" he roared, "let's get this job done."

The mahout winced, and after a time the task of securing the big,
comfortable pad was finished, and, in obedience to Peter, Archie took
his seat upon it, while the mahout made a gesture as if asking whether
he should go back now to his old seat on the lesser elephant, which all
the time was following Rajah's example and making a hearty meal of the
succulent leaves.

"What does he mean by that, Mister Archie?" whispered Peter. "No, no,
don't tell me! I see;" and turning to the mahout, he roared out "No!"
and pointed forward towards Rajah's neck. "That's your place," he
shouted; and the little fellow, grasping Peter's meaning, crept past
Archie and took his seat, settling himself, with a sigh, with his legs
beneath the great beast's ears.

The big elephant, though apparently intent upon demolishing as many
leaves as he could contain, proved himself to have been busy with his
little, pig-like eyes the while, for as the mahout took his seat he
began muttering and chuntering again, and dropping a bunch of the green
food, he turned up his trunk and began to pass it over the body of his
rider.

The look of fear had died out of the mahout's countenance as he turned
his face to the two Englishmen, and he nodded and smiled rather
pitifully, as he seemed to be feeling now that his life was going to be
spared.

"All right!" shouted Peter; and the mahout winced again as he drew his
ankus from where he had tucked it in the folds of his sarong, as if to
signify that he was ready to perform any duties his masters wished.

"That's done it, Mister Archie," said Peter. "One can't understand
everybody's lingo, but good, loud English goes a long way if you put
plenty of powder behind it. You see now.--Forward!" roared Peter, and
the mahout, who had been nervously watching his every movement, turned
and spoke to Rajah, when the monster moved on at once into the deep,
rich glow that was now penetrating the tunnel-like road, while the
lesser elephant stayed for a few minutes to collect a good-sized bundle
of twigs, and then moved after its fellow as contentedly as if
everything were right.

"Then you are going to make him take us right back to camp, Pete?" said
Archie.

"Yes, sir; that's the marching orders, if we can do it; but it won't be
very long before it's dark."

"Yes; it will soon be sundown. How long do you think the elephant will
go on?"

"I d'know, sir. It's chance it--ch