Glyn Severn's Schooldays Part 21

The two keepers obeyed promptly, and hurried away, while one of the waiters sent the scared carter out into the kitchen.

"That's 'im, sir," said Ramball; "and if the young gents would just give me a hand to make things easy--"

"Yes, yes," said the Colonel; "but from what I know of elephants, that great brute may go wandering about through the country for half the night. You'd better go after your men and track him. He'll be most likely in some turnip-field having a gorge, and if you can't get him quietly back come to me again and I'll see what I can do."

"Beg pardon, sir," said Ramball quietly, "I am ready for anything now, cunning as I used to think myself. But does your honour understand elephants?"

"Does he understand elephants, Glyn!" cried Singh.--"Why, Mr Ramball, my friend's father has trapped scores out in the Terai."

"Of course he has, sir," said Ramball.--"Thank you kindly, then, sir.

I'll have my pony put to and go after him at once."

Ramball hurried out of the hall, and the Colonel with his young guests was about to return to the dining-room when they found that Morris and Professor Barclay were standing close behind them.

"Quite a succession of adventures, Mr Singh," said Morris.

"Yes," said the Professor, "and most interesting your knowledge of the habits of those great beasts."

"Yes, exactly," said the Colonel drily. "They are rather difficult to deal with.--Come boys," and he led the way into the dining-room.

"There, sit down for a bit," he said, resuming his old seat. "Are both those your masters, Glyn, my boy?"

"No, father; only one. The other's a friend of his, I think."

"What, that rather shady-looking individual?"

"No, father, the Professor--Professor Barclay. He dined at the Doctor's the other night."

"Oh," said the Colonel. "Well, I don't wish to be too exclusive; but somehow I never care for strangers who are so very eager to make friends."

"But oughtn't we to have gone to help find the elephant, father?" said Glyn.

"No, my boy, I think not. You are my guests to-night, and we don't often meet. If they find him, and there is any real necessity, perhaps we will go; but we shall see."

They did not see; for a quiet chat was enjoyed for another half-hour, and then the Colonel walked with them to the Doctor's gates and said goodnight.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

THE RAJAH'S MORNING CALL.

"Singh!"

There was no answer. "Singh! Oh, what a sleepy old mongoose it is!

Singhy! What's that row out in the playground?"

It was early dawn. The first faint rays of day were peering in on both sides of the drawn blind, the speaker was Glyn, and the words were uttered in consequence of a peculiar clanking noise heard out in the play-yard.

Now, the most common-sense way of finding out the meaning of the noise which had awakened the boy from a deep sleep would have been to jump out of bed, draw up the blind, and throw up the window, letting in the fresh, cool morning air, as the head was thrust out and eyes brought to bear upon the dimly seen shadowy s.p.a.ce below. But Glyn felt very drowsy, exceedingly comfortable, and not in the slightest degree disposed to stir. Consequently he called across the little room to the other bed, and, as before said, there was no reply.

"Oh, you are a sleepy one!" muttered the boy, and reaching up his hands he turned them into a catapult, seizing the pillow by both ends, and drawing it upwards from beneath his head, when without rising he hurled it across at Singh, striking him with a pretty good whop.

"Great cowardly bully; that's what you are," muttered the boy. "Oh, I wish I was ten times as strong! Take that, and that, and that!"

The commands were accompanied by a heavy panting, and the sound of blows.

"Why, what's he doing?" said Glyn to himself, growing more wakeful, and beginning to chuckle as he grasped the situation. "Oh, what a game!" he said softly. "He's lying on his back, and got the nightmare, only it's a morning mare; and he's dreaming he's fighting with old Slegge again, and punching my pillow, thinking it's his head. I only wish it had been as soft, and then I shouldn't have had so much skin off my knuckles.-- There! There it goes again! It must be the workpeople come to open a drain or something. They must be cross at having to get up so early, or else they wouldn't be banging their tools down like that! Hi! Singhy!"

"Cowardly brute!"

"Singhy!"

"Eh? What's the matter? Time to get up? I haven't heard the bell."

"There it goes again," cried Glyn, as the jangling rattle rose to his ears once more.

"Glyn, what's that?"

"Oh, what an old stupid it is! Here have I been shouting ever so long to make you get up and see. Go and open the window and look out."

"Heigh-ho-hum!" yawned Singh. "I was dreaming that old Slegge hit me in the face again."

"Yes, I know you were."

"Why, you couldn't know I dreamt it."

"But I tell you I did know."

"How could you know, when I was dreaming and you weren't?"

"Why, you were shouting it at me, and pitching into my pillow, thinking it was old Slegge's head."

"Get out! I wasn't. I--Here, how is it I have got two pillows here?

Why, you wretch, you must have thrown one at me to wake me!"

There was a sharp rustling, an expiration of breath, and the soft head-rest was hurled back again, just as the jangling noise was repeated more loudly.

"There! Hear that?" cried Glyn.

"I am not deaf, stupid."

"Then jump up and go and see what it is."

"Shan't! It's quite dark yet, and I am as tired as can be."

"Well, only get up and see what that noise is, and then you can go to sleep again."

"Shan't, I tell you. I am not your coolie. What lazy people you English are!"