have ridden on elephants hundreds of
times, though we have never acted the parts of mahouts.--There, go on,
Mr What's-your-name, and Singh here will make him carry us back right
to where you wish."

There was no further opposition. In fact, it would have been a bold man
who would have dared to offer any; but the proprietor came as close as
he thought prudent, panting hard, as the huge beast swept along in its
stately stride.

"I beg your pardons, young gents--beg your pardons! Honour bright,
sirs, I didn't know. Oh, thank you; thank you kindly. You are saving
me a hundred pounds at least, and if you'd like a nice silver watch
apiece, or a monkey, or a parrot, only say the word, and you shall have
the pick of the collection. And look here, gentlemen, I'll give you
both perpetual passes to my show."

"Thank you! thank you!" Glyn shouted back. "We will come and see it;"
while Singh sat as statuesque as a native mahout, and an imaginative
Anglo-Indian would have forgotten his Eton costume and pictured him in
white cotton and muslin turban; while, as they neared the great
elm-trees where the gap showed grimly in the fence and the boughs hung
low, the amateur driver uttered a warning cry in Hindustani, with the
result that his great steed threw up its trunk, twined it round a
pendent branch that was in their way, snapped it off, and trampled it
under foot.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

"SALAAM, MAHARAJAH!"

The menagerie proprietor hurriedly led the way straight across the
cricket-field; for, full of excitement, he was eager to get right away
with the depredating animal before the owner of the damaged fence and
orchard came upon the scene.

"I can talk to him better when I get on my own ground," he said to
himself; and, making straight for the gap in the Doctor's hedge, the
elephant, in obedience to word after word from his mahout, followed with
long, swinging strides.

There was a crowd outside the hedge in the road, and they would have
been across the field long before; but, in obedience to an order from
the Doctor, Wrench was on guard and kept them back. His rather
difficult task ceased as the elephant drew near, for the crowd scattered
to avoid the monster, and the Doctor's man gave way too, the only
difference being that the little mob drew away outside the hedge while
the man made way in; for, seeing who were mounted on the great animal's
neck, he ran towards the house to meet the Doctor, who, followed by the