"I'll tell you how," said Mr. Enderbury. "You remember when Griggs' &
Barton's Circus burned down years ago? Well, Syrilla was burned in
that fire--burned on the arm--and they took her to a hospital and her
arm wouldn't heal. So somebody had to furnish some skin for a
skin-grafting job, and I did it. The piece they took had those claws
on it. That's what happened. I gave those eagle's claws to cure her,
and I've hung around her all these years like a faithful dog, and she
don't care a hang for me, and now she's going away. Go and collect for
those claws from her. I haven't got them. She's going to be rich; she
can pay you!"
Simultaneously there was an exclamation from Mr. Medderbrook, a cry
from Syrilla, and a short, sharp yell from outside the tent. Mr. Gubb
entered, spurs first, creeping backward under the canvas. As he backed
from under the platform it was observed that he held a shoe--about No.
8 size--in one hand, and that a foot was in the shoe, and the foot on
a leg, and the leg on a short, plump, elderly German-American, who
yelled as he was dragged into the tent on his back. In one hand of the
German-American was a large silver golf cup with a deep dent on one
side. As Mr. Gubb arose to his feet, still holding the German-American
tattoo artist's foot in his hand, he said:--
"Mr. Medderbrook, the deteckative business is not always completely
satisfactory in all kinds of respects, and it looks as if it appeared
that the daughter I found for you is somebody else's, but if you will
look at the other end of the assaulter and batterer I have in hand,
you will see that I have recovered the silver golf cup trophy once
again for the second time."
"And that," said Mr. Medderbrook as he took the cup from the
German-American's hand, "is remarkable work. The ordinary detective is
usually satisfied to recover stolen property once, but you have
recovered this cup twice."
"The motto of my deteckative business," said Mr. Gubb modestly, "is
'Perfection, no matter how many times.'"
Mr. Gubb might have said more, but he was interrupted by Princess
Zozo, the Snake Charmer, who had walked around Syrilla and unhooked
two of the hooks at the top of Syrilla's low-necked gown.
"Look!" she exclaimed, and she pointed to a second pair of eagle's
claws tattooed between Syrilla's shoulder blades. Without a word Mr.
Medderbrook took five hundred dollars from his purse and handed them
to Mr. Schreckenheim.
"That pays you for the cup," he said. And then, turning to Syrilla:
"Come to my arms, my long-lost daughter!"
After Syrilla had hugged her father affectionately, Mr. Gubb and the
freaks laid him on the ground and, by fanning him vigorously, were
able to bring him back to life. Mr. Medderbrook's first act upon
opening his eyes was to hold out his hand to Mr. Gubb.
"Thank you, Gubb," he panted. "It's a big price, but I'll keep my
word. The ten thousand dollars shall be yours."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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