“Well, well,” said the Colonel; “but you did escape.”
“No, sir; I didn’t, sir. He carried me right across the field and dropped me into the big horse-pond in the corner. I was half-drowned, I was; and when I struggled to the side my legs stuck in the mud right up to my knees. And then I found that I had come out, half-blind with mud and water, just where he was standing with his back to me, and then I daren’t move. But he took no more notice of me, and walked right off, so that I saved my life. Next thing was I come upon your two men, Mr Ramball, sir, and they got asking me questions; but I was too skeart to understand what they meant, and so they brought me here.—You don’t know, I suppose,” he continued, speaking to one of the waiters who had come into the hall, “whether my mate came home safely with the clover cart?”
“Bah!” cried Ramball. “With your giant indeed! Which way did he go?”
“I dunno, sir; it was too dark. But it were a giant. I could swear to him if I saw him again. I should know him by his trowges.”
“Know him by what?” cried the Colonel, laughing heartily.
“By his trowges, sir. I was down in the mud close behind him, and I could see right up his great legs to his waist. I couldn’t see any farther, he was so big. Awful giant, he was. You may take my word, sir, for that.”
“Bah!” roared the proprietor. “Here, my lads, he’s frightened this poor lad nearly into fits, and we are wasting time. Off with you, and follow his track from the spot where you found the man. Run him down, and then don’t do anything more to scare him or make him turn nasty; but one of you stop and watch, and t’other come back here and tell me where he is.”
The two keepers obeyed promptly, and hurried away, while one of the waiters sent the scared carter out into the kitchen.
“That’s ’im, sir,” said Ramball; “and if the young gents would just give me a hand to make things easy—”
“Yes, yes,” said the Colonel; “but from what I know of elephants, that great brute may go wandering about through the country for half the night. You’d better go after your men and track him. He’ll be most likely in some turnip-field having a gorge, and if you can’t get him quietly back come to me again and I’ll see what I can do.”