t 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."

CHAPTER EIGHT.

DOCTOR BEWLEY CHANGES SIDES.

As the two lads reached the main street, chatting over their adventure,
something occurred which made Glyn turn his head sharply, and as he did
so a small boy shouted, "Hooray!"

It was the little spark applied to the touch-hole of a cannon, and a
loud roar followed.

"Here, let's go back," cried Singh. "The Rajah's broken loose again."

"No, no," cried Glyn. "They are shouting at us."

"What for? What have we done?"

"I suppose it's because we rode the elephant. Here, come along; let's
turn down here and get round by the fields."

The young Indian generally gave way to his English friend; and, obeying
directly, they hurried down the first turning, but in vain. A crowd of
men and boys were after them, cheering loudly, and this crowd was
snowball-like in the way in which the farther it rolled the more it
grew. So that in spite of all their efforts they were literally hunted
right up to the Doctor's gates, where they arrived hot and breathless to
find a larger crowd than before which had gathered to satisfy themselves
with the rather empty view of the damaged hedge, the big footmarks, and
a wheelwright and some of Ramball's men getting the great bottomless
elephant-van into condition for dragging to the show-field.

As soon as the two boys came in sight there was a rush made for them,
and amidst deafening cheering and vain efforts to hoist them
shoulder-high and carry them into the playground, they managed to reach
this resort at last, and join their schoolfellows in keeping out the
excited mob, some of whom, the youngest of course, began to decorate the
brick wall with their persons like so many living statues. And then to
the two lads' disgust, the whole school, with the exception of Slegge,
and half-a-dozen of his party who wanted to join in the ovation but did
not dare in the presen