“I see the force of what you say.  But I noticed that in one part of your remarks in the papers this morning you refused to reveal your opinion upon a certain minor point.”

“Yes, we always do that; it has a good effect.  Besides, I had not formed any opinion on that point, anyway.”

I deposited a considerable sum of money with the inspector, to meet current expenses, and sat down to wait for news.  We were expecting the telegrams to begin to arrive at any moment now.  Meantime I reread the newspapers and also our descriptive circular, and observed that our twenty-five thousand dollars reward seemed to be offered only to detectives.  I said I thought it ought to be offered to anybody who would catch the elephant.  The inspector said: 

“It is the detectives who will find the elephant; hence the reward will go to the right place.  If other people found the animal, it would only be by watching the detectives and taking advantage of clues and indications stolen from them, and that would entitle the detectives to the reward, after all.  The proper office of a reward is to stimulate the men who deliver up their time and their trained sagacities to this sort of work, and not to confer benefits upon chance citizens who stumble upon a capture without having earned the benefits by their own merits and labors.”

This was reasonable enough, certainly.  Now the telegraphic machine in the corner began to click, and the following despatch was the result: 

                         FlowerStation, N. Y., 7.30 A.M. 
     Have got a clue.  Found a succession of deep tracks across a farm
     near here.  Followed them two miles east without result; think
     elephant went west.  Shall now shadow him in that direction. 
                         Darley, Detective.

“Darley’s one of the best men on the force,” said the inspector.  “We shall hear from him again before long.”

Telegram No. 2 came: 

                         BARKER’S, N. J., 7.40 A.M. 
     Just arrived.  Glass factory broken open here during night, and
     eight hundred bottles taken.  Only water in large quantity near here
     is five miles distant.  Shall strike for there.  Elephant will be
     thirsty.  Bottles were empty. 
                         Darley, Detective.

“That promises well, too,” said the inspector.

“I told you the creature’s appetites would not be bad clues.”

Telegram No. 3: 

                         Taylorville, L. I. 8.15 A.M. 
     A haystack near here disappeared during night.  Probably eaten. 
     Have got a clue, and am off. 
                         Hubbard, Detective.

“How he does move around!” said the inspector “I knew we had a difficult job on hand, but we shall catch him yet.”