The other broke loose and plunged off at such headlong speed, that the elephant followed him only a few paces, when he turned to attack the man and woman.
But they were nowhere in sight, and, with a trumpet of disgust, he wheeled about, and turning from the highway, took to the woods.
The couple were saved by a singular occurrence.

The violent rearing and backing of the horses overturned the wagon body, and the farmer and his better half were caught beneath it, before they could escape.

They had sense enough to remain quiet, until the brute left, when they crept out, none the worse for their mishap.
"Consarn his pictur!" exclaimed the husband; "if that don't beat all creation! I allers said that circuses and shows was a burnin' shame, and now I _know_ it; I'll make the owner of that elephant pay ten thousand dollars for the damage he done us, for he scart you and me so bad Betsy, that we'll never grow another inch." Meanwhile, the runaway kept things moving.

He knew his keeper and attendants were hot on his trail, and his sudden change of course was undoubtedly with a view of misleading them.

It is hardly to be supposed that he expected to find any "game" in the woods, but nevertheless he did.
It so happened that Jack Norton and Billy Wiggins, a couple of boys not more than fourteen years of age, were engaged on a little hunt that same afternoon.