sun was declining, for the afternoon was well
advanced. As far as he could judge they were a long way from Malpura, and
it seemed to him that Badshah was not heading directly for the garden. But
he had sufficient confidence in the animal's intelligence to refrain from
interfering with him again. The pangs of hunger reminded him that he had
had no food since the early morning cup of tea at the planter's bungalow
where he had passed the night, for he had hoped to breakfast at Malpura. It
occurred to him that his companion must be in the same plight.

"Are you hungry, Miss Daleham?" he asked.

"Hungry? I don't know. I haven't had time to think about food," she
replied. "But I'm very thirsty."

"Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Oh, don't tantalise me, Major," she replied laughing. "I feel I'd give
anything for one now. But unfortunately there aren't any tea-rooms in this
wonderful jungle of yours."

Dermot smiled.

"Perhaps it could be managed," he said. "What I am concerned about is how
to get something substantial to eat, for I foolishly came away from
Granger's bungalow, where I stayed last night, without replenishing my
stores, which had run low. I intended asking you for enough to carry me
back to Ranga Duar. But when I heard what had happened--Hullo! with luck
there's our dinner."

He broke off suddenly, for a jungle cock had crowed in the forest not far
away.

"I wish I had a shot gun," he whispered. "But my rifle will have to do.
_Mul_, Badshah."

He guided the elephant quietly and cautiously in the direction from which
the sound had come. Presently they came to an open glade and heard the fowl
crow again. Dermot halted Badshah in cover and waited. Presently there was
a patter over the dry leaves lying on the ground, and a jungle cock, a bird
similar to an English bantam, stalked across the glade twenty yards away.
It stopped and began to peck. Dermot quietly raised his rifle and took
careful aim at its head. He fired, and the body of the cock fell to the
earth headless.

"What a good shot, Major!" exclaimed Noreen, who had been quite excited.

"It was an easy one, for this rifle's extremely accurate and the range was
very short. I fired at the head, for if I had hit the body with such a big
bullet there wouldn't have been much dinner left for us. Now I think that
we shall have to halt for a little time. I know that you must be eager to
get back home and relieve your brother's anxiety. But Badshah has b