me hungry tiger, there was always the
possibility of one of the elephants coming down when floundering through
the mud.

On still, with the motion at last growing so wearisome that the dangers
were forgotten, and both of the boys began to nod, but roused up again
as a hail came from the foremost elephant.

"Getting tired of it?"

"Horribly!" they shouted back; "and it's a long way yet."

Then the nodding began again, their crouching attitude fostering it, and
the darkness was lit up by the dreams which came with their sound sleep,
out of which they both started together; the change in the elephant's
movement, from a rolling, plunging progress, something akin to that of a
boat at sea without its smoothness, to a regular steady walk, waking the
boys at once.

"Hurrah!" cried Frank. "Out of the jungle. Not far to go now."

As he spoke, they could see lights, and the elephants stepped out
freely, bringing them in a very short time to the front of the rajah's
grounds, where a group of men were standing, and among them Mr Braine,
Mr Greig, and the Tumongong, who all advanced.

"You are late," cried the former. "Make haste and get down here; we
have been waiting these two hours."

"Sorry to have kept you," cried Murray, as the elephants went down on
their knees.

"Never mind, we'll talk later on. The rajah desires that you all come
and have your evening meal with him, and tell him what you have done."

"Impossible to-night. We are not fit."

"Never mind that," said Mr Braine, rather hurriedly; "he expressed a
wish for you to come, and come you must. He has been waiting two hours.
The ladies are all there, and the doctor too. A dinner has been
prepared for us in a room to ourselves. You will have an audience with
the rajah afterwards."

The mention of the ladies being there swept away all Murray's
objections, and he descended, while Frank said aloud:

"Then I shall take Ned on home to have something with me."

"No, no," cried Murray, hastily; "he must see to the specimens and guns
being safely housed."

"Impossible!" cried Mr Braine, "and we are wasting time. The rajah
said all, and he will be impatient. Your man Hamet must see to
everything. Come along."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

THE RAJAH'S RING.

Murray was anxious, unwilling, and willing altogether, as he followed
the Tumongong and a guard of the rajah's men into the lantern-lit
clearing before the house; and from thence they were ushered in