ch and out of sight
of his huge visitor. This done, the young private crossed over to where
he had thrust and covered over the spear, and, to his intense
satisfaction, he found that unless a searcher well turned over the dried
leaves, it would be impossible to find the concealed weapon.

"Is that you, Pete?" said a faint voice; and Archie's fellow-prisoner
literally rushed to the speaker's side.

"Me it is, sir. England for ever, and hooray! Oh, do say you are
better, sir!" cried the lad, ending in a half-squeak as if there were
tears in his throat or he was trying to imitate an elephant.

"Better? Yes, I think I'm better, Pete," said the poor fellow feebly.
"But my head aches dreadfully, and--and--I'm so weak."

"Ah, I've got to bathe that head, sir."

"Yes, I think that would do it good. Yes, I am better, Pete, for I can
think. We are prisoners, aren't we?"

"Yes, sir, at present," said Pete confidently. "Just till we are
exchanged, or escape."

"Ah!" ejaculated Archie. "I said I could think now, and I was
forgetting. Look here, have you found Miss Minnie?"

"Now, now, now, sir," cried the young private in a tone full of
remonstrance; "you have been very ill, and off your head. It's very
horrid, I know, but you have got to get better, and not make yourself
worse with thinking about that."

"Yes, yes, I know," said Archie excitedly. "But you don't tell me.
Have you found out where she is?"

"No, sir; not yet. I couldn't leave you."

"Not leave me, man? You must get out of this place as soon as you can,
and either find her or make your way to headquarters, and let the Doctor
and Major Knowle--oh, and Sir Charles too--know what has happened."

"Mister Archie, sir," said the lad, laying a cool hand on his young
officer's burning brow, "don't, sir--please, don't! They must know all
you want to say long enough ago, and before now they have got all our
brave lads out searching the country; and you may lie still, sir, and
think to yourself that nobody will rest until Miss Minnie is found."

There was silence for a few minutes, during which Peter Pegg half lay
beside his wounded officer, listening to words uttered in command that
sounded familiar. They were evidently orders addressed to the elephant,
which was shuffling by the great stable, making a whining sound as if
protesting against being driven.

Then all was still again, till Archie said quietly:

"Yes, Pete, you are quite right, and I p