“The boss has an awful grouch¹ on.”  
“Yes; I wonder what’s the matter with him,” pondered the clown.
 
His brother fun-maker shrugged² his shoulders.
 
“Guess he’s mad because of young Forrest’s accident. Just got a good act started when he had to go and spoil it.”
 
Not a hint of the suspicion entertained by the owner and his elephant trainer had been breathed about the show. Nearly a week had passed since Phil’s narrow escape from death; yet, despite all the efforts of Kennedy or the shrewd observation of his employer, they were no nearer a solution of the mystery than before. The days passed, and with them the anger of James Sparling increased.
 
“That chum of Forrest’s is a funny fellow,” continued the first speaker. “He’d make a good clown?”
 
“Make? He’s one already. Look at him.”
 
Teddy was perched on the back of Jumbo, the trick mule³ of the show, out in the paddock, where the performers were indulging in various strange antics for the purpose of limbering themselves up prior to entering the ring for their acts.
 
The bright, warm sunlight was streaming down, picking up little flames from the glistening⁴ spangles sprinkled over the costumes of many of the circus folks.
 
Teddy and Jumbo had become fast friends—a strangely assorted⁵ pair, and whenever the opportunity presented itself Teddy would mount the ugly looking mule, riding him about the paddock or the ring when there was nothing going on under the big top. Every time the pair made their appearance it was the signal for a shout of merriment from the performers.
 
Teddy had perched himself on Jumbo’s back while the mule was awaiting his turn to enter the ring, which he did alone, performing his act with nothing save the crack of the ringmaster’s whip to guide him.
 
Somebody had jammed a clown’s cap on Teddy’s head, while someone else had hit it a smash with the flat of his hand, until the peak of the cap lopped over to one side disconsolately⁶.
 
Teddy’s face wore an appreciative⁷ grin, Jumbo’s long ears lying as far back on his head as they would reach. To the ordinary observer it might have been supposed that the mule was angry about something. On the contrary, it was his way of showing his pleasure. When a pan of oats was thrust before Jumbo, or he chanced upon a patch of fresh, tender grass, the ears expressed the animal’s satisfaction.
 
Jumbo could do pretty much everything except talk, but occasionally the stubbornness of his kind took possession of him. At such times the trick mule was wont⁸ to do the most erratic⁹ things.
 
“How’d you like to ride him in?” chuckled¹⁰ Miaco, who stood regarding the lad with a broad smile.
 
“If I had a saddle I wouldn’t mind it,” grinned Teddy’s funny face as an accompaniment to his words.
 
Jumbo’s equipment consisted of a cinch girth and a pair of bridle¹¹ reins¹² connected with a headstall. There was no bit, but the effect was to arch his neck like that of a proud stallion.
 
“You’d make the hit of your life if you did,” laughed Miaco. “Wonder the boss don’t have you do it.”
 
“Would if he knew about it,” spoke¹³ up a performer. “The really funny things don’t get into the ring in a circus, unless by accident.”
 
In the meantime the ringmaster was making his loud-voiced announcement out under the big top.
 
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he roared, after a loud crack of his long-lashed whip, to attract the attention of the people to him, “we are now about to introduce the wonderful performing mule Jumbo, the only broncho-bucking¹⁵, bobtailed mule in the world. You will notice that he performs without a rider, without human interference. Please do not speak to Jumbo while he is going through his act. Ladies and gentlemen, Jumbo, the great educated mule, will now make his appearance unaided by human hand.”
 
The audience applauded the announcement.
 
At that moment the band struck up the tune¹⁶ by which Jumbo always made his entrance. At the first blare of the brass¹⁷ a fun-loving clown jabbed Jumbo with a pin. The mule did the rest.
 
“Here! Here! Get off that mule!” shouted the animal’s trainer. “He’s going on!”
 
“Let him go!” roared clowns and other performers.
 
Jumbo had never made as quick a start in all his circus career as he did that day. He fairly leaped into the air, though only one man understood the reason for the mule’s sudden move.
 
With a bray¹⁸ that was heard all over the big top Jumbo burst through the red curtains like a tornado¹⁹. There he paused for one brief instant, as if uncertain whether to do a certain thing or not.
 
Recalling the ringmaster’s words, the spectators at first were at a loss to account for the odd-looking figure that was clinging to the back of the educated mule.
 
Suddenly they broke out into roars of laughter, while the performers peering through the red curtain fairly howled with delight.
 
Teddy was hanging to the cinch girth uncertain what to do. The ringmaster, amazed beyond words, stood gaping²⁰ at the spectacle, for the moment powerless to use his usually ready tongue.
 
Jumbo launched into the arena²¹.
 
“Get off!” thundered the ringmaster, suddenly recovering himself.
 
“I can’t!” howled Teddy, though from present indications it appeared as ............