. "That sounds bad, if it was real, sir; but it's
only what you fancy. How's your head now?"

"That old pain seems back again worse than ever."

"Wish we'd stopped an hour ago when we crossed back over the river
again, and had 'nother good drink. That must have been about one
o'clock, I should say. I don't know, though--I've about lost count.
Ain't it rum, sir, how rivers wind about, and how the elephants' paths
go straight across them?"

Archie looked at him piteously; his eyes seemed to say, "Pray, pray
don't keep talking!"

The look silenced his companion, and for half-an-hour at least not a
word was spoken.

_Plosh, plosh, suck, suck_ of the elephants' feet went on in the same
monotonous way. A gleam of sunshine now and then lightened the gloom of
the tunnel-like path, but besides the dreary sound the silence was
awful. By this time Archie seemed to be quite exhausted, and as Pete
passed an arm round him and lowered him back on to the pad before
slipping a hand into his waistband to ensure his not slipping off, the
poor fellow's eyes were half-closed, while those of his companion were
fixed with the lids wide apart, and with a fierce, staring look gazed
forward over the mahout's head in the wild hope of seeing something that
he could recognise, something that would prove that they really were on
the path that led to headquarters.

"I'm about beat out," said poor Peter to himself. "A chap wants to be
made of iron to keep this up much longer, and I ain't iron, only flesh
and blood and bones, and them not best quality--upper crust. Oh! if I
could only--" He stopped short with his lips apart, face down, and one
ear turned in the direction in which the mahout was staring.

"Oh!" he panted once again, "is it, or am I getting delirious? Ah!
there it goes again--or am I wrong? What's a bugle going for at this
time in the afternoon? I'm a-dreaming of it. No, I ain't! Hooray!--
Look up, Mister Archie, sir! It's all right. Cheer up, sir!"

"What! What! Who spoke?" said the exhausted lad, making an effort,
catching at Peter, and dragging himself up and sitting clinging tightly
to his companion's arm.

"Close in, sir. We shall be at the campong in five minutes, and in less
than another on the parade-ground. Hooroar, sir! There's no place like
home, even if it's out in a savage jungle.--Here, what are you panting
at, sir, like that? Don't do it! You ain't been running."

"You're saying this to ke