Jerry took turns with Danny and Chris in directing the elephant keeper how to get to Mrs. Mullarkey’s.  Jerry would not have missed one joggle or sway of that ride for worlds.  He saw Darn Darner in the crowd following them, and he was glad that such a stuck-up boy should see what a high place in the world Jerry Elbow had reached and be envious of him.  He even waved to Darn to make sure that Darn knew that he saw him.

“Hello, Jerry!” cried Darn in a loud voice, so that everybody would know he knew Jerry, and swaggered up close to the elephant.  “How does it seem to be ridin’ on an el’funt?”

“Fine!” Jerry exclaimed ecstatically.

“Don’t you wish you was up here?” Danny asked in a voice that was not nearly so friendly as Jerry’s had been.

“Anybody would, I guess,” was Darn’s reply.

“Well, you ain’t,” said Danny.  “You’re down there breathing the dust we make.”

“There’s the house!” cried Jerry.

“Which one?” asked Whiteface from his seat on the elephant’s head.

“The one with the paint all wore off,” Danny explained.

“There’s Nora and Celia Jane!” cried Chris.

“I see them!” Jerry exclaimed and called his mother’s attention to them.  They were standing by the gate, watching the strange procession approach.

“Hello, Celia Jane!  I’m ridin’ on a el’funt!” Jerry cried shrilly to make her hear.

Celia Jane both heard and saw and she seemed glued to the gate-post with surprise.  Her mouth opened as though she were going to speak and remained open, without a word coming out.  Nora turned and fled into the house crying: 

“Mother!  Mother!  Jerry’s ridin’ by on a el’funt from the circus!”

A moment later the keeper halted Sultana in front of the gate, and that fact unglued Celia Jane from the gate-post and caused words at last to flow from her opened mouth.

“Mother!  They’re stoppin’ here!” she cried, in turn running to the house.  She kept her eyes turned back on the elephant and ran into Nora, who was pulling Mrs. Mullarkey, with Kathleen in her arms, out through the door.

Whiteface now commanded Sultana to help him down, and she raised her trunk, wrapped it around his body and lowered him to the ground.  The crowd of boys and girls who had pushed up as close as they could made way for him, while Jerry and his mother climbed down the ladder the elephant trainer placed for them, followed by Danny and Chris.

“Mother!” called Celia Jane.  “There’s Danny on the el’funt and Chris too!”

“For land sakes!” cried Mrs. Mullarkey.  “Nothing has happened to any of the children, has there?”

“We’re all right, Mother ’Larkey!” Jerry assured her.

“Nothing at all, madam,” said Whiteface approaching her, “except that Jerry Elbow has found his parents.”

Mrs. Mullarkey stared at Whiteface, too astounded to speak.

“An’ his name ain’t Jerry Elbow,” cried Danny.  “It’s Gary L. Bowe.”