aste in close attendance.
Resistance was impossible. His hands were still bound behind his back,
and the half-caste held a big, blue "Smith and Wesson" within two
inches of his ear.

In front of the hut loomed up a huge beast looking monstrous in the
light of a couple of lanterns held by attendants. It was an elephant,
and a ladder was placed against the open howdah fixed on its back; the
great beast was swinging trunk and tail impatiently, and its driver
was already seated behind the huge head.

"Up with you," said Saya Chone. Jack glanced round, and saw nothing
but dark, fierce, inimical faces all about him.

"No chance in the world at present," he thought, and began slowly to
climb the ladder. It was very awkward work with no hand free, but the
Strangler stretched out a long arm, supported him to the top rung,
then thrust him violently forward, so that Jack rolled into the
howdah. It was the simplest form of this kind of carriage, and was
exactly like a huge open basket of strong wicker-work fastened on the
elephant's back. Before Jack could recover himself from his fall, the
Malay and two other men bounded into the howdah, and flung themselves
on the prisoner. In a trice they had strapped his ankles together
again. Then they swung him into a sitting posture, and lashed his arms
firmly to the back of the howdah.

Next they descended, another figure leapt up, and the ladder was taken
away. The newcomer gave an order, and the elephant driver spoke to his
huge beast in a low voice. The elephant at once swung forward, and in
a moment the hut and its lanterns were left behind, and they were
moving through the darkness of the jungle.

Jack had known by the voice that it was the half-caste who was his
companion in the howdah, but he said nothing, and Saya Chone, too, was
silent. Soon the half-caste lighted a huge Burmese cheroot, and in the
light, almost the flare, of this immense cigar, nine or ten inches
long and an inch thick, Jack saw now and again his beardless brown
face, his big, shining, evil eyes.

When the dawn came and Jack could look about him, they were traversing
a narrow path through jungle so thick that the sky could scarcely be
seen overhead.

"Ah," said Saya Chone, breaking the silence at last, "you may look
round, my lord, but you will never be able to keep in mind the details
of the route. I shall take you into the hills by paths so hidden in
the jungle or along ravines so deep that to track you