 Jerry, of the circus! I heard Mr. Bradley wants to see me, so I'm looking for him. It's a matter of fact, what you doing around here? Aren't you helping Murray put up the canvas? I sure am. Murray sent me on an errand. Yeah? Yeah, we was all kiddin' back there, and he said I wasn't working hard enough, so he let me get the key to the main top this morning. I guess Red usually does that for him. Key to the main top? I never heard of it. Well, sure, so they can put up the canvas. Well, that's a new one on me. Where is it? Did you get it? Well, what does it look like? Well, I don't know. I never noticed it. Though I did hear Red saying something about it the other morning. Well, I'm on my way to the blacksmiths now. I guess I'd better hurry, or Murray'll ball me out for a waste of time. I mean, drop around later. I want to see what it looks like. Golly, imagine being with a circus this long and never hearing about the key to the big top. Well, you can't learn everything at once. Well, I'll be seeing you. Yeah. Well, come on, Reg. Oh, gee, it's a swell day to be out, isn't it? Oh, there it is. See, there's Mr. Bradley now heading for the office wagon. Hey, Mr. Bradley. Yes? Oh, good, Jerry. Oh, I was asking about you. Yeah, that's what someone said. Did you want something? Well, yes. But I hardly know how to tell you about it. See, it's nothing serious, is it? I'm afraid it is, Jerry. Well, I guess you'd better just come right out and tell me then, like it wasn't important. I hate to upset you, Jerry, but I, well, I hated to do anything about this without first telling you. Me? Have I done something? Am I going to get in trouble about Splendor? What do you mean? You know, when I went into the ring last night and got hold of Splendor and wrote him out. Oh, yes, yes, of course. Oh, no, no, that's nothing to do with this. As a matter of fact, you did a pretty level-headed job with Splendor. We were talking about it at breakfast. You were? Who is? Mr. Randall and I. Gee, you wasn't sore then? I should say not. Far from it. You quite saved the day. It was a plucky thing to do. Golly, I'm sure glad Mr. Randall thinks so, but it just seemed natural. I couldn't help it. Golly, you can't let a little coat like Splendor get in the trouble, can you? Indeed not. Besides, Splendor sort of belongs to me. You know, I'm training him. Next to rags, he's my best animal pal. I'm ashamed of myself letting you talk just because I haven't the nerve to tell you what I've discovered. Oh, of course. I forgot you're going to tell me something. Jerry, you remember that picture we saw in the post office one day? Picture? Oh, yeah, I remember. The post often rewards for criminals. That's it. You remember when you looked at one of them? You said he looked like someone you knew. Yeah, I guess I did. He was an escaped convict or something, wasn't he? Yes, Jerry. He was. Well? You remember me saying one night in the mess tent that I thought I knew who that man might be? Yeah. Well, Jerry, I'm now certain that that escaped convict is with this circus. Oh, no, you can't mean that. I'm afraid I do. Oh, there must be some mistake, Mr. Bradley. I wish there were. But I've just been to the post office in this town. It's the first time I've been able to find one of those pictures again. Oh, who do you think it is, Mr. Bradley? I'm afraid it's your friend. Oh, no, I'm sure you're wrong. Why, it just couldn't be. Why not? Well, he's only just joined us. We don't know anything about him, except that this is the first time he's ever worked for a circus. Yeah, I guess he did say that, but Mr. Bradley doesn't look like that man. That man's got a bald head. No, that man's head was shaved, Jerry. They always do that to convicts in prison. Yeah, but Spike said isn't shaved. How do you know? Have you seen it? Well, they don't know. Come to think of it, I guess I haven't. Oh, he's got that old cap pulled down. That's exactly it. He's got it pulled down so we can see a huge scar which is in the back of his left ear. Oh, no. Oh, I'm sorry, Jerry. I was afraid you'd be upset about this. I remember hearing you say you'd gotten him this job. Yeah, I was kind of proud of him, but Mr. Bradley, jeez, he almost saved my life. That time I nearly fell off a splendor. I know, son. Criminals can be brave men, too. But after all, it isn't safe to let them around loose. When a man is desperate enough to break jail, he's too desperate to allow around law-abiding citizens. Boy, I'm afraid I'll have to report him. That's why you're going into Mr. Randall's office, huh? Yes, my boy. Now try not to be too upset about this, Jerry. Gee, I hardly know what to say. Yes, I'd better. Guess Rags and Me will take a little walk. Yes, that's right. Take a nice long walk, and by the time you get back, this unpleasant business will be all over with. You going to tell Mr. Randall? Yes, Jerry. It's the best way to handle the situation. Yeah. Well, guess Rags and Me will get going. Bye. Goodbye, Jerry, and try not to feel too bad about this. Yeah. Yeah, of course. Come on, Rags. We're going for a walk. Golly Rags, I don't know what to do. Gee, he's a friend of mine, and yours too. Golly, what can we do? Well, we'll just hang around, and if we get a chance to talk to Spike, I think maybe we'd better say something. See, what's going on over there? That's fine. The men have all stopped working. That's not much like Mr. Murray. Golly, keep him at it until the canvas is all up. I never can have found out about this, Spike. He's a greenhorn, all right. Yeah. First of May is right. Oh, Murray. Well, hello there, Jerry. Well, kid, you got here just too late. You missed one of the best First of May performances I've seen in a long time. But this isn't the First of May. You forget the boys not much more than the First of May themselves. Golly, I don't know what you're talking about. Well, that's all right, Jerry. The men have got to have their little joke. Yeah, but the joke must have happened before I got here, the way everyone was laughing. As they did. It's about Spike. Spike? Golly, it can't have happened yet. It sure has. We got to initiate all our First of May men. You people don't make sense. Murray, what do they mean by the First of May? Well, you see, Jerry, when a fella joins the circus for the first time, he's a greenhorn or a First of May. But why? Well, the show starts out the First of May. So when an outsider comes into our business, we always call him the First of May. At least until he gets wised up to our ways. Oh, I see. Yeah, I guess I am still one. At least I'm still learning plenty around here. Golly, why? I didn't know until just a little while ago you had a key to the main tent. Say, Jerry, how'd you find out about that? Yeah, it's supposed to be a secret. Don't let them kid you, Jerry. Like they just kidded me. Oh, Murray, what's this all about? Well, you better get spiked at that, yeah. What is a spike? Well, I'll tell you, Jerry, these guys have all been ribbing me about that key to the main top. How do you mean? Well, you remember how I told you I was going over to the blacksmith for the key? Yeah. Well, when I got there, the blacksmith told me he had to do some more work on it and he had to give it to the watchman who was taking it to the handyman in the lot. Golly, they kind of kept you chasing, didn't they? I'll say they did. Well, I found the handyman and he said he'd given it back to the watchman. Well, then I finally found him and he said he'd taken it back to the blacksmith and then the blacksmith said he'd just send it over here and I just got back now and, well, that's why they're all laughing so... Well, where is it? After all that fuss, I'd kind of like to see it in my senses. See, what's so funny about that? Well, that's just the point. I asked the same question and there isn't any key. What? No, it's just an old circus gag to send a new guy around after a key to the main top. Then there never was any key? Well, I never saw it, but I sure looked hard for it when I was a punk and the older men sent me after it. Me, too, and they let me look for it for about three hours once. Gee whiz, that sure is a good gag, all right. Well, I'll say it is, even if I am the ghost. You're a good sports spike, the kind of fellas that we like to have around. Well, then, back to work. All hands back to work. We've got to make up for lost time. Step on it, boys. Say, Murray, I've got to see Spike just a minute. I'm sorry, Jerry. We've got to make up for lost time. Gee, this is important. Oh, it's important to get this tent up, too. All right, fellas, hop to it. Golly, I don't want to be a nuisance, Murray, but I just got to see him. You just have to wait, son. You'll be through with this job pretty soon and then you can visit. Well, I'll be leaving you. The business comes first around here. Yeah, I guess it does. Gee rag, now what are we going to do? We waste a lot of time talking about that key. For a minute, I even forgot about the trouble spikes in. We just got to see him. Come on, let's walk around where he's working. Maybe we can get just a word with him alone. Hey, hey, hey, Spike. Yeah? Oh, hello there. Come here a second. Well, I've got to finish this first. It's awful important. Please, quick. Just behind this wagon. But Murray said that... He's on the other side now. He won't miss you. It's a matter of life and death. I have to say, Jerry, you want me to lose my job? No, that's what's wrong. Oh, gee, please. Just a minute. Okay. I hope you don't get me into trouble. Everyone's so nice to me here. I hate to... Quick, duck behind this wagon. Oh, you're the beatingest kid. Now what's on your mind? I don't know how to tell you. Be quick about it. Murray will be back here pretty soon and I want to be on the job. Yeah, well... You see, it's like this. Come on, get going, Jerry. Well, you know, say, Spike, what's up off? Say, what's this all about? What you're talking about? Gee, Spike, it's just because I like to know that... Oh, what's on your mind? Well, someone thinks they recognize your picture. Yeah? What picture? Well, in the post office. There, I said it. Yeah, well, what of it? Then it is your picture, the one on the poster. Who told you about it? Well, Johnny Bradley saw it a long time ago. Then when he met you, he thought he remembered, but he wasn't sure until we landed here. Yeah, go on. Well, then this morning, he went over to the post office and now he says he's sure. So he just now told Mr. Randall, I guess they're going to tell a police. You know, Jerry, what it means to help an escape convict? No. Well, it means prison, and it's mighty serious. Golly, I... Gee, but I couldn't help telling yet, even if it is maybe too late.