"Well, was it still too light for you to venture?" asked Archie.

"Poof!" ejaculated the lad. "Ketch hold 'ere, sir;" and he thrust the
pistol-butt-like handle of a kris into his companion's hand. "Sound as
a top, sir. Ain't that prime! Don't I wish he had had a mate, so that
I could have got two!"

"But he will miss it as soon as he wakes," exclaimed Archie.

"Not 'im, sir; and if he does, he'll think that one of his mates has
been larking. Wait a bit, and I shall get another chance, for we ought
to have two."

But Fate was going to smile again, for the very next morning, in a wild
state of excitement, the lad gripped his young officer's hand tightly
between his own.

"No larks, sir," he half-sobbed. "Don't gammon me. If you don't feel
strong enough, say so, and we'll wait."

"What do you mean? What's the matter?" whispered back Archie.

"Look there, sir! The helephants are coming, and there ain't no
sentry."

"Oh!" ejaculated Archie, wild now with excitement, "I'm strong enough
for anything."

"Then take it coolly, sir, just as if we weren't going to make a bolt.
That chap must have been a bit sick last night, or been taking bhang or
something, and he's overslept himself this morning. Now then! Spears--
kris--victuals. Ready for action. Let's get part of the prog on to the
thatch. You hand it up to me, and then mount yourself.--Oh dear, we
sha'n't have half enough time!"

"But suppose the sentry comes?"

"Lie down on the thatch. You will be out of sight."

The low muttering of the elephants was heard as Peter scrambled up to
his hole in the roof. Archie handed up the spears, which the lad took,
and used one to help him in drawing up the basket of provisions, leaving
Archie to follow with a couple of cakes thrust into his breast; and by
the time the young subaltern was climbing along the thatch preparatory
to lowering himself down, five of the elephants had shuffled by, with
the squat little driver mounted on the last, and disappeared round a
curve of the narrow elephant-path.

As usual, their great fellow, Rajah, as Peter called him, was coming
muttering up, apparently only seeing the ground just where he was about
to plant his feet, so that he started and prepared to swerve as he
suddenly caught sight of the private standing waiting for him, this
being something entirely fresh.

But Peter did not lose his presence of mind; he called him by name and
held out a piece of the cake, when