"Come with me to see how we do things," he invited Andy. "Bring along those two mail bags."
Andy had already noticed the bags. One was quite large. It was made of canvas, with a snap lock. The other was of leather, and smaller in size.
Swinging these over his shoulder, Ripley entered the post-office. He showed his credentials from the circus, and was admitted behind the letter cases of the places.
Andy watched him receive over a hundred letters and packages, receipting for the same on registry delivery cards. This lot he placed in the small leather bag.
The ordinary mail lay sorted out for the circus on a stamping table.
This went into the big canvas pouch.
The circus newspaper mail was ready tagged in a hempen sack. Ripley carried this out to Andy.
"Toss it in the wagon," he ordered, following with the letter pouches.
Andy opened the back doors of the wagon and tossed in the newspaper bag.
"Say, back in a minute," observed Ripley, depositing his own burdens on the front wagon seat.
Andy stood watching him. Ripley rounded a corner in the alley where a wooden finger indicated a side entrance to a hotel bar. Ripley's failing was manifest, and Andy decided that he did, indeed, need a guardian.