t the soup, waited for a minute or two to see the
children start on it, then went down below to feed the elephants. One of
the huge beasts was troublesome, and as Derrick came up the man who was
the cause of it gave the animal a jab on the trunk with a hay-fork.
Derrick had already warned the fellow, one of the men-swine of whom
Isabel had spoken; consequently Derrick wasted no further words, but
dropped the truss of hay and gave the man a blow which sent him
sprawling. He got up, seized the hay-fork, and with murder in his eyes
lunged at Derrick; but Derrick, too quick for him, struck up the fork,
snatched it from the man's grasp, and hit him on the head with it.

"Get out of my sight," said Derrick, without raising his voice. "Let me
see you, or let me hear you, ill-treating one of the animals again, and
I'll lay you up for the rest of the voyage. You may take that as a
promise, and I've a knack of keeping my promises."

The man swore vilely, but suddenly stopped and slunk away, wiping the
blood from his face, and Mr. Bloxford's voice, from behind Derrick,
demanded shrilly:

"Who appointed you general chucker-out of the establishment?"

"I've no direct appointment," said Derrick, coolly, patting the
elephant's soft trunk, which was wandering caressingly and gratefully
over his body. "But, unfortunately for me, I'm so made that I can't
stand by and see any animal ill-treated. It's a weakness of mine that
has caused me no end of trouble."

"I guess so," said Mr. Bloxford, dryly. "That waster Jackman, for
instance, won't forget that tap you've given him. He'll lay for you some
day, mark my words. I've wanted to go for him many times myself;
but"--he was going to say, "I'm not big enough," but he drew himself up
to the top of his few inches and expanded his chest--"I haven't the
time. Here! The business seems to come handy and easy to you. I'll
appoint you chucker-out; in other words, I'll make you deputy-manager,
Mr. Green. I've had my eye on you, and I'll tell you, in strict
confidence, that it's very little that escapes this eye of mine." He
twisted both glittering eyes till they looked like those of an acute
monkey. "You seem as if you could hold your own, and it wants holding
with this gang. Deputy-manager--two pounds a week. How will that suit
you?"

"It suits me very well, thank you, Mr. Bloxford," said Dene, and away
went his hand to the talisman in his pocket.

"Then fix it so," said Mr. Bloxford. "And mi