“Let’s go, then, sir,” cried Burney eagerly, and the desire seemed to be growing in the other boys’ breasts.
“Well, I don’t know,” said Morris; “that is, if you will promise not to go too close.”
“Oh, we won’t go too close, sir,” cried Slegge warmly, and he looked as if he were speaking the truth.
The result was that the master, trying very hard to carry off his disinclination to go with the remark, “We don’t often have such an opportunity as this, boys,” led the way across the park-like field of the Doctor’s neighbour towards an extensive orchard, in which, nearly hidden by the trees, the escaped monster was having his banquet of apples, and turning a deaf ear, or rather two deaf ears of the largest size, to all orders to come out.
Chapter Six.
Glyn and Singh to the Rescue.
As the party from the school drew nearer they could hear the occasional crack of a whip and a loud order given in a rather highly pitched tone to the beast, bidding him come out.
Then followed the snapping of twigs and a peculiarly dull grumbling sound as if the elephant were muttering his objections to the orders of his master, the bald-headed man, who still held his hat in one hand, his yellow handkerchief in the other, and dabbed the big white billiard-ball-like expanse as if he felt that it was very warm work.