things as the jungle's full of? You let me alone, sir. I
mean to make a beginning. Sha'n't do much till you get stronger, sir.
Then we shall get out together, and make straight for the camp."

"But how about finding our way?"

"Well, sir, between ourselves, I have got two plans. One is, to get
down to the river and find a boat. You see, once aboard that, all we
have to do is to let it float down till we come to Campong Dang."

"Yes; that sounds simple and easy. But you said that you had got two
plans."

"Yes, sir. That's the wet way; t'other's dry. You haven't seen because
you have been too bad, but they keeps helephants here, and I know one of
them."

"You know one of them?"

"Yes, sir; he's been to see me twiced."

"Are you dreaming, Pete?"

"Yes, sir--with my eyes open. I have thought it all out. I want to get
him here some night, and then break a way out and get you on him--I
knows how to ride like a mahout--and I'll make him take us to
headquarters. What do you say to that?"

"Say to that, Pete!"

"Ah! don't you get talking like an unbelieving heathen, sir. You don't
know what a lot of sense there is in one of these 'ere helephants. Once
I get you on board--I don't suppose there would be a howdah, but you
could hold on to his ropes--I've got a spear to guide him, though he
wouldn't want no steering once I got him into one of those paths. They
all lead to one or other of the campongs, and if we don't get into the
right one at first we will try again."

Archie sighed.

"Ah, you think I can't do it, sir; and you are low-sperrited because you
ain't strong enough."

"It all sounds so wild, Pete," said Archie faintly.

"Course it do, sir. Helephants ain't horses."

"Thank you," said Archie, with a faint scintillation of his old ideas of
fun.

"They are wild beasts, and big 'uns, too, at that."

"Yes, yes; but this all sounds nonsensical."

"Course it do, sir. That's the best of it. You can't grarsp it because
you have been lying there onsensible and don't know what's happened. I
didn't believe it myself at first; but you remember about the review and
the big Rajah's helephants?"

"Yes, of course."

"Well, when I was off duty for a bit I goes and makes friends with one
of the swell mahouts--him as drove the Rajah's own helephant. The
mahout let me feed him, and the big beast was quite chummy with me--took
me up in his trunk, and set me up astride on him."

"Well, suppose he