"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, passed
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 space 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.
"Hah!" ejaculated Ned, taking a long breath; "that's better."
But the pleasurable feeling soon passed away, for at the end of five
minutes, the jungle track was entered upon again, and plash, plash,
plash, plash, on they went, with the howdah creaking to the elephant's
swing, and the boughs now dripping with moisture brushing against them
as the elephants plunged on.
"Why, we shall be hours yet," said Ned. "Oh, I am getting so sick of
this. It was bad enough this morning when it was daylight. Hark!
What's that?"
"Tiger," said Frank, in a subdued voice, "on the prowl. But I don't
suppose he'll come near us."
Frank's words did not inspire confidence. On the contrary, they made
Ned feel very nervous, and begin to envy Tim's ability to sleep all
through the perilous jaunt. For dangerous it was, since, setting aside
the risk of an attack by some hungry tiger, there was always the
possibility of one of the elephants coming down when floundering through
the mud.
On still, with the motion at last growing so wearisome that the dangers
were forgotten, and both of the boys began to nod, but roused up again
as a hail came from the foremost elephant.
"Getting tired of it?"
"Horribly!" they shouted back; "and it's a long way yet."
Then the nodding began again, their crouching attitude fostering it, and
the darkness was lit up by the dreams which came with their sound sleep,
out of which they both started together; the change in the elephant's
movement, from a rolling, plunging progress, something akin to that of a
boat at sea without its smoothness, to a regular steady walk, waking the
boys at once.
"Hurrah!" cried Frank. "Out of the jungle. Not far to go now."
As he spoke, they could see lights, and the elephants stepped out
freely, bringing them in a very short time to the front of the rajah's
grounds, where a group of men were standing, and among them Mr Braine,
Mr Greig, and the Tumongong, who all advanced.
"You are late," cried the former. "Make haste and get down here; we
have been waiting these two hours."
"Sorry to have kept you," cried Murray, as the elephants went down on
their knees.
"Never mind, we'll talk later on. The rajah desires that you all come
and have your evening meal with him, and tell him what you have done."
"Impossible to-night. We are not fit."
"Never mind that," said Mr Braine, rather hurriedly; "he expressed a
wish for you to come, and come you must. He has been waiting two hours.
The ladies are all there, and the doctor too. A dinner has been
prepared for us in a room to ourselves. You will have an audience with
the rajah afterwards."
The mention of the ladies being there swept away all Murray's
objections, and he descended, while Frank said aloud:
"Then I shall take Ned on home to have something with me."
"No, no," cried Murray, hastily; "he must see to the specimens and guns
being safely housed."
"Impossible!" cried Mr Braine, "and we are wasting time. The rajah
said all, and he will be impatient. Your man Hamet must see to
everything. Come along."