“Wha—oh, what is he doing?” gasped Phil Forrest.
The boards on one side of the shop burst out as from a sudden explosion. Down came half a dozen of the light studdings that supported the roof on that side.
By this time Emperor had worked himself into a fine temper. He turned his attention to the other side of the shop with similar disastrous results. The interior of the blacksmith shop was a wreck. It could not have been in much worse condition had it been struck by a cyclone.
All of a sudden the elephant threw his whole weight against the big sliding door. It burst out with a report like that of a cannon.
Emperor came staggering out into the open. There he paused, with twitching ears and curling trunk, peering into the darkness in search of Phil Forrest.
Phil recovered from his surprise sufficiently to realize what had happened and that old Emperor was free once more.
The lad uttered a shrill whistle. Emperor responded by a piercing scream. He then whirled, facing up the road in Phil’s direction, though unable to see the lad.
Once more the boy whistled. Emperor was off in a twinkling.
“Steady, steady, Emperor!” cautioned the lad, as he saw the huge hulk bearing swiftly down on him. “Easy, old boy!”
But the elephant did not lessen his speed one particle. Phil felt sure, however, that he himself would not be harmed. He knew Emperor too well. With perfect confidence in the great animal, the lad threw both hands above his head, standing motionless in the center of the street right in the path of the oncoming beast.