't
you see? Oh, isn't it comic. And they don't fit."

"Nonsense," cried Singh excitedly. "It's a big elephant underneath
there, and he's so heavy he has broken through the bottom of the wagon."

It certainly gave a stranger that impression; but the young Indian was
not right. It was only the showman's ingenious device to convey his
huge attraction from town to town unseen save just so much as would whet
the spectator's curiosity and make him wish to see more.

"Dear me," said a rich, unctuous voice just behind the lads; and the
boys started round at the familiar tones, to see the benignant-looking
Doctor blinking through his gold-rimmed spectacles and commenting upon
the spectacle for the benefit of his younger pupils. "You see, my dear
lads," he began, "a monstrous animal like that must weigh tons, and
would be too heavy for the horses to--"

The Doctor's words were drowned by the roar of laughter that arose from
behind the wall, for Glyn's comment had been taken up quickly, and ran
from end to end of the line, with the result that, like a chorus
dominating their laughter, the boys joined in one insane shout of:

"Trousers! trousers!"

The next moment it was over the wall and running through the crowd, who
caught it up and began to yell out the name of the familiar object of
attire, staid elderly men holding their sides and laughing, boys
shrieking with delight and pointing under the van at the two pairs of
huge pillar-like legs with the loose skin hanging about them like some
specimen of giant frieze, till, as the van moved on, the driver grew
frantic and began to smack his whip; while, to add to the tumult, there
arose from within a peculiar hoarse trumpeting roar that can only be put
into print by the words: _Phoomp! phoomp! phoomp_!

"Ha!" cried Singh excitedly, and he gripped at Glyn's arm so sharply
that he made him wince. "Hark at him! Hark at him!" he whispered
hoarsely in the boy's ear. "The jungle! the jungle! Why, it must be a
big bull elephant. Oh, we must go and see him to-night!"

Singh saw him the next minute; for, startled by the terrific roar behind
them, and probably knowing well the power of the utterer, the four
draught horses began to suffer from panic. One began to rear and
plunge, and before the driver, who was close to the hind wheels, could
force his way through the crowd and seize its rein, it made a dash for
the sidewalk farthest from the Doctor's wall. Like gregarious bea