Shouts and laughter from the crowd, which, now that there was more than the usual excitement, did not seem to mind the rain, told the man driving the monkey wagon that something was wrong. But he hardly needed this warning, for, a moment later, one of the mischievous simians snatched off the driver’s hat, and clapped it on its own queer head. Another monkey grabbed it from the first one, and soon the whole troop was on top of the wagon fighting and chattering over the possession of the hat. The driver wound the reins about his whip, and scrambled up on top of the vehicle in a desperate endeavor to capture some of the nimble animals. But, no sooner did they see him coming than, with one accord, they scrambled down the sides of the wagon, reached the ground, and, rejoicing in their new-found freedom, scattered about the street. “Come on, boys!” cried Sam. “Those monkeys are valuable. We’ll have to help catch ’em.” “Let the animal men look after ’em,” said Ted Chester. “The boss will appreciate it if we help,” remarked the head clown. “Come on, boys.” Jack and the other clowns dropping their battered instruments, climbed down from the high wagon, which had come to a stop, and began running after the monkeys. But the mischievous beasts had scattered among the crowd now. Yells of laughter from the men lining the roadway, mingling with the frightened screams of women and children, told that the monkeys were creating plenty of excitement. “Grab ’em, folks! Grab ’em!” cried Sam to the crowd. “I’d like to see myself,” objected a fat woman. “One of the ugly beasts tore my best bonnet to pieces. I’m going to sue the circus!” Just then a shout caused Jack to look where several men were pointing. He saw a monkey perched up on top of a store awning, tearing to pieces something that looked like a bouquet of many-colored flowers. “My bonnet! Oh, my bonnet!” yelled the fat woman. “There’s the ugly beast, now, tearing my bonnet to pieces, and it cost three dollars!” Yells from other women in the crowd indicated that they, too, feared the same thing that had happened to the fat lady. Nor were they far wrong. The monkeys seemed to be attracted by the gay headwear of the women in the crowd, and soon there was presented the odd sight of half a dozen of the creatures, perched up on high vantage points, tearing to pieces the flowered and ribboned hats, and scattering the pieces to the ground. “Help! Help!” suddenly cried a man. “One of ’em’s trying to choke me!” Jack ran to where he heard the cry. Perched upon a man’s back was a monkey--a small one. “Take him away! Take him away!” yelled the man. “He’s choking me to death!” The simian had one arm around the man’s neck, but it was not trying to choke him. Instead, the odd little creature was trying to reach a bright-red balloon, one of the small kind sold when the circus comes to town. The man had bought it for his little girl.