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 This was always a hard bit of work for their weak arms, but it
was particularly hard on the days when they had not had any
breakfast. Nevertheless they would go bravely to work with the help
of the intelligent elephant, who would lift and carry the heavier
planks in his powerful trunk.
To-day, however, they had no lack of helpers, for, no sooner did
the soldiers see what they were about, than they hastened to offer
their assistance, and in a jiffy the stage was set up instead of taking
many weary minutes.
Just as it was finished a servant-maid carrying a large basket
came up.
"Madame Pradère sent this to you," she said, smiling, "she
thought you might like something to eat," and she proceeded to
produce from the basket a liberal supply of tempting food which she
placed upon the stage.
"Truly your mistress is our good angel to-day!" cried Nadine, the
tears of joy and gratitude brimming her eyes. "I shall not fail to
present to her our thanks before we go away from here."
This was indeed one of the happiest moments of their lives.
They forgot they had a single care as they breakfasted heartily upon
the tender chicken, the snow-white bread with plenty of brown
crust, the golden butter, and the rich milk which their benefactor had
provided so thoughtfully. They had never before enjoyed so delicious
a repast, and Nadine's natural refinement made her appreciate it all
the more because of the elegance of its appointments, for the
dishes, the napery, the knives and forks were from Madame's own
table.
"May the good God bless her a thousand times and more!" she
fervently exclaimed when at last even Cæsar's vigorous appetite was
appeased. "What a treat she has given us all! Come now, let us put
the things neatly back in the basket. I believe there is enough still
left for us to have for dinner."
 At three o'clock in the afternoon the Tamby family with the
exception of Nadine, who remained in charge of their property, after
the manner of performers of their kind, started out to parade the
streets so as to let the people know of their presence and the
entertainment they proposed to give.
For this purpose a very shabby howdah was with no little
difficulty, on account of its weight, fixed upon the patient Nalla's
back. In this, little Lydia, with Abel and Cæsar, took their places,
trying to look as important as possible.
Cæsar had a drum which he beat at intervals, and whenever
there was anybody to listen to him he would call out the place and
time of the approaching performance. He always enjoyed this part of
the business. He liked being before the public, and to be perched
high up on the elephant's back, and attracting so much attention
was quite according to his taste.
As for Vigilant, he too had his part to play. He balanced himself
cleverly upon Nalla's broad neck just in front of the howdah and
supported Cæsar's drumming by volleys of shrill barking which most
clearly meant:
"Here we are! Listen to us! Come and patronize our
entertainment! We're well worth seeing I can tell you!"
 CHAPTER IV.
A RECORD COLLECTION.

When the parade was over, and it attracted so much attention

that Cæsar predicted a bumper house for the evening, the Tambys
made a very good dinner upon what was still left in Madame
Pradère's bountiful basket, and then Nadine and Cæsar gave the
finishing touches to the arrangements for the performance.
What the little mountebanks called somewhat grandly their
theater, was really but a few planks placed upon trestles not more
than a yard high. The stage was about three yards long by as many
deep, and there was a drop-curtain of calico sadly the worse for
wear, while the back was closed in by a bit of canvas upon which
had been painted some trees with the idea of conveying the notion
of a forest.
It was all pathetically simple and shabby, yet Nadine somehow
managed by dint of her ingenuity, aided by her excellent taste, to
make it look better than one would imagine, by adding sundry little
decorative touches such as only a woman's hand could bestow.
Half-past seven came, and already not only small boys but
grown-up people also began to secure their seats upon the planks,
the chairs in front being of course all reserved for Madame Pradère
and her guests.
A few minutes before eight the soldiers appeared in great
number, and the young Tambys would have had a difficult job
keeping them out of the reserved seats but for the presence of the
gendarme, who called out at the top of his big voice:
"You cannot take those chairs. They are reserved for certain
distinguished patrons as you will soon see. Let me tell you, then, not
to sit on them."
"Oh! we're not deaf. We can hear you all right," retorted the
soldiers, making haste to settle themselves in the best places that
were still available.
When eight o'clock struck and neither Madame Pradère nor the
other guests put in an appearance the spectators commenced to
shout:
"Curtain! Curtain!" and to utter shrill cries of impatience.
It was the soldiers that called out "Curtain!" after the fashion of
the "gods" in the galleries of the real theaters which they had
attended in the cities.
Nadine and Cæsar got very nervous, but they did not dare to
begin before the arrival of Madame Pradère.
At this juncture their good friend the gendarme came to their
relief.
"Stupid that I am!" he exclaimed. "Haven't I forgotten to tell you
that Madame, the Mayoress, will not be here until half-past eight, in
time to hear you sing. You can therefore give the first part of your
performance."
This information removed all their difficulties. The regulation
three knocks were given and the curtain rose.
Cæsar, clothed in a long red gown, and wearing a hat shaped
like a sugar-loaf after the usual manner of magicians, was revealed
standing beside a table covered with a Turkish table-cloth, on which
were arranged the glasses and double-bottomed boxes which are
indispensable to sleight-of-hand performers.
Cæsar's tricks went off very well indeed, and, encouraged by the
size and hearty interest of the spectators, he quite eclipsed himself.
There were several hundred gathered, and among them a
number of children who were especially eager to see the different
acts in which Nalla, Steady, and Vigilant appeared.
 The soldiers, too, who often behave like a lot of children, grew
impatient, and began to shout for the animals. They even attempted
to imitate them, one grunting like the elephant, another neighing
like the horse, and the third barking like the dog.
But the animals were tethered out of sight behind the van, and
did not make their appearance.
When the clamor became too insistent Cæsar came to the front
of the stage, and held up his hand to ask for silence:
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said with remarkable composure for
a mere boy. "We are now about to show you some tableaux vivants.
For these we ask of you complete silence, and a little patience. The
exhibition of the animals will be given very soon. We will carry out
the entire program as announced, and we beg of you in return, if
you are satisfied with our performance, to be no less liberal with
your money than with your applause."
This little speech quite took the fancy of the crowd, who cheered
it heartily, and were about to settle down again to look and listen
attentively when the sound of approaching carriages made itself
heard.
Nadine's heart leaped for joy. Here at last were Madame Pradère
and her guests. The performance would be honored with their
presence after all.
A moment later they appeared, Madame leading the way, her
comely countenance covered with smiles, and accompanied by
several of her lady friends, while Monsieur Pradère and a dozen of
the officers followed in her train, among them being the Colonel,
who had thus fulfilled his promise.
This was a great surprise to the rest of the spectators, for
certainly it had never been known before that ladies should be
present at an open-air performance by mountebanks, while the
soldiers were not less surprised to see their officers patronizing such
an affair.
 This, then, was the explanation of the reserved seats, and for a
brief space the first-comers found it more interesting than the items
on the program. By so happy a hit the little Tamby family had
advanced wonderfully in the estimation of the spectators, who said
to themselves that in order to attract such distinguished patrons as
the Pradères and their friends they must have some very unusual
acts in their repertoire, and no doubt deserved to be called the little
artists.
Nadine at once went forward to bow to Madame Pradère, and to
thank her for the honor of her presence, and her kindness to the
orphans.
Madame Pradère made light of that, but went on to say with an
encouraging smile:
"My child, I came especially to hear you sing, for I believe that
you can tell us pretty things that we do not yet know. So proceed,
my little girl. We are here to listen to you."
Nadine courtesied gracefully, and disappeared behind the
curtain. When the curtain rose again she was disclosed in the middle
of the stage with her little sister seated near while Cæsar stood
ready to accompany her with a mandolin.
A perfect silence fell upon the audience. The girl looked so pretty
and modest that she won all hearts, and everybody was in the mood
to listen to her with appreciative attention.
She began with a curiously rhythmical prelude, about which
there was at the same time something sweet, sad, and strange that
gripped the hearts of her hearers. Then in a superb contralto voice,
and with exquisite taste, she broke forth into song.
As Madame Pradère had expected, Nadine's singing was out of
the usual order. She was telling in song the pitiful story of a mother
who had lost her reason after the death of her only child.
The poor woman, wandering among the mountains of Bohemia,
confides her grief to the passing winds, to the echoes murmuring
unintelligible things, to the flowers nodding and smiling in response
to the caresses of the evening breeze.
In her madness she imagines that the soul of her child has taken
refuge in one of the flowers which bestrew her pathway, and she
goes from one to the other of them repeating her touching refrain:
"Tell me, O flower! is it you that hides the soul of my child which
was taken away from me by death?" Then realizing the futility of her
inquiries she breaks out into sudden and terrible imprecations: "O
death, you merciless monster! Why did you take my child from me?
You are a foul fiend!" and more after the same fashion.
But presently her mood changes, and, forgetting her sorrow, she
begins to sing to the same flowers that she had been cursing, in
words of infinite tenderness, such as mothers use to their darling
babes.
When Nadine ceased singing instead of a burst of applause there
was absolute silence. So completely had she taken possession of her
audience by the pathos and beauty of her song that they were
unwilling to break the spell, and not until she bowed, and withdrew,
did the applause break forth.
Then it was simply thunderous. From every side came cries of:
"Bravo! bravo! encore! encore!"
Blushing and smiling and with her heart throbbing joyously
Nadine, looking more charming than ever, returned, and repeated
the last verse of the song, putting into it such profound expression
and such winning tenderness that many eyes were filled with tears.
At this moment Madame Pradère called little Lydia to her and
said, smiling through the tears that brimmed her beautiful eyes:
"My pet, you should now take up the collection. It is just the
right time for it. Nadine has touched the people's hearts and they
will not refuse to put their hands in their pockets. Will they, Colonel
Laurier?" turning to the officer who sat upon her right.
 "No, indeed!" he responded warmly, slipping his own hand into
his pocket whence came the significant jingle of coin. "This crowd
will give a fine collection I am sure."
"Very well, Madame, I'll run and tell Nadine," responded Lydia,
bowing prettily, and she darted off behind the curtain, which rose
the next instant showing Cæsar ready to announce the remainder of
the program.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said with quite a grand air, as if fully
appreciating the importance of what he had to tell them. "We are
now to have the honor of presenting to you the famous trained
elephant Nalla in his wonderful acts of intelligence and skill. He is
the wisest and kindest elephant in captivity. He understands
everything we say to him, and he can talk a little to us in his own
way. There is no other such elephant on the continent. We call him
our breadwinner because he is the chief attraction of our little show.
Before he appears Mademoiselle Lydia will pass amongst you, and
will be pleased to receive whatever you may see fit to give in return
for the amusement we have provided this evening, and while she is
doing this, if you have no objection, I will play a few tunes upon my
mandolin. If any one present desires a particular air I shall be very
happy to play it if I know how."
Having made this clever little speech with exceeding good grace,
Cæsar took up his instrument and in response to the request of one
of the officers, began the solo of the Toreador from "Carmen," which
he gave with great spirit.
Meanwhile Nadine accompanied Lydia, who, holding a wooden
bowl in her hand, began the round of the spectators.
Now on ordinary occasions this was the critical stage of the
performance for the young mountebanks, as upon what it yielded
depended the grave question of the morrow's bread, and too often,
alas! the results were pitifully meager! Many a time had poor little
Nadine, upon whom the chief burden of responsibility rested, found
it hard to keep back the tears when, as Lydia set out with her bowl,
the majority of those who had been watching the performance
turned their backs upon the children who had been doing their best
to amuse them. Ah! yes, many a time had Nadine, who had learned
by experience to gauge her audience pretty accurately by one glance
at them, felt her heart sink at the critical moment.
But this time nobody slipped away. They all remained in their
places, and seemed eager to respond to the appeal about to be
made.
Nadine first led Lydia up to Madame Pradère, who had called for
her that she might be the first to drop a coin into her bowl.
Lydia, as was her custom, repeated in her childish quavering
voice, the words:
"For the little Tambys, ladies and gentlemen, a trifle if you
please."
But it looked as if she would be more than taken at her word, for
Madame Pradère set a fine example by dropping a gold piece into
the bowl!
When Nadine saw this the color rose in her charming face, and
she murmured in a voice that trembled with feeling:
"Oh, Madame, thank you! thank you!"
"Never mind thanks, continue your round," laughed Madame
Pradère giving Lydia a gentle push towards the Colonel. Then,
turning to Nadine, she added: "You have given me a great deal of
pleasure, my sweet one, I assure you, and we shall want you to sing
something more for us—another song about a child, if you can, you
can do it with such expression. It goes right to one's heart."
"I shall be glad to do as you desire, Madame," responded
Nadine, and, with a graceful bow, she followed Lydia, whose little
cries of joy showed that her mission was proving successful beyond
precedent. In fact she was receiving white money—nothing but
white money—no dark coins at all. She had never before had such
good fortune, and in her joy she forgot her sister's admonitions, and
danced about exclaiming:
"Another, Nadine, and another! and still another!"
But Nadine did not attempt to restrain her, for she saw that the
people were amused with the child's artless demonstrations.
When she had been to all the reserved seats, she turned to the
soldiers and workmen who were in the rear, and none of them failed
to put in a few sous, although, of course, they gave no silver.
Twice did Lydia empty her bowl into Nadine's lap. It was the first
time the Tamby family had taken so much at a performance, and
their hearts glowed with joy and gratitude, while the spectators
awaited the second part of the program with lively interest.
 CHAPTER V.
A REMARKABLE FENCER.

Amid perfect silence the elephant made his entrée under the
direction of his little friend Abel, who could do anything he liked with
the good-tempered monster.
He proceeded calmly to the center of the open space inclosed by
the reserved seats, the planks, and the standing spectators, and
then with trunk lowered and motionless, stood at attention.
"Nalla!" said Abel, "we shall now pay our respects to this
distinguished gathering."
Then, taking off his toque, he made sweeping bows to right and
left, which the docile elephant imitated by elevating and lowering his
trunk in a dignified manner that was highly amusing.
"And now, Nalla," continued Abel, who bore himself with all the
importance of a grown person, "you will be good enough to let us
see how much you know and can do. For instance, can you sing like
your mistress, Mademoiselle Nadine?"
"To be sure, I can," responded Nalla, in dumb show, by lifting his
trunk up and down.
"Very well, then," smiled Abel. "Suppose you give us one of the
songs of your own country, something sweet and tender."
Nalla threw back his enormous ears, and pointing his trunk high
into the air, let forth a series of horrible sounds that fairly stunned
the ears of the spectators, who nearly rolled over with laughter while
they strove to shut out the dreadful noise by clapping their hands
over their ears.
 "That will do! that will do! Nalla!" cried Abel, giving the absurd
creature a slight slap with his wand. "You sing beautifully, of course,
but you have a shocking bad voice, and you haven't the least idea of
tune. You shall have to take a course of lessons before you again
appear in public."
"All right!" said the waving trunk, and the abominable discords
ceased abruptly.
"It is evident that you have a very bad cold to-night, Nalla," said
Abel, "and your voice requires attention. But if you sing so badly,
perhaps you are better at dancing?"
"Certainly, I dance admirably," responded Nalla, proceeding to
put himself in position to begin.
"Would you be so kind, then, as to show our kind patrons a
quick-step of your own invention?" asked Abel.
"With pleasure," answered Nalla, but he did not budge
nevertheless.
"Why, what's the matter? Why don't you begin?" demanded
Abel, with well-simulated surprise and anger.
For reply Nalla resumed singing with his huge horrid voice.
"Ah! I understand," smiled Abel, giving himself a slap with the
wand. "I was forgetting. You require some one to play for you, of
course."
"Yes, yes," replied the mobile trunk, which expressed its owner's
meaning quite as well as the fingers of deaf-mutes do what they
want to tell.
Turning around, Abel called out:
"Mr. Musician Cæsar, will you be so good as to select from your
repertoire something that will do for the elephant to dance to?"
"I shall be very pleased to do so," responded Cæsar promptly,
coming forward with his mandolin.
 "Ah, thank you, musician," said Nalla, looking highly pleased,
and, as soon as Cæsar struck up, he began dancing, if not with
grace, at least with great earnestness. Indeed the huge creature
kept time with his feet, and circled about in a way that one could
hardly have believed him capable of doing.
"Excellent! Excellent! Nalla!" exclaimed Abel, while the
spectators showed their concurrence by a hearty round of applause.
"You certainly are a famous dancer. Now that will do for the present.
You can take a rest."
But, instead of obeying, Nalla continued his circling, and the
waving of his trunk in a very droll fashion.
"That will do, I tell you," Abel cried. "Stop, or I'll have to make
you!"
Nalla only danced the harder, and was evidently mocking Abel
with that wonderful trunk which seemed equal to expressing any
emotion. The spectators laughed heartily. The elephant was more
than fulfilling expectations. Indeed they had never before seen so
intelligent and amiable a monster.
"Oh, I know what you're driving at," said Abel, the angry frown
on his face yielding to a smile of comprehension. "You want to fight
a duel. All right! I'm at your service."
Nalla wagged his trunk joyfully, ceased pirouetting, and took up
a position opposite Abel, who produced two foils with buttons, one
of which he extended to the elephant.
Nalla eagerly seized it with his trunk, and put himself on guard.
"Ready now!" cried Abel, and at once opened the attack with
great spirit.
But Nalla, dexterously wielding his foil, parried every thrust to
perfection, and Abel could not get past his guard, try as hard as he
might.
 The soldiers were highly amused at the lack of skill shown by the
eight-year-old boy, and tried to be witty at his expense, whereupon
Abel stopped the bout, and, facing the spectators, said in a tone of
challenge:
"Gentlemen, you are laughing at my failure and want of
experience. No doubt there are among you many much more expert
at fencing than I am. In that case I shall be only too glad to make
way. Does any one of those present wish to take my foil, and try a
turn with Nalla?"
At first there was no response, and Abel repeated his request.
Then a soldier advanced slowly.
"Ah! ah! there's a champion!" was called out from the benches.
"You need not be afraid in the least," said Abel encouragingly,
for the soldier moved in a hesitating way. "Fence with Nalla just as
you would with a comrade. He will play you no mean trick, but I
warn you that he's very good at the game."
The soldier smiled cheerfully, and, grasping the foil, put himself
in position vis-à-vis to the elephant.
Nalla fixed his bright little eyes upon him, and with foil in trunk
awaited the attack.
Now this soldier who had come forward was a young fellow of
spirit, who was not lending himself to the little pleasantry in order to
show off his skill at fencing. On the contrary, moved by the humor of
the occasion, he entered the lists against Nalla quite ready to let the
big brute carry off the honors, and without being troubled at all as to
the figure he should cut himself.
Accordingly he went at the elephant in lively fashion, but, thrust
and feint and dodge as he might, he could not get inside the clever
creature's guard, or touch any part of his huge body. Nalla parried
every attack with a quickness and precision that was simply
astonishing, evidently enjoying the play quite as fully as his active
antagonist, who threw himself into it with such vim.
 For a while Nalla contented himself with maintaining his defense,
but presently he changed his tactics, and assumed the offensive.
Without moving from the spot upon which he stood he lunged and
riposted with such swiftness and accuracy of aim that he touched
the soldier's chest with the button three times in short order.
"Bravo! Bravo!" cried the spectators, delighted at the big fellow's
amazing skill. "Go for him, old chap! Touch him again."
The soldier, not in the least alarmed, defended himself gallantly,
but it was evident that he was completely overmatched, and a
moment later, Nalla, as if taking pity on his adversary, by a clever
pass, disarmed him, and then let his own foil drop.
The place rang with applause while the soldier, carrying out the
play with admirable spirit, assumed an attitude of profound
humiliation.
When the commotion subsided, there were cries from the
soldiers for "Master Deschamps! Master Deschamps!" and Colonel
Laurier turned around to survey his men with a questioning look.
Then there came forward a tall athletic man with a strong dark
countenance in which eagerness and reluctance seemed to be
contending. He was the fencing-master of the regiment, and had the
reputation of being one of the most expert in the whole army. It
was, therefore, only natural that the men should be anxious to see
what he could do against so redoubtable an opponent.
He approached the Colonel, and by an inquiring look sought to
know the latter's will.
Colonel Laurier glanced at Madame Pradère, who in her turn
shot a quick look at Nadine.
Nadine smiled back unconcernedly. Madame Pradère nodded her
assent to the Colonel, and he said in a low tone to Master
Deschamps.
"Try a bout with the creature, but be careful not to do him any
harm."
 The fencing-master bowed, and taking the foil from little Abel
put himself on guard.
The excitement was now intense, and the spectators were
perfectly silent. The soldiers expected great things from their
champion, to whom every trick and strategy of the art of fencing
was known, and the Tamby family were even more confident
concerning their gigantic representative.
The fencing-master went to work very warily at first. He wanted
to learn the extent of his novel antagonist's skill, and he circled
about in front of him, making dexterous passes and deceiving feints
with such rapidity that they could scarcely be followed by the human
eye.
But the little black beads that twinkled in Nalla's huge head were
not to be misled. Wherever Master Deschamps' foil flashed there
was the elephant's ready to meet it, and the air rang with the sound
of steel striking steel while the spectators watched the strange
struggle breathlessly.
At last the man grew angry. It seemed absurd to be thus
bettered at his own speciality by a mere animal however big. He
darted this way and that, lunging fiercely, if not recklessly. He
resorted even to devices that were not considered "good form" in
the fencing-hall. But they were all alike in vain. Nalla, without stirring
a foot, simply by waving his trunk with the foil firmly held in the end,
parried every attack and remained untouched.
Then Abel whispered to him the single word "Now," and at once
he changed his tactics. Hitherto he had been on the defense. Now
he took up the attack. The foil fairly whistled through the air with
the rapidity of his movements. Again and yet again the button
touched the tunic of the fencing-master, not roughly, but with just
sufficient force that there should be no mistake.
Despite the discomfiture of their champion the soldiers broke
forth into roars of applause. Nalla had won their hearts by his superb
and placid dignity. He was the finest beast they had ever seen, and
they did not grudge him his victory.
But Master Deschamps did not take it in equally good part. He
felt bitterly humiliated. His face grew crimson with rage. His eyes
glowed like burning coals, and at last forgetting himself in his fury he
gave an inarticulate hoarse cry, and rushed at the elephant
brandishing his foil with the evident intention of using it, not in the
proper way, but as a whip wherewith to smite his successful
antagonist.
 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.
Yet all without avail. Steady remained equally deaf to threats as
to entreaties. He positively make one ache with sympathy to look at
him, so perfectly did the clever beast enact extreme weariness.
Presently Steady sank upon his knees, and, after resting in that
attitude a moment, made a great effort to regain his feet, but
seeming unable to do it, fell over on his side, and, stretching out his
head, lay upon the ground as limp and motionless as though he
were dead.
At once Vigilant, being thus sent to the ground much against his
will, sent up a most piteous bewailing so far as it could be expressed
through the medium of barking. He went to Steady's head and
barked right into his ears to make him understand the better. But all
to no purpose. Steady did not budge.
 Then Vigilant got angry, and he circled around Steady pouring
upon him a shower of blows from his whip. These having no effect,
he stopped as if at last realizing that his steed was dead, and,
squatting down on his hind legs, began to cry, and to wipe away the
tears with his left paw in an exceedingly funny way.
Suddenly he lifted his head and pricked up his ears. He heard
the voice of a child singing softly. With an eager volley of barks he
called for assistance. Whereupon Nalla appeared upon the scene
with Lydia perched upon his broad neck.
"Did you call me, young sir?" asked Lydia precisely as if she were
addressing one of her own kind.
"Yes—yes—" yapped Vigilant excitedly.
"And what can I do for you?" inquired Lydia with a sympathetic
smile.
Vigilant did his best to explain. He pointed with his paw to
Steady lying prone upon the ground, apparently dead, and with the
most touching little barks he strove to make his meaning clear.
Lydia looked as if she understood what he was driving at, but
said in a guileless way:
"Young sir, I am only a child, and my education is far from
complete. I can, it is true, speak several languages, but I know
nothing of the one you use. However, I think that with a little
patience it will be possible for us to understand each other. Do you
follow me?"
"Oh, perfectly!" responded Vigilant, bowing neatly.
"Very well, then," continued Lydia. "As you understand me, we
shall proceed. I shall ask you some questions, and you will answer
me, one bark being for 'yes,' and two for 'no.' You catch that? All
right. Have you come a long way? Yes. You are, then, perhaps some
young prince making a tour of the country?"
"That's it," replied Vigilant.
"Alas, I do!" answered the Dog.
 "Very good! You're a young prince, I've no doubt," said Lydia,
"judging from your distinguished manners, and the elegance of your
speech. But this horse that is lying down there, does he belong to
you?"
"Yes indeed," responded the dog emphatically.
"He is tired or sick, perhaps," continued Lydia in a tone of
sympathy, "and you cannot continue your journey, eh?"
At this Vigilant made shift to weep, and to cross his paws over
his heart in a most beseeching manner.
"Your distress is very touching, young sir," said the child. "You
think your horse is dead?"
"Alas, I do!" answered the dog in a long pitiful whine.
"It is indeed very unfortunate that a young gentleman of your
quality should find himself in this predicament in such a lonely
place," pursued Lydia. "Your parents are no doubt anxiously awaiting
your return?"
"You've just hit it! You're quite right," the eager barking seemed
to reply.
"Ah! I understand," went on Lydia, her face brightening with a
sudden gleam of comprehension. "You have perhaps disobeyed your
mother?"
"Yes, I have," Vigilant confessed with a very penitent air.
"Then you are being punished for your misbehavior," rejoined
Lydia with the air of a grandmother. "So much the worse for you.
You've been naughty, and you must take the consequences. I can't
do anything for you, young sir. Good-luck and good-bye to you.
Come, Nalla, we must go on our way."
But Nalla did not stir, and began to make certain mutterings as
though he were begging Lydia for something.
 "What do you want, Nalla?" demanded Lydia. "Do you wish to
give some assistance to this young man?"
The elephant's trunk gave an emphatic answer in the
affirmative.
"Yes," it seemed to say. "I do, because it would be a kindness."
"To be sure! I was forgetting your power," returned Lydia, adding
as she turned to Vigilant, "You are fortunate, young sir, that Nalla
came your way, for you must know that having been brought up in a
temple, Nalla, when he was young, received from the god Buddha
the power of doing three times in his life whatever good action he
might see fit, even though it were bringing a horse back to life, and
Nalla now is going to revive your poor old horse."
On hearing this Vigilant poured forth a volley of joyful barks, and
started dancing around in a way that Lydia called waltzing.
Then Nalla, having lifted Lydia to the ground with his wonderful
trunk which served so many useful purposes, approached Steady,
whom he touched gently with his trunk, and, directed by Lydia,
walked three times around him, waving his trunk in a curious spiral
fashion. Next, thrusting it under the motionless horse, he
endeavored to lift him to his feet, but the moment he offered to take
away the support the poor beast threatened to fall down again.
Vigilant now saw that he must come to Nalla's aid, and he made
haste to pile up the dust with his paws under each of the horse's
feet as the clowns do in the circus in their own ridiculous fashion.
This proceeding evoked a roar of laughter from the highly
amused spectators, and when it was finished Nalla let out a
tremendous trumpeting, fit to rouse the world. It was effectual in
rousing Steady at all events, and, with a shake that seemed to make
his bones rattle, he stood up straight.
Vigilant was most profuse in his gratitude, making profound
bows, accompanied by graceful salutes with the little whip fastened
to his paw.
 Lydia again bid him "Good-day," and Nalla putting out his trunk
for her, regained her place upon his broad back.
As they were departing, Vigilant called them back. It was all well
enough to bring his steed back to life, and set him upon his feet
again, but now that he had dismounted he was quite unable to
remount without assistance.
"Sure enough!" smiled Lydia in response to his excited request.
"I might have thought of that. Nalla will be happy to do you that
slight service, won't you, Nalla?"
Nalla waved his trunk in token of assent, and then extended it
towards Vigilant. The dog kept perfectly still while the wonderful
appendage that could do almost anything, picked him up in the most
careful manner, and deposited him upon the back of the horse.
Then the whole party withdrew, and the next moment Lydia
reappeared to proceed with her song. But the other actors in the
little scene were in such high spirits that they could not permit her to
have the singing to herself.
First, Vigilant lifted up his voice with great energy. Then Steady,
to whom Lydia had given a lump of sugar, whinnied his satisfaction
in an insistent fashion, and finally Nalla joined in with his deafening
and by no means melodious trumpeting, swinging his huge head
from side to side, and completing a quartet, whose music, while it
stunned the ears of the audience, was certainly ridiculous enough to
make the most morose smile, and win a laugh from the most
dignified.
This concluded the entertainment, and the spectators,
thoroughly well pleased with what they had seen and heard, began
to disperse. Madame Pradère went forward to congratulate Nadine,
and to invite her and Lydia to come and see her next morning before
they left for another place. The Mayor and the Colonel also signified
the pleasure the performance had given them, and in a little while
the whole gathering had vanished.
 When they were by themselves in their van the young Tambys
made haste to reckon up the receipts of the evening with beaming
countenances.
"It can't be so much, Nadine!" cried Cæsar on his sister
announcing the total. "You are surely mistaken!"
"Well, let us go over it again, Cæsar," rejoined Nadine with a
happy smile, and accordingly the white and brown coins, among
which kind Madame Pradère's gold piece glittered conspicuously,
were once more carefully counted.
"One hundred and twenty-eight francs!" exclaimed Cæsar,
springing to his feet, and waving his cap joyously. "Just think of it!
We never had so much money of our own before! And to get it all in
one evening! Oh! that kind good Madame, and the polite Colonel, it
was because of them we did so well. We owe it to them, don't we,
Nadine?" and in the ecstasy of his delight he threw his arms around
his pretty sister's neck, and kissed her warmly.
Nadine blushed with pleasure at this rare tribute of brotherly
affection.
"Yes, indeed, Cæsar," she responded. "Madame Pradère is
certainly our good angel, and we shall all go to thank her again
before we leave here. Oh! if only our dear father were still alive, how
glad he would be! We never made so much at one performance
when he was with us," and at the recollection of her father the
young girl's fine eyes filled with tears, and her rosy lips quivered.
But, controlling her grief, she smiled brightly through her tears
as she added:
"We shall all have plenty to eat for a good while now, and Nalla,
and Steady, and Vigilant will grow fat again. Come now, let us all get
to bed. We're tired out, and there'll be plenty to do in the morning."
So in quick time the van was by a few simple changes converted
into a sleeping-apartment, and after Cæsar had seen to it that the
animals lacked for nothing, the light-hearted quartet of children,
having committed themselves to the care of the good God, whom
their parents had taught them to love, lay down to sleep, little
imagining how rudely their much-needed rest was ere long to be
disturbed.
 CHAPTER VII.
THE STAMPEDING OF NALLA.

It was drawing near to midnight. The market-place was wrapped

in darkness and silence. The Tamby family children inside the van
were dreaming pleasantly of fresh successes, while close by Nalla
and Steady dozed comfortably after the labors of the day, and the
excitement of the evening.
The gendarme, whose duty it was to patrol the market-place,
and who had been one of the most appreciative spectators of the
performance, after making a few turns of the square, and assuring
himself that things were all right, sat down upon some hay in a
corner, and before he knew what he was about fell fast asleep.
A few minutes later two dark forms glided stealthily out from an
alley, and crept towards the Tambys' van. That their presence meant
no good, the method of their approach clearly indicated, but who
were they, and upon what mischief were they bent?
To answer this question it must be explained that in the town
was an academy which had many pupils, and of these a number had
attended the performance. On their return to the academy they got
into a lively discussion about the animals, and Nalla, of course, was
the chief subject.
One of the elder boys, who really was well informed for his age,
and liked to make a show of his learning, asserted that in spite of
their size elephants were great cowards, and were terrified at the
sight of a mouse.
The other boys laughed at this statement.
 "A great big elephant afraid of a tiny mouse!" they cried.
"Fudge! you don't know what you're talking about!"
This angered Raoul, and the controversy waxed warm until
finally, carried away by excitement, he shouted:
"Look here now, fellows, I do know what I'm talking about, and
if any of you will get me a mouse I'll prove it."
A chorus of derisive laughter greeted this challenge, which
angered Raoul still more, and he fairly screamed out:
"Get me a mouse, and I'll show you that I'm right!"
"A mouse! a mouse! who knows where to get a mouse?" called
out one of the senior boys, looking around as though he expected
some one to produce the tiny animal from his pocket.
"I do," responded a little fellow with a sharp thin face that gave
him somewhat the appearance of a mouse himself. "I have three of
them in a box. I keep them as pets."
At this announcement there was a shout of satisfaction, and the
youngster was bidden to bring out his curious pets.
He ran off, and presently returned with a little pasteboard box in
which some live thing could be heard moving.
"Bravo!" cried the others with the exception of Raoul, who
looked decidedly disconcerted. "Now we are all right. We have the
mouse, and Raoul will show us how he can frighten the big
elephant."
To judge by Raoul's expression he would greatly prefer going off
quietly to bed, but he was in for it now, and must at least make an
effort to carry the thing through.
So, summoning his resolution, he assumed a jaunty air, and said,
gayly:
"Come along then. We'll see if I'm not right." And he led the way
followed by as many boys as dared risk the consequences of being
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