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, he must have used African—"
Further conversation was interrupted by the resounding roar of the elephant, who, having eaten and drunk his fill, began to trumpet; it could not be known whether from joy or from longing for complete freedom. Saba started up and began to bark, while Stas said:
"There you have it! Now he is calling companions. We will be in a nice predicament if he attracts a whole herd here."
"He will tell them that we were kind to him," Nell responded hastily.
But Stas, who indeed was not alarmed, as he reckoned that even if a herd should rush towards them, the glare of the fire would frighten them away, smiled spitefully and said:
"Very well! very well! But if the elephants appear, you won't cry, oh no! Your eyes will only perspire as they did twice before."
And he began to tease her:
"I do not cry, only my eyes perspire—"
Nell, however, seeing his happy mien, conjectured that no immediate danger threatened them.