But just when it appeared that one of the immense feet would be set down on William, there darted out of the crowd an elderly gentleman with very white hair. He had been standing on the edge of the crowd, with an elderly, sweet-faced woman.
“Oh, Harry! Be careful!” cried this woman, as her husband made a dash for William.
“I’ll be careful; but I must save that little boy!” the white-haired man said.
A moment later he had snatched Trouble up out of the path of the elephant, and there was a sigh of relief from the crowd. So quickly did the elderly gentleman grab up the little boy that Trouble’s bag of peanuts was shaken from his hand and fell to the ground.
The elephant saw this, and, with a squeal of delight, picked the nuts up in his trunk, and thrust them into his small mouth. For an elephant’s mouth is very small, compared to so large a beast—nothing like as large as the mouth of a hippopotamus.
“Oh, William! William! why did you do that?” cried his father, as he reached the side of the elderly gentleman, who held the little fellow. “Why did you go down off the stoop?”
“’Cause I wanted to give peanuts to a nellifunt.”
“Well, the elephant nearly gave you something you didn’t want—a hard bump, my little man!” exclaimed the elderly gentleman. “You should be more careful.”
“Indeed he should,” declared Mr. Martin. “I am greatly obliged to you, my dear sir,” he added. “You probably saved William’s life.”
“Oh, I guess it wouldn’t have been as bad as that,” said the white-haired rescuer, with a smile. “These circus elephants are generally very gentle and well trained. I never heard of an elephant stepping on a person unless in a rage, and this elephant doesn’t seem mad. I think he was just anxious to get the little fellow’s peanuts, and so rushed out of line.”