“It is the detectives who will find the elephant，hence the reward will go to the right place.If other people found the animal，it would only be by watching the detectives and taking advantage of clues and indications stolen from them，and that would entitle the detectives to the reward，after all.The proper office of a reward is to stimulate the men who deliver up their time and their trained sagacities to this sort of work，and not to confer benefits,upon chance citizens who stumble upon a capture without having earned the benefits by their own merits and labors.”
This was reasonable enough，certainly.Now the telegraphic machine in the corner began to click，and the following despatch was the result:
Flower Station，N.Y.，7.30a.m.
Have got a clue.Found a succession of deep tracks
across a farm near here.Followed them two miles east
without result；think elephant went west.Shall now
shadow him in that direction..............
Darley，detective
“Darley's one of the best men on the force，”said the inspector.
“We shall hear from him again before long.”
Telegram No.2came:
Barker's，N.J.，7.40a.m.
Just arrived.Glass factory broken open here during
night，and eight hundred bottles taken.Only water in
large quantity near here is five miles distant.Shall
strike for there.Elephant will be thirsty.Bottles were
empty.
Barker，detective
“That promises well，too，”said the inspector.“I told you the creature's appetites would not be bad clues.”
Telegram No.3:
Taylorville，L.I.,8.15a.m.
A haystack near here disappeared during night.
Probably eaten.Have got a clue，and am off.
Hubbard,detective
“How he does move around!”said the inspector.“I knew we had a difficult job on hand，but we shall catch him yet.”
Flower Station，N.Y.，9a.m.
Shadowed the tracks three miles westward.Large，deep
and ragged.Have just met a farmer who says they are
not elephant tracks.Says they are holes where he dug
up saplings for shadetrees when ground was frozen last
winter.Give me orders how to proceed.
Darley，detective
“Aha!a confederate of the thieves!The thing grows warm，”said the inspector.
He dictated the following telegram to Darley:
Arrest the man and force him to name his pals.
Continue to follow the tracks—to the Pacific if
necessary.
Chief Blunt
Next telegram:
Coney Point，PA.，8.45a.m.
Gas office broken open here during night and three
months'unpaid gas bills taken.Have got a clue and am
away.
Murphy，detective
“Heavens!”said the inspector；“would he eat gas bills？”
“Through ignorance—yes；but they cannot support life.At least，unassisted.”
Now came this exciting telegram:
Ironville，N.Y.，9.30a.m.
Just arrived.This village in consternation.Elephant
passed through here at five this morning.Some say he
went east,some say west，some north，some south—but
all say they did not wait to notice particularly.He killed
a horse；have secured a piece of it for a clue.Killed it
with his trunk；from style of blow，think he struck it
left-handed.From position in which horse lies，think
elephant traveled northward along line of Berkley
Railway.Has four and a half hours'start，but I move on
his track at once.
Hawes，detective
I uttered exclamations of joy.The inspector was as self-contained as a graven image.He calmly touched his bell.
“Alaric，send Captain Burns here.”
Burns appeared.
“How many men are ready for instant orders？”
“Ninety-six，sir.”
“Send them north at once.Let them concentrate along the line of the Berkley road north of Ironville.”
“Yes，sir.”
“Let them conduct their movements with the utmost secrecy.As fast as others are at liberty，hold them for orders.”
“Yes，sir.”
“Go!”
“Yes，sir.”
Presently came another telegram:
Sage Corners，N.Y.，10.30.
Just arrived,elephant passed through here at 8.15.All
escaped from the town but a policeman.Apparently
elephant did not strike at policeman，but at the
lamppost.Got both.I have secured a portion of the
policeman as clue.
Stumm，detective
“So the elephant has turned westward，”said the inspector.“However，he will not escape，for my men are scattered all over that region.”
The next telegram said:
Glover's，11.15.
Just arrived.Village deserted，except sick and aged.
Elephant passed through three-quarters of an hour ago.
The antitemperance mass-meeting was in session；he
put his trunk in at a window and washed it out with
water from cistern.Some swallowed it—since dead；
several drowned.Detectives Cross and O'Shaughnessy
were passing through town，but going south—so missed
elephant.Whole region for many miles around in
terror—people flying from their homes.Wherever they
turn meet elephant，and many are killed.
Brant，detective
I could have shed tears，this havoc so distressed me.But the inspector only said:
“You see—we are closing in on him.He feels our presence；he has turned eastward again.”
Yet further troublous news was in store for us.The telegraph brought this:
Hogansport，12.19.
Just arrived.Elephant passed through half an hour ago，
creating wildest fright and excitement.Elephant raged
around streets:Two plumbers going by，killed one.—
other escaped.Regret general.
O'Flaherty，detective
“Now he is right in the midst of my men，”said the inspector.“Nothing can save him.”
A succession of telegrams came from detectives who were scattered through New Jersey and Pennsylvania，and who were following clues consisting of ravaged barns，factories，and Sunday-school libraries，with high hopes—hopes amounting to certainties，indeed.The inspector said:
“I wish I could communicate with them and order them north，but that is impossible.A detective only visits a telegraph office to send his report；then he is off again，and you don't know where to put your hand on him.”
Now came this despatch:
Bridgeport，CT.，12.15.
Barnum offers rate of $4，000a year for exclusive
privilege of using elephant as traveling advertising
medium from now till detectives find him.Wants to paste