byMarkTwain[LeftoutofATrampAbroad，becauseitwasfearedthatsomeoftheparticularshadbeenexaggerated，andthatotherswerenottrue。Beforethesesuspicionshadbeenprovengroundless，thebookhadgonetopress。
——M。T。]
Thefollowingcurioushistorywasrelatedtomebyachancerailwayacquaintance。Hewasagentlemanmorethanseventyyearsofage，andhisthoroughlygoodandgentlefaceandearnestandsinceremannerimprintedtheunmistakablestampoftruthuponeverystatementwhichfellfromhislips。Hesaid:
YouknowinwhatreverencetheroyalwhiteelephantofSiamisheldbythepeopleofthatcountry。Youknowitissacredtokings，onlykingsmaypossessit，andthatitis，indeed，inameasureevensuperiortokings，sinceitreceivesnotmerelyhonorbutworship。Verywell；fiveyearsago，whenthetroublesconcerningthefrontierlinearosebetweenGreatBritainandSiam，itwaspresentlymanifestthatSiamhadbeeninthewrong。Thereforeeveryreparationwasquicklymade，andtheBritishrepresentativestatedthathewassatisfiedandthepastshouldbeforgotten。ThisgreatlyrelievedtheKingofSiam，andpartlyasatokenofgratitude，partlyalso，perhaps，towipeoutanylittleremainingvestigeofunpleasantnesswhichEnglandmightfeeltowardhim，hewishedtosendtheQueenapresent——thesolesurewayofpropitiatinganenemy，accordingtoOrientalideas。Thispresentoughtnotonlytobearoyalone，buttranscendentlyroyal。Wherefore，whatofferingcouldbesomeetasthatofawhiteelephant？MypositionintheIndiancivilservicewassuchthatIwasdeemedpeculiarlyworthyofthehonorofconveyingthepresenttoherMajesty。Ashipwasfittedoutformeandmyservantsandtheofficersandattendantsoftheelephant，andinduetimeIarrivedinNewYorkharborandplacedmyroyalchargeinadmirablequartersinJerseyCity。Itwasnecessarytoremainawhileinordertorecruit，theanimal’shealthbeforeresumingthevoyage。
Allwentwellduringafortnight——thenmycalamitiesbegan。Thewhiteelephantwasstolen！Iwascalledupatdeadofnightandinformedofthisfearfulmisfortune。ForsomemomentsIwasbesidemyselfwithterrorandanxiety；Iwashelpless。ThenIgrewcalmerandcollectedmyfaculties。Isoonsawmycourse——for，indeed，therewasbuttheone；
courseforanintelligentmantopursue。Lateasitwas，IflewtoNewYorkandgotapolicemantoconductmetotheheadquartersofthedetectiveforce。FortunatelyIarrivedintime，thoughthechiefoftheforce，thecelebratedInspectorBluntwasjustonthepointofleavingforhishome。Hewasamanofmiddlesizeandcompactframe，andwhenhewasthinkingdeeplyhehadawayofknitinghisbrowsandtappinghisforeheadreflectivelywithhisfinger，whichimpressedyouatoncewiththeconvictionthatyoustoodinthepresenceofapersonofnocommonorder。Theverysightofhimgavemeconfidenceandmademehopeful。
Istatedmyerrand。Itdidnotflurryhimintheleast；ithadnomorevisibleeffectuponhisironself—possessionthanifIhadtoldhimsomebodyhadstolenmydog。Hemotionedmetoaseat，andsaid，calmly:
"Allowmetothinkamoment，please。"
Sosaying，hesatdownathisofficetableandleanedhisheaduponhishand。Severalclerkswereatworkattheotherendoftheroom；thescratchingoftheirpenswasallthesoundIheardduringthenextsixorsevenminutes。Meantimetheinspectorsatthere，buriedinthought。
Finallyheraisedhishead，andtherewasthatinthefirmlinesofhisfacewhichshowedmethathisbrainhaddoneitsworkandhisplanwasmade。Saidhe——andhisvoicewaslowandimpressive:
"Thisisnoordinarycase。Everystepmustbewarilytaken；eachstepmustbemadesurebeforethenextisventured。Andsecrecymustbeobserved——secrecyprofoundandabsolute。Speaktonooneaboutthematter，noteventhereporters。Iwilltakecareofthem；Iwillseethattheygetonlywhatitmaysuitmyendstoletthemknow。"Hetouchedabell；ayouthappeared。"Alaric，tellthereporterstoremainforthepresent。"Theboyretired。"Nowletusproceedtobusiness——andsystematically。Nothingcanbeaccomplishedinthistradeofminewithoutstrictandminutemethod。"
Hetookapenandsomepaper。"Now——nameoftheelephant？"
"HassanBenAliBenSelimAbdallahMohammedMoistAlhammalJamsetjejeebhoyDhuleepSultanEbuBhudpoor。"
"Verywell。Givenname？"
"Jumbo。"
"Verywell。Placeofbirth？"
"ThecapitalcityofSiam。"
"Parentsliving？"
"No——dead。"
"Hadtheyanyotherissuebesidesthisone？"
"None。Hewasanonlychild。"
"Verywell。Thesemattersaresufficientunderthathead。Nowpleasedescribetheelephant，andleaveoutnoparticular，howeverinsignificant——thatis，insignificantfromyourpointofview。Tomeinmyprofessiontherearenoinsignificantparticulars；theydonotexist。"
Idescribedhewrote。WhenIwasdone，hesaid:
"Nowlisten。IfIhavemadeanymistakes，correctme。"
Hereadasfollows:
"Height，19feet；lengthfromapexofforeheadinsertionoftail，26
feet；lengthoftrunk，16feet；lengthoftail，6feet；totallength，includingtrunk，andtail，48feet；lengthoftusks，9？feet；earskeepingwiththesedimensions；footprintresemblesthemarkleftwhenoneup—endsabarrelinthesnow；thecoloroftheelephant，adullwhite；
hasaholethesizeofaplateineachearfortheinsertionofjewelryandpossessesthehabitinaremarkabledegreeofsquirtingwateruponspectatorsandofmaltreatingwithhistrunknotonlysuchpersonsasheisacquaintedwith，butevenentirestrangers；limpsslightlywithhisrighthindleg，andhasasmallscarinhisleftarmpitcausedbyaformerboil；hadon，whenstolen，acastlecontainingseatsforfifteenpersons，andagold—clothsaddle—blanketthesizeofanordinarycarpet。"
Therewerenomistakes。Theinspectortouchedthebell，handedthedescriptiontoAlaric，andsaid:
"Havefiftythousandcopiesofthisprintedatonceandmailedtoeverydetectiveofficeandpawnbroker’sshoponthecontinent。"Alaricretired。"There——sofar，sogood。Next，Imusthaveaphotographoftheproperty。"
Igavehimone。Heexamineditcritically，andsaid:
"Itmustdo，sincewecandonobetter；buthehashistrunkcurledupandtuckedintohismouth。Thatisunfortunate，andiscalculatedtomislead，forofcoursehedoesnotusuallyhaveitinthatposition。"
Hetouchedhisbell。
"Alaric，havefiftythousandcopiesofthisphotographmadethefirstthinginthemorning，andmailthemwiththedescriptivecirculars。"
Alaricretiredtoexecutehisorders。Theinspectorsaid:
"Itwillbenecessarytoofferareward，ofcourse。Nowastotheamount？"
"Whatsumwouldyousuggest？"
"Tobeginwith，Ishouldsay——well，twenty—fivethousanddollars。Itisanintricateanddifficultbusiness；thereareathousandavenuesofescapeandopportunitiesofconcealment。Thesethieveshavefriendsandpalseverywhere——"
"Blessme，doyouknowwhotheyare？"
Thewaryface，practisedinconcealingthethoughtsandfeelingswithin，gavemenotoken，noryetthereplyingwords，soquietlyuttered:
"Nevermindaboutthat。Imay，andImaynot。Wegenerallygatheraprettyshrewdinklingofwhoourmanisbythemannerofhisworkandthesizeofthegamehegoesafter。Wearenotdealingwithapickpocketorahallthiefnow，makeupyourmindtothat。Thispropertywasnot’lifted’byanovice。But，asIwassaying，consideringtheamountoftravelwhichwillhavetobedone，andthediligencewithwhichthethieveswillcoveruptheirtracesastheymovealong，twenty—fivethousandmaybetoosmallasumtooffer，yetIthinkitworthwhiletostartwiththat。"
Sowedetermineduponthatfigureasabeginning。Thenthisman，whomnothingescapedwhichcouldbyanypossibilitybemadetoserveasaclue，said:
"Therearecasesindetectivehistorytoshowthatcriminalshavebeendetectedthroughpeculiarities，intheirappetites。Now，whatdoesthiselephanteat，andhowmuch？"
"Well，astowhatheeats——hewilleatanything。Hewilleataman，hewilleataBible——hewilleatanythingbetweenamanandaBible。"
"Goodverygood，indeed，buttoogeneral。Detailsarenecessary——detailsaretheonlyvaluablethingsinourtrade。Verywell——astomen。Atonemeal——or，ifyouprefer，duringoneday——howmanmenwillheeat，iffresh？"
"Hewouldnotcarewhethertheywerefreshornot；atasinglemealhewouldeatfiveordinarymen。
"Verygood；fivemen；wewillputthatdown。Whatnationalitieswouldheprefer？"
"Heisindifferentaboutnationalities。Heprefersacquaintances，butisnotprejudicedagainststrangers。"
"Verygood。Now，astoBibles。HowmanyBibleswouldheeatatameal？"
"Hewouldeatanentireedition。"
"Itishardlysuccinctenough。Doyoumeantheordinaryoctavo，orthefamilyillustrated？"
"Ithinkhewouldbeindifferenttoillustrationsthatis，Ithinkhewouldnotvalueillustrationsabovesimpleletterpress。"
"No，youdonotgetmyidea。Irefertobulk。TheordinaryoctavoBibleweighsabouttwopound；andahalf，whilethegreatquartowiththeillustrationsweighstenortwelve。HowmanyDoreBibleswouldheeatatameal？"
"Ifyouknewthiselephant，youcouldnotask。Hewouldtakewhattheyhad。"
"Well，putitindollarsandcents，then。Wemustgetatitsomehow。
TheDorecostsahundreddollarsacopy，Russialeather，beveled。"
"Hewouldrequireaboutfiftythousanddollarsworth——sayaneditionoffivehundredcopies。"
"Nowthatismoreexact。Iwillputthatdown。Verywell；helikesmenandBibles；sofar，sogood。Whatelsewillheeat？Iwantparticulars。"
"HewillleaveBiblestoeatbricks，hewillleavebrickstoeatbottles，hewillleavebottlestoeatclothing，hewillleaveclothingtoeatcats，hewillleavecatstoeatoysters，hewillleaveoysterstoeatham，hewillleavehamtoeatsugar，hewillleavesugartoeatpie，hewillleavepietoeatpotatoes，hewillleavepotatoestoeatbran；hewillleavebrantoeathay，hewillleavehaytoeatoats，hewillleaveoatstoeatrice，forhewasmainlyraisedonit。ThereisnothingwhateverthathewillnoteatbutEuropeanbutter，andhewouldeatthatifhecouldtasteit。"
"Verygood。Generalquantityatameal——sayabout——"
"Well，anywherefromaquartertohalfaton。"
"Andhedrinks——"
"Everythingthatisfluid。Milk，water，whisky，molasses，castoroil，camphene，carbolicacid——itisnousetogointoparticulars；whateverfluidoccurstoyousetitdown。Hewilldrinkanythingthatisfluid，exceptEuropeancoffee。"
"Verygood。Astoquantity？"
"Putitdownfivetofifteenbarrels——histhirstvaries；hisotherappetitesdonot。"
"Thesethingsareunusual。Theyoughttofurnishquitegoodcluestowardtracinghim。"
Hetouchedthebell。
"Alaric；summonCaptainBurns。"
Burnsappeared。InspectorBluntunfoldedthewholemattertohim，detailbydetail。Thenhesaidintheclear，decisivetonesofamanwhoseplansareclearlydefinedinhisheadandwhoisaccustomedtocommand:
"CaptainBurns，detailDetectivesJones，Davis，Halsey，Bates，andHacketttoshadowtheelephant。"
"Yes，sir。"
"DetailDetectivesMoses，Dakin，Murphy，Rogers，Tupper，Higgins，andBartholomewtoshadowthethieves。"
"Yes，sir。"
"Placeastrongguard——Aguardofthirtypickedmen，withareliefofthirty——overtheplacefromwhencetheelephantwasstolen，tokeepstrictwatchtherenightandday，andallownonetoapproach——exceptreporters——withoutwrittenauthorityfromme。"
"Yes，sir。"
"Placedetectivesinplainclothesintherailway；steamship，andferrydepots，anduponallroadwaysleadingoutofJerseyCity，withorderstosearchallsuspiciouspersons。"
"Yes，sir。"
"Furnishallthesemenwithphotographandaccompanyingdescriptionoftheelephant，andinstructthemtosearchalltrainsandoutgoingferryboatsandothervessels。"
"Yes，sir。"
"Iftheelephantshouldbefound，lethimbeseized，andtheinformationforwardedtomebytelegraph。"
"Yes，sir。"
"Letmebeinformedatonceifanycluesshouldbefoundfootprintsoftheanimal，oranythingofthatkind。"
"Yes，sir。"
"Getanordercommandingtheharborpolicetopatrolthefrontagesvigilantly。"
"Yes，sir。"
"Despatchdetectivesinplainclothesoveralltherailways，northasfarasCanada，westasfarasOhio，southasfarasWashington。"
"Yes，sir。"
"Placeexpertsinallthetelegraphofficestolistenintoallmessages；
andletthemrequirethatallcipherdespatchesbeinterpretedtothem。"
"Yes，sir。"
"Letallthesethingsbedonewiththeutmost’ssecrecy——mind，themostimpenetrablesecrecy。"
"Yes，sir。"
"Reporttomepromptlyattheusualhour。"
"Yes，Sir。"
"Go！"
"Yes，sir。"
Hewasgone。
InspectorBluntwassilentandthoughtfulamoment，whilethefireinhiseyecooleddownandfadedout。Thenheturnedtomeandsaidinaplacidvoice:
"Iamnotgiventoboasting，itisnotmyhabit；but——weshallfindtheelephant。"
Ishookhimwarmlybythehandandthankedhim；andIfeltmythanks，too。ThemoreIhadseenofthemanthemoreIlikedhimandthemoreI
admiredhimandmarveledoverthemysteriouswondersofhisprofession。
Thenwepartedforthenight，andIwenthomewithafarhappierheartthanIhadcarriedwithmetohisoffice。
II
Nextmorningitwasallinthenewspapers，intheminutestdetail。Itevenhadadditions——consistingofDetectiveThis，DetectiveThat，andDetectiveTheOther’s"Theory"astohowtherobberywasdone，whotherobberswere，andwhithertheyhadflownwiththeirbooty。Therewereelevenofthesetheories，andtheycoveredallthepossibilities；andthissinglefactshowswhatindependentthinkersdetectivesare。Notwotheorieswerealike，orevenmuchresembledeachother，saveinonestrikingparticular，andinthatonealltheothereleventheorieswereabsolutelyagreed。Thatwas，thatalthoughtherearofmybuildingwastornoutandtheonlydoorremainedlocked，theelephanthadnotbeenremovedthroughtherent，butbysomeother（undiscovered）outlet。
Allagreedthattherobbershadmadethatrentonlytomisleadthedetectives。Thatneverwouldhaveoccurredtomeortoanyotherlayman，perhaps，butithadnotdeceivedthedetectivesforamoment。Thus，whatIhadsupposedwastheonlythingthathadnomysteryaboutitwasinfacttheverythingIhadgonefurthestastrayin。Theeleventheoriesallnamedthesupposedrobbers，butnotwonamedthesamerobbers；thetotalnumberofsuspectedpersonswasthirty—seven。Thevariousnewspaperaccountsallclosedwiththemostimportantopinionofall——
thatofChiefInspectorBlunt。Aportionofthisstatementreadasfollows:
Thechiefknowswhothetwoprincipalsare，namely，"Brick"Daffyand"Red"McFadden。Tendaysbeforetherobberywasachievedhewasalreadyawarethatitwastobeattempted，andhadquietlyproceededtoshadowthesetwonotedvillains；butunfortunatelyonthenightinquestiontheirtrackwaslost，andbeforeitcouldbefoundagainthebirdwasflown——thatis，theelephant。
DaffyandMcFaddenaretheboldestscoundrelsintheprofession；thechiefhasreasonsforbelievingthattheyarethemenwhostolethestoveoutofthedetectiveheadquartersonabitternightlastwinter——inconsequenceofwhichthechiefandeverydetectivepresentwereinthehandsofthephysiciansbeforemorning，somewithfrozenfeet，otherswithfrozenfingers，ears，andothermembers。
WhenIreadthefirsthalfofthatIwasmoreastonishedthaneveratthewonderfulsagacityofthisstrangeman。Henotonlysaweverythinginthepresentwithacleareye，buteventhefuturecouldnotbehiddenfromhim。Iwassoonathisoffice，andsaidIcouldnothelpwishinghehadhadthosemenarrested，andsopreventedthetroubleandloss；buthisreplywassimpleandunanswerable:
"Itisnotourprovincetopreventcrime，buttopunishit。Wecannotpunishituntilitiscommitted。"
Iremarkedthatthesecrecywithwhichwehadbegunhadbeenmarredbythenewspapers；notonlyallourfactsbutallourplansandpurposeshadbeenrevealed；evenallthesuspectedpersonshadbeennamed；thesewoulddoubtlessdisguisethemselvesnow，orgointohiding。
"Letthem。TheywillfindthatwhenIamreadyforthemmyhandwilldescenduponthem，intheirsecretplaces，asunerringlyasthehandoffate。Astothenewspapers，wemustkeepinwiththem。Fame，reputation，constantpublicmention——thesearethedetective’sbreadandbutter。Hemustpublishhisfacts，elsehewillbesupposedtohavenone；hemustpublishhistheory，fornothingissostrangeorstrikingasadetective’stheory，orbringshimsomuchwonderfulrespect；wemustpublishourplans，forthesethejournalsinsistuponhaving，andwecouldnotdenythemwithoutoffending。Wemustconstantlyshowthepublicwhatwearedoing，ortheywillbelievewearedoingnothing。
Itismuchpleasantertohaveanewspapersay，’InspectorBlunt’singeniousandextraordinarytheoryisasfollows，’thantohaveitsaysomeharshthing，or，worsestill，somesarcasticone。"
"Iseetheforceofwhatyousay。ButInoticedthatinonepartofyourremarksinthepapersthismorningyourefusedtorevealyouropinionuponacertainminorpoint。"
"Yes，wealwaysdothat；ithasagoodeffect。Besides，Ihadnotformedanyopiniononthatpoint，anyway。"
Idepositedaconsiderablesumofmoneywiththeinspector，tomeetcurrentexpenses，andsatdowntowaitfornews。Wewereexpectingthetelegramstobegintoarriveatanymomentnow。MeantimeIrereadthenewspapersandalsoourdescriptivecircular，andobservedthatourtwenty—fivethousanddollarsrewardseemedtobeofferedonlytodetectives。IsaidIthoughtitoughttobeofferedtoanybodywhowouldcatchtheelephant。Theinspectorsaid:
"Itisthedetectiveswhowillfindtheelephant；hencetherewardwillgototherightplace。Ifotherpeoplefoundtheanimal，itwouldonlybebywatchingthedetectivesandtakingadvantageofcluesandindicationsstolenfromthem，andthatwouldentitlethedetectivestothereward，afterall。Theproperofficeofarewardistostimulatethemenwhodeliveruptheirtimeandtheirtrainedsagacitiestothissortofwork，andnottoconferbenefitsuponchancecitizenswhostumbleuponacapturewithouthavingearnedthebenefitsbytheirownmeritsandlabors。"
Thiswasreasonableenough，certainly。Nowthetelegraphicmachineinthecornerbegantoclick，andthefollowingdespatchwastheresult:
FLOWERSTATION，N。Y。，7。30A。M。
Havegotaclue。Foundasuccessionofdeeptracksacrossafarmnearhere。Followedthemtwomileseastwithoutresult；thinkelephantwentwest。Shallnowshadowhiminthatdirection。
DARLEY，Detective。
"Darley’soneofthebestmenontheforce，"saidtheinspector。"Weshallhearfromhimagainbeforelong。"
TelegramNo。2came:
BARKER’S，N。J。，7。40A。M。
Justarrived。Glassfactorybrokenopenhereduringnight，andeighthundredbottlestaken。Onlywaterinlargequantitynearhereisfivemilesdistant。Shallstrikeforthere。Elephantwillbethirsty。Bottleswereempty。
DARLEY，Detective。
"Thatpromiseswell，too，"saidtheinspector。
Itoldyouthecreature’sappetiteswouldnotbebadclues。"
TelegramNo。3:
TAYLORVILLE，L。I。8。15A。M。
Ahaystacknearheredisappearedduringnight。Probablyeaten。
Havegotaclue，andamoff。
HUBBARD，Detective。
"Howhedoesmovearound！"saidtheinspector"Iknewwehadadifficultjobonhand，butweshallcatchhimyet。"
FLOWERSTATION，N。Y。，9A。M。
Shadowedthetracksthreemileswestward。Large，deep，andragged。
Havejustmetafarmerwhosaystheyarenotelephant—tracks。Saystheyareholeswherehedugupsaplingsforshade—treeswhengroundwasfrozenlastwinter。Givemeordershowtoproceed。
DARLEY，Detective。
"Aha！aconfederateofthethieves！Thething，growswarm，"saidtheinspector。
HedictatedthefollowingtelegramtoDarley:
Arrestthemanandforcehimtonamehispals。ContinuetofollowthetrackstothePacific，ifnecessary。
ChiefBLUNT。
Nexttelegram:
CONEYPOINT，PA。，8。45A。M。
Gasofficebrokenopenhereduringnightandthreemonth；unpaidgasbillstaken。Havegotaclueandamaway。
MURPHY，Detective。
"Heavens！"saidtheinspector；"wouldheeatgasbills？"
"Throughignorance——yes；buttheycannotsupportlife。Atleast，unassisted。"
Nowcamethisexcitingtelegram:
IRONVILLE，N。Y。，9。30A。M。
Justarrived。Thisvillageinconsternation。Elephantpassedthroughhereatfivethismorning。Somesayhewenteastsomesaywest，somenorth，somesouth——butallsaytheydidnotwaittonotice，particularly。Hekilledahorse；havesecureapieceofitforaclue。Killeditwithhistrunk；fromstyleofblow，thinkhestruckitleft—handed。Frompositioninwhichhorselies，thinkelephanttravelednorthwardalonglineBerkleyRailway。Hasfourandahalfhours’start，butImoveonhistrackatonce。
HAWES，DetectiveIutteredexclamationsofjoy。Theinspectorwasasself—containedasagravenimage。Hecalmlytouchedhisbell。
"Alaric，sendCaptainBurnshere。"
Burnsappeared。
"Howmanymenarereadyforinstantorders？"
"Ninety—six，sir。"
"Sendthemnorthatonce。LetthemconcentratealongthelineoftheBerkleyroadnorthofIronville。"
"Yes，sir。"
"Letthemconducttheirmovementswiththeutmostsecrecy。Asfastasothersareatliberty，holdthemfororders。"
"Yes，sir。"
"Go！"
"Yes，sir。"
Presentlycameanothertelegram:
SAGECORNERS，N。Y。，10。30。
Justarrived。Elephantpassedthroughhereat8。15。Allescapedfromthetownbutapoliceman。Apparentlyelephantdidnotstrikeatpoliceman，butatthelamp—post。Gotboth。Ihavesecuredaportionofthepolicemanasclue。
STUMM，Detective。
"Sotheelephanthasturnedwestward，"saidtheinspector。"However，hewillnotescape，formymenarescatteredalloverthatregion。"
Thenexttelegramsaid:
GLOVER’S，11。15
Justarrived。Villagedeserted，exceptsickandaged。Elephantpassedthroughthree—quartersofanhourago。Theanti—temperancemass—meetingwasinsession；heputhistrunkinatawindowandwasheditoutwithwaterfromcistern。Someswallowedit——sincedead；severaldrowned。
DetectivesCrossandO’Shaughnessywerepassingthroughtown，butgoingsouth——somissedelephant。Wholeregionformanymilesaroundinterror—
—peopleflyingfromtheirhomes。Wherevertheyturntheymeetelephant，andmanyarekilled。
BRANT，Detective。
Icouldhaveshedtears，thishavocsodistressedme。Buttheinspectoronlysaid:
"Yousee——weareclosinginonhim。Hefeelsourpresence；hehasturnedeastwardagain。"
Yetfurthertroublousnewswasinstoreforus。Thetelegraphbroughtthis:
HOGANSPORT，12。19。
Justarrived。Elephantpassedthroughhalfanhourago，creatingwildestfrightandexcitement。Elephantragedaroundstreets；twoplumbersgoingby，killedone——otherescaped。Regretgeneral。
O’FLAHERTY，Detective。
"Nowheisrightinthemidstofmymen，"saidtheinspector。"Nothingcansavehim。"
AsuccessionoftelegramscamefromdetectiveswhowerescatteredthroughNewJerseyandPennsylvania，andwhowerefollowingcluesconsistingofravagedbarns，factories，andSunday—schoollibraries，withhighhopes—hopesamountingtocertainties，indeed。Theinspectorsaid:
"IwishIcouldcommunicatewiththemandorderthemnorth，butthatisimpossible。Adetectiveonlyvisitsatelegraphofficetosendhisreport；thenheisoffagain，andyoudon’tknowwheretoputyourhandonhim。"
Nowcamethisdespatch:
BRIDGEPORT，CT。，12。15。
Barnumoffersrateof$4，000ayearforexclusiveprivilegeofusingelephantastravelingadvertisingmediumfromnowtilldetectivesfindhim。Wantstopastecircus—postersonhim。Desiresimmediateanswer。
BOGGS，Detective。
"Thatisperfectlyabsurd！"Iexclaimed。
"Ofcourseitis，"saidtheinspector。"EvidentlyMr。Barnum，whothinksheissosharp，doesnotknowme——butIknowhim。"
Thenhedictatedthisanswertothedespatch:
Mr。Barnum’sofferdeclined。Makeit$7，000ornothing。
ChiefBLUNT。
"There。Weshallnothavetowaitlongforananswer。Mr。Barnumisnotathome；heisinthetelegraphoffice——itishiswaywhenhehasbusinessonhand。Insideofthree——"
Done。——P。T。BARNUM。
Sointerruptedtheclickingtelegraphicinstrument。BeforeIcouldmakeacommentuponthisextraordinaryepisode，thefollowingdespatchcarriedmythoughtsintoanotherandverydistressingchannel:
BOLIVIA，N。Y。，12。50。
Elephantarrivedherefromthesouthandpassedthroughtowardtheforestat11。50，dispersingafuneralontheway，anddiminishingthemournersbytwo。Citizensfiredsomesmallcannon—ballsintohim，andtheyfled。DetectiveBurkeandIarrivedtenminuteslater，fromthenorth，butmistooksomeexcavationsforfootprints，andsolostagooddealoftime；butatlastwestrucktherighttrailandfollowedittothewoods。Wethengotdownonourhandsandkneesandcontinuedtokeepasharpeyeonthetrack，andsoshadoweditintothebrush。Burkewasinadvance。Unfortunatelytheanimalhadstoppedtorest；therefore，Burkehavinghisheaddown，intentuponthetrack，buttedupagainsttheelephant’shindlegsbeforehewasawareofhisvicinity。Burkeinstantlyarosetohisfeet，seizedthetail，andexclaimedjoyfully，"Iclaimthere—
—"butgotnofurther，forasingleblowofthehugetrunklaidthebravefellow’sfragmentslowindeath。Ifledrearward，andtheelephantturnedandshadowedmetotheedgeofthewood，makingtremendousspeed，andIshouldinevitablyhavebeenlost，butthattheremainsofthefuneralprovidentiallyintervenedagainanddivertedhisattention。Ihavejustlearnedthatnothingofthatfuneralisnowleft；butthisisnoloss，forthereisabundanceofmaterialforanother。Meantime，theelephanthasdisappearedagain。
MULROONEY，Detective。
WeheardnonewsexceptfromthediligentandconfidentdetectivesscatteredaboutNewJersey，Pennsylvania，Delaware，andVirginia——whowereallfollowingfreshandencouragingclues——untilshortlyafter2P。M。，whenthistelegramcame:
BAXTERCENTER，2。15。
Elephantbeenhere，plasteredoverwithcircus—bills，anybrokeuparevival，strikingdownanddamagingmanywhowereonthepointofenteringuponabetterlife。Citizenspennedhimupandestablishedaguard。WhenDetectiveBrownandIarrived，sometimeafter，weenteredinclosureandproceededtoidentifyelephantbyphotographanddescription。Allmaskstalliedexactlyexceptone，whichwecouldnotsee——theboil—scarunderarmpit。Tomakesure，Browncreptundertolook，andwasimmediatelybrained——thatis，headcrushedanddestroyed，thoughnothingissuedfromdebris。Allfledsodidelephant，strikingrightandleftwithmucheffect。Heescaped，butleftboldblood—trackfromcannon—wounds。Rediscoverycertain。Hebrokesouthward，throughadenseforest。
BRENT，Detective。
Thatwasthelasttelegram。Atnightfallafogshutdownwhichwassodensethatobjectsbutthreefeetawaycouldnotbediscerned。Thislastedallnight。Theferry—boatsandeventheomnibuseshadtostoprunning。
III
Nextmorningthepaperswereasfullofdetectivetheoriesasbefore；
theyhadallourtragicfactsindetailalso，andagreatmanymorewhichtheyhadreceivedfromtheirtelegraphiccorrespondents。Columnaftercolumnwasoccupied，athirdofitswaydown，withglaringhead—lines，whichitmademyheartsicktoread。Theirgeneraltonewaslikethis:
THEWHITEELEPHANTATLARGE！HEMOVESUPONHISFATALMARCHWHOLE
VILLAGESDESERTEDBYTHEIRFRIGHT—STRICKENOCCUPANTS！PALETERROR
GOESBEFOREHIM，DEATHANDDEVASTATIONFOLLOWAFTER！AFTERTHESE，THEDETECTIVES！BARNSDESTROYED，FACTORIESGUTTED，HARVESTS
DEVOURED，PUBLICASSEMBLAGESDISPERSED，ACCOMPANIEDBYSCENESOF
CARNAGEIMPOSSIBLETODESCRIBE！THEORIESOFTHIRTY—FOUROFTHEMOST
DISTINGUISHEDDETECTIVESONTHEFORCES！THEORYOFCHIEFBLUNT！
"There！"saidInspectorBlunt，almostbetrayedintoexcitement，"thisismagnificent！Thisisthegreatestwindfallthatanydetectiveorganizationeverhad。Thefameofitwilltraveltotheendsoftheearth，andenduretotheendoftime，andmynamewithit。"
Buttherewasnojoyforme。IfeltasifIhadcommittedallthoseredcrimes，andthattheelephantwasonlymyirresponsibleagent。Andhowthelisthadgrown！Inoneplacehehad"interferedwithanelectionandkilledfiverepeaters。"Hehadfollowedthisactwiththedestructionoftwopoolfellows，namedO’DonohueandMcFlannigan，whOhad"foundarefugeinthehomeoftheoppressedofalllandsonlythedaybefore，andwereintheactofexercisingforthefirsttimethenoblerightofAmericancitizensatthepolls，whenstrickendownbytherelentlesshandoftheScourgeofSiam。"Inanother，hehad"foundacrazysensation—
preacherpreparinghisnextseason’sheroicattacksonthedance，thetheater，andotherthingswhichcan’tstrikeback，andhadsteppedonhim。"Andinstillanotherplacehehad"killedalightning—rodagent。"
Andsothelistwenton，growingredderandredder，andmoreandmoreheartbreaking。Sixtypersonshadbeenkilled，andtwohundredandfortywounded。Alltheaccountsborejusttestimonytotheactivityanddevotionofthedetectives，andallclosedwiththeremarkthat"threehundredthousandcitizen；andfourdetectivessawthedreadcreature，andtwoofthelatterhedestroyed。"
Idreadedtohearthetelegraphicinstrumentbegintoclickagain。
Byandbythemessagesbegantopourin，butIwashappilydisappointedintheynature。Itwassoonapparentthatalltraceoftheelephantwaslost。Thefoghadenabledhimtosearchoutagoodhiding—placeunobserved。Telegramsfromthemostabsurdlydistantpointsreportedthatadimvastmasshadbeenglimpsedtherethroughthefogatsuchandsuchanhour，andwas"undoubtedlytheelephant。"ThisdimvastmasshadbeenglimpsedinNewHaven，inNewJersey，inPennsylvania，ininteriorNewYork，inBrooklyn，andeveninthecityofNewYorkitself！Butinallcasesthedimvastmasshadvanishedquicklyandleftnotrace。
Everydetectiveofthelargeforcescatteredoverthishugeextentofcountrysenthishourlyreport，andeachandeveryoneofthemhadaclue，andwasshadowingsomething，andwashotupontheheelsofit。
Butthedaypassedwithoutotherresult。
Thenextdaythesame。
Thenextjustthesame。
Thenewspaperreportsbegantogrowmonotonouswithfactsthatamountedtonothing，clueswhichledtonothing，andtheorieswhichhadnearlyexhaustedtheelementswhichsurpriseanddelightanddazzle。
ByadviceoftheinspectorIdoubledthereward。
Fourmoredulldaysfollowed。Thencameabitterblowtothepoor，hard—workingdetectives——thejournalistsdeclinedtoprinttheirtheories，andcoldlysaid，"Giveusarest。"
Twoweeksaftertheelephant’sdisappearanceIraisedtherewardtoseventy—fivethousanddollarsbytheinspector’sadvice。Itwasagreatsum，butIfeltthatIwouldrathersacrificemywholeprivatefortunethanlosemycreditwithmygovernment。Nowthatthedetectiveswereinadversity，thenewspapersturneduponthem，andbegantoflingthemoststingingsarcasmsatthem。Thisgavetheminstrelsanidea，andtheydressedthemselvesasdetectivesandhuntedtheelephantonthestageinthemostextravagantway。Thecaricaturistsmadepicturesofdetectivesscanningthecountrywithspy—glasses，whiletheelephant，attheirbacks，stoleapplesoutoftheirpockets。Andtheymadeallsortsofridiculouspicturesofthedetectivebadge——youhaveseenthatbadgeprintedingoldonthebackofdetectivenovels，nodoubtitisawide—staringeye，withthelegend，"WENEVERSLEEP。"Whendetectivescalledforadrink，thewould—befacetiousbarkeeperresurrectedanobsoleteformofexpressionandsaid，"Willyouhaveaneye—opener？"
Alltheairwasthickwithsarcasms。
Buttherewasonemanwhomovedcalm，untouched，unaffected，throughitall。Itwasthatheartofoak，thechiefinspector。Hisbraveeyeneverdrooped，hissereneconfidenceneverwavered。Healwayssaid:
"Letthemrailon；helaughsbestwholaughslast。"
Myadmirationforthemangrewintoaspeciesofworship。Iwasathissidealways。Hisofficehadbecomeanunpleasantplacetome，andnowbecamedailymoreandmoreso。YetifhecouldendureitImeanttodosoalso——atleast，aslongasIcould。SoIcameregularly，andstayed——theonlyoutsiderwhoseemedtobecapableofit。EverybodywonderedhowIcould；andoftenitseemedtomethatImustdesert，butatsuchtimesIlookedintothatcalmandapparentlyunconsciousface，andheldmyground。
Aboutthreeweeksaftertheelephant’sdisappearanceIwasabouttosay，onemorning，thatIshouldhavetostrikemycolorsandretire，whenthegreatdetectivearrestedthethoughtbyproposingonemoresuperbandmasterlymove。
Thiswastocompromisewiththerobbers。Thefertilityofthisman’sinventionexceededanythingIhaveeverseen，andIhavehadawideintercoursewiththeworld’sfinestminds。Hesaidhewasconfidenthecouldcompromiseforonehundredthousanddollarsandrecovertheelephant。IsaidIbelievedIcouldscrapetheamounttogether，butwhatwouldbecomeofthepoordetectiveswhohadworkedsofaithfully？Hesaid:
"Incompromisestheyalwaysgethalf。"
Thisremovedmyonlyobjection。Sotheinspectorwrotetwonotes，inthisform:
DEARMADAM，——Yourhusbandcanmakealargesumofmoney（andbeentirelyprotectedfromthelaw）bymakinganimmediate，appointmentwithme。ChiefBLUNT。
Hesentoneofthesebyhisconfidentialmessengertothe"reputedwife"
ofBrickDuffy，andtheothertothereputedwifeofRedMcFadden。
Withinthehourtheseoffensiveanswerscame:
YEOWLDFOOL:brickDuffysbinded2yere。
BRIDGETMAHONEY。
CHIEFBAT，——RedMcFaddenishungandinheving18month。AnyAssbutadetectiveknowthat。
MARYO’HOOLIGAN。
"Ihadlongsuspectedthesefacts，"saidtheinspector；"thistestimonyprovestheunerringaccuracyofmyinstinct。"
Themomentoneresourcefailedhimhewasreadywithanother。Heimmediatelywroteanadvertisementforthemorningpapers，andIkeptacopyofit:
A。——xWhlv。242ht。Tjnd—fz328wmlg。Ozpo，——2m！2m！。M！ogw。
Hesaidthatifthethiefwasalivethiswouldbringhimtotheusualrendezvous。Hefurtherexplainedthattheusualrendezvouswasaglarewhereallbusinessaffairsbetweendetectivesandcriminalswereconducted。Thismeetingwouldtakeplaceattwelvethenextnight。
Wecoulddonothingtillthen，andIlostnotimeingettingoutoftheoffice，andwasgratefulindeedfortheprivilege。
AteleventhenextnightIbroughtonehundredthousanddollarsinbank—notesandputthemintothechief’shands，andshortlyafterwardhetookhisleave，withthebraveoldundimmedconfidenceinhiseye。
Analmostintolerablehourdraggedtoaclose；thenIheardhiswelcometread，androsegaspingandtotteredtomeethim。Howhisfineeyesflamedwithtriumph！Hesaid:
"We’vecompromised！Thejokerswillsingadifferenttuneto—morrow！
Followme！"
Hetookalightedcandleandstrodedownintothevastvaultedbasementwheresixtydetectivesalwaysslept，andwhereascorewerenowplayingcardstowhilethetime。Ifollowedcloseafterhim。Hewalkedswiftlydowntothedimandremoteendoftheplace，andjustasIsuccumbedtothepangsofsuffocationandwasswooningawayhestumbledandfellovertheoutlyingmembersofamightyobject，andIheardhimexclaimashewentdown:
"Ournobleprofessionisvindicated。Hereisyourelephant！"
Iwascarriedtotheofficeaboveandrestoredwithcarbolicacid。Thewholedetectiveforceswarmedin，andsuchanotherseasonoftriumphantrejoicingensuedasIhadneverwitnessedbefore。Thereporterswerecalled，basketsofchampagnewereopened，toastsweredrunk，thehandshakingsandcongratulationswerecontinuousandenthusiastic。
Naturallythechiefwastheheroofthehour，andhishappinesswassocompleteandhadbeensopatientlyandworthilyandbravelywonthatitmademehappytoseeit，thoughIstoodthereahomelessbeggar，mypricelesschargedead，andmypositioninmycountry’sservicelosttomethroughwhatwouldalwaysseemmyfatallycarelessexecutionofagreattrust。Manyaneloquenteyetestifieditsdeepadmirationforthechief，andmanyadetective’svoicemurmured，"Lookathim——justthekingoftheprofession；onlygivehimaclue，it’sallhewants，andthereain’tanythinghidthathecan’tfind。"Thedividingofthefiftythousanddollarsmadegreatpleasure；whenitwasfinishedthechiefmadealittlespeechwhileheputhisshareinhispocket，inwhichhesaid，"Enjoyit，boys，foryou’veearnedit；and，morethanthat，you’veearnedforthedetectiveprofessionundyingfame。"
Atelegramarrived，whichread:
MONROE，MICH。，10P。M。
FirsttimeI’vestruckatelegraphofficeinoverthreeweeks。Havefollowedthosefootprints，horseback，throughthewoods，athousandmilestohere，andtheygetstrongerandbiggerandfreshereveryday。Don’tworry—insideofanotherweekI’llhavetheelephant。Thisisdeadsure。
DARLEY，Detective。
Thechieforderedthreecheersfor"Darley，oneofthefinestmindsontheforce，"andthencommandedthathebetelegraphedtocomehomeandreceivehisshareofthereward。
Soendedthatmarvelousepisodeofthestolenelephant。Thenewspaperswerepleasantwithpraisesoncemore，thenextday，withonecontemptibleexception。Thissheetsaid，"Greatisthedetective！Hemaybealittleslowinfindingalittlethinglikeamislaidelephanthemayhunthimalldayandsleepwithhisrottingcarcassallnightforthreeweeks，buthewillfindhimatlastifhecangetthemanwhomislaidhimtoshowhimtheplace！"
PoorHassanwaslosttomeforever。Thecannonshotshadwoundedhimfatally，hehadcrepttothatunfriendlyplaceinthefog，andthere，surroundedbyhisenemiesandinconstantdangerofdetection，hehadwastedawaywithhungerandsufferingtilldeathgavehimpeace。
Thecompromisecostmeonehundredthousanddollars；mydetectiveexpenseswereforty—twothousanddollarsmore；Ineverappliedforaplaceagainundermygovernment；Iamaruinedmanandawandererontheearthbutmyadmirationforthatman，whomIbelievetobethegreatestdetectivetheworldhaseverproduced，remainsundimmedtothisday，andwillsoremainuntotheend。