The Rajah of Dah

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

  TWO HOURS LATE.

  "It is only fancy," said Murray to himself, as, after what seemed to bean interminable length of time, they came in sight of the big tree wherethe other two elephants stood swinging their trunks, and the rest of theparty were standing about watching for their return. There was no timelost now, for the day was getting well on, and the Malays showed plentyof eagerness to be once more well on their road, so as to be through thejungle before dark.

  "I'm afraid we have rather overdone it, boys," said Murray, after a longsilence, during which the elephants plodded patiently on, and theirguard kept up a low muttered conversation to themselves.

  "It would have been better if we had started half an hour sooner," saidFrank, coolly; "but it don't matter, that I see. Once we get into thejungle track the elephants will go through it back to their quarters,and we can lie down and get a nap if we like."

  All this was shouted from one elephant to the other, for the same orderhad been maintained as in coming. "No danger, is there?" said Ned."Danger? Well, perhaps a little. Tiger might catch one of the men, asa cat does a mouse. You see how close they'll all keep to the elephantsas soon as we enter the jungle."

  "Oh, nonsense! No tiger would attack a party like this."

  "Wouldn't he! You'll see."

  "What?"

  "Well no, I don't mean that; only that if a tiger is hungry he'd attackanything."

  It seemed to be a long journey to the jungle track, and evening wasgrowing very near, as once more the elephants plunged into the narrowdark tunnel, where the mud rarely grew dry in the huge footprints wornby the heavy animals into deep pits, each of which seemed like a trap,out of which the labouring beast had to drag its leg.

  The change from the golden glow of the late afternoon to the gloom ofthe jungle path was again sudden, and it evoked the remark from Ned: "Ifit is like this now, what will it be when it's dark?"

  "Why dark?" cried Frank, laughing. "Oh, you needn't mind. There's nofear of the elephants taking the wrong turning, because there isn't one.If the drivers keep them going, we shall be sure to get back home."

  Then the monotonous slush slush of the elephant's tread began, mingledwith the squeaking of the strong basket-work howdah, and an occasionalsnort from one of the great animals, as it found the task of extricatingits legs harder than usual. For a time the Malays had kept up their lowmurmuring conversation, but this soon dropped off as the darknessincreased, and they crept up close, as Frank had suggested, to the headsof the elephants, contriving so that one of the animals should form therear-guard, and thus protect them from attack.

  It was not long before the conversation between those on the two leadingelephants dropped off, so that by the time it was quite dark the journeywas being continued in almost absolute silence, as far as talking wasconcerned.

  And it was dark: so black that the occupants of the howdahs could notsee each other when close together, and the only way to avoid the boughswhich brushed against them constantly was to crouch as low down as waspossible.

  Ned had been sitting silently for some time thinking all kinds ofhorrors, and of how huge serpents might be hanging from the boughs, ortigers watching them in the darkness, ready to spring in among them,when suddenly he started, for there was a low guttural sound like asuppressed roar close at hand, and directly after, a cold chill ranthrough him, for as the elephant went on with its slow swaying motion,something which seemed to be long and round glided past his face, passedover his shoulder, and then swept about his neck.

  The scene up the river came back instantaneously, and in those momentsNed mentally saw a creature like that at which his uncle had shot,hanging from somewhere above, and seeking to coil round his body tocrush him in its folds.

  It was all momentary, but in that brief space of time Ned satmotionless, and then his breath escaped with a low hiss, as he felt thatit was Frank's arm feeling for him, and directly after the boy's lipstouched his ear.

  "Ned," he whispered, "here's a game. Oh Tim's asleep and snoring."

  "Well, I don't see any game in that. I wish I was."

  "Don't be snaggy. I mean to have a bit of fun with him."

  "What could you do?"

  "You know how he has been fidgeting about the tigers."

  "Yes."

  "Look here, then: you sit fast, and I'll just feel how he lies, and thenget out of this jolly old basket, hold on to the side, and then jump inon him, take him by the neck, and give a good loud snarl. I can imitatethe tigers exactly."

  "And suppose he hits you with all his might?"

  "I shouldn't give him time. I should roll off directly. He'd declare atiger had jumped into the howdah, and brag about how he had escaped."

  Ned was silent.

  "Well, wouldn't it be a game? Why don't you answer? What are youthinking about?"

  "Tim scratching a match, and frightening the elephant," said Nedquietly.

  "What? this morning?"

  "Yes; and of how it rushed off."

  "Ah! I never thought of that," said Frank. "Perhaps it would scare it,and that would be awkward in the dark."

  "Let me get down and walk before you begin," continued Ned.

  "Oh, bother! I shan't do it now. I say, I don't know where we shouldall be if he started now."

  "I don't know where we are without his starting," replied Ned. "Itseems to me as if the thing's going right through the blackest part ofthe forest as it is."

  "Nonsense! And look: it isn't so dark now. We're out in that partwhere we rested this morning."

  That was plain enough, for a load seemed to have been suddenly liftedfrom their spirits. The air felt warm and fresh. The peculiar dankodour of the trampled leaves and mud was wanting, and right above themwere the purple heavens ablaze with glorious stars, looking brighter andlarger than they had ever seemed before.

  "Hah!" ejaculated Ned, taking a long breath; "that's better."

  But the pleasurable feeling soon passed away, for at the end of fiveminutes, the jungle track was entered upon again, and plash, plash,plash, plash, on they went, with the howdah creaking to the elephant'sswing, and the boughs now dripping with moisture brushing against themas the elephants plunged on.

  "Why, we shall be hours yet," said Ned. "Oh, I am getting so sick ofthis. It was bad enough this morning when it was daylight. Hark!What's that?"

  "Tiger," said Frank, in a subdued voice, "on the prowl. But I don'tsuppose he'll come near us."

  Frank's words did not inspire confidence. On the contrary, they madeNed feel very nervous, and begin to envy Tim's ability to sleep allthrough the perilous jaunt. For dangerous it was, since, setting asidethe risk of an attack by some hungry tiger, there was always thepossibility of one of the elephants coming down when floundering throughthe mud.

  On still, with the motion at last growing so wearisome that the dangerswere forgotten, and both of the boys began to nod, but roused up againas a hail came from the foremost elephant.

  "Getting tired of it?"

  "Horribly!" they shouted back; "and it's a long way yet."

  Then the nodding began again, their crouching attitude fostering it, andthe darkness was lit up by the dreams which came with their sound sleep,out of which they both started together; the change in the elephant'smovement, from a rolling, plunging progress, something akin to that of aboat at sea without its smoothness, to a regular steady walk, waking theboys at once.

  "Hurrah!" cried Frank. "Out of the jungle. Not far to go now."

  As he spoke, they could see lights, and the elephants stepped outfreely, bringing them in a very short time to the front of the rajah'sgrounds, where a group of men were standing, and among them Mr Braine,Mr Greig, and the Tumongong, who all advanced.

  "You are late," cried the former. "Make haste and get down here; wehave been waiting these two hours."

  "Sorry to have kept you," cried Murray, as the elephants went down ontheir knees.

  "Never min
d, we'll talk later on. The rajah desires that you all comeand have your evening meal with him, and tell him what you have done."

  "Impossible to-night. We are not fit."

  "Never mind that," said Mr Braine, rather hurriedly; "he expressed awish for you to come, and come you must. He has been waiting two hours.The ladies are all there, and the doctor too. A dinner has beenprepared for us in a room to ourselves. You will have an audience withthe rajah afterwards."

  The mention of the ladies being there swept away all Murray'sobjections, and he descended, while Frank said aloud:

  "Then I shall take Ned on home to have something with me."

  "No, no," cried Murray, hastily; "he must see to the specimens and gunsbeing safely housed."

  "Impossible!" cried Mr Braine, "and we are wasting time. The rajahsaid all, and he will be impatient. Your man Hamet must see toeverything. Come along."