 of the circus everybody in the circus broke out with a red rash and it looked for sure like they all caught the measles from you now don't fool me Jerry I wouldn't want to be blamed for all my good friends taking sick well it looked that way I mean it looked what's the truth of it all come come come on now after that this is serious well it was for a while but it's all okay now you see it turned out to be a joke I'll tell you all about it right from the start a joke a joke yeah what I mean the joke well first one of the carton boys got a rash on his arm then somebody else got it and pretty soon everybody was looking themselves over to see if they had it yes yes yes well mr. Murray had a lot of red places on his neck and seems he went right over at dr. Williams and told him how almost everybody in the circus was catching something man I see I see but go ahead go ahead Jerry well dr. Williams figured right away that it was a measles that somebody gotten from you and was spreading them around to the rest well that's a sensible thing to think after all so what happened well dr. Williams just gave the orders to have everybody line up and get an examination yeah what a defined well he found that some of the folks had the red spots on them but he also found that not one of them had a fever yeah of course the fever always goes to the maze so he tried to figure out what the trouble was yes and what a defined well you see we had strawberries for breakfast this morning the first ones this year strawberries yes well that's what it was what do you mean Jerry sometimes strawberries makes folks break out with a sort of rash especially the first time they eat them each year yeah that's right yes yes yes strawberries rash yes yes I've heard telling that myself so well that's all it was we had our first strawberries this morning for breakfast and a lot of the folks got a little rash well now that is a good one yeah I'll bet old Doc Williams was plenty worried at first yes has been awful if the whole show took down of the measles and it would have been your fault for not going to the hospital like Mr. Randall wanted you to say I'd have been in a pretty bad fix all right yes mighty good thing it turned out like it did I'll say so yeah well now that that's over with what else you know Jerry well I've got some time to spare Colonel Alger time to spare you have huh well well you know what I mean how about a story oh yeah story I knew that was coming well will you tell me one yes you bet I will as a matter of fact I've been saving one for you it happened to think of it early this morning yes very amusing little story yes I thought to myself at the time now there's a story that Jerry would enjoy hearing okay then let's hear it well sir as I recall it was about 35 years ago and just about 35 I was with a small outfit that just traveled through the three four states my job at that time with the circus is the position of a ticket seller you sure had a lot of different jobs haven't you yes yes I have Jerry yes I think I've held out every job there is around the circus but you never wanted to become a performer did you know no no no I can't say that I have I can't say that I have Jerry well go ahead with the story will you have a story oh yes yes yes where was I you said you were a ticket seller with a small circus about 35 years ago yes yes that's it 35 years ago well there was a hustler with the outfit named Mark has been with the circus for several years sure knew his horses to but he had one failing was that he was absent minded Jerry absent minded kept forgetting about things all the time yes got all sorts of things on getaway night well what for instance well once he left several blankets behind and another time he forgot a whole box of trappings imagine that yes imagine it just carelessness I guess carelessness must have been but the boss of the show called him on it one time and told him that anything that was left behind all that he forgot to come out of his salary that way to have to pay for his own mistakes exactly yes well after Mark heard that he was pretty careful yes yes he was very careful in fact but one night we were late getting off a slow lot a lot of excitement what happened well sir old Mark in his hurry forgot a beautiful saddle Jiminy yes it was a beautiful saddle I mean just that I do believe that saddle is worth a lot of money well what did they do to mark well they took quite a bit of money out of his page paid until the saddle was paid for and then what happened well sir Mark figured that they took too much of his pay didn't think that the saddle was worth as much as they said it was yeah but it was wasn't it well I don't know Jerry maybe the boss did get a little more of Mark's pay than he was rightfully entitled to but old Mark got even with him all right yes he got even yes what he did oh nothing right away but a couple of months later there was a pretty bad storm and lots of light and thunder there's a regular stampede in the horse stop the few of the very best horses got away during the height of the storm that's bad did they find them again yes yes they did Jerry they got all the horses back but one and that was the most valuable of all I can still remember him fine high school horses you've ever seen well what happened to him that's a quiet for a minute here I'm coming to that everyone connected with the circus went out looking for that horse they looked everywhere they couldn't find him just seemed as though he'd disappeared into thin air circus had to go on to the next town and I couldn't just stand still and look for one horse now the owner of the show posted a $200 reward for the return of the horse that had been lost yes and then what well Jerry old Mark knew right well that the boss would you just that you mean put up a $200 reward for that horse exactly yes yes so he stayed on in the town and told the boss of the circus that he wanted to stay there a few days and look for the horse and try and get the reward and did he stay there and look for him I mean the horse yes he did Jerry stayed right in that town for several days yes yes but he didn't look for the horse why not I thought he wanted to get the $200 reward he didn't look for the horse because he knew all the time just where the animal was what do you mean well sir that night in the storm he deliberately led that horse out of the horse top and took him about a mile from where the circus was set up yes took him to some farm just off the road made a deal with the farmer to keep the horse for him and I don't know what kind of a story told a farmer but whatever it was it worked oh I never heard of anything like that before when Mark came back to the circus about the fourth day after we left that town and he had the missing horse with him and he got the reward money you bet he did yes yes he did $200 even with the boss for taking more money out of his pay than he was supposed to huh yes that's it all right yep yep old Mark figured he put across a good one didn't the owner of the circus ever find out about it no I don't think so I don't think he did old Mark told me that story himself and made him me promise that I wouldn't tell anybody in the show and you didn't know I didn't know I didn't but I guess it's all right to tell you after all these years thirty five years you won't go to the owner of that show and tell all old Mark will you oh of course not I don't even know what short was or anything about it that's all right then see how about another one another one all let's see another story let's say how would you like an apple Jerry I'd like one good good then you'll find a bag of them on that front there up yourself bring me one please this bag here yes that's it pick out a couple good ones here you are one for you and one for me now have you thought of another story another story oh I guess I told you the one about the ostrich feathers didn't I know I don't think you did what was it about Jerry you were now at Colonel elder huh someone calling a Jerry but to see who it is okay you want me now but why he does he asked me to tell you to come right over to the horse top he's got some work for you okay I'll go right over there and thanks for telling me okay Jerry well I guess I'd better go right over the horse top why do you want me for something it's all right Jerry run along run along that story you'll keep for another time you got everything you need yes I think so Jerry besides Tom will be coming along pretty soon now yeah yeah you'll go right ahead okay then I'll see you want to get through all right why do you send for me I heard right over the minute I got your message yeah well I've got a special job for you Jerry and I think you're gonna like it yeah what is it you knew the Cossacks their Russof trooper going out to the fair when we get the Fordham tomorrow yeah well they asked me if they could have a couple of men to go out with them to help with the horses and you're gonna let me go yep that's the way it stands Jerry I figured you'd be just as good as any of the hustlers and they won't need much help just someone there to hand them things and maybe hold their horses between their turns oh gee thanks whitey oh here comes one of an hour looks like Boris that you Boris oh good come on back here Nicholas he's a big man sure is Jerry I forgot to tell you what we should get someone to help us with his saddle spoon they mean to clean them in polysilver that would be good I've got your man right here now Nick meet Jerry happy to meet you glad to meet you too where is the man you've got to help us there's your man right here Jerry oh he's very small man but I think he will do he's a good worker Nick you can polysilver trims on saddle sure he can do him anything you want Nick really and do a good job too good and you will come with me now and meet my brothers tomorrow when we go to the fairgrounds you come with us to help that'll be keen what you say I said that'll be swell I mean that'll be nice nice good yes I will be good now why do you where is another helper I need more than Jerry I need to help I'll get you another one hey how about Tom can he be the other helper let's see now please whitey understands all about horses who is this Tom oh you know him you wait on your table in the mess top another boy help he's a good boy Nick yes sir rides a horse like an old hand all right so he can be the other one you send the boy I will make I'll see that he reports to you you are ready to come with me now oh sure I don't have anything to do to show you there yeah Mr. Randall come on back better wait a minute and see what the boss has on his mind look I was looking for you Nicholas malls for I am here hello Mr. Randall Jerry I listen Nick I just received a telegram from the county fair association that says that the Russov trip the troop can go into the fairgrounds the first thing in the morning we get into Fordham tomorrow you know track will be at your disposal and you can practice and get your setup that is good Russov troop will be there I just signed Jerry and his friend Tom to assist the Russov Mr. Randall well good boy Jerry and you'll get to see a wonderful show out there and a big horse race too and that's gonna be some horse race really worthwhile seeing golly I can hardly wait until we get to Fordham