George Manville Fenn

“ The elephant was evidently watching, and had recognised this white shiny head, for he raised his trunk and let fall the twigs, blew a defiant blast upon his natural trumpet, and, wheeling round once more, did not charge, but made a crashing sound as he walked right through the park-palings which divided the two estates, where beneath the trees a green hedge would not grow.
As the elephant disappeared in the next field, only a glimpse being obtained of it through the one panel of the split oak fence, every one seemed to recover his departed courage. ”

“ There was a yell of delight from the little crowd, and all rushed up to the well-house-door, to begin performing something like a triumphant war-dance about the blackened and muddy bat.
“Here, I say, some one,” cried Burton, “run and tell old Slegge that they have found his cricket-bat drowned in the well like a dead dog in a pond.”
“Hush! Hush! Oh no. Hold your tongue!” whispered another of the boys excitedly. “Let him find it out for himself. Don’t let the cat out of the bag.” ”

“ He had hardly uttered the words when there was a crashing and breaking of wood as if the elephant were making its way quickly through the trees in obedience to the command; and as the sounds ceased, the menagerie proprietor came staggering out without his handkerchief or whip, to stand in the middle of his men looking half-stunned and confused.
“Did he ketch you, sir?” said the driver, with a laugh of satisfaction in his twinkling eyes.
“Brought down his trunk across my back,” panted the proprietor. “My word, he can hit hard!”
“Yes, sir; I know. Knocked me flat on my back, he did.” ”

“ The sight of an elephant cantering across country, or in its customary shuffling gait, was nothing new to Singh and Glyn. Experience gained in more than one hunt, and in a land where these mammoth-like creatures are beasts of burden, as well as perhaps a feeling that if they did happen to be pursued youth and activity would enable them to get out of the brute’s way, caused the two boys to stand fast alone upon the last form, thoroughly enjoying the acts of the performer, and wondering what he would do next. ”

“ There was another movement on the part of the elephant, whose towering form came through the thickly growing orchard trees to one whose burden was of a deep rich-red, and here it stood bowing its head up and down, and slowly shaking it from side to side, while the trunk swung and turned and turned and swung here and there, till its owner had selected the fruit most pleasing to its little pig-like eye, when with serpent-like motion it rose in the air, and the end curled round the selected fruit, which was lowered and tucked out of sight on the instant. ”

“ Then, changing his tone and drawing himself up, Singh continued, “Why, it’s like telling me that I am a liar. How dare you, sir! Please have the goodness to remember who I am!”
“Don’t want any remembrance for that,” said Glyn coolly. “Why, who are you? My schoolfellow in the same class.”
“I am the Maharajah of Dour, sir,” said the boy haughtily.
“Not while you are here. You’re only a schoolboy like myself, learning to be an English gentleman.”
“Do you want me to strike you?” cried Singh fiercely. ”

“ Let’s go down to the jungle, as you call it,” said Singh.
“Thy slave obeys,” cried Glyn. “But, jungle! poor old jungle! What wouldn’t I give for a ride on a good elephant again—a well-trained fellow, who would snap off boughs and turn one into a chowri to whisk off the flies.”
“Wouldn’t old Ramball’s Rajah do for you?”
“To be sure. I wonder what has become of the old boy. Roaming round the country somewhere, I suppose. What a rum old chap he was, with his hat in one hand, yellow silk handkerchief in the other, and his shiny bald head. Yes, I wonder where he is.” ”

“ The Doctor’s pupils, evidently feeling that they were safe behind the wall, for the elephant displayed no intention of using his trunk to pick their heads as if they were gigantic cherries, all stood fast, most probably too much startled to stir; and having an excellent view of this unexpected episode in the procession, had the satisfaction of seeing the principal actor trotting away the whole length of the playground wall, his hind-quarters looking more than ever like an enormous pair of ill-made, ill-fitting trousers. ”

“ And then to the two lads’ disgust, the whole school, with the exception of Slegge, and half-a-dozen of his party who wanted to join in the ovation but did not dare in the presence of their tyrant, began to cheer them as loudly as the boys without. Several of the younger juniors began to idolise them in a very juvenile way by hanging on to them, slapping their backs, and shaking hands.
Altogether it was a strange mingling of the pleasant and unpleasant, the former predominating with Singh, who for the first time since he had joined the school found himself thoroughly liked. ”

“ Is it being a friend to hide the truth from you and let you snuggle yourself up with a lot of sham? Answer me this: would a fresh belt be anything more than an imitation?”
“No, I suppose not,” groaned Singh. “I am a prince, and going to be very rich some day, and rule over my people, with a little army of my own, and elephants, and everything any one could wish for; but I am not a bit clever, except at wicket-keeping. I haven’t got half such a head as you have, Glyn, and such a head as I have got is now all muddled and full of what you may call it.” ”

“ I say, what do you mean to do with all your money?”
“I don’t know,” said Singh, laughing, and then knitting his brows, “but I should like to give Wrench some. He’s such a good, hard-working fellow, and always does everything you tell him with such a pleasant smile. I wonder how he will get all he wants. Do you think he will find it some day in a garden or in the street?”
“Or have a big lump of it tumble out of the moon, or find that it’s been raining gold all over the Doctor’s lawn some morning when he gets up? No, I don’t—not a bit; and there goes the breakfast-bell, so come along.” ”

“ There were plenty of those whom the great beast looked upon as foes lying prostrate, for with yells of dismay the crowd dashed off helter-skelter, trampling each other down in their efforts to escape, clearing the way as rapidly as they could; but the only object that offered itself for attack was one of the big van horses, which had swung round in the alarm, to stand right in the elephant’s way. ”

“ The boy made for his bullock-trunk; but Glyn caught him by the arm and stopped him.
“That’ll do,” he said.
“What do you mean?” cried Singh. “You will take care of it for me?”
“That I won’t,” cried Glyn, “and you ought to be ashamed to ask me to.”
“Ashamed?” cried Singh, flushing. “Ashamed to put full trust in you?”
“No; but you ought to be ashamed not to be able to trust yourself. It’s like saying to me, ‘I am such a weak-minded noodle that I’ve no confidence in myself.’”
“Oh,” cried Singh passionately, “there never was such a disagreeable fellow as you are. ”

“ The next minute Singh was walking quietly away by his companion’s side; but his arm kept giving a sharp jerk as Slegge went on speaking more and more loudly, uttering words so that the friends might hear.
“I don’t care,” said Slegge; “you fellows can do what you like, but I am not going to believe it. It’s all a got-up thing. I don’t believe there ever was any precious belt, or, if there was, it was only a green glass sham. Emeralds set in gold, indeed! Whoever heard of a fellow coming to school with a thing like that in his box? Bah! Yah! It isn’t likely that even a nigger would do it.” ”

“ 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?” ”

“ You are not the first fellow of your age who has been imposed upon by a needy scoundrel.”
“No,” said the Doctor sharply. “If any one is to blame it is I, who pitied the position of a man out of employment and tried to befriend him. Well, Colonel Severn, I am very sorry; but it is forced upon me. I feel it a duty to you to try and make some recompense.”
“Oh, nonsense!” said the Colonel rather haughtily. “I need no recompense.”
“Indeed, sir,” said the Doctor, “but I am answerable to Mr Singh here for his loss through my want of care and foresight.”
“Oh, pooh, sir! pooh! ”

“ How dare he call me a nigger and say my father was a mahout?”
“The insulting brute!” said Glyn.
“Why should he do it?” cried Singh.
“Oh, it’s plain enough. It’s because he is big and strong, and he wants to pick a quarrel with us.”
“But what for?” cried Singh. “We never did him any harm.”
“Love of conquest, I suppose, so as to make us humble ourselves to him same as the other fellows do. He wants to be cock of the school.”
“Oh—oh!” cried Singh. “It does make me feel so hot. What did he say to me: was I going to ride on the elephant?—Yes. Well, suppose I was. ”

“ Matters had come to such a pitch that the Doctor sternly gave quite a little lecture upon the duty of every pupil to do his very best, whether at work or play, saying that a boy who could not give his mind to working could not devote it to playing well. And if in future, he said, his pupils did not work hard, he should be obliged to make them suffer the contumely of sending in word that they would not be able to meet Strongley School in the annual cricket-match. ”

“ Why, this is a procession! I haven’t seen anything like this since we left home.”
“No,” panted Glyn, who was as excited as his companion. “Why, it’s like old Rajah Jamjar, as we used to call him, on the rampage. Here come the men,” he continued.—“Hi! I say, the Doctor won’t like you breaking through his hedge,” he shouted, though his words were not heard.—“He’s broken a way for them, though.”
“Here,” shouted Singh, with his hands to his mouth, “you mustn’t go after that elephant with whips. He’s raging, and if you go near he’ll turn upon you perhaps, and kill you.” ”

“ Instantly, but in a slow, ponderous way, the great beast slowly subsided, kneeling in the long grass, while Singh went up quite close, with the animal watching him sharply the while, and laying out its trunk partly towards him, so that when close up the boy planted one of his feet in the wrinkling folds of the monstrous nose, caught hold of the huge flapping ear beside him, climbed quickly up, and the next minute was astride the tremendous neck and uttering another command in the Indian tongue. ”

“ He’s always insulting me.”
“Then let’s insult him,” said Glyn.
“Yes,” cried Singh eagerly. “What shall we do? Tell him we won’t accept a baboon because one’s enough in the school?”
“No; treat him with contempt,” said Glyn coldly. “We are not going to be dragged into a fight so as to give him a chance to play the bully and knock us about.”
“But let’s knock him about,” cried Singh, “and show him that we can bully too.”
“Won’t do,” said Glyn slowly. “He’s too big and strong.”
“Yes, he’s big and strong; but we shall be two to one.” ”

“ There it goes again! It must be the workpeople come to open a drain or something. They must be cross at having to get up so early, or else they wouldn’t be banging their tools down like that! Hi! Singhy!”
“Cowardly brute!”
“Singhy!”
“Eh? What’s the matter? Time to get up? I haven’t heard the bell.”
“There it goes again,” cried Glyn, as the jangling rattle rose to his ears once more.
“Glyn, what’s that?”
“Oh, what an old stupid it is! Here have I been shouting ever so long to make you get up and see. Go and open the window and look out.”
“Heigh-ho-hum!” yawned Singh. ”

“ You say you want to be thoroughly English, and you talk like that.”
“Well, I do want to be English,” cried Singh, “and I try very hard to do as you do, because I know what guardian says is right.”
“Well, you never heard me pity Slegge and call him poor old fellow.”
“I didn’t. I meant poor Wrenchy, who wants money so badly. It must be very queer to want money very badly and not be able to get it.”
“I suppose so,” replied Glyn. “I seem to have always had enough, while as for you, you’re as rich as rich; quite a king you’ll be some day, with servants and a little army, and everything you want. ”

“ I look so fierce the elephant would take me for an enemy. There we are,” he continued, talking away as he busied himself. “Is the parting straight? There, come along. Well, you are a fellow! I am ready first.”
They hurried down the stairs and made for the door, to find to their great dismay that it was locked, bolted, and chained, and so dark at the end of the passage that it was hard work to find the fastenings; and while Glyn was fumbling about in utter ignorance of how the chain was secured there came, faintly heard, from outside a shrill trumpeting sound. ”

“ It’s nonsense to try and think of similes, for you’d never say what you pretend.”
“Well, then, I shall bolt, as you call it,” cried Singh. “I won’t face him. I can’t face him.”
“Why?”
“Because I am too proud I suppose, and the Colonel isn’t my master.”
“I say, Singhy, get off the stilts, old chap, and be a man over it. You know what the dad always used to say to both of us: ‘A fellow who has done wrong and owns up like a man is half-forgiven at once.’”
“Oh yes, I recollect. But do help me now, I am in such trouble.” ”

“ What you did this morning has made every one think no end of you, and it will never be forgotten so long as this ’ere’s a school.”
A tap of the knuckles, which sounded hollow and strange, for they had reached the study-door.
“Come in!” in the Doctor’s deepest and most severe tones, and the next moment the two boys were standing separated from their preceptor by the large study-table, while he sat back in his revolving chair with his finger-tips joined, frowning at them severely from beneath his up-pushed gold-rimmed spectacles. ”