 Jerry of the circus for the single thought on Jerry, what do you mean, Mr. Randall? Well, I was just going to do the very same thing. Hi, rags old fella. Come on, Jerry. Is he supposed to be a pretty good clown? Mr. Hadley? Yeah. Well, I don't know, Jerry. That's where I want to see his act. Well, how come he goes on before all the rest? Is it something special? Well, yes, you might call it special. He's going to try out a sort of a novel, something he's always wanted to do. He's going to joke and clown with the audience while they're coming in. I'll bet that'll be good. Where are you going, Jerry? Here's the padroom. Oh, I was listening so hard up for God. Yeah, Hadley's joking with the crowd. It'll be all right if he does it so as not to offend. Well, just what is he going to do? Oh, different things. He'll walk up to a couple of people that are coming in and shake hands with him. That's funny. You might even walk up to some young lady and start dancing with her. If she was with her husband or some man, well, maybe the man would get sort of mad about that. That's right, Jerry, but of course Hadley will size up his people before he does any joking with them. How can he do that? Oh, by just being a good judge of human nature. You can sort of tell a person that'll stand a joke. You just read it in his face. Yeah, I know what you mean. If they're smiling and sort of happy, well, they like a good joke, even if it's on them. That's right. What else is he going to do? Well, I guess he figures on having little fun and showing them to their seats. You mean you'll show them to the wrong seats? Yeah. Look, Jerry, there he is now. The folks are just starting to come in. Let's watch him. I don't see him, Mr. Randall. Where is he? Over there by the entrance. Do you know? With the polka dot tie and derby hat. Oh, yeah, I see him now. He look at it. He is shaking hands with those ladies. He's scared of me jumping in front of him so fast. I bet he's having fun doing that, Jerry. Now look, he's asking that man and lady for their tickets and they're giving them to him. Let's watch now and see where he tells them their seats are. He's heading right for the big steel cage where Jason does his line at. That'll be pretty good if he shows them into a lion cage. That's a great place for a seat, all right. That's exactly what he's doing. And they're following him, too. Hey, look, he's opening the door to the cage and tipping his hat. Now they got wide and they know it's a joke. They're taking good care of each other. In fact, they're getting a laugh out of themselves. Uh-oh, now there goes Mr. Hadley back over the entrance to meet someone else. Yeah, it's going to work out all right. It's an amusing piece of business. It's really funny. Hey, what's so funny? I'm not on yet. No, it's you, Bumps. Well, Jerry and I are just watching Joe Hadley do his turn out there with the audiences. Oh, right, right. Well, it sure must be funny to get a laugh like that out of you, Sam. It is funny, Bumps. Mr. Hadley goes right up to strangers and shakes hands with them and then there's all sorts of funny things. Huh? Is he getting away with it? Well, he sure is. I guess the clown makeup helps him along. A person could hardly take offense at anything a funny-looking clown would do. Where is he now? Right over there, by the entrance. I guess my old eyes are getting bad. I don't seem to be able to pick him out. There he is, Bumps. He's dancing with a young lady now, you see? Well, sure enough. That's good. Don't they get a surprise look on their faces, though? You think they would? He does everything so fast it shocks them. He's playing a joke on them before they have a chance to think what he's doing. Well, for a man who hasn't done much clowning, he's doing good. Wasn't Mr. Hadley a clown before? No, Jerry, at least not a professional one, but all his life he's wanted to be with a circus and be a clown. So, as long as he has some time on his hands, he asked me if I wouldn't put him on. Oh, oh, oh. There goes the warning. I'd better hurry. Yeah, but my partner isn't. Come on, Rags. Come on, now get your collar on. We've got a show to do. Now we'll steal Rags. Come on, now. That's the fella. There you are, boy. All ready to go out and get your share of applause and laughter. There's Belko lining up at the back door. See, that sure some trick he does. Pulling that big wagon cage by Steve. Well, who bet that's a trick? Well, come on, Rags. Come on, let's go. He's gone. Don't I always? Well, who goes good? And so am I. Yeah, don't let Bump's kid you, Jerry. You bet you're all right. In fact, as soon as we order new programs, I'm going to give you a full-page spread. What's that? Well, I'm going to have Jack Hastings take a big picture of you on El Mundo and put it on the program. Really? I sure am. You've become an attraction and, well, we've got to give you your share of publicity. Oh, gee, thanks, Mr. Randall. Oh, okay, Jerry. Hey, look it. Here comes Mr. Hadley. I guess he's all through. That was all right, Joe. Very good, in fact. You sure were funny. Well, I'm glad you liked it. It did go over pretty good at that. Folks seemed to get quite a bang out of it. No one minded the kidding, either. I was surprised at that. Oh, they took it like sports. And they'd stand around and watch me kid the next one that came in. We've got to think up a lot more things to do. Yes, I'll have to do that. Of course, this being the first time for me, I was a little backwards. But I'll get on to it. Oh, you bet you will. Wouldn't surprise me if you turned out to be such a good clown. You'd give up your business altogether and stay with the circus. Well, that wouldn't surprise me any either. I don't think I'd mind a bit being with the circus the rest of my life. Well, I've got to start getting ready. I'll go on soon. Oh, yeah. Wilson's bringing El Mundo across the backyard now. Is that big elephant El Mundo by any chance? That's him, all right. And you're going to do an act with that big fellow? You bet he is. And a good act, too. Well, I'll have to stick around and see that. You're pretty little to be doing tricks with a big animal. Oh, you'll like my end. Well, Jerry, you'd better run along now and get set. OK, see you later. So long, Jerry. Be sure and watch me. We'll be watching you. Well, at last we're alone for a minute. You want to talk to me, Mr. Randall? Yeah, I wanted to know what was in that telegram that came for you. Was it anything I should know about? You bet. There was some startling information in that wire. Much to my surprise, Spike is... Yeah, quiet, quiet. Here comes Bumpster. Let's change the subject. As I was saying, Mr. Randall, I think the act will improve as I go along. And from time to time, I'll just be... Get him, Randall! You're making a lot of noise, little dog. Well, watching the star turn, were you? Yeah, never get tired of watching you, Bumps. Oh, you mean me and my partner. Oh, yes, we mustn't forget Randall. That's a mighty clever turn you do, Hadley. I got quite a kick out of it. Thanks, Bumps. Oh, there goes Jerry now. Yeah, I want to see this. He sure is proud sitting up there on that elephant's head. He's plenty proud of that uniform, too. He looks great in it. Look now, he's walking down El Mundo's trunk. Ah, boy, works like an old time. And now he's passing him a little swing to El Mundo's trunk. What on earth is he going to do with that? Oh, that's one of his best sons. Yeah, Jerry gets in that little swing, hanging from the elephant's trunk, and then the elephant swings him back and forth. No, no, wait. There he goes now. Now, watch him. Well, of all things. Well, just look at that. Well, now he's swinging him around in a big circle. Well, that boy sure has nerve. Oh, well, he's pretty certain El Mundo won't let the trick go wrong. He'll have a hard time doing a better trick than that. You just watch the next one. Yeah, there he goes. Why? Why, he's letting the elephant pick him up with his trunk. And he's setting him up on his head. Now, how's that for a trick? It's a good thing I'm seeing this with my own eyes, but I'd never believe it. Yeah, all right, now watch El Mundo get up on his hind legs. There he goes. Now what? You see, you know, just wait. Why, he's washing that elephant around. Say, that is clever. Yeah, I never dreamed this act would turn out as well as it has. Well, Jerry didn't have any doubts about it, though, Sam. Well, I know. I thought that was just his enthusiasm, but the boy was right. The audience sure go for him in a big way. You see, Headlet, yeah? Did you know that that elephant was Spanish? You don't say. Yep, and Jerry had to learn quite a bit of the Spanish language before he could give his commands to El Mundo. There's no end to the cleverness of these circus people. They're an ambitious lot, all right. If you excuse me now, I better go change for the clown band number. Okay, Bumpsy, after a while. You bet. So long, Headlet. Goodbye, Bumpsy. Now, what was it you were going to tell me about Spike? Oh, yes, about that telegram. Well, it looks to me like we've got to keep our eyes on him. Wait a minute, another interruption. Let's see what this fellow wants. Looks like I never will be able to tell you what was in that wire. Oh, I'll get rid of him quick. Mr. Randall. Yeah, yeah, what is it? I just went by the pay wagon and I... Yeah, yeah. Well, I saw Jim Bennett and he told me something to tell you. Yeah? Well, all right, all right, what is it? Well, let me see. Oh, yes. He said something about having to send in some orders for some supplies, and he said he needed you to sign your signature on the orders or something like that. All right, all right, I'll go over and sign the orders right away. Yes, sir. Well, well, don't stand there. Go and tell Jim what I told you. Oh, yeah, yes, sir. Who's he, Mr. Randall? Oh, he's a perfectly harmless fellow, just one of the roused abouts. Been with me three or four seasons now. Let's take a walk over to the office wagon. We can talk on the way. Well, sir, about the wire. Oh, yes, good, go ahead. Well, the warden of the prison said in the telegram that Spike's real name is Max Peter. Yes, I know that. Well, he had a cellmate that was a pretty tough customer, a fellow called Slippery Tonetti. And he was doing time for counterfeiting. What? That looks bad, doesn't it? Well, it doesn't look good. The warden said this fellow Slippery and Spike were fairly friendly. Mmm. Now, what makes the picture look still worse is the fact that Slippery was released about a month before Spike. Well, you don't think that Spike and that fellow... I was just coming to that. Now, there's a possibility that Slippery and Spike worked out a deal where Spike would get rid of a lot of this bad money. Well, it would be fairly easy traveling with a show, going from one town to another almost every day. Well, it's possible they thought it would be easy. They most likely figured it would be easier to pass bad bills along the route of the circus than to stay in one town to get rid of them. Well, I'll admit it looks bad, Hadley, but it's going to be hard for me to believe that Spike... Now, don't get me wrong, this is all supposition right now. I'm just trying to figure out possibilities. Mmm, looks for all the world like a good case of circumstantial evidence, all right? However, you must remember that Spike was really never guilty of that or the crime. Yeah, I know all about that plat case and how he was framed. But just the same, prisons do things to men. It might be that he's bitter now and has been talked into getting even by this fellow tenet. Well, that's another possibility. Of course, until we can get something on him, he's innocent. But between you and me, I think I've got something pretty good to work on. Well, I hope you're wrong. I do too, Randall. After Spike served all that time for a crime he didn't do. Just the same, it's my business to find out how these counterfeit bills are being passed. Oh, sure, sure. So I'm going to shadow Spike. I'm not going to let him out of my sight. He didn't want to tell me how he spends his spare time, but you can bet I'll find out and soon.