"SALAAM, MAHARAJAH!"
The menagerie proprietor hurriedly led the way straight across the
cricket-field; for, full of excitement, he was eager to get right away
with the depredating animal before the owner of the damaged fence and
orchard came upon the scene.
"I can talk to him better when I get on my own ground," he said to
himself; and, making straight for the gap in the Doctor's hedge, the
elephant, in obedience to word after word from his mahout, followed with
long, swinging strides.
There was a crowd outside the hedge in the road, and they would have
been across the field long before; but, in obedience to an order from
the Doctor, Wrench was on guard and kept them back. His rather
difficult task ceased as the elephant drew near, for the crowd scattered
to avoid the monster, and the Doctor's man gave way too, the only
difference being that the little mob drew away outside the hedge while
the man made way in; for, seeing who were mounted on the great animal's
neck, he ran towards the house to meet the Doctor, who, followed by the
other masters, was now coming toward the gap with a small opera-glass in
his hand.
"Here, Joseph," he cried breathlessly, "am I right? Are those two of my
pupils?"
"Yes, sir; a-riding striddling on the elephant's neck."
"Dangerous! Madness! So undignified too! What will people think? Run
and tell them to get off directly and come to me."
The man hurriedly retraced his steps; but before he could reach the gap
in the hedge the elephant strode through and out into the road, and the
Doctor and his aides hurried back into the house to reach one of the
front windows just as, headed by the proprietor and followed by a crowd,
the elephant strode by, the two boys taking off their caps to salute
those at the window.
The Doctor turned with a look of blank amazement upon his countenance,
to stare for a few moments at the classical and French masters, who had
followed him in.
"Gentlemen," he exclaimed angrily, "did you ever see such extraordinary
behaviour in your lives? Oh, this must be stopped!"
But it was not stopped, for the elephant was striding away along the
main street of the town, with a crowd regathering as they saw that the
powerful monster seemed to be well under control; while the boys, now
thoroughly enjoying their exciting ride, needed no persuasion from
Ramball to keep their places and take their mount right up to the
show-field, where several of the yellow vans were already in place,
their drivers having commenced the formation of the oblong square which
was to form the show.
Here, shortly afterwards, the elephant stopped of its own volition close
to a great iron picket which was being driven into the soft earth, and
by which a truss of hay had been placed ready for its refection.
Here, as the elephant stood still, it paid no heed to a couple of
Ramball's men, who in obedience to their master's orders set to work to
fasten a strong chain to the monster's leg and attach it to the iron
picket.
For, evidently satisfied with its fruity lunch, and calmed down from the
excitement brought on by the accident, possibly too from a certain
feeling of satisfaction at hearing the native tongue of some old mahout
ringing in its great ears, the huge beast now began to take matters
according to its old routine. It commenced by gathering up portions of
the hay, which it loosened with its trunk, sniffing at it audibly, and
then beginning to scatter it about, the boys making no attempt to quit
their lofty perch.
"Here, one of you, bring a bucket of water," cried Ramball. "He ain't
hungry now. Don't let him waste that hay. Have you fastened the
chain?"
Without waiting for the men to answer, the menagerie proprietor examined
the great fetters himself.
"Look sharp," he shouted; "quick with that water before he spoils all
the hay."
One man had hurried off to the pump with a couple of empty buckets,
while the others seized upon the truss which the elephant was
disturbing, but only to drop it directly, for the captive just lightly
waved its trunk right and left, and the men were sent flying in
different directions.
_Phoompf_ snorted the tyrant, and immediately went on picking up and
scattering the hay all around it, thickly covering the grass.
"Well, I suppose we had better get down now, hadn't we?" cried Glyn.
"Yes, sir--no, sir. Just wait a little bit, please," cried Ramball.
"You're a-keeping of him quiet; only I don't want this 'ere to be made a
free gratus exhibition for everybody to see. It's a cutting off my
profits. Hi, there, some of you! why don't you shut them gates?" he
shouted to certain of his men who were driving in the latter half of the
line of yellow vans.
"Can't get the rest in if we do, sir," came back.
"No, of course they can't," grunted their master, looking up at the two
lads. "Things is going awkward to-day, and no mistake.--Oh, here comes
the water," he continued, speaking now to Singh. "I dare say that will
cool him down. Just say a word to him, sir, and tell him to drink."
"Tell the men to put the buckets down before him," replied Singh; and as
the water-bearer drew near the elephant evidently scented the refreshing
fluid, and uttered a sonorous snort.
Directly after, as the man nervously set down the brimming buckets,
anxiously watching the waving trunk the while, and leaping away as he
saw it coming towards him, the tip of the great hose-like organ was
thrust into the first vessel, there was a low sound of suction as many
quarts were drawn up, and then the end was curled under, thrust right
back into the huge creature's mouth, and then there was a loud squirting
sound like a fire-engine beginning to play to put out the animal's
burning thirst.
Back went the trunk into the bucket again, the curving inward followed
for a second discharge, there was repetition, till in a very brief space
the first bucket was empty, and then, with a disdainful swing of the
trunk, the vessel was sent flying, and the emptying of the second
commenced, to be ended by the satiated beast picking it up to hold it on
high as if to drain out the last drops, and then begin to swing it to
and fro as if to hurl it at its master.
"Hah-h-h-h-ah!" cried Singh, and the great creature ceased swinging the
bucket to and fro, and dropped it on the hay.
"Come, Singh, we have had enough of this," cried Glyn impatiently.
"Let's get back, or we shall be having the Doctor sending to see what
has become of us."
"Don't you be afraid about that, young gentlemen," cried Ramball. "I'll
speak up for you both."
"Thank you," said Glyn drily; "but you've done with us now."
"Done with you, young gentlemen! I only wish you'd stop and join my
troupe. I'll make it right and pleasant for you, and be glad too. Pay
you better, too, than any one else would when you leave school. Why,
bless your heart, you--the dark one I'm talking to--if you like to come
I'll spend any amount up to a hundred pounds for getting you a thorough
Indian corstume all muslin and gold, and a turban with jewels in it--
imitations, of course, it wouldn't run to real, but the best as is to be
had--with a plume of feathers too, ready for you to ride in procession
same as you did to-day. What do you say?"
"Yes, Singh," cried Glyn laughing, as he sat close behind his companion,
and catching him by the shoulders he began to shake him to and fro.
"There's an offer for you. What do you say?"
"I am going to get down," said Singh with a haughty curve to his lip.
"Well, I won't tell him I'm not an English boy." Then sharply resuming
his native tongue, he uttered an order which made the great beast kneel
down in the hay with its trunk stretched straight out before it, and
raising its ears a little, ready for its two riders to climb down
forwards and spring off.
"Ha!" cried Singh, as he approached close to the elephant and planted
his right foot upon the upper portion of its trunk. "I should rather
like to have you," he said, speaking softly, so that his words only
reached his companion's ear. "You are the first in England to show me
that you know what I am."
"But you can't have him, Singh," said Glyn laughing. "No more elephants
till we get back to Dour, and that won't be for years to come."
"No," said the boy sadly; "that will not be for years to come.--Huh!" he
cried to the elephant, as he removed his foot and drew back. "You're a
fine old beast after all."
The monster rose at his command, and stood blinking at him and swinging
his trunk to and fro.
"Mind, sir!" shouted Ramball, who had been looking on anxiously. "Don't
you trust him. He's brewing mischief. He always is when he looks quiet
like that; and the way he can knock you over with that trunk--my word!"
"Oh, he's not going to knock me over with his trunk," said Singh,
smiling; and, uttering a few words in Hindustani, he stood close up to
the elephant and reached one hand up to its great ear and laid the other
upon its trunk.
"Salaam, Maharajah!" he cried, and the animal threw up its head, curled
up its trunk, and trumpeted loudly, before going down upon its knees
before the lad.
"Good! Up again!" cried Singh in Hindustani, and added a few more
words, the result of which was that the monster stood calmly by its
great picket-peg, making its chain jingle as it began slowly swaying its
head from side to side again.
"Well done, sir!" cried Ramball. "Thank you, sir. You'll shake hands
with me, won't you?"
"Oh yes," said Singh quietly; "I'll shake hands," and he extended his
own.
"You are a gentleman and no mistake," cried the man. "I say, think that
offer of mine over. I'll make it worth your while. I will, honour
bright!"
Singh shook his head gravely, and there was a mocking smile upon his
lip.
"No, no, thank you," he said. "I am going back to school, and some day
back to India; but I should like to come and see you and the elephant
again."
"Of course you would, sir, and come you shall," cried Ramball.
"Perpetual passes! You don't want no pass. Just you show your face
here, both of you, whenever you like, and bring as many of your
schoolmates with you too, and you will be as welcome as the flowers of
May. Look here, young gentlemen, I am going to keep the show open here
for three days, and then we go off to my farm three miles out of the
town to lay up for a bit of rest and do repairs, and get the animals
into condition, before we take the road again. You come and see me
there, and pick out what you'd like to have, monkeys or parrots, as I
said. I don't offer you anything big, because I don't suppose you could
keep it at school; but I have got some of the amusingest little monkeys
you ever see, and a parrot as can talk--when he likes, mind you,"
continued the man, laying a fat finger against his nose, "and that ain't
always. But when he is in the temper for it he can say anything, and
you wouldn't know but what it was a human being.--Going, gentlemen?"
"Yes, we are going now," said Singh.
"Yes, it's time we were off," said Glyn; "but I say, Mr Ramball, what
about that rifle?"
"Rifle? Oh, you mean my gun?"
"Yes," said Glyn. "You don't mean to shoot that grand beast?"
"Shoot him, sir? Not me. It put me in such a temper and made me say
that. But, young gentlemen, do think over what I said. Why, if you
joined my troupe, I'm blessed if I wouldn't buy another as big as him,
and then you'd have a elephant apiece."