e side of a tree, and then plays pussy
cat."

"Plays what?" cried Slegge.

"Pussy cat, sir. You know: rubs hisself up again' a man same as a
kitten does against your leg. But it aren't the same, because if the
pore chap don't dodge him he gets rubbed out like a nought on the
slate."

"Dear me! Extraordinary!" said Morris. "But--er--er--where is the
fugitive beast now?"

"Ah, you may well call him a fugity beast, sir. I don't quite know what
it means; but that's a good name for him, and he desarves it. Oh, he's
over yonder now, right in the middle of yon orchard, and nobody durst go
near him. Every time any one makes a start he begins to roosh, and then
goes back in amongst the trees, and when I come away I never see
anything like it in my life. It was bushels then."

"Bushels--bushels, my man?"

"Yes, sir, he was a-picking the apples with that trunk of his, and
tucking them in as fast as ever they'd go. A beast! he'll fill hisself
before he's done. He won't leave off now he's got the chance, and he'll
kill anybody who goes nigh him. You see, the master keeps him pretty
short to tame him down and keep him from going on the rampage. It's all
a mistake having a thing like that in a show. You take my word for it,
sir. If you goes in for a mennar-gerry you take to monkeys. They don't
take nothing to keep, for the public feeds them on nuts and buns, and if
it warn't for their catching cold and going on the sick-list they'd be
profit every ounce."

"Er--thank you, my man," said Morris haughtily; "but I don't think it
probable that I shall venture upon a peripatetic zoo--eh, young
gentlemen?"

"Oh no, sir!" came in chorus.

"Can we see the huge pachyderm from here?"

"Packing apples, sir? No, no, don't you alter that there, sir. You
called him fugity beast just now, and you can't beat that.--No, you
can't see him. He's in there among them apple-trees."

"Why, he's got into old Bunton's orchard, sir," cried Slegge, and he
stepped forward to the opening. "Yes, you can't see the elephant, sir,
but you can see the men all round. I think they are tying him up to a
tree, sir."

"Yes, that's likely," said the man grimly. "I dare say they've all got
a bit of string in their pockets as will just hold him."

"Er--do you think we could go up a little closer, my man, without the
young gentlemen getting into danger?" said Morris, in the full
expectation that he would be told it would be dangerous in th