CHAPTER XII
A THRILLING RESCUE
"Open the door and let the man out!" shouted Phil, with greatpresence of mind. But no one seemed to have the power to move.
One sweep of the powerful claw and one side of the lad's clotheswas literally stripped from him, though he had managed to shrinkback just far enough to save himself from the needle like clawsof the tiger.
At this moment men came rushing from other parts of the tent.Some bore iron rods, while two or three carried tent poles andsticks--anything that the circus men could lay their hands upon.
Mr. Sparling was in the lead of the procession that dashedthrough the crowd, hurling the people right and left as they ran.
With every spring of the tiger Phil was being thrown against thebars with terrific force, but still he clung to the tail that waswrapped about his arm, hanging on with desperate courage.
Though the lad was getting severe punishment, he wasaccomplishing just what he had hoped for--to keep Bengal busyuntil help arrived to liberate the unconscious trainer, who layhuddled against the bars on the opposite side of the cage.
"Poke one of the tent poles in to him and let him bite it!"roared Mr. Sparling. "Half a dozen of you get around behind thecage and when we have his attention one of you pull Bob out.Keep your poles in the opening when you open the door, so Bengaldoesn't jump out. Everybody stand back!"
The commands of the showman came out like so many explosions of apistol. But it had its effect. His men sprang to their worklike machines.
In the meantime Mr. Sparling himself had grabbed the tail of thebeast, taking a hold higher up than Phil's.
"Pull the boy off. He's hanging on like a bull dog. If you hadhalf his sense you'd have put a stop to this mix-up minutes ago."
Teddy by this time had gotten in under the ropes again, and,grasping his companion about the waist, he held on until he haduntwisted the tiger's tail from his companion's arm and releasedPhil, staggering back with his burden against the rope.
Phil's limp body, the moment Teddy let go of him, collapsed in aheap.
The circus men were too busy at the moment to notice him. One ofthe men had thrust a short tent pole between the bars. Bengalwas upon it like an avalanche.
Biting, clawing, uttering fierce growls, he tore the hard woodinto shreds, the man at the other end poking at the beast withall his might.
Cautiously the rear door of the cage was opened. Two men graspedBob by the shoulders and hauled him out with a quick pull.
The crowd shouted in approval.
"All out! Let go!" shouted Mr. Sparling.
It took the strength of two men to pull the tent pole fromBengal's grip. The instant he lost the pole the beast whirledand pounced upon the spot where he had left his victim.
Finding that he had lost his prey, the savage beast uttered roarupon roar, that made every spectator in the tent tremble and drawback, fearing the animal would break through the bars and attackthem.
"Where's that boy?"
"Here he is, and I guess he's hurt," answered Teddy.
"Give him to me. I'll get him outside where we can get somedecent air into him. Is he much hurt?"
"I--I don't know."
The showman grabbed Phil, and as a helper lifted the bottom ofthe tent's side wall, Mr. Sparling ran to his own small tent withthe unconscious Phil.
"Fetch a pail of water."
Teddy ran for the cook tent to get the water. He was amazed tofind no cook tent there. Instead, there remained only the openplot of grass, trampled down, with a litter of papers and refusescattered about.
By the time he had dashed back to the tent to inquire where hecould find a pail, one of the showmen had brought some water andMr. Sparling was bathing Phil's face with it.
He had made a hasty examination of the unconscious boy's wounds,which he did not believe were serious.
Phil soon came to, and by that time the show's doctor hadarrived, having been in attendance on the wounded animal trainer.
"No; he'll be sore for a few days, but there's nothing dangerousabout those scratches, I should say. I'll dress the wounds andhe can go on about his business," was the surgeon's verdict.
"I've got to ride Emperor in tonight," objected Phil.
"You'll do nothing of the sort. You'll get into my wagon and goto bed. That's what you will do, and right quick, at that."
"But," urged the lad, "the people will all think I am seriouslyhurt if they see no more of me. Don't you think it would be agood plan for me to show myself? They are liable to be uneasyall through the performance. If I show myself they will settledown and forget all about it in a few minutes."
Mr. Sparling turned to his assistant with a significant nod.
"I told you that boy was a natural born showman. You can't stopthat kind with a club. Can you stand up alone?"
"Yes."
Phil scrambled to his feet, steadying himself with a hand on thetable.
"I'll be all right after I walk about a bit. How long before theelephants go in?"
"You've got fifteen minutes yet."
"Then I may go on?"
"Yes, yes, go on. You'll never be satisfied if you don't. But Iought to take you over my knee and give you a sound walloping."
"Thank you. How is Mr.--Mr.--the trainer?"
"He isn't badly hurt, thanks to your presence of mind, youngman," answered the surgeon.
"That makes two people you've saved today, Forrest," emphasizedMr. Sparling. "We will call that a day's work. You have earnedyour meal ticket. Better run back to the dressing tent and askthem to fix up some clothes for you. Ask for Mrs. Waite, thewardrobe woman. Teddy Tucker, you run in and tell Mr. Kennedy,who has charge of the elephants, that Phil will ride tonight, andto wait until he gets in."
Both boys hurried away on their respective missions. All thatMrs. Waite had that would come anywhere near fitting Phil was ayellow robe that looked like a night gown. Phil grinned as hetucked it under his arm and hurried back to the menagerie tent.As he passed through the "big top" he saw that it was filling uprapidly.
"I guess we are going to have a good house tonight," muttered thelad with a pleased smile. It did not occur to him that hehimself was responsible for a large part of the attendance--thatthe part he had played in the exciting incidents of the day haddone more to advertise the Great Sparling Combined Shows than anyother one factor.
"I am all ready, Mr. Kennedy," announced Phil, running to theelephant quarters. The horns were blowing the signal for thegrand entry, so the lad grasped the head harness, as Emperorstooped, and was quickly hoisted to the position in which hewould enter the ring.
When the people saw that it was indeed Phil they set up a greatshout. The lad was pale but resolute. As he went through theperformance, his wounds smarted frightfully. At times the painmade him dizzy.
But Phil smiled bravely, waving his hands to the cheering people.
After the finish of the act Mr. Kennedy headed the elephants intothe concourse, the open space between the rings and the seats,making a complete circuit of the tent, so that all might see PhilForrest.
"This is a kind of farewell appearance, you know," grinnedKennedy. And so the audience took it.
The lad's former companions shouted all manner of things to him.
"Good-bye, Phil!"
"Don't stick your head in the lion's mouth."
"Be careful when you twist the tiger's tail. Better put somesalt on it before you do."
"We'll look out for Uncle Abner."
Phil was grinning broadly as he rode back into the menagerietent. Everybody in town now knew that he had joined the circus,which brought forth a variety of comments. Some said it would bethe end of the boy, but Phil Forrest knew that a boy could behavehimself with a circus just as well as in any other occupation,and so far as his observations went, the circus people were muchbetter than some folks he knew at home.
No sooner had they gotten into the menagerie tent than a suddenbus
tle and excitement were apparent. Confused shouts were heardon all sides. Teams, fully harnessed, were being led into thetent, quarter-poles were coming down without regard to where theystruck, everybody appearing to have gone suddenly crazy.
"They're striking the tent," nodded Mr. Kennedy, noting the boy'swonderment. "You had better look out for yourself. Don't standin the way or you may get hurt," he warned.
"Get the bulls out!" called a man, hurrying by.
"They're getting," answered Kennedy.
"What do they mean by that?"
"In circus parlance, the 'bulls' are the elephants. Where yougoing to ride tonight?"
"I don't know. Hello, there's my friend Teddy. I guess I hadbetter attach myself to him or he may get lost."
As a matter of fact, Phil was not sure where he was himself,activities were following each other with such surprisingrapidity.
But the lads stuck to their ground until it was no longer safe todo so. Phil was determined to see all there was to be seen, andwhat he saw he remembered. He had no need to be told after that,providing he understood the meaning of a certain thing at first.
Observing that one man was holding to the peak rope, and that itwas rapidly getting the best of him, both lads sprang to hisassistance.
"That's right, boys. That's the way to do it. Always be readyto take advantage of every opening. You'll learn faster thatway, and you'll both be full-fledged showmen before you know it."
"O Mr. Sparling," exclaimed Phil, after others had relieved themon the rope.
"Yes? What is it?"
"I have been wanting to see you, to ask what you wish us to dotonight--where we are to travel?"
"You may sleep in my wagon. I'll take a horse for tonight."
"I could not think of doing such a thing. No, Mr. Sparling, if Iam to be a circus man, I want to do just as the rest of them do.Where do the other performers sleep?"
"Wherever they can find places. Some few of the higher paid oneshave berths in wagons. Others sleep in the band wagon. Therest, I guess, don't sleep at all, except after we get into atown. The menagerie outfit will be leaving town very soon now.You may go through with them if you wish."
"If you do not object, I think I should prefer to remain untilthe rest of the show goes out."
"Suit yourself."
Mr. Sparling understood how the lads felt, and perhaps it wouldbe better to let them break in at once, he reasoned. They wouldbecome seasoned much sooner.
The tent was taken down and packed away in the wagons in analmost incredibly short time.
"Come on; let's go into the circus tent and see what's going onthere," suggested Teddy.
Phil agreed, and the lads strolled in. They found theperformance nearly over. When it was finished quite a largenumber remained to see the "grand concert" that followed.
While this was going on there was a crash and a clatter as themen ripped up and loaded the seats, piling them into waitingwagons that had been driven into the tent from the rear so as notto be in the way of the people going out.
"It's more fun to watch the men work than it is to see theconcert. That concert's a bum show," averred Teddy, thrusting hishands in his pockets and turning his back on the "grand concert."
"I agree with you," laughed Phil. "There's nothing but thefreaks there, and we'll see them, after this, every time we gofor our meals."
"Have you been in the dressing tent yet?" asked Teddy.
"No, I haven't had time. We'll have to look in there tomorrow,though I don't think they care about having people visit themunless they belong there. Just now we don't. Do you start workin the cook tent tomorrow?"
"Yes. I am to be the champion coffee drawer. I expect they willhave my picture on the billboards after a little. Wouldn't Ilook funny with a pitcher of hot, steaming coffee in my handleaping over a table in the cook tent?" and Teddy laughedheartily at the thought. "I'll bet I'd make a hit."
"You mean you would get hit."
"Well, maybe."
The boys hung about until the big top had disappeared from thelot. The tent poles and boxes of properties were being loaded onthe wagons, while out on the field, the ring horses, performingponies and the like stood sleeping, waiting for the moment whenthey should be aroused for the start.
"Come on, Teddy; let's you and I go make up our beds."
"Where are they?"
"We'll have to ask the porter," laughed Phil, who had traveled alittle with his parents years before.
"It's a shame that that old tiger has to have a cage all tohimself. We could make up a fine bed if we had half of his cageand some blankets," complained Teddy.
"Thank you. I should prefer to walk. I have had all theargument I want with that beast. Let's go try the band wagon."
"All right; that would be fine to sleep way up there."
Laughing and chattering, the lads hunted about on the lot untilthey found the great glittering band wagon. Being now coveredwith canvas to protect it from the weather, they had difficultyin making it out, but finally they discovered it, off near theroad that ran by the grounds. Four horses were hitched to it,while the driver lay asleep on the high seat.
"Where will we get in?"
"I don't know, Teddy; we will climb up and find out."
Getting on the rear wheel they pulled themselves up, and findingthe canvas covering loose, threw it open. Teddy plumped in feetfirst.
Immediately there followed such a howling, such a snarling andtorrent of invective that, startled as he was, Phil lost hisbalance on the wheel and fell off.
No sooner had he struck the ground than a dark figure cameshooting from above, landing on him and nearly knocking all thebreath out of his body.
Phil threw off the burden, which upon investigation proved to beTeddy Tucker.
"Wha--what happened?" stammered Phil. "Sounds as if we hadgotten into a wild animal cage."
"I--I walked on somebody's face and he threw me out," answeredTeddy ruefully. Phil leaned against the wagon wheel and laugheduntil his throat ached.
"Get out of here! What do you mean?" bellowed an angry voiceover their heads. "Think my face is a tight rope to be walked onby every Rube that comes along?"
"Come--come on away, Teddy. We made a mistake. We got into thewrong berth."
"Here's another wagon, Phil. They're just hitching the horses.Let's try this."
"All right, it's a canvas wagon. Go ahead, we'll try it."
"I've tried one wagon. It's your turn now," growled Teddy.
"I guess you're right. If I get thrown out you catch me the sameas I did you," laughed Phil.
"Yes, you _caught_ me, didn't you?"
Phil climbed up, but with more caution than Teddy had exercisedin the case of the band wagon.
"Anybody living in this bedroom tonight?" questioned Phil of thedriver.
"Guess you are. First come first served. Pile in. You're thekid that rode the bull, ain't you?"
"And twisted the tiger's tail," added Teddy.
"All right. Probably some others will be along later, but I'llsee to it that they don't throw you out."
"Thank you. Come on up, Teddy; it's all right."
Teddy Tucker hastily scrambled up into the wagon which proved tobe a canvas wagon--an open wagon, over which a canvas cover wasstretched in case of storm only.
"Where's the bed clothes?" demanded Teddy.
"I guess the skies will have to be our quilts tonight," answeredPhil.
The boys succeeded in crawling down between the folds of thecanvas, however, and, snuggling close together, settled down fortheir first night on the road with a circus. Soon the wagonsbegan to move in response to a chorus of hoarse shouts. Themotion of the canvas wagon very soon lulled the lads to sleep, asthe big wagon show slowly started away and disappeared in thesoft summer night.