n a little squeal as, after waving here
and there for a few moments, the curious member was stretched out
straight in the direction of the lad, emitted a deep, damp sigh, and
then began to wave up and down and to and fro again, before curling up,
to some extent uncoiling, and shooting out straight and stiff again in
the same direction.

"Oh Lor'!" groaned Peter, "it's just like one of them there big
boa-constructors, and he's coming for me. He means me. There's a
sniff! And this knife not a bit of good. If I cut it off it would only
make him more wild. Look at it, with its two little eyes seeming to
stare at me. Boa-constructor! It's more like an injy-rubber pipe gone
mad."

There was another faint squeal, and the great trunk slowly changed its
position, and stretched itself out in the direction of the bamboo
basket.

"Here, I say," thought Peter, "does he mean them?"

The lad hesitated for a minute or two while the elephant continued its
low, almost purring, muttering sound, as the trunk turned once more in
his direction, and then became stiffly pointed out again towards the
basket, while the wall about the height of the elephant's head gave
forth a loud crack.

"He's a-leaning ag'in it, and it's coming through!" gasped Peter.
"Here, there's nothing for it.--All right, mate; wait a minute: you
shall have the whole blessed lot. Murder! Don't!" roared the poor
fellow; for as he made a dash to reach the basket, as quick as lightning
the trunk was curled round his neck, and held him fast as he dropped
upon his knees.

"It's all over, Mister Archie, sir," he groaned. "And you lying there
asleep and taking not no notice! Wouldn't have catched me 'listing if
I'd ha' known it meant coming to this!--Oh, I say, do leave go!"

As if his captor thoroughly grasped the meaning of his piteous appeal,
the trunk began slowly to loosen its hold; and then, as the poor fellow
prepared himself for a dash to get beyond its reach, he found it begin
to smooth him over and stroke him gently down from shoulder to arm,
playing about as if caressing him, after the fashion in which he had
seen the animals treat their mahout when about to be fed.

"Oh dear!" groaned Peter; "I thought it was all over with me. Does he
mean he wants one of them bananas?"

The lad's hand trembled as he reached out, picked up one of the
bananas--the largest he could see--and held it in the direction of the
end of the trunk.

There was a loud sn