 Jerry, of the circus! It's been with the circus, isn't it? Yeah, and I can't say that I like it much. It's too hard, deep and clean. I had to keep wiping the mud off Rags' paws right up to the minute he went into the ring with trumps. Yeah, it is kind of messy. But if you'll notice, Jerry, everyone looks pretty clean when they go into the big top to do their act. Stilts and rain capes are the trick, all right. I know what those rain capes are, but what are stilts, Cassie? Well, the stilts are what we call these stilts. Funny-looking little shoes. Oh, I thought they were wooden shoes. They are, really, like the Japanese wear. We call them stilts, because they keep us up high and dry above the mud when we have to walk across the line. Collie, that was close. Too close. I'm afraid this is going to turn into a bad storm. Good thing the show's almost over. The cure is raining hard now. The backyard will be a lake if this keeps up. Oh, sir! What a night! Well, Rags, how was it? You didn't get your paws all muddy this time. Did you wear stilts, too? I guess Bums was his stilts. How about a Bums? I carried my partner over from the wagon. He couldn't have walked across that mud. He either had to swim. Oh, thanks, Bums. Oh, not at all. I'm just as interested in that dog as you are, Jerry. Well, he's my partner, and I have to keep him looking nice, you know. Whoa! You're great, Patsy. Well, I guess I'm not afraid, but I don't like that lightning. I think I'll run for it. I'm going to get my things packed and hurry over to the train. Yeah, might just as well. This rain doesn't show any signs of letting up. Well, if I go, see you on the train. Goodbye, Patsy. Rags, come here. You can't go out on all that mud. You stay right here now. You have to go on for the last walk around with Bums and a few dogs. I guess he'd kind of like to follow Patsy and see if she gets over to a wagon safe. Oh, so that's it, huh? It's a good thing we're pulling out of here tonight. Grounds will be pretty wet for a show tomorrow. I don't envy the men who load this circus tonight. Maybe it'll be raining in the next town, too. Well, that's a chance we take, Jerry. Why doesn't Mr. Randall cut the show short? Get loaded on the trains now before the storm gets worse. Well, that's something that's never done, Jerry. The people in there have paid their money to see the complete show, and that's what they'll get if they want to stay and watch it. They'll sure get caught in the rain when they get out, and wait until they see all that mud around a lot. Oh, they'll see it all right, Jerry, but they won't get into it. That's another thing Mr. Randall always takes care of. What do you mean, Bob? Well, ever since the rain started and it looked like a bad storm, the stakers had been laying boards from the main entrance to the cement sidewalk. Well, there'd be a regular wooden sidewalk for the folks to walk on when the show's over. Carly, Mr. Randall thinks of everything, doesn't he? They're pretty near. He does everything he can to make his customers comfortable. Oh, oh, oh, there goes the finale. Here, come on, Rags. Let's get your red Rubinol. I'm sure he's anxious to work, isn't he, Bob? I bet he is. He's a real trooper. There you are, Rags. And now that's a boy. You wait right here in the padroom, Jerry. As soon as I come off, you can carry Rags and I'll gather up my props, and we'll both make a run for our wagon. Okay, Bumps. Now, do a good show tonight, right? The center pole. The lightning bucket. Yes, sir. Right up at the top, but it's hanging there all right. It's a good thing Patsy finished her act before this happened. Hey, just look at that trapeze of hers hanging by one rope. Key Bumps, the audience is getting scared. Yeah, but don't you get frightened now. We'll get them calm. Come on, come on, Rags. Stay right where you are, Jerry. Safe day. You see that, Jerry? That ringmaster sure knows his business. Carly, he sure got him quiet, now, hurry. Yeah, we'll have him laughing in the hurry, too. Come on, Rags. Gee, circus life is sure wonderful. Come on, Rags. Here's Claire's tent. Here, boy. Hello, Clara. Hello, Jerry. Hello. And Rags. Hello, Jerry. There we are. Nice day, isn't it? Certainly better than you'd expect after last night in that other town. My goodness, I'll say it is a mighty welcome. Yes, nobody around the circus lot likes a rainstorm like we had. It sure makes a lot of extra work, doesn't it? Mercy me, it sure does. I've been pressing costumes ever since breakfast. Seems like everybody got wet. Oh, say, Clara, I wanted to ask you something. I mean, I want to tell you about my plan. What is it, Jerry? Well, I got an idea, and I think it'll work. I'm pretty sure we can catch a thief that's been stealing your things. Fine, Jerry. Tell me about it. Well, I'm going to ask Jack Hastings, a publicity man, to fix up a camera by your workbench here, so it'll take a picture of whoever's doing the stealing. That's a good idea, Jerry, but I don't think it'll work. Why not? Because the things have been disappearing at night, and you can't take pictures in the dark at night. Oh, sure you can. You just fix up a flashlight bulb with a camera and set a sort of trap with a string that'll set off the flash bulb with the camera. Well, land sakes. That is clever. Then when we get the pictures, we'll know exactly who the guilty one is. Uh-huh. We can take the picture to Mr. Randall, and then he can catch whoever it is. You're a real detective, Jerry. That's a very good idea. Clara, look. Here comes Major Mike. Hmm, wonder what he wants. Well, I'm going now and see if I can get Jack Hastings to help me out with my idea. See you later. Goodbye. Come on, Rags. Goodbye, Jerry. Don't bark at the man. Stop it. What about your business, dog? Go on. Hello, Major Mike. Never mind getting friendly, Clara. Here's my satin coat. I want you to press it. And I want it before the matinee. Well, now wait a minute, Major. I'm not so sure I can get it done for you by matinee time. Oh, it only takes a couple of minutes to press that coat, and you know it. Yes, that's right. But there's a head of you. I have a lot of costumes to get ready before the matinee performance. My costume is just as important as anybody else's. Ever since I've been with this outfit, you've been picking on me. First, you sewed up the armholes in my coat. Then, last month, you sewed up the buttonholes and caused me no end of embarrassment. I've told you a hundred times I didn't do that. I don't go around thinking of ways to make people angry. You got me wrong, Major. Oh, no, I haven't got you wrong. I'm not the only one who can sew on this lot. Why don't you ask your friend, the bearded lady, if she knows who sewed up the buttonholes on your coat? She's not my friend. Don't you dare call her my friend. If she doesn't leave this circus at the end of the season, I will. I'll tell you, I'll never do another season with her. That's what she said last year. Well, um, well, I mean it this time. She kind of likes you, Major. I don't care if she does. I don't like her. I never did and never will. I'll take no more kidding about it from you or anybody else. No, Major. There's my coat. Are you going to have it ready for me before the show, or aren't you? I'll try to get it finished, but I can't promise. Oh, you'll try, huh? You mean you'll try to make me miserable and keep slighting me just because I'm little? Well, I'll try and make you just as miserable. You won't pay for the way you've been treating me. You just watch and see. I'll be back for that coat before the midway opens, and it better be ready. Goodbye. Goodbye, Major. Have a good day. He may be small, but he's sure got a big temper, all right. Here we are, Jack. Okay, Jerry, go ahead. Well, Jerry, you back again. And Jack Hastings will come in, come in. Boy Detective here has an idea he wants to work out. I told Claire all about it already. You mean about putting a camera up here in my tent and taking a picture of the robber? Yeah, what do you think of it, Claire? I think it's a good idea. An excellent idea, I might say. And it'll work, too, won't you, Jack? Yeah, it'll work all right. The police have used that method and found it quite successful. The only hitch is, when the flesh bulb goes off, it gives the whole thing away. The ones who just had the picture taken might look for the camera and take it with them. That wouldn't be so good for the owner of the camera, would it? No, it wouldn't. That's why I'm going to use this old one. Then you're really going to set it up like Jerry suggested? Sure we are. What can we lose? It'll catch the thief all right. Then your troubles will be all over, Clara. Well, I hope so. I'm going to have to set it up now if you don't mind, Clara. Goodness me, I don't mind. As long as it doesn't go off and take my picture. It won't. Jack's just going to fix it now. But he won't connect the wires until tonight. Hand me that box there, Jerry. Okay. Here you are. All right. Jerry tells me that you've been having a lot of robberies lately, Clara. What seems to be the trouble? I don't understand it, Jack. The things that are being stolen aren't of any real value to anybody else, except my gold fimble. Just a lot of things that, well, things that a child would want, or maybe a little girl that was going to make doll dresses, tinsel and braiding, things like that. Yes. Now, Jerry, pull this wire up there. That's it. How about setting the camera between these bolts of cloth, Clara? It won't be in your way there, will it? Then, sakes, no. I won't get at those today. I've got too much pressing and repairing to do. That ought to take a good picture, huh? It's just about the right angle. From there, the camera will take you in pretty near the whole tent. I'm sorry I have to do this now, Clara, but I've got to take a lot of pictures in the menagerie this afternoon and won't have time to do this later on. That's perfectly all right. I don't mind now that I know I won't set the blame thing off. What's the matter? Don't you like to have your picture taken? Well, I don't take a very good picture, Jerry. Oh, I don't know about that, Clara. I've taken some nice ones of you. Yes, but that was a few years ago, and time does change a person, you know. Ah, flesh bulb, Jerry. That's it. I don't guess you've changed much, Clara. You're just as nice now as you were when I joined up with Mr. Rand. Now, go on with your check, Hastings. You quit your joshing. I'm not joshing, Clara. It's true. That's right. He told me on the way over here that you were one of the nicest persons with the circus. Well, now's the time. I think that's it, Jerry. It should work perfect. How's it fixed? I've got six small bell pushers hidden in sawdust. Even if a person knew where they were, they'd have a hard time not stepping on one of them. Which one sets off the camera? I've got them all hooked up to both the camera and the flesh bulb. Just the slightest step on any of them will set the flesh and the camera off at the same time. And then we'll have a picture of the thief. We hope so. Well, won't we? I guess we will if the thief comes around here tonight. And he doesn't run off with the camera. That's right. I sure hope this works out okay. Thanks a lot, Jack. That's all right, Jerry. Well, goodbye, Clara. I hope we have good luck tonight. Goodbye, Jack. So long. See you later. Jack's pretty nice to help you like this, Jerry. He sure is. Well, I've got to get back over to the horse tent now and help Whitey some more. Come on, Rags. Now where are you, Rags? Here, Jerry. Here he is on this pile of scraps of cloth. And sound asleep, too. Rags, come on, sleepyhead. You've got to go. Goodbye, Clara. Goodbye, Jerry. We'll let you know who the thief is tomorrow.