Free Mystery of the Ivory Charm by Carolyn Keene Page B

animals.
    “The show will soon be starting,” Nancy said, her anticipation mounting.
    They could not hurry, however, as they moved along the lanes of caged wild animals. The three girls with Rishi elbowed their way through the throng, clinging to one another to avoid being separated.
    As they approached the monkey cage, the crowd became even denser, drawn by the comic antics of the animals. It seemed hopeless to find Mr. Drew in such a mob.
    “Oh, I see him!” Nancy cried presently. “Over there on the opposite side of the cage. Dad! Dad!” she called to him.
    Before the girls could reach him, the crowd grew wildly excited, pushing and shoving in an attempt to move away from the vicinity.
    “What’s wrong?” George asked, clinging tightly to her friends.
    She was told by a bystander that a careless guard had left the monkey-cage door unbolted, and now a dozen of the mischievous little animals were escaping. One athletic monkey perched himself atop the cage, two others clung to the outside wire network, while the rest began to terrify the crowd by leaping from one onlooker to another.
    “Oh!” Nancy exclaimed.
    One monkey had landed on her head and began pulling the girl’s hair.
    “Ouch! That hurts! Get off!” she cried out, trying to grab the frisky little animal.
    All he did was squeak and pull harder. At first Bess and George giggled at the funny sight. But then George pulled the monkey’s tail. This was not to the animal’s liking, and he quickly abandoned his fun.
    Rishi had become separated from the girls but now he returned in a flash. With a skill the bystanders could not believe, he coaxed the monkeys in a gentle, persuasive voice back into their trailer cage. The crowd cheered as he rejoined his friends.
    The boy was embarrassed and said, “Rishi want to go now.”
    Nancy took him by the arm and hurried away, with Bess and George trailing them. They met Mr. Drew beyond the monkeys’ cages. Nancy could not resist teasing her father.
    “Dad, I’m surprised you’d deliberately unlock a cage door. Were you trying to get in with the monkeys?”
    “At least no one has fed me any peanuts yet,” Mr. Drew answered, grinning.
    The show was just starting and Nancy’s group hurried to locate their seats.
    “I wish the elephant act would start,” Nancy said to her father. “I can’t wait to see who is in it.”
    “Your wish is about to be granted.” Mr. Drew smiled. “Here they come now.”
    Nancy leaned forward. She caught a fleeting glimpse of the elephant trainer as he entered the big tent in full regalia.
    “Is that Rai?” she whispered tensely. “It looks like him!”
    Had Rai perhaps secretly returned without notifying Mr. Strong? Had he changed places with one of the handlers?
    Rishi shrank down beside her and buried his head. “He mustn’t see me!”

CHAPTER XII
    A Startling Discovery
    THE three jumbo elephants, guided by their trainer, had entered the ring directly in front of the section where Nancy and her friends were seated. The man turned to bow low to the audience.
    “That isn’t Rai, after all,” Nancy murmured.
    Hearing this, Rishi raised his head, and watched in fascination as the huge animals performed a series of perfectly executed stunts. In the final number, they climbed up on one another’s backs to form a pyramid, as acrobats do.
    As the applause died away, the beasts got down and lined up for a bow. The clapping was thunderous. Then, as the animals were about to trot from the ring, there was a sudden change from their placid attitude. The largest one stopped, raised his trunk, and began to trumpet loudly.
    “Something is wrong!” Rishi cried. “That’s old Arun!”
    By now the elephant was making a beeline for a certain block of seats. The trainer was yelling at the animal. Guards were shouting, “Look out! He’ll crush you!” and trying to keep the other beasts from stampeding.
    Then someone yelled, “Arun smells Rail He hates him!”
    Rishi was already