d and
flapped his ears, as he watched the assembly 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.

"Got out, sir," continued the proprietor, waving one hand about
oratorically, and dabbing his bald head with his hand. "Here, some of
you, where's my yellow handkerchy? Oh, I know; I left it in that there
apple-wood, and I'd lay sixpence, he's picked it up and swallowed it
because it's yellow and he thinks it's the skin of a big orange. Got
out of his cage, he did, sir, that there lion--been fiddling all night,
I suppose, at the bolts and bars--and we followed him up to where he got
in the loose-box of a gentleman's stable; and there was the poor horse
down--a beauty he was--and that there lion--Arena his name was--lying on
him with his face flattened out and teeth buried in the poor hoss's
throat, so t