water growing shallower and shallower till the two beasts were walking on firm, gravelly ground, the water flying up at every step, and they soon stood out on dry ground, with the dimly seen track going on before them.

Here, at a word from the mahout, both animals stopped short, and Rajah kneeled, when the mahout descended nimbly and began trotting back to the water's edge.

"Not going to cut and run, is he, sir?" began Pete. "No; it's all right. I can't quite see, but ain't that a cocoa-nut he's stooping to dip?--Yes; that's right. Good old chap! He's bringing us a drink."

This proved to be the case, and the little fellow brought the refilled half-cocoa-nut-sh.e.l.l he had taken from somewhere in his baju, and it was handed up to the two lads four times, before the little fellow went back to the river, filled it for himself, and finally returned to his place and climbed up once more.

Directly after, the elephant rose and continued along the track to where, in the darkness, it was evident the marshy land began, and beyond it seemed the jungle once again.

Peter was ready enough to begin his favourite advice soon after, and bid his companion chance it, as on this side of the river the open land grew more moist, and in the darkness the elephant's huge feet sank in deeper and deeper, till at every step they plunged in quite four feet, and it needed a st.u.r.dy effort to withdraw them. Then all at once the Rajah uttered a grunt, half-turned as if to retrace his steps, and then stood fast, while his companion, making use of the prints he had left, half-turned likewise as if to meet him; and then both stood fast, pressing their heads together with a grunt.

"What does this mean?" said Archie with a look of wonder.

"I d'know, sir. Looks to me as if they are going to sleep."

It was soon proved that the lad was right, for the animals, after uttering a low sigh or two, remained perfectly still, with the mahout dimly seen in his place and his head lowered down upon his chest.

"Well, sir," said Pete, "this is all plain enough, and it looks as if we may as well go to sleep too."

"Sleep!" said Archie. "With the risk of falling off this pad?"

"Oh, we sha'n't do that, sir. We must take it in turns."

"Will they stand like this till morning?" said Archie.

"Suppose so, sir. They can't fall over sideways, because their legs are stuck fast in these holes. Here, you have first go, sir, and I'll keep watch. Think this is a tigery sort of place?"

"They are fond of the river-side, Pete," said Archie sadly; "but I was thinking about crocodiles."

"Haven't heard anything of them, sir; but, anyhow, we are safe up here, and we have got to chance it."

"Oh," exclaimed Archie impatiently, "how sick I am of hearing you say that!"

"Yes, sir; you're a bit sleepy now. Just you slip one arm under this pad rope, and lie right over on your side, and you will go off. You may trust me, sir. I won't go to sleep."

Utterly wearied out, the subaltern began to make some opposition, but he obeyed his companion's order, and five minutes after Nature had a.s.serted herself and he was fast asleep.

How that night pa.s.sed he could never afterwards recall, but he had some dreamy notion that he woke up and took Peter's duties of watchman, telling him to slip his arm under the pad rope and lie over upon his side so as to get his turn of rest. But it all proved to be imaginary, for the poor fellow, weak and still suffering from the effects of his wound, did not start up until the great elephant had begun to drag his legs out of the deep holes, when he trudged on towards where the track ran once more between two walls of densely matted palm growth; and he stared in wonder at his companion, hardly able to collect his thoughts so as to put the question that was troubling him and say:

"Have I been asleep all night, Pete?"

"Yes, sir; like a top. Feel better now?"

"No!" cried the lad pa.s.sionately, for the confusion was pa.s.sing off. "I trusted you."

"Yes, sir. All right. I have been listening to one of them great cats singing and purring right back on the other side of the river, and I never slept a wink."

"Oh!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Archie; but Peter chose to misunderstand him.

"Oh it is, sir," he cried ecstatically. "Take another look before we are shut in amongst the trees. It's lovely! It's the beautifullest morning I ever did see."

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

AN AWAKENING.

"You can't be sure, Pete. These elephant-paths through the jungle are all alike. There's the same half-dark, dense heat, the tangled walls on either side, the overhanging trees and loops of p.r.i.c.kly rotan suspended overhead ready to catch you. How can you be sure that this is one that you have been along before?"

"I d'know, sir. What you say is very right, but I seem to feel that I've been along here before, and old Rajah must have been, or he wouldn't go swinging along as if he felt that he'd got nearly to the end of his journey. Shall I try and ask Mr Bantam there?"

"Oh no," said Archie wearily. "It's so hard trying to make him understand, and I always feel in doubt when you have tried."

"Well, sir, we shall soon know whether it is, for I don't believe we are more than two or three miles from headquarters."

"I'd give anything for you to be right, Pete, for I am nearly done up."

"I know you are, sir, and I might say, so am I; for long enough it has seemed as if the hinge of my back was giving way, and when the helephant gives one of his worst rolls it just seems as if he'd jerk my head off.

But cheer up, sir! I think it's all right, and we have done splendidly.

We might have had to pull up and fight all the Malay chaps from up there by the Rajah's hunting-box. Of course we should have made a good stand of it, but how are you going to dodge spears in a narrow place like this? There, cheer up, sir! When you look happy over it I feel as if I am ready for anything; but when you go down in the dumps I haven't a bit of pluck left in me."

"It will be dark soon, Pete. If we have to spend another night out in the jungle I must lie down under some tree."

"Mustn't sir. Cold, rheumatiz', and fever. You will have to stick to your warm bed up here. But talk about a warm bed--you should have tried sitting like a mahout."

"It will be dark in an hour, Pete," said Archie, who seemed to pay no heed to his companion's brisk chatter.

"Not it, sir. Two hours--full, though I ain't got no watch. Not as that much matters. Old Tipsy has got a big, old silver one, but he says you never can depend upon it in this damp place. We have got plenty of time to get there yet, and see how old Rajah is swinging along! I am sure he knows his way."

"Don't--don't--pray don't keep chattering so! It makes me feel worse than ever."

"You think so, sir," said Peter stubbornly, "but it don't; it rouses you up, sir, even if it only makes you turn waxy and pitch into me."

"Yes, yes, I know, Pete. It's because I'm so ill. It's like having a touch of fever again. Then you must think what a beast and a brute I am to you--a regular burden. I could feel it in my heart to slip down under the first big tree and go to sleep, even if I were not to wake again."

"Hah!" said Pete dryly. "That sounds bad, if it was real, sir; but it's only what you fancy. How's your head now?"

"That old pain seems back again worse than ever."

"Wish we'd stopped an hour ago when we crossed back over the river again, and had 'nother good drink. That must have been about one o'clock, I should say. I don't know, though--I've about lost count.

Ain't it rum, sir, how rivers wind about, and how the elephants' paths go straight across them?"