king at once, and instead, began to splash water over himself.
First he splashed water on his feet, then on his back, and afterwards
on both sides.

But in the meantime it grew dark; so Stas conducted the little girl to
the zareba where supper already awaited them.

Both were in excellent humor--Nell because she had saved the elephant's
life and Stas because he saw her eyes sparkling like two stars and her
gladdened face which was ruddier and healthier than it had been at any
time since their departure from Khartum. A promise of a quiet and
perfect night also conduced to the boy's contentment. The two
inaccessible sides of the promontory absolutely secured them from
attacks from those directions, and on the third side Kali and Mea
reared so high a wall of thorny branches of acacias and of passion
flowers that there could be no thought of any predacious beasts being
able to surmount such a barrier. In addition the weather was fine and
the heavens immediately after sunset were studded with countless stars.
The air, which was cool, owing to the proximity of the waterfall, and
which was saturated with the odor of the jungle and newly broken
branches, was agreeable to breathe.

"This fly will not get the fever here," Stas thought joyfully.

Afterwards they commenced to converse about the elephant, as Nell was
incapable of talking of anything else and did not cease going into
transports over his stature, trunk, and tusks, which in reality were
prodigious. Finally she asked:

"Honestly, Stas, isn't he wise?"

"As Solomon," answered Stas. "But what makes you think so?"

"Because when I asked him not to drink any more, he obeyed me at once."

"If before that time he had not taken any lessons in English and
nevertheless understands it, that really is miraculous."

Nell perceived that Stas was making merry with her, so she gave him a
scolding; after which she said:

"Say what you wish, but I am sure that he is very intelligent and will
become tame at once."

"Whether at once I don't know, but he may be tamed. The African
elephants are indeed more savage than the Asiatic; nevertheless, I
think that Hannibal, for instance, used African elephants."

"And who was Hannibal?"

Stas glanced at her indulgently and with pity.

"Really," he said, "at your age, you are not supposed to know such
things. Hannibal was a great Carthaginian commander, who used elephants
in his war with the Romans, and as Carthage was in Africa, h