Little Ali, Sahib Anderson, and all the jungle folk spent two weeks in Singapore, getting ready for their long sea voyage. To Ali, who had never in his life seen anything more civilized than the small seaport town where they had shipped for Singapore, this strange city, with its many people and its diversified life, was a never-ending source of delight.
They had entered the city at the back-door, so all they saw at first was the Malay huts upon their bamboo piles. But as they went on farther into the city the wonders grew on every hand.
First, there were the great Chinese stores, both wholesale and retail, and then the English and German blocks containing their great business houses. Some of these buildings would have done credit to London or New York, but to little Ali they were simply astounding.
The Sahib knew several rich Chinese merchants, and he visited some of the finest residences in Singapore. The white man always insisted that Ali go with him wherever he went. So this very willing brown shadow followed gladly.
Many of the Chinese merchants had wonderful gardens at the back of their houses, and to wander through one of these small parks was like being in fairyland.
At last all the preparations had been made, and all the jungle folk loaded into a great tramp freighter bound for Hamburg, London, and New York.
On that never-to-be-forgotten day when they steamed out of the harbor at Singapore and into the Indian Ocean, Ali's heart beat so fast that he thought it would stifle him.
The great adventure of his life had begun. He had started upon that marvelous trip to the United States with his beloved Sahib. He was going home with the Sahib, to live with him and to be a real American.
If the sail down the Straits of Malacca had been entrancing, the trip through the Indian Ocean was still more so. First, there were countless islands, even more luxuriant, and more beautiful than those of the straits had been. Islands where monkeys chattered in the tree-tops, and strange beautifully plumed birds chirped and twittered. There were seas as calm and motionless as glass, and seas that ran great billowing waves, which washed their decks. There were days when not a breath stirred, and the sky was like brass. Then there were other days when the typhoons swept through their rigging like a veritable hurricane.
Finally they did experience a real hurricane, and little Ali never forgot that thrilling experience. For three days the sky had been like brass, and the water a strange unearthly yellow green, probably a reflection from the sky. This gave everything such a queer appearance that both the animals and birds as well as the sailors were uneasy.
"What makes the sky and the water look so queer, Sahib?" asked Ali who was standing by the side of his beloved Sahib watching this strange effect.
"I don't know, son," replied the white man. "I am afraid we are making up for something in the shape of a big storm. You can never tell what you will meet with in the Indian Ocean."
On the third day of this strange sea and sky there suddenly appeared in the south a great waterspout, with long streamers shooting up towards the sun from it. At the sight the captain gave hurry orders for the ship's crew to make everything as snug as possible.
On came the great water-funnel straight towards the ship. It looked like an infuriated monster. Ali hoped that it would pass to one side of the ship, but it did not. It hit her almost midship, and she rolled over on her side so badly that it seemed for a moment as though she could never right, but most of the waterspout passed directly over the ship, so she did not get the full force.
But even as it was, the experience was bad enough, for it left tons of water in the ship, the lower deck being covered three feet deep, while the lower cabin was six feet deep.
All the steam pumps were set at work at once, while the men sought to calm the affrighted animals, most of which were frantic, thinking that the end of all things had arrived.
This was especially true of the elephants, and they trumpeted and shrieked. Every elephant-driver or keeper stood at the head of his beast and talked to him constantly. There is nothing like the sound of a quiet voice to calm the fears of the elephant. The Sahib himself stood by Baby Elephant's mother and talked to her, and as she was the leader of the herd, all took their cue from her. When they noted that she became quiet, they followed suit, but all were restless and very fearful as long as the storm lasted. This is a part of what instinct does for animals.
This mighty waterspout that had nearly swamped the ship was but the beginning of the storm. For in two minutes after it had passed, a perfect hurricane was shrieking in the rigging, and blowing into the sea everything that was not secure. The wind howled and whistled so that the men could not hear their orders six feet away, and went by signs. This mighty wind whipped up such a sea that each passing wave washed over the lower deck, while the air was so full of spume, of foam and froth, that one could catch whole handfuls of it like soap-bubbles.
Every hour the desperately struggling sailors hoped that the storm would abate. It was of such fury that it did not seem as though it could last, but the storm did last all night. So all that night the unfortunate ship drove blindly through the darkness. They knew not what danger was ahead. It might be a terrible collision with another ship which would send both to the bottom. There were a score of things that might happen which would spell disaster.
But at last the day dawned, and the wind began to abate, and gradually the sea and sky returned to their normal condition. The strange brassy color in the sea and sky disappeared, and instead was the ordinary blue.
The crew were nearly dead with fatigue, and after breakfast, half of the men went to their bunks for sleep, while the rest busied themselves repairing the damage that the storm had done to the ship. But it was two days before things were again quite normal.
Ali and the Sahib spent much of their time together upon the hurricane deck, and here it was that the white man began the small brown boy's education.
He first taught him to count and to figure small sums, and to his astonishment he found Ali very bright.
Then he taught him the stars. He first showed him the North Star, to which the "Pointers," two stars forming one side of the Big Dipper, were guides. He also showed him the Little Dipper, and the Sword of Orion, and the Southern Cross. Then he taught him a little geography, and other information which he would need to know when he came into the United States.
In all these talks the wonder and admiration of the small brown boy for the tall, muscular white man grew. The Sahib was Ali's god. He worshipped with no uncertain worship, and he also loved him as he had never loved any of his own family. Thus it will be seen that the two grew to be better comrades with each passing day.
It was not until they had nearly reached Port Said, however, that the wildest mishap of the voyage occurred; one that nearly cost the lives of Baby Elephant and his mother. Sahib Anderson had brought ten Malays with him to take care of the animals, most of whom were very clever and good-natured. But there were two in the number who were veritable mischief-makers, never suited with anything, and they were always inciting the other men to mutiny. The white man was very sorry that he had ever brought these two men along, but he had to keep them now that they were started on the long journey. Their native names were so unpronounceable that, as they were twins, the Sahib had nicknamed them Tobias and Cochunko.
Finally they got so insolent, and made so much trouble with the other men, that the Sahib thrashed each of them before the rest of the natives. They took their punishment sullenly, and were seen plotting together later on in the day, but no one even dreamed of the mischief that they had in mind.
That night, at about midnight, when there were few on watch, they came to the elephant quarters and tolled Baby Elephant to the rail on the lower deck. As the natives often took him about the ship, and as he was always following Ali about, his mother did not protest. But when the two scamps got the baby elephant where they wanted him, they deliberately lifted him to the top of the rail and dropped him overboard. He landed upon the water, which fortunately was very calm, with a great splash, and at once set up a pitiful trumpeting.
Although most of the people on the ship were asleep, as also were the animals, yet there were two who heard the small elephant's cry for help. The first of these was little Ali.
He sprang from his bunk, clad only in his cotton shirt, and ran at top speed to the lower deck. There he could distinguish that the trumpeting of his pet came from alongside. So he quickly scrambled upon the rail, and plainly made out his friend, struggling in the water.
A white boy would have called for help and clung securely to the rail, but not Ali. His love for the small elephant was too great for that, besides he could swim like a fish. So he steadied himself for a moment, and as that side of the ship dipped down upon the swell he dove head first into the sea. If Baby Elephant was going to drown he would drown with him.
Just before he struck, he placed the palms of his hands together that they might cut the water, and keep it from knocking the breath out of him.
Down, down he went. The pressure on his ear-drums was terrible.
It seemed to Ali that he would never be able to come up. The water seemed to be pressing the air all out of his lungs. He thought they would burst. Finally he began to rise, and presently he popped up above the water like a cork.
To his great joy, as he rose upon the crest of a wave, he saw Baby Elephant about fifty feet away and struck out for him, and in a minute or two had gained his side. With some difficulty he got his arm over the elephant's neck and headed him towards the ship.
But at this point there was a new complication. The other pair of ears on the ship to hear the small elephant's cry for help was that of his mother. She was securely fastened in her stanchion. But mother love makes the great animals very strong so she pulled and thrashed. Finally she lay back and put her full weight upon the two posts. The weaker gave way, and she came bellowing straight to the rail. Here with an agility seemingly impossible she cleared the rail and splashed into the sea.
Just at this point in the exciting scene Sahib Anderson appeared on deck, clad only in his pajamas. His masterful mind at once brought order out of chaos.
The ship was stopped and a boat lowered. By the aid of Ali, Baby Elephant was coaxed alongside, and quickly hauled aboard; then they turned their attention to the old elephant.
To haul the small elephant aboard was one thing, but to handle his mother, with her great weight, was quite another.
She was first coaxed alongside, and secured to the side of the ship by a harness of ropes. Then the mechanics of the ship under the supervision of the Sahib set to work to rig up a windlass and several pulleys. When everything was in readiness, twenty of the best men upon the ship were placed at the ropes, and by dint of ten minutes of hard hauling the old elephant was pulled aboard.
But the old pachyderm had no sooner set her great feet upon the deck than an astonishing thing happened, for without saying as much as by your leave she seized Tobias with her trunk, and with a mighty motion flung him high in the air and far out over the waves, and before any of the men could interfere she had seized Cochunko by the waist, and done the same thing to him.
"Shoot her; get a gun and shoot her!" cried the captain. "She will throw us all overboard."
"Wait a minute," said Sahib Anderson. "I am not sure but that these two villains have had just what was coming to them. Lower a boat and rescue them."
Finally, when the two culprits were hauled aboard, badly scared and nearly drowned, after much cross-questioning by the Sahib, they admitted their guilt in throwing Baby Elephant overboard. So every one aboard the ship said that it had served them just right, and Baby Elephant and his mother were great heroes for the rest of the voyage.
One day when they were in the Mediterranean, and Ali and the Sahib were having one of their long talks, the boy opened up a new subject. "Sahib," he said, "Baby Elephant wants a new name. He is too big to be called just 'Baby.' I want to make him a new name."
"Fine, Ali," said the Sahib. "What are you thinking of calling him?"
Ali thought deeply for a long time, and then he said, "The Englishman who lived with my father he talk much about Mr. Chamberlain. He said he was a big man. He called him Joe. Sometimes when he do something big he call him Joie. I think I call Baby Elephant after him."
"That would be a good idea," said the Sahib, "but it seems to me we ought to bring in the jungle some way. You know he is a child of the jungle, and he ought to have it in his name."
"I think of that, too," said Ali, and he again lapsed into deep thought.
Then a beautiful smile overspread his brown face and he clapped his hands together.
"I know. Sahib, I will call him Jungle Joe, and when he is very good I will call him Joie."
Thus it was that Baby Elephant became Jungle Joe, and also when he was very good, Joie.
Ali saw many things at Hamburg and London that interested him, but he did not enjoy them to the full, for his mind was so set upon America. He wanted to save his greatest thrill for that country, for he was to be an American and live in the United States.
Just two weeks to a day after they left London, the freighter sailed through Hell Gate, and then up the Harlem River.
Ali and the Sahib were on the hurricane deck observing everything.
The white man was pointing out all the objects of interest to the small brown boy.
"Oh, Sahib, see that great woman with the lamp in her hand. Look at her, Sahib, look at her!"
"That is the Goddess of Liberty. She is guarding our dear country. She is holding her torch high that people of all the earth may see the way into our beautiful country."
Ali gazed at the goddess for several seconds, and then his attention wandered in another direction.
"Oh, Sahib, what is that high tower? It is almost as high as the sky!"
"That is not a tower at all, Ali, that is a building. Some time I will take you to the very top."
But the craft in the river, and the wonderful sights ashore were multiplied so rapidly that Ali was held speechless, and could only gasp.
Finally, a tugboat came out and warped the freighter into her slip, and the long voyage of the jungle folk was over. They had come to anchor in the port of New York.
But the most excited person in all the ship, and in all New York for that matter, was little Ali, for he, too, was going to be an American, and was to grow up with his beloved Sahib, the greatest and the best man in all the world. His cup was so full of joy that it could not have held another drop.
The Sahib aroused him from his dream by a sound slap on the shoulder.
"Well, here we are, boy, safe at home again. This is God's country, son, and you are going to be very happy here. You and I together."