He retreated a
proper distance, and then thrust the head of the creature beneath his
turban, and continued to crowd him into it till nothing but his tail was in
sight. Then he took off his head covering, and showed the reptile coiled up
within it.
Lord Tremlyn looked at his watch, and then carried a piece of money to the
chief charmer, which he received with many salaams, in which his companion
joined him, for the fee was a very large one. He suggested that the party
had had enough of this performance, to which all the ladies, with Mr.
Woolridge, heartily agreed. The carriages were at the door of the hotel,
and the company were hurriedly driven to the Apollo Bunder, where they
found a steam-launch in waiting for them. Lord Tremlyn had arranged the
excursions so that everything proceeded like clockwork, and Captain
Ringgold wondered what he should have done without his assistance.
The island of Elephanta was about five miles distant, and in half an hour
the party landed. Upon it were a couple of hills, and it was entirely
covered with woods. One of the first things to attract the attention was a
singular tree, which seemed to be a family of a hundred of them; for the
branches reached down to the ground, and took root there, though the lower
ends were spread out in numerous fibres, leaving most of the roots above
the soil.
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