Andy took another rambling tour about the house. Finally he discovered a
window an inch or two down from the top in the second story.

His natural aptitude for climbing helped him out. With the aid of a
lightning rod he soon reached the window, lowered it further, stepped
into a bedroom, and descended a pair of stairs. Looking around the
little front hall, he made out a telephone instrument on the
outside wall.

Andy promptly turned the handle of the call bell. He placed the receiver
to his ear.

"Hello," came the instantaneous response "this is Central."

"Central--where?" asked Andy.

"Brownville."

"Are you anywhere near the way station where the circus train is
sidetracked?" inquired Andy.

"Certainly. We're the station town."

"Can you reach any of the circus folks?"

"Reach them?" responded the distant telephone operator animatedly. "The
woods are full of them. They say the whole menagerie has escaped, and
they're hunting for the animals everywhere. What do you want?"

"I want to talk with some one connected with the show--and--quick."

"All right I've just got to call to the street. Wait a minute."

Soon a new voice came over the telephone: "Hello."

"Who is that?" asked Andy promptly.

"Brophy."

"Oh, the chief hostler? Say, Mr. Brophy, this is Andy Wildwood."

"The acrobat?--where are you?"

"Tumbler, yes. Listen: I've found and caged Big Bob."

"What's that?--Say, where?"

Even over the wire Andy could discern that the man at the other end of
the line was manifestly stirred up.

"Let me tell you," spoke Andy. "I've got the animal shut up in a cellar.
For how long or how safe, I can't tell. You had better tell the trainer,
and get some people here with the things to secure the bear."

"I'll do it," called back Brophy. "Try and keep those crazy farmers from
finding him. There's a hundred of them out gunning."

"All right. Listen."

Andy described his present location. He wound up by saying he would stay
within call--- telephone 26--until the capturing crew put in an
appearance.

Andy sat down in an easy chair in the hall a good deal satisfied with
himself. However, he felt a trifle squeamish at the thought of the
tenant of the premises returning and finding him there.

A growling grunt came to his ears. Andy, tracing it, came to an open
doorway leading down under the front stairs to the cellar.

This he closed and locked, although he saw that the stairs were too
crooked and