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It was an elephant, and a ladder was placed against the open howdah fixed on its back; the great beast was swinging trunk and tail impatiently, and its driver was already seated behind the huge head. "Up with you," said Saya Chone. Jack glanced round, and saw nothing but dark, fierce, inimical faces all about him.
The half-caste ambled ahead on a pony, Jack and four of U Saw's retainers followed behind, and that was the whole of the party. As they approached the edge of the declivity which ran down towards the swamp, the sound of a loud, measured voice came through the air. Saya Chone started, touched his pony with his heel, and cantered forward.
Haydon, "just at the moment of our hardest trial and greatest danger. Me Dain, old fellow, we are enormously indebted to you." Father and son shook hands with the Burman and thanked him over and over again, and Me Dain grinned all over his broad, pleasant face. "Better get on," he said, "Saya Chone not far away yet."
The door was now closed and bolted behind him, and he was taken up a narrow flight of tortuous stairs. Then he was conducted along a maze of narrow passages, being led now and again through doors which Saya Chone unlocked and carefully locked again after them.
This he did with a small key, and, as the links of steel were brought under the pony's barrel from one foot of the prisoner to the other, Jack was securely tethered to the animal. As soon as Jack was mounted, Saya Chone and the Malay also got to their saddles, and the party moved off down the ravine.
The cry burst in irrepressible surprise and excitement from the other two. "Sure thing," said Risley. "Just listen to me. That half-caste Saya Chone comes from up-country somewhere in the direction the Professor headed for after leaving Mogok. That's the starting-point for the whole business.
He saw that they were the work of a very cunning and skilful craftsman, highly wrought and beautifully tempered, slight in appearance, but immensely strong. A head now came in sight outside. It was the Strangler, and he called out a few words to Saya Chone. The half-caste had been sitting with his hand in the breast of his jacket.
Well, I want to be ahead of the news. It might make Saya Chone and U Saw suspicious. They knew very well we were in Mandalay. I don't want them to learn too soon that we're at their very doors." Jim Dent nodded. He, too, had wakened, and had been listening to Jack. "Me Dain," said Jack, "go to the headman, and tell him we want a couple of good ponies to carry the packs once more.
"They must have had a vessel of their own, but that's a puzzling thing. Did you see any sign of this Saya Chone on the voyage, Buck?" "Not a hair of him," replied Risley. "He and his pals might have been among the third-class passengers after all," said the gunsmith. "You weren't looking out for them, but it's pretty plain they were looking out for you.
But he had found him a prisoner in cruel and merciless hands which now also held Jack captive. What an end to all his fine dreams of rescuing his father! What a mockery of his hopes! As these thoughts thronged through Jack's mind, Saya Chone began to speak. Jack was at once all attention to the words of the half-caste. "Well, Mr.
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