ound together with
light and slender links of steel, a steel ring encircling each ankle,
and similar fetters bound his wrists. At first glance it seemed as if
these light bonds might easily be broken, but Jack gave up that idea
very soon. He saw that they were the work of a very cunning and
skilful craftsman, highly wrought and beautifully tempered, slight in
appearance, but immensely strong.

A head now came in sight outside. It was the Strangler, and he called
out a few words to Saya Chone. The half-caste had been sitting with
his hand in the breast of his jacket. He now drew it out and showed
that the butt of a heavy revolver had been in his clasp. He pointed
the weapon at Jack's heart.

"I must beg of you to get up, my lord," he said, in tones of sneering
deference. "Your conveyance awaits you outside the cave."

When he saw that Jack hesitated to obey, he gave a shrill whistle. A
couple of Kachins at once sprang up at the mouth of the cave. Sooner
than be handled by these evil little ruffians, Jack now got up and
shuffled slowly down the cave, his fetters allowing him to move about
ten inches at a stride. But this, however, did not save him from their
hands. At the mouth of the cave the two Kachins and the Malay seized
upon him and swung him down to the bed of the ravine. Here a strong
pony was waiting, and when Jack's ankles had been freed, he was tossed
astride and the reins put in his hands.

The half-caste followed him at every step with the revolver, nor did
he put the weapon away until the Strangler had once more locked the
fetters which bound Jack's ankles together. This he did with a small
key, and, as the links of steel were brought under the pony's barrel
from one foot of the prisoner to the other, Jack was securely tethered
to the animal.

CHAPTER XXX.

THE STRONGHOLD OF THE RUBY KING.

As soon as Jack was mounted, Saya Chone and the Malay also got to
their saddles, and the party moved off down the ravine. Save for his
fetters, Jack rode as usual, but the two Kachins, one on either side,
held his pony by stout thongs of raw hide, fastened in the bridle. At
his heels trotted the two leaders, and Jack knew that both were well
armed.

On the journey that followed it is not necessary to dwell, for it was
quite uneventful. They travelled steadily till dusk, when they halted
in a small village where Jack was assigned a hut, and a strict watch
was kept over him at every moment. The next morni