"We'll hit it with our feet, excellency," went on McGlory.
He had a hearty contempt for the monocle, and took it out on the wearer.
"I don't know whether I rise to that," returned Twomley, "but if it means to go forth and look into the cause of our friends' delay in returning with Wily Bill, then, it's ay, ay, with a will."
"Come on, then, and we'll vamose."
McGlory led the way to the side-show tent, and Twomley and Carl followed him closely.
The crowds had long since entered the big tents, and the performance in the "circus top" was in full blast. With the beginning of the "big show" there was no business left for the annex, and the ticket seller was withdrawn under the lee of a canvas wall, hobnobbing with the man on the door. These two informed McGlory, Twomley, and Carl that Wily Bill had left for town on the street car, and that Motor Matt and Burton had started for the car line in the hope of overhauling him. But that had been all of half an hour before.
The three searchers immediately departed for the car-line loop. There they found Burton and a young fellow kicking their heels impatiently and keeping their eyes down the track.
"Where's Matt?" asked McGlory.
"Ask us something easy," replied Burton. "Wily has hiked for town. When we got here the car he was on was too far down the track to stop. This young man"—the showman indicated his companion—"came along on a motor cycle. Matt borrowed the machine with the intention of overtaking the car and bringing Wily back, but neither has shown up yet. Must be something wrong."
"Vell, I bed you!" said Carl anxiously. "On some modor cycles Mile-a-minid Matt alvays geds vere he iss going pefore he shtarts. Somet'ing has gone crossvays alretty, und dot's no tream."