the great animal uttered a loud
grunt, stopped short, and extended his trunk, not to grasp the tempting
offering, but to bring to bear his wonderful sense of smell before he
was satisfied.

Then he passed his trunk over the lad's chest, muttering pleasantly the
while, and taking the piece of cake, transferred it to his cavernous
mouth.

"Now, Mister Archie, sir, bring what you can, and never mind the rest.
We haven't a moment to spare. Come gently, whatever you do."

Archie was slowly descending the slope of the great thatched roof, which
seemed to be a perfectly easy task, but so novel to one who had not had
Peter's experience that when he had nearly reached the eaves and was
planting his feet carefully, in preparation for lowering himself down
the eight or nine feet of perpendicular wall, whose trellis-work would
afford him support, the tied-in piece of flat stone upon which he had
planted his foot suddenly gave way, and slipped from the thin cane. A
faint cry escaped from the young officer's lips as he grasped at the
brittle attap mat, which gave way at once. He slipped over the ragged
mat which formed the eaves, and the next moment, _crack, crack, crack_,
he was hanging feet downwards, and then fell heavily in a cloud of dust
bump upon the trampled earth, in company with a snake about six feet
long, which began to glide rapidly away.

"You've done it, sir!" panted Peter; and then loudly, "It's all right,
old man," he continued, as he held out the rest of the piece of cake.
"That's only his way of coming down. Whatcher frightened about? Oh, I
see; it's that snake;" and catching up one of the spears which he had
leaned up against the big door, he used it pitchfork fashion to the
writhing reptile, and sent it flying upward on to the roof, for it to
begin scuffling away amidst the leafy thatch.

_Phoonk_! said the elephant; and he slowly turned himself as if upon a
pivot, and extended his trunk to the coveted cake.

"Don't say you are hurt, sir!" whispered Peter. "You can go on, can't
you? Oh, do say you can!"

"Yes, yes," panted Archie confusedly; "I think I am all right."

"Then here goes for it, sir. I don't feel a bit sure, but I am going to
try as soon as I have fed him a bit more. Don't you bother about the
prog. I am going to make him carry it as inside passengers. It will
please him, and if he will carry us we will eat leaves or grass.--Come
on, old man. Here you are! Ripe 'nanas, and one o