“Ha! Hum! I begin to understand something. You may tell Mr. Delafield I want him.”
Jack summoned the property man, and the manager closely questioned him as to whether he had seen any one about the airship just before the performance began, for it had been proved that the apparatus was in perfect order that morning.
“I didn’t see any one interfering with it,” replied Mr. Delafield.
“Were you in the property tent all the while?”
“Yes—that is, nearly.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, Mitz called me out to see about making a new tub for the baby elephant to stand on.”
“How long were you gone?”
“About ten minutes.”
“Ha! Hum! That would be time enough. I think I see how this was done. Mitz and Chester put up the game, and a mean one it was. While Mitz got you out, Chester slipped in and cut the umbrella. Say nothing about it, however. I’ll have a talk with them. I’ll put a stop to this business.”