"I'm getting better fast, Pete," cried Archie Maine, his voice sounding
clearly above the _suck, suck_ of the elephant's feet in the deep old
tracks, and the _whisk, whisk_ of the green cane-sprouts that shot out
on either side from the wall of verdure.
"That's right, sir. You do comfort me. I've been thinking that it
wasn't fair of me to be riding comfortable here while you've got nothing
but a bit of rope to hold on by except your balance. But, I say, it
ain't all best down here, for, my eye, ain't it 'ot!--quite steamy."
"Yes; this tunnel is steamy and hot," replied Archie.
"Oh, I don't mean the tunnel, sir. I mean Rajah's neck and these two
great fly-flaps of his keeping all the wind out. I tried lifting up one
of them, but I suppose it tiddled him--fancied he had got a big fly
about him, I suppose. I say, Mister Archie, ain't it prime! He don't
seem to be going fast, but, my word, with these long legs of his how he
does get over the ground! But, I say, look ye here; wouldn't this be a
jolly place if we was out for a holiday, instead of being like on
furlough without leave?"
"It's beautiful," said Archie; for after they had travelled for some
time in deep shadow, completely covered in, the jungle suddenly opened
out, and their way was now between two perpendicular walls of dense
green verdure. Just in front a couple of brilliantly green-and-gold,
long-tailed paroquets suddenly flashed into sight as if about to alight,
but, startled by the elephant, they flew off with sharp screams.
And now time after time large, wide-winged, diurnal moths and glistening
butterflies flew up from where they had settled on the dew-drenched
herbage and fluttered before them. Not far onward a flock of finches
flew from the tops of the green banks, twittering loudly as they
displayed the brilliance of the blue and yellow and green of their
plumage and its varying shades. But this was only for a time. The
jungle growth rose higher on either side till it shut out the sunshine,
and once more the elephant-path wore the aspect of a deep, shadowy
tunnel, while the air grew more moist and steamy, seeming stagnant to a
degree.
"All right, sir?" cried Peter, straining to look round.
"Yes, yes, Pete. My fall shook me a bit, and seemed to bring back the
old aching in my head. But don't mind me. I feel quite happy now that
we are getting farther and farther from our prison. We are free, and if
I could only feel that we were going in the right direction I should not
care."
"Oh, don't care, sir; don't care a bit. It's chance it--chance it. Old
Rajah's taking us somewhere, and why shouldn't it be to headquarters?"
"It's not likely, Pete."
"Very well, sir. Then I will have another go. What do you say to its
being to the Rajah's palace? I don't know where it is--only that it is
somewhere in the jungle, not very far from the river. You've never been
there, have you?"
"No, Pete, I haven't. But, as you say, it is not far from the river."
"Well, sir, we can't be far from the river. It must be somewhere off to
our right flank, and old Rajah here must know his way, or else he
wouldn't be going so steadily on; and the beauty of these places is that
when once you are on the right road you can't miss your way, because
there ain't no turning."
"But we passed one turning to the right."
"Yes, sir. That's where the helephants went down to drink, and you see
if we don't come to another farther on. But this is splendid
travelling. How he does get over the ground! And if it warn't for the
commissariat department one could go on day after day, just making a
halt now and then for this chap to take in half a load of growing hay
and suck in a tubful of water, and then go on again."
"Hush! Don't talk so, Pete."
"Why not, sir? I am doing it to keep up your sperrits."
"But I want to listen."
"Hear anything, sir?"
"I am not sure. But I keep expecting to hear some of the Malays in
pursuit."
"Not likely, sir. If they are they must be coming on one of the other
helephants, and I don't believe any of them can walk as fast as this one
does, so they are not likely to overtake us. We are safe enough so long
as we can get old Rajah here to keep on. The only thing that fidgets me
is the eating and drinking."
"I should be glad to have some water," said Archie, "but I can wait till
we come close to the river."
"That's right, sir; but what about something to eat? Old Rajah seems to
have thought that all that was in the basket was meant for him, and he's
tucked it inside and chucked the basket away. So don't be hungry, sir."
"I have two of the cakes, Pete, inside my jacket."
"What! Oh, who's going to mind? That's splendid noos, sir.--Go ahead,
old chap. What are you flapping your ears about for? Think you can
hear water?"
"There, Pete," said Archie eagerly, "I am nearly sure now I heard a
faint cry far behind."
"Oh, some bird, sir. Don't you get fancying that. We are miles and
miles away from where we started, and as most likely we are pretty close
to the river, it's one of those long-legged heron things, and if you
hear anything else it's like enough to be one of them big frogs or
toads. If it was to-night instead of being this afternoon, I should say
it was one of the crocs. But I should know him pretty well by heart."
The great elephant went patiently trudging on, mile after mile, with the
heat so intense that Archie Maine had to fight hard to keep off a
growing drowsiness, and he now welcomed the fact that the portion of the
jungle through which they were being carried kept on sending down
trailing strands of the rotan cane and other creepers which threatened
to lasso him and drag him from his seat.
But no further cry or note of bird came to suggest danger from the rear,
and as the drowsiness at length passed away, the question began to
arise: what was to happen when darkness came on?--for the afternoon was
well spent.
It was after a long silence that Archie broached this question.
"What are we going to do when it's dark, sir?" said Peter. "Well, I've
been a-thinking of that--not like you have."
"How do you know what I've been thinking?" asked Archie sharply.
"Well, I ain't sure, of course, sir, but I should think you are
wondering what we should do if we come across a tiger. It strikes me
that we needn't mind that--at least, not in front, for Mr Stripes
wouldn't face these 'ere two great tusks. One of them would go through
him like a shot. What I'm thinking of is the making of a halt, first
clearing we come to. But if we do, who's going to tie up Rajah so that
he sha'n't go back? He might take it into his head to stop by the
river-side for some water, but it strikes me, sir, that as soon as we
got off he'd go back to the old stable to see if he couldn't find
something to eat and drink."
"Hush, Pete!" cried Archie excitedly.
"What for, sir? Afraid he will understand what we are saying?"
"Hush, I say!"
"All right, sir," said Peter, speaking in a whisper. "But he does keep
cocking up his ears and listening."
"Yes," said Archie; "I was in doubt before, but I am sure now. It's
some one keeps on hailing us from behind. Drive him on faster, for I am
sure we are pursued."
"What! make him gallop, sir? Why, it would chuck you off directly."
"No; I think I could keep on. We must try and leave whoever it is
behind. I couldn't bear for us to be taken again."
"We ain't a-going to be, sir, so long as we have these 'ere toothpicks
to fight with."
"That's a last resource. Try to hurry the beast."
"He won't hurry, sir. 'Tisn't as if I'd got one of them anchors, as
they call them; and even if I had, poor old chap! I shouldn't have the
heart to stick it into him as the mahouts do."
"It wouldn't hurt him more than spurring does a horse, with such a thick
skin."
"But I ain't got one of them boat-hooky tools. Look here, sir; hand me
that there kris. Ain't poisoned, is it?"
"The Doctor says they are not."
"Let's have it, then, sir.--Why, what game do you call this?"
For at that moment, before any experiment could be tried with the goad,
a faint, unmistakable hail was heard from far behind, running as it were
along deep, verdant tunnels, and Rajah, after flapping his ears heavily,
uttered a low, deep sigh, stopped short, and began to tear down green
branches from overhead and convey them to his mouth.
"Oh, this won't do!" cried Peter angrily.--"Get on, sir--get on!"
The elephant uttered what sounded to be a sigh and raised one huge leg
as if about to step out, but only planted it down again in the same deep
hole, went through the same evolution with another leg, subsided again,
and went on crunching the abundant succulent herbage.
"It's no good, Pete," said Archie bitterly. "They are in full chase.
The elephant recognises the cry, and you will never get him to stir."
"An obstinate beggar!" grumbled Peter. "Makes me feel as if I could
stick that there spike right into him, though he is fanning my poor, hot
legs with these flappers of his. Well, Mister Archie, I suppose it's no
use to fight against him. He has got the pull of us, and there's only
one thing for us to do now."
"What's that, Pete?"
"Act like Bri'ish soldiers, sir," said the lad through his set teeth.
"Hold the fort, and fight."
At that moment the cry was more audible, and the elephant gave his ears
a quicker flap and said, _Phoonk_!