CHAPTER SIX.

GLYN AND SINGH TO THE RESCUE.

As the party from the school drew nearer they could hear the occasional crack of a whip and a loud order given in a rather highly pitched tone to the beast, bidding him come out.

Then followed the snapping of twigs and a peculiarly dull grumbling sound as if the elephant were muttering his objections to the orders of his master, the bald-headed man, who still held his hat in one hand, his yellow handkerchief in the other, and dabbed the big white billiard-ball-like expanse as if he felt that it was very warm work.

Then there was a _crunch, crunch, crunch_, as if pippins were being reduced to pulp, and more twigs were heard to snap.

"Let him hear the whip again, Jem," shouted Mr Ramball.

"Oh, he won't come for that, sir," growled the man addressed; but he made the long cart-whip he carried crack loudly three times in obedience to the order; and as the fresh party drew as near to the orchard as they cared to go, after all had given a furtive glance round for a way to escape, the low grumbling muttering grew louder; while as the animal moved right into sight so did those who were watching him, and Slegge and his companions saw Glyn and Singh approach.

There was another movement on the part of the elephant, whose towering form came through the thickly growing orchard trees to one whose burden was of a deep rich-red, and here it stood bowing its head up and down, and slowly shaking it from side to side, while the trunk swung and turned and turned and swung here and there, till its owner had selected the fruit most pleasing to its little pig-like eye, when with serpent-like motion it rose in the air, and the end curled round the selected fruit, which was lowered and tucked out of sight on the instant.

"Now, look here, my lads," cried the proprietor of the menagerie to his men, "I can't have you all standing here gaping like a set of idiots as if you had never seen the brute before. Go in round behind him with your whips and drive him out."

There was a murmur of grumbles from the men, that seemed to be echoed by the elephant, which went on swinging its head up and down as if it were balanced on a spring. But no one stirred.

"Do you hear me?" cried the proprietor, his highly pitched voice growing quite shrill. "Here, I shall have no end of damages to pay for what he's doing. They'll be putting it in the lawyers' hands, and they'll be charging me a shilling for every apple he eats.--Eh! what's that? Not safe?"

"No; he's got one of his nasty fits o' temper on," said the driver of the great van which had come to grief.

"Tchah! Nonsense! You are a coward, Jem."

"Mebbe I am," grumbled the man; "but, coward or no, he knocked me flat over on my back, and once is quite enough for one day."

"Yah!" shouted his master. "You are ready enough to come on Sat.u.r.day night for your pay; but if I want anything a little extra done, where am I?--Here, give me the whip." And he s.n.a.t.c.hed it from the man's hand and walked towards the great beast, half-hidden among the trees.

"Say, you boys," growled the driver, "if I was you I'd just be ready to run. You've only just got to dodge him. Stop and make sure which way he's going, and then get in among the trees."

"Yes, quick: in amongst the trees," cried Morris, and he set the example.

"Nay," growled the man. "Not yet. Wait and see first which way he means to go."

Morris set the example of running in another direction, followed by his boys and by the voice of the driver.

"Why, that's worse," he cried. "That's about the way he'd go."

"Then which--what--why--Here, what are you two laughing at?" This to Glyn, who was stamping about with delight.

"Oh, I couldn't help it, sir," cried the boy, and before he could say more there was another loud crack of the whip as Ramball made his way round behind his rebellious beast and shouted at him to "Come out of that."

He had hardly uttered the words when there was a crashing and breaking of wood as if the elephant were making its way quickly through the trees in obedience to the command; and as the sounds ceased, the menagerie proprietor came staggering out without his handkerchief or whip, to stand in the middle of his men looking half-stunned and confused.

"Did he ketch you, sir?" said the driver, with a laugh of satisfaction in his twinkling eyes.

"Brought down his trunk across my back," panted the proprietor. "My word, he can hit hard!"

"Yes, sir; I know. Knocked me flat on my back, he did."

"Knocked me on my face," cried the proprietor angrily. "Look here," he said, "is there any skin off my nose? I fell against a tree."

"Took a little bit of the bark off," grumbled the man, who did not seem at all sympathetic. "Hadn't you better let him fill hisself full, sir, and have a rest? He'll come easy, perhaps, then."

"Do you want me to stand still here and see a devouring elephant go on eating till he ruins me? We must all join together and drive him out."

"But he'll drive us out, sir," said the man in a tone full of remonstrance.

"Then we must try again. I am not going to be beaten by a beast like that."

"Look here, my man," said Morris, "hadn't you better tie him up to one of the trees and leave him till to-morrow? They do this sort of thing abroad, I hear, by tying the elephant's legs or ankles to the trunks of trees."

"What!" shouted Ramball. "Why, he'd take them all up by the roots and go cantering through the town, doing no end of mischief, with them hanging to his legs. Think I want to have to pay for the trees as well as the apples?"

"Then--er--la.s.so him and lead him home."

"La.s.s which, sir?"

"La.s.so him, my man, with ropes."

"Why, he ain't a wild ostrich of the desert, sir. Look at him!--Here, one on yer run off and fetch the longest cart-rope. This 'ere gentleman would like to have a try."

The boys were roaring with laughter by this time, the mathematical master's parasites joining in as heartily as Glyn and Singh.

"Don't be rude, fellow," said Morris.

"Don't be rude?" cried Ramball, who was fuming with disappointment and rage. "Rude yourself. If you give me much more of your sarce I'll set the animile at you."

As this was proceeding, the elephant, whose taste for apples had been satiated, came slowly out into the open, to stand bending and bowing his ma.s.sive head, which he swayed slowly from side to side and blinked and flapped his ears, as he watched the a.s.sembly with his little reddish eyes in a way which made the mathematical master grip Slegge by the arm.

"I am getting uneasy," he whispered, "about you boys. Don't run, but follow me slowly back to the fence. Tell the other boys, and we will go at once."

"Can't you coax him out, sir?" said Glyn, as he approached the proprietor.

"No, I can't coax him out," cried Ramball snappishly; "but you mind your own business, I know mine. I have had enough of you putting your spoons in my porridge."

"Here, Mr Severn! Mr Singh!" shouted the mathematical master. "This way! We are going back to the college." But he did not go far.

"But I want to see the elephant brought out, sir," replied Singh. "He oughtn't to be left like this. He may do mischief."

"Oh, now you've begun, have you?" yelped the proprietor, whose voice in his anger had gradually reached the soprano. "I suppose you would like to have a try?"

"Oh, I don't want to interfere," replied Singh coolly. "Where do you want the elephant to go?"

"Where do I want him to go? Why, home of course, before he does any more mischief. I wish he was dead; that I do! And he shall be too.

Here, Jem, run back to Number One--here's the key--and bring my rifle and the powder-flask and bullet-bag. I'm sick of him. He'll be killing somebody before he's done--a beast!--Tigers is angels to him, sir," he continued appealingly to Morris. "He's the wickedest elephant I ever see, and I've spent more on him in damages than I paid for him at first; but he's played his last prank, and if I can't drive him I can shoot.--'Member that lion, my lads, as killed the gentleman's hoss?"

"Ay, ay, ay!" came in a low murmured growl.