They walked on a little further and came to an open area where many people were sitting on the grass. On a tiny bandstand a band of eight men in brilliant uniforms tootled loudly. They finished and everyone applauded. As if this was a signal to try even harder, the band immediately started another tune.

The Three Investigators circled around the bandstand and kept walking. There were many people strolling along the paths so they could not tell if they were being followed.

Presently they came to a wide paved area.

Here were the entertainers Rudy had mentioned. A trampoline had been set up and two tumblers were doing fantastic leaps and somersaults on it. A couple of clowns did flip-flops on the ground among the passers-by, holding out little baskets into which most of the strollers good-naturedly dropped a coin.

A very attractive girl in a native peasant costume stood nearby with a huge bunch of balloons. As she sold them she sang a song in English about buying a balloon to set it free, so it could carry your wishes up to the sky. Many people did buy balloons and set them free, and they shot upward, colorful globes of red and yellow and blue, until they disappeared.

“Take pictures of the clowns, Pete,” Jupiter directed. “I’ll get some shots of the acrobats. Bob, you just sort of look around to see if you notice anything.”

“Right, First.” Pete walked over in the direction of a tumbling clown.

Jupiter, with Bob at his elbow, opened his camera and focused it on the tumblers. He fussed with it, seeming to have trouble. Actually, he was pressing down the lever that activated the powerful walkie-talkie.

“First here,” he said in a low voice. “Do you read me?”

“Coming in loud and clear,” Bert Young’s voice murmured back from the camera. “What’s the situation?”