e wet cotton
stuffing inside him was cold and clammy. His trunk was like a wet piece
of paper, and he feared his wooden tusks would come out, if the glue
that held them in got too much soaked.

"Oh, dear! What am I to do?" thought the poor toy.

Now it happened that Jeff, the colored boy who had once taken the China
Cat from Mr. Mugg's store after a fire, lived not far from Archie's
home. Jeff and his folks had moved to the country from the city. And
about this time Jeff's mother sent him to the store.

"Has Ah done gotta go in all dis rain?" asked the little colored boy.

"Yo' suah has, Honey!" replied his mother. "Yo' isn't salt or sugah, an'
yo' won't melt. Put on yo' ole coat an' go to de sto'!"

So Jeff went. He took a "short cut" which led across the Dunn's back
yard, and Jeff passed the place where the poor Elephant lay in a puddle
of water.

"Oh, golly!" cried Jeff, his white teeth glistening against his funny
black face as he laughed. "Ah'd done gone an' found annuder playtoy!
Only dis one Ah done found in de rain, but de udder one was in a fiah!
Ah knows whut Ah's gwine to do. I'll put dis Leffelant on a board till
Ah comes back from de sto'. Den Ah'll take him home wif me!"

Jeff looked around until he found a flat board, large enough to hold the
elephant. Putting the toy on this board, Jeff laid it to one side, and
ran on to the store. He did not want to take the Elephant with him for
fear some one would see it and ask him about it.

But Jeff was not to have that Elephant. While the colored boy was at the
store the rain came down harder than ever, making so much water that the
little brook in Archie's back yard rose higher and higher.

So high did the brook rise that the water reached the board on which the
limp and soaking Elephant was lying on his side. And then the water
lifted up the board, Elephant and all, and floated them down stream.

"Oh, my!" thought the poor Stuffed Elephant. "This is the last of me! I
am going on a long voyage! I shall never see Archie again!"

Down the stream he floated on the board which was like a boat. Once a
fish poked his head out of the water and called:

"Who are you and where are you going?"

Before the Elephant could answer the swift current had carried him
farther downstream and away from the fish.

Once the board with the Elephant on it bumped against a big Water Rat.

"Be careful who you're bumping!" snarled the Rat.

[Illustration: "Be Careful Wh