. They were fitted with strong basket-work howdahs, and the
smallest one was evidently the bearer of the refreshments, its
rattan-cane howdah being more roomy and of a rougher make.

The arrangements were soon finished, and Murray mounted into the howdah
of the first elephant, followed by Hamet and one of the rajah's men; the
second elephant was devoted to the two boys and Tim, who took his place
in the most solemn manner.

"Be on your guard for the branches," said Mr Braine. "They stretch so
across the way, that on a tall elephant you have to mind, or you may be
swept off."

With these parting words of warning, he gave the word, the mahouts
touched their mounts' heads with an iron crook, and the party moved off,
passing with its rather large guard of spearmen right by the doctor's
and the merchant's houses, where the ladies stood in the verandas, and
waved them a farewell.

"Want the tiger's skin?" shouted Frank to Amy. "You shall have it, if
we get one."

She nodded laughingly, and said something; but they were too distant to
hear the words, and directly after, the long regular shuffling gait of
the elephants had taken them out of sight.

"We are not going near tigers, are we?" said Ned, rather excitedly.

"Of course we are. You can't go anywhere here without going near
tigers, and if you don't go near them, they come near you. Wait a few
minutes till we are well out of the village, and then you'll see the
sort of place our road is.--Won't he, Tim?"

"Indade he will, sor. It's a beautiful road, with a wall on each side,
or a hedge, if you like to call it so, as fresh and green as a country
one, only a dale more scratchy."

Their way took them past the clump of trees in which the rajah's house
was hidden, and the boys looked eagerly between the trunks, but the
growth was too dense for them to see anything, even from their elevated
perch, as the elephants went swinging by with the spearmen, some now in
front and some behind.

"Like it?" cried Frank.

"Yes, I think so," replied Ned.

"Don't feel sea-sick, do you?"

"How can one feel sea-sick, when there is no sea--no boat."

"But you do feel a little giddy with the motion; don't you?"

"I did," replied Ned; "but it is going off fast, and I am beginning to
like it."

"Yes, it's all right as long as the forest isn't too dense, and the
elephant holes too deep."

"What are elephant holes?"

"Oh, wait a few minutes and you'll soon see that.--Won'