“Why?” the officer asked him.
“Circuses are evil things. Everybody who runs ’em is crazy! Now take Kroon,” he said.
As Hitch mentioned the ringmaster’s name, Nancy leaned forward so that she would not miss a word.
“That ringmaster—he puts up a big front, but he’s the biggest thief in the world.”
“How do you know?” McGinnis asked him.
Suddenly Hitch became sullen again. He said he could tell plenty about Kroon and everybody else at Sims’ Circus, but why should he? What would it get him? They were the people who ought to be going to jail, not he.
The next moment, Hitch gave the most bloodcurdling yell Nancy had ever heard. It sent shivers down her spine. Just as the scream ended in a choked gurgle, Hitch made a dash for the door. But Ned and Chief McGinnis were on him, and the prisoner did not get far.
“Take it easy, Hitch,” the officer advised. “I guess I’ll have to put bracelets on you.”
The chief pulled handcuffs from his pocket and snapped them on the stableman’s wrists. He led the prisoner to a chair and ordered him to sit there quietly until the policemen returned.
Nancy heard a clock begin to strike. She counted the strokes and then cried out:
“Ned, the circus! I must get back at once or I’ll be too late.”
She explained that she had only twenty minutes to reach the circus, change her clothes, and appear in the finale.
Before leaving, Nancy said to the chief, “I’d like to come to the jail and talk to Hitch in the morning if I may.”
“Good idea,” he told her. “I’ll look for you.”
The young couple dashed off. As soon as they reached the highway, Ned gave the car full power and it sped along. They had gone only about a mile when a police motorcycle roared up alongside of them. Its rider signaled for them to stop.
Nancy’s heart sank. She knew the car had been traveling beyond the legal speed limit. Now a delay would mean that she would miss the circus finale! If Kroon should notice her absence, the whole Vascon troupe might lose their jobs that night!
“Oh, Officer,” Nancy said quickly, leaning out of the window, “I’m one of the circus performers and I have to get back for the finale at once.”
The motorcycle policeman looked at the girl intently for a moment, then said, “If you hadn’t told me that, I would have said you were Nancy Drew of River Heights.”
Both Nancy and Ned laughed. The girl admitted that she was Nancy Drew and quickly told the officer about her part in the circus and the reason for it.
“What’s more,” Ned added, “Nancy has just captured that stableman the police were looking for.”
The officer asked for details of the capture. Nancy begrudged the time it took to tell the story, but it turned out to be time well spent. The officer said he would excuse Ned for speeding, and offered to lead the way directly to the circus.
It took only a few minutes for them to reach Sims’ Circus. As Nancy hopped out of Ned’s car she made arrangements to meet him at the main gate later. Then she thanked the officer for his help and dashed through the entrance stile.
Erika was nervously waiting for her. She literally peeled Nancy out of her street clothes and helped her put on her riding costume. There was no time to visit the make-up artist, so the girls did a quick job of retouching Nancy’s make-up.
By the time they reached the starting point for the pageant, everyone had assembled. As Nancy’s group rode around for their final bow, the applause was loud and genuine. Nancy stole a quick look at her father and friends. They were clapping and waving madly.
This was the last performance in River Heights. The next day Sims’ Circus would show at a town called Danford. Nancy hoped it would have as warm a reception as it had had in River Heights.
When she and Erika reached their tent, the young detective began to put on her street clothes. Erika asked why she was doing this.