Then I said to young Mr. Senator: "Come on with your rats, now, and I
win $50." All hands picked up the baskets and bags and went to the side
of the ring and emptied the whole bunch of more than 500 into the ring.
The rats and mice rushed for the elephants, and then turned and made a
rush for the reserved seats.
Oh, dear, what a time we had. The elephants got down off that pyramid so
quick it would make your head swim, and old Bolivar trumpeted in abject
fear, and tried to break away, but pa came along with a tent stake and
hit Bolivar over the head, and told the trainer to put the elephants
back into the pyramid and hold them there till the bell rung for them to
cease their stunt. The trainer couldn't do anything with them, and they
bellowed and dodged mice and shied at rats, and Bolivar took his trunk
and swatted pa clear across the ring.
[Illustration: Bolivar Swatted Pa Clear Across the Ring.]
The elephants followed Bolivar to the main entrance, each elephant
trying to walk on the heels of the one ahead of him, and all the circus
hands trying to head off the elephants, but they wouldn't head off. They
were simply scared to death, and they broke out the side of the tent
near the lemonade stand and went whooping out into the open air and
freedom, while the audience yelled with joy.
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