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。