he angle.

"Not quite right," he muttered. "These 'ere big feathers have got a lot
of quill in them. Let's have some more."

He stretched out his left hand in the darkness to draw an armful more of
the dried palm-leaves beneath him, when his hand came in contact with
something which rasped against the matted wall and fell heavily in the
direction of where his fellow-prisoner lay.

"What's that?" said the lad sharply, as, sweeping his hand round over
the leaves, his fingers closed almost spasmodically upon what felt like
a bamboo cane.

The next moment Pete was upon his feet, staring in the direction of the
dimly seen door.

"My!" he whispered hoarsely; and using the cane like a walking-stick, he
stepped on tiptoe right to the door, and then whispered softly beneath
his breath:

"Hi! Hi! Hi! I say, old 'un, you've forgot your spear.--Think of
that, now," he continued, half-aloud. "Why, of course; he stood it up
there before he went out to fetch that precious jar. Forgot it! I
say--talk about discipline in the Rajah's army, and a chap forgetting
his piece! Fancy old Tipsy, and it was me and my rifle! Plenty of
water, plenty of bread and fruit, and a present of one of them spears,
as will be handier than a fixed bay'net. Why isn't Mister Archie awake
to enjoy all this? Now then, if that chap will only come to-morrow
night, and forget another of these sharp-pointed toothpicks for Mister
Archie, I shall be very much obliged. But here am I playing the fool
like this, and at any moment he may be coming back to fetch this one
away. Well, if he expects he's going to get it, poor chap, I'm sorry
for him;" and obeying his first impulse, he carried the keen-pointed
weapon across the floor, lowered the head, and felt gently to find where
it was bare; and the next moment his lingers were playing about over
what was evidently a short piece of bamboo of about the same
circumference as the shaft, and which fitted tightly over the keen blade
like a sheath.

Then going down upon one knee, he thrust the spear carefully in beneath
the bed of leaves at the foot of the wall, behind where Archie lay. Not
satisfied at once, he withdrew and thrust in the weapon again, feeling
if it was well covered; and then going to the far end, and scraping up
and bringing a double armful of the dried leaves, he carefully covered
his treasure more deeply.

"Ah!" he ejaculated, panting a little with his exertion, "I don't think
it's li