 Jerry, of the circus! It wasn't special, but I didn't think we'd find some, or something someplace. Well, maybe we'd better buy some cloth and let Clara make you one. Never. I'll go without a vest until I get the right kind. And now Clara's too busy today to be making me vest. Yeah, I suppose so. See, shall we walk down this way? We might just happen to find something. Okay, but don't mind telling you, I'm so desperate that if I saw a man with the right kind of a vest on, I think I'd take it from him if he refused to tell it to me. Imagine taking a right off his back. Guess you and I'd end up in jail. Then we wouldn't need a vest at all. See, what's all the excitement? Don't know. Sounds like a runaway. Golly, you don't think some of the circus horses are loose, do you? Yeah, out of chance. Yeah! Get out! Look, he's got the bed. He's fucking all right. There, the other fellow's helping. There, you're slow down now. There, I got him too, Darryl. That's the ticket. Take it easy. That's it. I'm closing out. He's still on. Yeah, that's it. Yeah, funny. Most kids nowadays hardly know what a horse looks like, let alone how to manage them. There you are. Take it easy now. Nothing to get so excited about. He talks to that horse like they were buddies. Hey, kid, is it your horse? No, but she's all right now, I guess. Who does she belong to? I don't know. I'm a stranger myself in these parts. And you don't see nags like that on the street much anymore. Hey, hey, thanks. Gee, is she all right? Nolly, did you get scared, old girl? It's your worst kid. Yeah, my boss is. What happened? I don't know. I was doing an errand, and I heard some car honking. I guess it's worth too close or something. There's a rule, Nellie's pretty steady. But she must have gotten pretty scared to go careening off like that. Well, I'll say she must. Took a block right along with her. Wonder that wait didn't break up the payment. Lucky she had it on her. We might not have caught her so easy. Gee, I'm mighty grateful to you. I'd have gone into a lot of trouble if anything had happened to her or to the wagon. Gee, I don't know how to thank you. Well, that's nothing. Glad we happened to be together. Most kids want to know what to do. Say, how'd you happen to stop her? Well, I just jumped for a bit and hung on tight. I knew she couldn't go on forever with me dragging her head down like that. That's swell. I don't think I'd have ever been able to stop her so good. Well, you see, son, Gary here is with Circus. He's used to handling horses. It's pretty much his business, you might say. With the Circus? You mean you work with the Circus that just come to town? Yeah. Golly. Gee, you too? Yeah, me too. Say. I never met Circus folks before. Heck, that's real interesting. Well, oh dear, Dolly, hold your horses. I've never seen her jittery like this before. She looks kind of thin. Yeah. She eats so much compared to the kind of horses you're used to, I guess. But I like her. She's the best friend I got. I just mean she needs fattening up a bit. She's marked nice, got good points. Yeah, and she's built well, too. You think so? Sure I do. Looks like she comes from pretty good stock all right. Well, she's not been treated so well, but I do everything I can for her, at least way since we've been buddies. You lived around here long, kid? Uh-huh. Yeah? Know the folks around this town much? Well, kind of. Of course, I'm just, well, sort of a hired boy, but... Uh-huh. What's your name? Tom? Tom. That's a good American name. My name's Slatz, and this is Jerry. Slatz? Jerry? Is Slatz your real name? It is now. Why? Don't you like it? Oh, sure, I... Well, I just guess I never heard it before. Don't let him kid you, Tom. I asked him the same question, and he acted real feed with me, too. He's proud of that name, and he's got good reason to be, too. Well, I sure have. When I was younger than you boys, I was the skinniest kid in the business. Dad and I didn't act all over the country. I guess you're both too young to have heard of Slatz and singles. Say we were terrific. Folks used to think his dad starred in because he was so thin. Yeah, and when we joined the circus, first the manager wasn't sure whether to put me in the ring or with the freak. You're honest. Sure thing. Why, I remember once some humane society or something got after dad and he had a terrible time getting us out of town. Had to get doctors and everything to prove I just grew that way. Gee, that's awful funny. Yeah? And we didn't think so then. Now look at me standing here talking. And what I wanted to ask you was if you knew any folks around here might have some old clothes. Well, I don't know. He doesn't mean worn out clothes. He means old-fashioned clothes that perhaps belonged in the family years ago. Well, I guess some folks keep them around in attics. My boy's got a trunk out in the barn filled with a lot of crazy old things. He's so stingy you won't throw him away. And no self-respect in secondhand mannered by him. Yeah? Any colored vests like folks wore years ago? I don't know. I never go near as things. He's kind of touchy about... Well, I never do that's all. I'd pay well for the right kind of a vest. You don't suppose he'd sell it to me if he had anything I could use? Sure. He'd sell anything if he could get real money for it. He'd sell me, I guess, if he could sell people. Sell you? Do you belong to him? Well, kind of. He'd try to sell Nellie a couple of times, but she's so old no one will pay much for her. And she still works. He grumbles about the feet she uses, but it doesn't look like she gets much of that. Well, I know it's something fierce. Kind of all I can to try and give her. Say, listen, it's getting late. I got to get busy before the matinee. Jerry, do me a favor. Sure thing. Go along with Tom and see if you can find any kind of a vest around these places and I'll pay for it. Meantime, I'll go down these back streets and see if I can find something someplace myself. Sure, I'll be glad to. Guess I know about what you want. That is, if Tom will take me. You bet I will. Gee, I guess we'd just about get home before the old man leaves for work. You mean your boss hasn't gone to work yet? This late in the morning? Well, he works nights. See, he's got funny hours. Good. Then you kids get going. But whatever you do, Jerry, get back to the lot before the matinee and if Tom can't help you out, he may know some neighbors with addicts or something. I sure be glad to try and help. Shall we get going, Jerry? The sooner the quicker. Okay. Hold still there, Nellie. Come on, Jerry. Climb on. You're okay. All right. Sure. See, this is well. Well, Slat, we'll try and find some kind of a vest for you. Where are you better? I don't want to have to go on without the right kind of props. Well, that's changed my act. Well, so long, kids. We're seeing you. Come on back with Jerry. Tom will catch the show. I'll get you. Gee, honest. Thanks, Slat. Get up, Nellie. Come on, see in the circus. Sure. Of course he did. Honest? You know, I never seen a real circus. You haven't? No. I always wanted to, though. But somehow I never had no money, and I was always working. Couldn't get away, no how. Oh, that's awful. Well, you'll see the circus today. Don't you worry. I'm afraid he'll never let me go. Who? The man I'm hired out to. He sounds kind of mean. He's the meanest man I know. Well, what do you work for him for? Well, I can't get away. What do you mean? You're away from him now, aren't you? Well, yes. Of course I could run away, but if I did that, I'd probably never see that again. Gee, that's awful. Yeah. Get it up, Nellie. We'll never get home. Oh, you live far from here? Well, it's on the edge of town, not far from the tracks. It's kind of a little farm. You see, we raise our own vegetables. Looks like it's in the direction of the circus lot. Say, Jerry, how'd you ever happen to be with a circus? Your folks work there? Well, they used to, but... Well, both dad and mother are dead, and Mr. Angle, he's the owner, you know. He took me in. I've only been with him part of this season. It must be awful, excitement. You bet it is. Here, Nellie, take it easy there, boy. Take it easy. Hey, do we go off on this dirt road? Yep, this is where we turn in. See, that's funny. The car's gone. You mean your boss isn't here? Yeah. See, that's awful queer. They don't usually get down to the station so early. Station? Well, sure. You see, he's a baggage man at the Hansburg Railway Station. Baggage man? The man you work for? Sure. Oh. Well, why? Say, I don't think we dare open that trunk while he's gone. He'd about skin me alive, I guess, if he thought I was snooping around. But we just got to see if he's got a vest. We wouldn't hurt anything. Well, there, Nellie. Well, go. Well, come on. May as well get down. He'll be back soon. Gee, Tom, I can't wait. I gotta know if he's got anything we can use, because if he hasn't, I'll have to ask around the neighbors and all. Well, I suppose he can't give me any more than a licking. I've had them before. And it'd be worth it to see the circus. Oh, no, I don't want you to get into trouble. I'll tell you what. We'll just take a quick look through. I guess we'd hear his car all right if he came back. It isn't like we take anything. Well, all right, if you think it's safe. Of course, if he has anything we can use, we'll pay him for it. Okay, then. Come on in here. There. You see that old trunk over the corner of the barn? Yeah. Well, that's it. Come on, let's open it quick if we're gonna. Okay, if he says so. Gee, it's pretty rusty and dirty. Yeah, no one ever uses it. He just keeps a lot of things that he don't want. Here, I'll open it. Say, Tom. Yep. This man you work for. You say he's in charge of baggage at the railroad station? Sure. Why? His name isn't Platt, is it? Well, sure. How'd you know? Oh, I don't know. Maybe you mentioned his name. I just thought it was Platt, but I wanted to be sure. Did I? Sure, I musta. Well, you wouldn't know it, would you? Say, yours's lots of stuff. Gee, this is pretty good red sweater, too. Say, it's a dandy. Look, there's some old-fashioned stuff. Would this be any good for you, Jerry? Get out of there. Both of you. What are you doing with my things? Gee, Mr. Platt, we didn't hear you. You thought I wasn't home because the car was gone, huh? So you're a thief now. Get out of there, both of you, and follow me into the house. I'm calling for the police, and I'm calling quick. But, Mr. Weedon... None of your left. Leave it, both of you. I'll teach you to come stupid around folks' trunks. I'll have the law on both of you boys and put you into reformatory schools where you belong. Get going now and move fast.