CHAPTER X
THE CIRCUS BOY IS RECOGNIZED
Giving the wrist of his prisoner a sharp twist, Phil snatchedaway the small handful of bills that the fellow had stolen,returning them to the woman.
By this time the thief had suddenly recovered his wits and soughtto jerk his hand away, seeing that it was merely a boy who hadgrabbed him. To the surprise of the crook he found it was not aneasy matter to free himself from that grip. After making severaldesperate efforts the fellow adopted other methods.
"Let go of me, I tell you. I'll have you put away for this."
"I'll let go of you when a policeman has hold of you, and notbefore," retorted Phil. "You are a thief. I saw you steal thatwoman's money."
The man suddenly uttered an angry exclamation and launched a blowat Phil's head, which the lad avoided, allowing it to pass overhis shoulder.
"Hurry! Get a policeman! This man is a thief," urged Phil, ashe closed with his antagonist.
"Thief! Thief," cried several voices at once. It was a cry thathad been heard before about the Sully shows.
Phil had not struck back at his enemy. Instead the lad, by askillful twist, had whirled the fellow about until his back wastoward the boy. Then Phil suddenly let go his hold on the wrist,clasping the man around the body and pinioning his arms tohis sides.
"You might as well stand still," said the lad coolly. "You can'tget away until I permit you to, and that won't be until somethingthat looks like a policeman comes along."
In the meantime the captive was struggling and threatening.All at once he raised his voice in a peculiar, wailing cry.The Circus Boy felt sure that it was some sort of a signal,though it was new to him. But he was not to be cowed.
"Police!" shouted Phil.
"Police!" cried many voices.
Half a dozen men came rushing into the crowd, thrusting thepeople aside as they ran, looking this way and that to learn fromwhere the cry for assistance had come.
Phil's captive uttered a sharp cry, and the lad realized whatwas going to happen. At first he had thought it was the policecoming, but he was undeceived the moment he caught his prisoner'sappeal to them. The men dashed toward the two, and as they rushedin Phil whirled his man so that the latter collided violentlywith the newcomers. That checked the rush briefly. He knew,however, that he could not hope to stand off his assailants formore than a few seconds. Yet the lad calculated that in thosefew seconds the police might arrive. He did not know that theyhad been well bribed neither to see nor to hear what occurred onthe circus grounds.
A moment more and the lad had been roughly jerked from hiscaptive and hurled violently to the ground.
Phil sprang up full of fight while the angry fellows closed inon him. He saw that they were showmen. A sudden idea occurredto him.
"Hey, Rube!" he shouted at the top of his voice, hoping that therest of the show people within reach of his voice might crowd inand in the confusion give him a chance to get away.
And they did crowd in. They came on like a company of soldiers,sweeping everything before them. Phil, in that brief instant,while he was sparring to keep his opponents off, found time tosmile grimly.
The fellow he had first made captive now attacked Philviciously, the lad defending himself as best he could, while thepeople who had come to attend the show got out of harm's way asrapidly as possible. Phil could hope for no assistance fromthat quarter.
"I guess I have gotten myself into a worse scrape by callingthe rest of the gang," he muttered, noting that he was beingsurrounded as some of the first comers pointed him out tothe others.
Suddenly they fell upon Phil with one accord. He was jerkedthis way and that, but succeeded pretty well in dodging theblows aimed at his head, though his clothes were torn and hewas pretty badly used.
Suddenly a voice roared out close behind him.
"Stop it!"
Turning his head a little Phil recognized Sully, the owner ofthe show. Sully's face was redder than ever.
"What--what's all this row about? Haven't you fellows anythingmore important to do than raising a roughhouse? Get out of here,the whole bunch of you! What's he done? Turn him over to thepolice and go on about your business."
One of the men said something in a low tone to Sully.The showman shot a keen, inquiring glance at the lad.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
"I don't know that it makes any difference. I saw a fellowrobbing a woman, and it was my duty to stop him. I did it, thena lot of his companions, who, I suppose, belong to your showpitched into me."
"So, you are trying to run the whole show, are you?"
"I am not."
"Well, you get off this lot as fast as you can hoof it. If Ifind you butting in again it will be the worse for you."
"That's the fellow who was hanging around the lot atSt. Catharines yesterday," spoke up someone.
"Yes; I remember now, he was asking me questions," said another,whose voice Phil recognized as belonging to the foreman of thestake and chain gang. "I got to thinking about it afterwards,and realized that he was a little too inquisitive fora greenhorn. He's been on the lot all day again."
Mr. Sully surveyed Phil with an ugly scowl.
"What are you doing around here, young man?"
"For one thing, I am trying to prevent one of your followersrobbing a woman," answered Phil boldly.
"Who are you?"
"That is my own affair."
"I know him! I know him! I Know!" shouted another.
Sully turned to him inquiringly.
"Who is he, if you know so much?"
"He's a fellow what was with the Sparling outfit last year.He was always butting in then, and I can tell you he ain'there for any good now, Boss."
"So, that's the game is it?" sneered Sully. "You come with me.I've got a few questions I want to ask you."
"I don't have to go with you," replied Phil.
"Oh, yes you do! Bring him along and if he raises a row justhand him one and put him to sleep."
Two men grabbed Phil roughly by his arms.
He jerked away and started to run when he was pounced upon andborne to the ground. Phil found himself grasped by the collarand jerked violently to his feet, with the leering face of Sullythrust up close to his own.
"I'll see that you don't get away this time," growledthe showman.
Dragging the lad along by the collar further off on the lot, theshowman finally paused.
"Get the carriage," he commanded sharply.
"What you going to do with me?" demanded Phil.
"That depends. I'm going to find out something about you first,and decide what to do with you later."
"And, when you get through, I shall have you arrestedfor assault. It will be my turn to act then," retorted theCircus Boy. "I have done nothing except to stop a miserablethief from plying his trade. I understand that's a game you--"
"That will do, young man. Here's the wagon. Now, if yougo quietly you will have no trouble. But just try to callfor help, or raise any sort of a ruction, and you'll seemore stars than there are in the skies when the moon's ona strike. Get in there."
Phil was thrust into the closed carriage, which the showman usedfor driving back and forth between the train and the lot.
Quick as a flash Phil Forrest dived through the open coach windowon the other side, and with equal quickness he was pounced uponby the driver, who had gotten off on that side, probably at asignal from Sully.
Had Sully not run around to the other side of the wagon Philwould have quickly disposed of the driver, strong as wasthe latter.
With an enraged cry Sully sprang upon Phil, and raised his handto strike.
"If you attempt to do that you'll serve the rest of the seasonin jail," dared Phil, taking a bold course. "You know theydon't trifle with brutes like you up here in Canada?"
Sully growled an unintelligible reply, but that he recognized thetruth of the lad's words was evident when he slowly dropped hisclenched f
ist to his side.
"I'll see that you don't get away this time," he said once morethrusting Phil into the carriage, this time, however, keeping afirm grip on the lad's arm.
The driver whipped up the horse and the carriage rumbled away,soon reaching the village street and turning sharply off into aside street.