CHAPTER VI.
THE ANIMALS DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES.
Nadine screamed and darted forward. Madame Pradère shrieked and rose from her chair. The Colonel sprang to his feet, and shouted: "Master Deschamps—Halt!" in his most commanding tone.
They were all concerned for the elephant, who was thus threatened with cruel blows from the shining steel. But their anxiety was after all unfounded. Nalla, perfectly alive to the impending danger, stood motionless until the fencing-master was within range of that marvelous trunk, and then there was one movement of the sinuous powerful thing, the sharp swish of steel cutting the air, and the baffled soldier's foil, torn from his grasp, went flying through the air into the darkness behind the van.
There was one moment of amazed silence, and then burst forth a tumult of applause to which all previous ones were as nothing. The special guests were delighted at the astonishing adroitness of Nalla, while the soldiers, not failing to appreciate it, were even more delighted at the discomfiture of Master Deschamps, who was a merciless martinet that often made their lives miserable.
As for the fencing-master—he seemed so utterly chagrined, and slunk away looking so cast down, that Colonel Laurier considered he was sufficiently punished, and let him go unrebuked.
After this excitement it seemed appropriate to have the soothing influence of a song, and accordingly Cæsar announced amid general approval that Nadine would now fulfill her promise of singing again.
The little woman, her pretty countenance wreathed in smiles, for this wonderful evening had made her heart lighter than it had been for many a day, then came forward, and Cæsar being ready with his mandolin, began a lovely cradle-song with a curious penetrating charm.
The spectators were greatly pleased with it, and if Nadine had been guided by the successive waves of applause, she would have sung again and again. But the hour was getting late, and there still remained to be given the grand act in which all the animals took part, and which was being anticipated with the keenest interest by the younger portion of the assembly.
First of all, the dog, Vigilant, with the cap of a mousquetaire upon his head, and a neat pair of boots upon his hind paws, made his appearance mounted upon Steady, looking very happy and important. He had, attached to his right paw, a tiny whip with which in a very comical way he flipped his steed from time to time as if he was impatient for the sedate old animal to quicken his pace.
But Steady took not the slightest notice of these attentions from his rider. He came in with a slow chump-chump-chump, his head hanging between his fore-legs, and his whole appearance that of a horse thoroughly tired out, while Vigilant ran up and down his back from neck to tail and back again, his rapid barks expressing alternately coaxing and scolding, persuasion and abuse.