The narrator, a member of the Indian civil service, was entrusted with the task of delivering a white elephant as a gift from the King of Siam to the Queen of England. However, the white elephant was stolen while in New York, causing great distress to the narrator. The narrator sought the help of Inspector Blunt, a renowned detective, to recover the stolen elephant.
Inspector Blunt devised a meticulous plan, including distributing descriptions and photographs of the elephant to detective offices and pawnbrokers, offering a reward, and assigning detectives to shadow the elephant and the thieves. The narrator provided detailed information about the elephant’s characteristics, including its size, habits, and preferences in food and drink.
Inspector Blunt implemented various measures to track down the elephant, such as stationing guards, searching suspicious individuals, and monitoring telegraph messages. Inspector Blunt expresses confidence in finding the stolen elephant while returning back home with joy than he was in the office.
Then the story discusses the aftermath of a robbery, with various detectives offering different theories on how it was done and who the robbers might be. Despite the rear of the building being torn out, all theories agree that the elephant was not removed through the rent, but through another undiscovered outlet. The chief inspector believes the two main culprits are “Brick” Duffy and “Red” McFadden, who are known for their boldness and previous crimes. The inspector explains that their role is to punish crime, not prevent it, and that working with the newspapers is necessary for their reputation and public support.
The inspector also clarifies that the reward for finding the elephant will go to the detectives, as they are the ones who will ultimately locate it. Several telegrams from different detectives report various clues and sightings of the elephant, including tracks, broken glass factory, missing haystack, and stolen gas bills. The inspector expresses confidence in their ability to catch the elephant and apprehend the thieves.
The inspector is in pursuit of an escaped elephant causing havoc in various towns. The inspector is sending his men to different locations to track down the elephant. The elephant is causing destruction and casualties wherever it goes.
Barnum offers to use the elephant for advertising but is declined by the inspector. Detectives are following clues and reporting their progress. The elephant is eventually spotted in Baxter Center but escapes again.A dense fog descends, causing disruptions in transportation.
Then again the story describes the aftermath of the elephant’s rampage and the efforts of the detectives to capture it. The newspapers are filled with sensationalized stories about the elephant’s destructive path, causing fear and panic among the public. The detectives are praised for their dedication and theories about the elephant’s whereabouts are shared. However, as time passes, the elephant remains elusive and the detectives face criticism from the media. The chief inspector remains confident and proposes a plan to compromise with the robbers in order to recover the elephant.
The plan involves sending notes to the reputed wives of the robbers, but their responses reveal that the robbers are either dead or in jail. Undeterred, the chief inspector comes up with a new plan and writes a cryptic advertisement to lure the thief. Eventually, the chief inspector discovers the elephant hidden in the basement of the detective headquarters, leading to a joyous celebration among the detectives. The chief inspector is hailed as a hero and the detectives receive their share of the reward. Despite the narrator’s personal losses, his admiration for the chief inspector remains unwavering.
Mark Twain A Medieval Romance Summary
Mark Twain The Death Disk Summary
One Reply to “Mark Twain The Stolen White Elephant Summary”