Part V Chapter 5 Doctor Dolittle's Circus by Hugh Lofting
MR. BLOSSOM'S MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE
Jip's words brought a puzzled frown into the Doctor's face. Slowly he put on his hat and followed the dog out into the rain.
On reaching Blossom's wagon he found everything as Jip had described it. There was no one within. Every article of value had been taken away. A few torn papers lay scattered on the floor. In the inner room, Mrs. Blossom's private boudoir, the same situation met the Doctor's eyes. The whole place looked as though those who lived there had left in a hurry, to be gone a long time.
While John Dolittle was still gazing confusedly around him someone touched him on the shoulder from behind. It was Matthew Mugg.
"Looks kind of bad, don't it?" he said. "Blossom didn't have to take his trunk and all to go and get his money out of the bank. If you was to ask me, I've a kind of a notion that we ain't goin' to see our good, kind manager no more. Eh?"
"Well, Matthew," said the Doctor, "we mustn't jump to conclusions. He said he'd be back. He may have been delayed. As to his trunk and things, they're his own. He has a right to do what he wants with them. It would be wrong to pass any judgments until we have more evidence than that.
"Humph!" muttered the Cat's-Meat-Man. "O' course, you always did hate to think anybody crooked. Still, I think you can say good-by to the money you earned in Manchester."
"We haven't any proof, Matthew," said the Doctor. "And listen: if what you suspect is true, it's going to be a very serious matter for all the people in the circus. Please don't say anything of your suspicions for the present, will you? There is no need to get the show folk excited until we really know. Now, will you please saddle up a horse quietly and go into Manchester for me? See Mr. Bellamy and ask him if he knows anything of what has become of Blossom. Get back here and bring me word as soon as you can, will you?"
"All right," said Matthew, turning to go. "But I don't think Mr. Bellamy'll know any more of where our manager's gone than what you do. 'E's probably on 'is way to the Continong* by now."
Jip, after listening to this conversation, slipped away and joined the other animals in the Doctor's own wagon.
"Fellows," he said, shaking the wet out of himself, "Alexander Blossom has skidaddled*."
"Good heavens!" cried Too-Too. "With the money?"
"Yes, with the money--drat him!" growled Jip. "And there was enough coming to the Doctor to keep us in comfort for the rest of our days."
"I knew it!" groaned Dab-Dab, throwing out her wings in despair. "I told the Doctor not to trust him. I guessed him to be a fishy customer from the start. Now he's wallowing in luxury while we scrape and pinch to pay the bills he left behind."
"Oh, what does it matter?" cried Gub-Gub. "So much the better if he's gone. Now we'll have a real circus--The Dolittle Circus-- which the animals have always hoped for. Good riddance to Blossom--the crook! I'm glad he's gone."
"What you don't know," said Dab-Dab, turning on the pig severely, "would fill a library. How is the Doctor to run a circus without a penny in his pocket? How is he going to pay wages--ground rent? How is he going to feed the animals and himself? It costs pounds and pounds a day to keep a circus going, you pudding, you! And look at the rain--coming down as though it never meant to stop! And the whole show just standing here and not a soul coming to see it! And wagon loads of animals eating up pounds of money a day! And the payroll of dozens of men mounting higher every minute. 'Glad he's gone!--you--you sausage!"
After Matthew had gone the Doctor remained within the shelter of Blossom's deserted wagon, thoughtfully watching the rain splatter into the muddy puddles outside. Presently he sat down on an old packing case and lit his pipe. From time to time he took out his watch and looked at it, frowning.
After half an hour had gone by he saw Hercules, dressed in ordinary clothes, approaching across the enclosure. He was running to avoid the rain. Reaching the wagon, he sprang within, and then shook his wet overcoat outside the doorway.
"I hear the boss has skipped," he said. "Is it true?"
"I have no idea," said the Doctor. "He is late in returning from Manchester. But something may have detained him."
"Well, I hope he comes soon," said Hercules. "He owes me a week's wages. And I need it."
The strong man sat down and he and the Doctor fell to chatting about weather and weather signs.
Not many minutes later along came Hop the clown, with his dog, Swizzle. Evil news travels fast. He, too, had heard a humor that Blossom had deserted the circus. The Doctor tried again to excuse the ringmaster, and insisted that he be not suspected till proof was obtained.
Then, rather awkwardly and without much interest, the conversation continued about the weather.
Next, the Pinto Brothers, trapeze artists, arrived with mackintoshes thrown over their gawdy tights. They also wanted to know where Blossom was, and why they hadn't received the pay which they had been promised would be given them this morning.
The Doctor, growing more and more distressed, hoping Blossom would turn up any minute, began to find it hard to keep the talk on any other subject but the mysterious disappearance of the manager.
At last the foreman of the tent riggers joined the circle.
"It looks rummy to me," he said when he had been told all there was to be told--"I got three children and a wife to keep. 'Ow are they going to live if I don't get no wages? My missus ain't got enough food in the wagon for another meal."
"Yes," said one of the Pinto Brothers. "And we got a new baby in my family. If Blossom's running off with the money we ought to let the police know."
"But we have no proof he is running off," said the Doctor. "He may arrive any minute."
"And he may not, Doctor," Hercules put in. "If he is a queer one, by the time you get your proof he'll be in China, maybe--where nobody can get at him. It's nearly six now. The Pintos are right. What are we standing around here for, guessing and wondering? At least we ought to send somebody into Manchester to find out what we can."
"I have sent somebody in," said the Doctor. "Matthew Mugg, my assistant, has gone."
"Humph!" said one of the acrobats. "So you got kind of suspicious yourself, Doctor, eh? What time did you send him?"
The Doctor looked at his watch again.
"About four hours ago," said he.
"Time to get there and back," grunted Hercules. "'E couldn't find no trace of 'im, I'll warrant. Boys, it looks to me like we was ditched, all right. . . . Lord! I wish I had 'im here. I'd make Mr. Blossom look like the last rose of a summer."
And the strong man's ham-like hands went through the action of twisting the top off something.
"But 'e's left an awful lot of property behind," said the tent-rigger. "I don't yet understand what made 'im skip at this stage of the game."
"What e' left behind--besides unpaid bills," said Hercules, "ain't nothing compared with what 'e took with 'im. 'Eaven only knows what 'e got from Bellamy for the Doctor's show--biggest takings this outfit ever saw. And all 'e give us was excuses--kept puttin' off payin' us for some fake reason or other--for three weeks back. I reckon 'e 'ad it in 'is mind to clear out all the time-- 'ad it planned as soon as 'e saw a big haul in sight."
"Well, what are we going to do?" asked Hop.
"Yes, that's the question," said the Pintos. "What are we going to do now?"
"We got to find another manager," said Hercules. "Someone to take over the outfit and get us out of this hole."