 Jerry of the circus You sure you saw those shadows around the horse tent sure I did all right cut across his open space and get behind that tent There where they keep the zebras careful of them might get excited and start moving about horse then move them Yeah, I saw it too. There it goes. Look how high up it's opening Jason. It's a snake see that thing Don't be silly. It does look like Jerry look Jason. Oh, no, it can't be don't scare him Jason is he the robber? I don't really think he had much to do with stealing the payroll But I'm pretty sure he's the alfalfa thief white. He's been crying about an elephant Lookie he's coming out. There he goes pretty smart a and look at the huge bund of alfalfa in his trunk Look how carefully pulls that leg along the one with a chain on it. See he doesn't even make a noise And he's heading right for his own tent, too. Yep notice anything funny about it I think the old things funny. No, I mean something special. I don't know what maybe you haven't been around here long enough to Know this but usually when some of the elephants have been away and they come back They all call each other and make funny trumpeting noises. Yeah, I know exactly and now you don't hear a sound maybe they're asleep Huh, no, I doubt it. They know he's doing something. He shouldn't and none of them will do anything to give him away Can't we talk out loud now? Oh sure. I forgot. You know Jason I I never heard of such a thing what like that older elephants keeping quiet so that one of them can get away with something He shouldn't know they sure are cagey aren't they Jerry Well, I suppose we're not to run around and tell Olson who's Olson He's the head elephant man Oh, and will he be annoyed when he finds that elephant has been getting out nights It seems to me you'd know it being around them all day Wouldn't he notice that one elephant's chain was loose probably not those babies are marvelous They put the chains right back where they belong and stand quietly all day in their exact spot Just as if they were tied but when they take them into the ring or out They help move the show when the guard notices it sounds like a fairy story I admit Jerry, but some of the elephants are so tricky. They put the chain back around the stake so it looks right He wouldn't hold them though. No, but the guard who's taking them out won't notice it unless he's pretty alert and up in his job Yeah, I never knew elephants could be so thrilling. You haven't heard anything yet. Wait till you get Olson started No, here. We are he bunks in here. Wait a second. I'll call him Olson. Hey Olson It's Jason come out here a second Oh Jerry yeah, I want you to know our elephant man Olson. This is the boy whose detective work has uncovered one of the circus's major mysteries I'm sure glad to meet you son. Thanks me too. Oh This is my partner right? Hello there pop you look more like a mascot than a partner. I guess he's my mascot too any more to your family No, rags is all the family I got pretty large order for such a tiny animal He's not so little Olson's used to big animals Jerry after all rags isn't very impressive and siphon you when you're used to an elephant I'm not trying to change the subject But what's all this I hear about my elephants after all I'm not getting up in the middle of the night just to meet some nice New people you're certainly not nor am I going to stay up the rest of night to play nurse to your playful elephants Well, what happened Jason? What's it all about? I guess why he didn't tell you because he didn't figure you'd have anything to do with it But there's been several bays of alfalfa disappearing from the horse tent in the past week Yeah, and we just saw one of the elephants carrying a bale out of the horse tent just as pretty as you please you did Well, I'll have to look into this. I just know I had any thieves among my herd I'll go over and check up on it right away. Can I go with you mr. Olson? Pretty late son. You mean early. Look, it's beginning to get light over there in the east now Yeah, so it is oh gee we can't go to bed now at finding that elephant and everything. We're too excited aren't we right? You're both nighthawks, but I was that way myself and I was a kid. Well night all of you You mean good morning. Don't you I'm afraid the boys got something there Jason. Well, thanks for getting me up That's okay. And Jerry and I'll run along and put my charges back to bed. Well, so long Thanks for letting me stay Yeah, this is the way Jerry let's go in just quietly as we can see if there's anything wrong Will the dog bark not if I tell him not to quiet rags and keep quiet all right now I don't fall over one of those states. I learned that listen Here we are And I can't hear a sound in there. Can you know pull the flap aside and you'll slip in I'll follow okay, right go She it's dark Right, son. Oh, I'll just turn my flashlight on There we are Will you look at them? Just as if they were sound asleep You're just like naughty children you mean to say they knew we were here all the time I'm more than likely they probably either smelled me or recognized my footstep, but but we didn't make a sound Oh, listen these are jungle animals. They hear things clearly that we can't possibly hear either must be an awful World that we miss Lad you said something then and you come along with me We'll just go down the line and find out who the guilty animal is there a riot They all look so innocent. Maybe it's just the way they're made and they can't help it Well, I never thought of that, but perhaps their faces aren't as expressive as they might be Oh, oh here. She is Molly. Look at that chain. Will you oh, no, you can't fool me You bad animal, don't you talk back to me, you know you've done wrong I've heard enough and all these other animals in here were in cahoots with you, too She knows she's been bad you know honors to goodness Jerry sometimes taking care of elephants is like running a nurse Nobody's here. All right regs. It'll only take a minute Where did bumps put us tobacco said it was right on this chair All right, I know I knocked those pants off Rags, right stop it. What are you doing? But our nerf is shaking those things out. Look out. You'll tear them. Oh I see they belong to Lorenz. My goodness, but you do hate that man. Don't you stop it? You'll get me the trouble right look those things down All right now look what you've done torn a button off or something I will get in Dutch now and with Lorenz. You are a month. Yes, you are You'd better hide under that bed We'll see where's the button Rags Rags gee whiz. What do you think this is? No Rags. I'm not schoolin you come here look That's right get out from under the bed Now look at this. It's a metal piece that was lost from the gun that was at the robbery and in Lorenz's pants I can hardly believe it. She quit wait till I put these pants back so they look right come on regs We've got to find Jason. He'll be back with his cast because it's pretty near time for the mat may Not just just run the race There he is Jason Jason I found it Gee I take it easy. There's lots of time Jason. I got the piece. I got it what piece Jerry What on earth are you talking about? Don't tell me you're still playing detective. Yeah, that's it see here It is the piece to the gun. No Jerry. Where did you get this? Rags found it in the wagon what wagon our wagon where we make up No, yeah, he got hold of some pants that I knocked off on the floor and whose pants Lorenz's You know our rags hates him. Well, he bank began to shake them up I know and this dropped out what a break like I hardly believe it. Well, we got it anyway I bet I know what happened what I bet that thing broke off when that gun was dropped on the floor That's what we thought what we looked for in the office wagon and it wasn't there I know but it probably bounced up into the cup of Lorenz's pants. You're kidding. I'm not if Lorenz had seen that thing He don't think he'd have kept it to you. He'd have thrown it away. It's too damaging. Yeah, I never thought of that Golly, I've got to go on pretty soon Now Jerry listen carefully