CHAPTER I
UNDER CANVAS AGAIN
"I reckon the fellows will turn out to see us tomorrownight, Teddy."
"I hope so, Phil. We'll show them that we are real circusperformers, won't we?"
Phil Forrest nodded happily.
"They know that already, I think. But we shall both feel proudto perform in our home town again. They haven't seen us in thering since the day we first joined the show two years ago, andthen it was only a little performance."
"Remember the day I did a stunt in front of the circus billboardback home?"
"And fell in the ditch, head first? I remember it," andPhil Forrest laughed heartily.
"You and I weren't circus men then, were we?"
"No."
"But we are now."
"I guess we are," nodded Phil with emphasis. "Still, we havesomething to learn yet. We are a couple of lucky boys, you andI, Teddy Tucker. Had it not been for Mr. Sparling we might stillhave been doing chores for our board in Edmeston."
"Instead, we are getting our envelopes with sixty dollarsapiece in them from the little red ticket wagon every Tuesdaymorning, eh?"
"Just so."
"I never thought I'd be able to earn so much money as that in awhole year," reflected Teddy.
"Nor I."
"Do you think we'll get any more 'raises' this season?"
"I haven't the least idea that we shall. You know our contractsare signed for the season at sixty dollars a week. That surelyshould be enough to satisfy us. We shall be able to save a wholelot of money, this year; and, if we have good luck, in five yearsmore we'll be able to have a little show of our own."
Teddy agreed to this with a reflective nod.
"What kind of show?"
"Well, that remains to be seen," laughed Phil. "We shall belucky to have most any kind."
"Do you know what sort I'd like to have?"
"No. What kind?"
"Wild West show, a regular Buffalo Bill outfit, with wildIndians, cowboys, bucking ponies and whoop! whoop! Hi-yi-yi!You know?"
Teddy's eyes were glowing with excitement, while a dull red glowshowed beneath the tan on his face.
"I wouldn't get so excited about it," answered Phil,highly amused.
"How'd you like that kind?"
"Not at all. It's too rough. Give me the circus every time,with its life, its color, it's--oh, pshaw! What's the usetalking about it? Is there anything in the world more attractivethan those tents over there, with the flags of every nationflying from center and quarter poles? Is there, Teddy?"
"Well, no; I guess that's right."
For a moment the lads were silent. They were sitting beneath aspreading maple tree off, on the circus lot, a few rods fromwhere the tents were being erected. A gentle breeze was stirringthe flags, billowing the white canvas of the tents in slow,undulating waves.
"And to think that we belong to that! Do you know, sometimes Ithink it is all a dream, and I'm afraid I shall suddenly wake upto find myself back in Edmeston with Uncle Abner Adams driving meout of the house with a stick."
Phil's face grew solemn as those unhappy days under his uncle'sroof came back to him in a flood of disquieting memories.
"Don't wake up, then," replied Teddy.
"I think perhaps we had better both wake up if we expect to getany breakfast. The red flag is flying on the cook tent, whichmeans that breakfast is ready--in fact, breakfast must be prettywell over by this time. First thing we know the blue flag willsuddenly appear in its place, and you and I will have to hustledowntown for something to eat. It will be parade time prettysoon, too."
"Breakfast? Say, Phil, I'd forgotten all about breakfast."
"There must be something wrong with you, then, if you forget whenit's meal time. As for myself, I have an appetite that would putthe Bengal tiger to shame. Come along."
"I'm with you. I'll show you whether my appetite has a reef init or not. I can eat more than the living skeleton can, and fora thin man he's got anything stopped for appetite that I eversaw," answered Teddy Tucker, scrambling to his feet and startingfor the cook tent.
Yes; Teddy Tucker and Phil Forrest are the same boys who, twoseasons before, began their circus career by joining a road show,each in a humble capacity. It will be remembered how in "THECIRCUS BOYS ON THE FLYING RINGS," Teddy and Phil quickly rose tobe performers in the ring; how Phil, by his coolness and bravery,saved the life of one of the performers at the imminent risk oflosing his own; how he saved the circus from a great pecuniaryloss, as well as distinguishing himself in various other ways.
In "THE CIRCUS BOYS ACROSS THE CONTINENT," the lads won newlaurels in their chosen career, when Phil became a barebackrider, scoring a great hit at his first performance. It will berecalled too, how the circus lad proved himself a real hero atthe wreck of the dining car, saving the lives of several persons,finally being himself rescued by his companion, Teddy Tucker.
The Great Sparling Combined Shows had been on the road a week,and by this time the various departments had gotten down tofairly good working order, for, no matter how perfect such anorganization may be, it requires several days for the show peopleto become used to working together. This extends even to thecanvasmen and roustabouts. After being a few weeks out they areable to set the tents in from half an hour to an hour less timethan it takes during the first two or three stands of the season.
The next stand was to be Edmeston, the home of the twoCircus Boys. The lads were looking forward with keenexpectation to the moment when, clad in tights and spangles,they would appear before their old school fellows in aseries of daring aerial flights.
The lads had spent the winter at school and now only one yearmore was lacking to complete their course at the high school thatthey had been attending between circus seasons, practicing intheir gymnasium after school hours.
"I'd like to invite all the boys of our class to come to the showon passes. Do you suppose Mr. Sparling would let me?"
"I am afraid you had better not ask him," laughed Phil. "If youwere running a store do you think you would ask the crowd to comeover and help themselves to whatever they wanted?"
"Well, no-o."
"I thought not."
"But this is different."
"Not so much so. It would be giving away seats that could besold and that probably will be sold. No; I guess the boys hadbetter pay for their seats."
Teddy looked disappointed.
"Don't you think it is worth fifty cents to see us perform?"queried Phil.
Teddy grinned broadly. The idea appealed to him in a new light.
"That's so. I guess it's worth more than fifty cents, at that.I guess I don't care if they do have to pay, but I want them tocome to the show. What do you suppose I've been working twoyears for, if it wasn't to show off before the fellows?Haven't you?"
"No."
"What then?"
"Why, what do you think?"
"I don't think. It's too hot to think this morning."
"All right. Wait till someday when the weather is cooler; thenthink the matter over," laughed Phil, hurrying on toward wherebreakfast was waiting for them in the cook tent.
The lads were performing the same acts in which they hadappeared the previous season; that is, doing the flying ringsas a team, while Phil was a bareback rider and Teddy a tumbler.Something had happened to the bucking mule that Teddy hadridden for two seasons, and the manager had reluctantly beenforced to take this act from his bill.
"I'm thinking of getting another mule for you, if we can pick upsuch a thing," said Mr. Sparling at breakfast that morning.
Teddy's eyes twinkled. He had in mind a surprise for themanager, but was not quite ready to tell of his surprise yet.All during the winter the lad had been working with a donkey thathe had picked up near Edmeston. His training of the animal hadbeen absolutely in secret, so that none of his school fellows,save Phil, knew anything about it.
"All right," answered Teddy carelessly. "Wait ti
ll we get toEdmeston and see what we can pick up there."
Mr. Sparling bent a shrewd, inquiring glance on the impassiveface of the Circus Boy. If he suspected Teddy had something inmind that he was not giving voice to, Mr. Sparling did notmention it. By this time he knew both boys well enough to form apretty clear idea when there was anything of a secret nature inthe wind.
"We'll never get another mule like Jumbo," he sighed.
"Hope not," answered Teddy shortly.
"Why not?"
" 'Cause, I don't want to break my neck this season, at leastnot till after we've passed Edmeston and the fellows haveseen perform."
"So that's it, is it?"
"It is. I'm going to show myself tomorrow, and I don't care whoknows it."
"If I remember correctly you already have shown yourself prettythoroughly all the way across the continent."
"And helped fill the big top at the same time," added Teddy, witha shrewd twinkle in his eyes.
Mr. Sparling laughed outright.
"I guess you have a sharp tongue this morning."
"I don't mean to have."
"It's all right. I accept your apology. What's this you sayabout the fellows--whom do you mean?"
"He means our class at the high school," Phil informedthe showman.
"Oh, yes. How many are there in the class?"
"Let me see--how many are there, Teddy?"
"Thirty or forty, not counting the fat boy who's the anchor inthe tug of war team. If you count him there are five more."
"I presume they'll all be wanting to come to the show?"questioned Mr. Sparling.
"Any fellow who doesn't come is no friend of mine."
"That's the way to talk. Always have the interest of the show inmind, and you'll get along," smiled the owner.
"We-e-l-l," drawled the lad. "I wasn't just thinking about theinterest of the show. I was thinking more about what a figureI'd be cutting before the boys."
Mr. Sparling laughed heartily.
"You are honest at any rate, Master Teddy. That's one thingI like about you. When you tell me a thing I do not have togo about asking others to make sure that you have told methe truth."
"Why shouldn't I? I'm not afraid of you."
"No; that's the worst of it. I should like to see something youreally are afraid of."
"I know what he is afraid of," smiled Phil maliciously.
"What?" demanded Mr. Sparling.
"He is afraid of the woman snake charmer under the black top.He's more afraid of her than he is of the snakes themselves.Why, you couldn't get him to shake hands with her if you wereto offer him an extra year's salary. There she is over therenow, Teddy."
Teddy cast an apprehensive glance at the freak table, wherethe freaks and side show performers were laughing and chattinghappily, the Lady Snake Charmer sandwiched in between theMetal-faced Man and Jo-Jo the Dog-faced Wonder.
"I've been thinking of an idea, Mr. Sparling," said Teddy by wayof changing the subject.
Phil glanced at him apprehensively, for Teddy's ideas werefrequently attended by consequences of an unpleasant nature.
"Along the usual line young man?"
"Well, no."
"What is your idea?"
"I've been thinking that I should like to sign up as a dwarf forthe rest of the season and sit on the concert platform in themenagerie tent. It wouldn't interfere with my otherperformance," said Teddy in apparent seriousness.
Mr. Sparling leaned back, laughing heartily.
"Why, you are not a dwarf."
"No-o-o. But I might be."
"How tall are you?"
"A little more than five feet," answered the lad with a touch ofpride in his tone.
"You are almost a man. Why, Teddy, you are a full twenty inchestaller than the tallest dwarf in the show."
Teddy nodded.
"Don't you see you could not possibly be a`dwarf?"
"Oh, yes, I could. All the more reason why I could."
"What kind of a dwarf would you be, may I ask?"
"I could be the tallest dwarf on earth, couldn't I?" asked Teddy,gazing at his employer innocently.
Everyone at the table broke out into a merry peal of laughter,while Teddy Tucker eyed them sadly for a moment; then he tooadded his laughter to theirs.
"If you were not already getting a pretty big salary for a kid,I'd raise your salary for that," exploded Mr. Sparling.
"You can forget I'm getting so much, if you want to," suggestedTeddy humorously.