He did not like the "Dutchy boy." He was afraid Carl would take away from him his job with Motor Matt.
It was with secret rejoicing, therefore, that the Chinaman saw Carl locked in the wagon and hauled away.
"Hoop-a-la!" chattered Ping, as he returned to his place and once more went on watch.
The wagon used by Ben Ali, on this momentous occasion, was technically known as the monkey wagon. Two of the monkeys had eaten something which did not agree with them, and had died in Indianapolis. The three that remained had been taken out and put in another cage, with a collection known as "The Happy Family." This, of course, left the monkey wagon empty.
Burton was figuring on using it for one of the ant-eaters, but there were some repairs to be made before the wagon could be put to that use. The repairs dragged, and so Ben Ali found his opportunity to use the cage.
Straight across the show grounds drove the disguised Hindoo. None of the employees who saw him recognized him or questioned his right to use the monkey wagon. Different gangs had different duties, and no one knew but that this strange driver was off to town on some important mission.
Ben Ali drove within a hundred feet of the calliope tent. When he was well beyond it, a yell came from inside the wagon.
"Helup! Helup, somepody, or I vas a goner!"
A shiver ran through Ben Ali. He made ready to leap from the wagon, but thought better of it when he saw that the call had attracted no attention and was not repeated.