After a little, to their infinite joy the big fellow began to show signs of improvement. He trumpeted in a feeble way, and moved his trunk about. His piteous groanings ceased altogether. Manifestly he was on the mend.
"Bravo, Nadine!" exclaimed Cæsar, smiling radiantly at these cheering signs. "You always know just the right thing to do. That hot water is making Nalla well again. What a clever girl you are!"
Nadine was so ruddy from her exertions and the heat of the blaze at which she was working that the blush of pleasure her brother's praise evoked only added a deeper tinge as she made haste to reply.
"But it was you that thought of the fire, Cæsar, and if it were not for it there would be no hot water, you know," and she patted him lovingly on the shoulder.
At the end of half-an-hour Nalla got his head up, and not long after rose to his feet, although he was still very shaky on his great legs. But he held his trunk high once more, and looked at his young owners with a new brightness in his eyes. The danger which threatened his life had passed, and Nalla was undoubtedly saved!
The children were almost delirious with joy. They hugged in turn the elephant's trunk. They embraced one another. They danced around their big friend singing gleefully until they were completely tired out, and then they went back to their beds to try and get some sleep before the return of day.
At the end of Half an Hour Nalla got his Head up.