"What, Tum Tum gone!" cried the elephant trainer. "That's so," he said, as he saw that the place where Tum Tum used to stand was empty.
"I wonder where Tum Tum can be?" said the keeper. Maggo wished she could tell how Tum Tum had tried to stop the tiger from running away, but how the big elephant had not been in time. However, the head keeper must have guessed it.
"I don't believe Tum Tum ran away," he said. "He must have gone out after the tiger. Come on, we must find them both."
As it happened, the circus performance was over, so there were no boys or girls, or men and women, to be frightened by hearing that the tiger was loose. Sharp Tooth was so excited at getting out of the cage, that she did not try to bite anybody. She slipped out of the tent, and ran toward some woods near the circus lot.
But Tum Tum was right after her. The tiger could go along very fast, but the elephant could travel almost as quickly, and he kept right behind the striped beast.
"Ha! Go on back! Stop following me!" snarled Sharp Tooth.
"No, I'll not," answered the brave elephant. "I want you to come back to the circus."
"I'll never come!" snapped the tiger.
"Oh, yes, you will," the elephant said.
The tiger kept on, and Tum Tum followed. Finally the tiger ran up a tree and crouched out on a big limb.