new-gained riches in his waist-cloth, and then they
busied themselves in making Jack comfortable for the night. He was
soon satisfied. He was far too tired to be very critical of his
sleeping quarters. As a matter of fact, they were excellent. The cave
was dry and warm, and the Panthays made up for him a big heap of soft
dried grass.

The thought of sleep made Jack's eyes drop to of themselves. In a
couple of minutes after he stretched himself on the couch of grass, he
was deep in slumber.

CHAPTER XXIV.

AN UNWELCOME MEETING.

When he awoke the next morning the pot of rice was once more bubbling
over the fire, and one of the natives was squatted near by, feeding
the fire with dry chips; the second man was not to be seen. The
Panthay feeding the fire looked up with a cheerful grin when he heard
Jack move, and pointed to the cooking-pot, as if to assure him that
breakfast would soon be ready.

Jack stretched himself and yawned. After his long sleep he felt like a
giant refreshed. He wondered what time it was, and glanced at his
watch. But his watch had stopped, he had forgotten to wind it up. The
sun, however, showed him, by its height, that the morning was well
advanced.

"I've slept off my weariness with a vengeance," murmured Jack to
himself. "It must be nine or ten o'clock by the look of the sun."

At this moment the native by the fire uttered a cry which was answered
from without. The second Panthay ran up at that moment, panting as if
he had travelled fast and far. He bore upon his shoulders a basket
from which he took a couple of chickens, half a dozen plantains, and
a fresh supply of rice.

"Then there's a village somewhere in the neighbourhood," thought Jack.
"But it may be ten or a dozen miles off. This fellow looks as if he
had had a long run for the stuff. I suppose it is in my honour."

The two men prepared one of the chickens in a trice. They stripped off
the feathers, cut up the fowl, and broiled the pieces over the fire on
little skewers of hard wood. In a short time an excellent breakfast of
broiled chicken, rice, and plantain was set before him, and Jack
devoured it with the utmost relish. Then he set himself to work by
means of signs to make them understand that he wished them to lead him
to the village from which the Panthay had fetched the supplies.

In the end they understood him, and put their axes in a corner of the
cave. By motions of their heads and hands they gave him to u