(Strip Number 577, Original Publication Date, 21 March 1984)
Panel 1: As Elly puts Michael to bed, he cries as he tells her that if they don't find Humphrey, the whole class will hate him. (Nice, eh? He's not so much worried about the poor hamster living in the death trap that is the Pattermanse as he is about his own reputation.)
Panel 2: Elly tells him not to worry because Daddy will catch him. After all, he knows what he's doing.
Panel 3: What John is doing is staring angrily at a trail of hamster feed leading to Humphrey's open cage. This, sadly, is not how it's done.
Summary: As I said yesterday, the only smart thing the Pattersons did was keep Farley from trying to eat the hamster. Other than that, they fail miserably.