“Well, you know, I used to show in France once myself, so I knew a little French, and one day, just for fun, I said to Jo-Jo:
“‘Bon jour, Jo-Jo. Comment alle vous!’”
“Well, sir, that elephant nearly wiggled his old palm leaf ears off out of pure joy. I knew right away what made it; it was hearin’ someone speak in his own language, so I just went right on spielin’ French to him, and he kept on gettin’ happier and happier until at last I had to stop for fear he’d break a blood vessel laughin’.
“When the Boss knew about it, he gave Jo-Jo to me, and we’ve been mates ever since.
“We’ve got to be movin’ up. Good-by, Mr. Bear Boxer. See you some other time.”
Johnny watched the dwarf, as he walked behind the elephant and, turning a corner, disappeared from sight.
“So that’s one of the fellows Pant suspects of being the forger, Black McCree? Not the man, I’d say,” he muttered. “And yet, you never can tell.”
It was the next morning, while he was preparing for his daily bout with Gwen, that Johnny received a shock of surprise which he did not soon forget.
A unique plan for creating a new laugh had occurred to him. He was telling it to Gwen.
“They don’t have the clown assist you in your turn, do they?” He smiled, as he laced her right glove.