“Think better of it, old man. Thou mayst have had a lucky escape. Here comes her sister and husband. Let us stand to one side and observe how they get on. Brace up, sir!” Sven and Loke were on the outside when the keepers brought in the other pair of elephants—Loke keeping her head in an opposite direction. Cezardis gravely introduced the newcomers, and then turned to the putative husband and asked: “Didst thou have a good breakfast this morning, sir?” The elephant shook his head and trumpeted dolefully. His mate stamped the ground indignantly, then rushed at him, butting him in the side. He whirled around and kicked at her. Then they locked trunks and seemed bent upon annihilating each other with their sawed-off stumpy tusks. “How is this for married life, sir?” inquired Cezardis. Sven turned to his audience and winked prodigiously, while his sides shook as if he were convulsed with laughter. At this moment Loke picked up a saw-tooth palm-leaf with her trunk, and hid her face. Cezardis allowed the putative benedict to toss him up in the air several times, and finally, by a dexterous leap, landed between the mammoth’s ears. “The long-looked-for elephant race is about to begin. To give some idea of the individual gait, we shall first walk the animals, and then they will trot side by side for points. Do not let the disgraceful conduct of the wedded pair weigh against them. A bad breakfast tries the best of us.” There was a loud blare of trumpets and a vigorous beating of kettle-drums, while the spectators cheered heartily, as Cezardis turned somersaults, stood on his head, and played all sorts of pranks on the back and above the ears of the elephant. The animals walked first leisurely and then more hurriedly around the ring. When the second round was completed, Cezardis boldly slid down the trunk of the leader, and with a graceful bow ran out of the way. The keepers adroitly arranged the elephants in pairs, throwing a gourdful of capsicum into each mouth, in order to increase their pace. “The race begins! Close thy bets!” shouted Cezardis. The trainers of the animals used the goad unsparingly, and soon the huge mountains of flesh were stretching their tree-like legs to the utmost. They trotted ponderously side by side for a few moments amid the clangor of bells, the deafening shouts of the multitude, and an ever-increasing tempo of music. “Sven and Loke lead the first quarter!” yelled the judges. “Their pace increases!” cried everybody, and the excitement was at fever heat when the elephants began to trumpet. Before they reached the half-stake they were all galloping wildly, and the spectators were beginning to look at each other with blanched faces. On the racing animals came round the turning-point, trumpeting and bellowing furiously. Every jump shook the ground under them like an earthquake, until the pavilion itself rocked like a ship at sea.