Chapter 12 Trying Out A New Act

"Well, Dimples, I hope you and I do not make sad exhibitions ofourselves this evening.""I hope not, Phil. I am sure you will not, but I am not so sure ofmyself."The afternoon performance had passed off without incident, save thatthe performers had given a much better show than usual. Everyone feltfresh and strong after his Sunday rest.

　　It was now evening. The band was playing its loudest, the clownswere fast and furious in their fun, and the animals out in the menagerietent were doing their part toward raising a din that might have been heardat least half a mile away.

　　Phil Forrest had already been in for his trapeze act, and after changinghis costume had come out again for the bareback riding number, to whichhe always looked forward with pleasurable anticipation.

　　At the same time Little Dimples, the star female bareback rider, hadcome up and joined him and the two fell to talking, as they always didwhenever the opportunity presented itself.

　　Long ago the circus woman had constituted herself the "mother of theCircus Boys," as she expressed it. She always insisted on doing theirsewing for them, helped them to plan their costumes and gave themfriendly advice on all occasions.

　　The act which they were entering the ring to perform on this particularevening was a new one. The two had been practicing it since thebeginning of the season--practicing in secret that they might put it on as asurprise to Mr. Sparling.

　　This was what is known as a "brother and sister act." That is, thestrong man and woman proposed to perform on the back of the same horse,and at the same time.

　　The brother and sister act was not a new act by any means, but theyhad added ideas of their own to it until it had become novel. They hadessayed some daring and sensational features which were sure to create asensation with any audience before which the act was performed.

　　"It is a small town," said Dimples. "We don't care if we do fall off,do we, Phil, my boy?""We most certainly do care. At least, _I_ do. Where's yourprofessional pride, Dimples?" demanded Phil, with an indulgent smile.

　　"In my feet, I guess," answered the woman, with a merry laugh. "Iam making my living with my feet. Were they not so sure, enabling meto stand on the slippery back of a ring horse, I should not be drawing thefine salary that I now have. Neither would you.""Here we are at the ring," interrupted Phil. "The audience isapplauding us before we begin. They must be expecting something outof the ordinary."As a matter of fact, the two riders made a very pleasing appearance asthey entered the ring. Phil, slender, athletic, manly; Dimples exquisitelydainty, looking almost as fragile as a piece of Dresden china, they were apair to attract attention anywhere.

　　The spectators did not even dream that Little Dimples was a marriedwoman, with a son almost as old as Phil Forrest himself.

　　They kicked off their slippers, chalked their feet, then Phil assisted hiscompanion to the back of the horse.

　　The band struck up a lively tune, the ringmaster cracked his whip, andPhil leaped to the back of the ring horse beside Dimples.

　　"We are off," smiled the lad.

　　"I hope not," laughed the woman happily.

　　Further conversation for the moment was interrupted, for the timehad arrived to begin their work in earnest. The two threw themselvesinto a series of graceful positions, neither very difficult nor very dangerous,but to Mr. Sparling, who was watching their performance from a seatdirectly opposite to them, their work was more attractive than anything ofthe kind he ever had seen.

　　The next time they started in, after the brief intermission, Phil andDimples varied their performance by leaping from the ring horse, then,taking a running start, jumping to the back of the galloping animal. Onlyonce did Phil miss, and Dimples not at all. She greeted his failure with amerry laugh that goaded the lad to renewed efforts.

　　"Have you forgotten how to jump?" teased Dimples.

　　"I'll show you whether I have or not. Keep him up close to the ringcurb and stand back as far as you can.""What are you going to do?" she questioned suspiciously.

　　"Going to prove to you that I have not forgotten how to jump,"answered Phil, with determination.

　　"Please don't do anything foolish," warned the dainty rider. "It is tooearly in the season to break your neck. Just think what you would misswere you to do so this early--think what I should miss. Come up hereand be sensible--that's a good boy."The ringmaster paid no attention to their chatter, which was in tonestoo low for the audience to catch.

　　Phil placed the little jumping board in place, upon which the ridersstep just as they are leaping to the back of the ring horses. Then the ladbacked up.

　　"Keep him up lively," he said to the ringmaster.

　　All at once the lad started on a brisk run across the sawdust arena.

　　"Yip!" encouraged Dimples.

　　"Yip! Yip!" answered Phil.

　　The lad leaped up into the air just as if he had been hurled there onsprings. As he leaped his legs were curled up under him, and his workingmate saw that he was not going to land on the back of the horse at all.

　　Still she dared not speak to him, now. She knew that to attract Phil'sattention at that moment might mean a bad fall for him, for a performermust have his mind on his work when attempting any dangerous feat.

　　To the surprise of everyone who witnessed the act, Phil Forrest clearedthe back of the ring horse, fairly flying past the astonished eyes of LittleDimples.

　　He landed lightly well outside of the ring curbing, on the soft turf.

　　The audience broke out into a roar of applause and a ripple of handclapping ran over the arena from the appreciative performers. Theywholly forgot themselves in their surprise and approval of the feat.

　　"Wonderful!" breathed Mr. James Sparling. "That boy is worth athousand dollars a week to any show.""Have I forgotten how to jump?" demanded the Circus Boy exultingly,as the ring horse slowed down to a walk, Phil stepping along by the side ofit looking up into the eyes of Little Dimples.

　　"Indeed you have not. It was wonderful. Don't you ever dare try itagain, however. Why, suppose you had dropped on an iron tent stake?

　　You would have at least been disabled for life.""I presume I should have been. I happened to know there were nostakes where I landed. I made sure of that before I made the leap.""You are a wise boy, even if an imprudent one. We try the shoulderstand next, do we not?""Yes.""I haven't the routine in my mind yet. Don't you dare let me fall.""Supposing we save the shoulder stand until the last. Let's do thesomersault first," suggested Phil.

　　"Very well; I don't care."The music started and the little couple began their work again.

　　Dimples sprang up to the hip of the Circus Boy, leaning far out to oneside, holding to one of Phil's hands, a very pretty though not perilous featfor a sure-footed ride.

　　This they varied by throwing themselves into several different poses.

　　"Now the turn," breathed Phil.

　　He deftly lifted the little woman down to the horse just in front ofhimself. Having done so, Phil grasped Dimples firmly about the waistwith his strong, muscular young hands.

　　"If you drop me I'll never speak to you again.""I shall not drop you. You know the cue?""Yes."The lad nodded to the ringmaster, indicating that the latter was to urgethe horse on to a faster gallop.

　　"Now what are those two children going to do?" wondered the ownerof the show. "One is as daring as the other. It's a wonder they havegone along without knocking themselves out. I believe they are going todo a turn."That was exactly what they were preparing. "Now," said Philsharply.

　　The pair rose from the back of the ring horse as one person. Theyleaped gracefully and deliberately into the air, doubled their legs underthem and performed one of the most graceful somersaults that had everbeen seen in the Sparling shows, landing lightly and surely on the resinedback of the old ring horse.

　　Dimples sat down, and Phil, dropping lightly to the ground, threw akiss to the audience.

　　The spectators, fully appreciating what had been done, went fairlywild in their enthusiasm.

　　Mr. Sparling was no less so. In his excitement he forgot time andplace and ran into the ring, where he threw an arm about Phil Forrest,giving him a fatherly hug.

　　Dimples pouted prettily.

　　"That's what I call partiality," she complained.

　　Mr. Sparling promptly lifted her from the back of her horse, andstood the blushing little performer on the sawdust by the side of Phil.

　　How the spectators did applaud, many standing up in their seatswaving hats and handkerchiefs in their excitement and enthusiasm!

　　Mr. Sparling was always doing these little, intensely human things,not with any idea of winning applause, but out of sheer big-heartedness.

　　They did much toward spreading the reputation of the Sparling show andpopularizing it as well.

　　"Ladies and gentlemen," announced the showman when quiet had oncemore been restored, "you will pardon me for interrupting the performance,but as the owner of the show I want to say a few words on behalf of mystar performers, Little Dimples and Master Phil Forrest."The audience interrupted him with a cheer.

　　"The act which you have just witnessed is as great a surprise to me asit could possibly have been to you. It is the first time these twoperformers ever attempted it in public. I might say, also, that it is the firsttime to my own knowledge that any performers in the world eversucceeded in getting away with a feat of that sort. I thank you for yourapproval. The performance will now proceed."After the applause which this little speech elicited had died away theband once more began to play.

　　Phil and Dimples commenced a series of acts, jumping from and to theback of the horse whose speed was increased for the purpose.

　　In the next rest Dimples called the attention of her associate to theclown Diaz, who was not far from them at the moment.

　　Dimples had been in the show business so long that her intuition hadbecome very keen. Nothing of consequence happened under the big top,or beneath the low-roofed dressing tents, that she did not know of, or atleast surmise. Especially keen was she in all matters relating to PhilForrest and Teddy Tucker, and her interest had in many instances served tosave the lads from unpleasant consequence.

　　"I don't like that fellow, Phil," Dimples remarked, referring to Diaz.

　　"Why not?""I think he is a bad man.""I hope not. He is impulsive and--""Revengeful and ugly," finished Dimples.

　　"As I said, he is impulsive, like all of his race.""What has been going on with you lately, Phil?""I don't understand what you mean?""Oh, yes, you do.""You mean with regard to Diaz?""That's what I mean. Have you had any trouble?""We had a slight disagreement," admitted the lad.

　　"Tell me about it.""Wait! There goes the music."The ringmaster's whip cracked its warning and the gray horse started ata slow gallop. Phil was up beside his companion with agility and grace.

　　The first round or two they stood poised on the horse, while Phil relatedbriefly what had taken place between himself and Diaz.

　　"Come, aren't you two going to get to work?" demanded theringmaster.

　　"You attend to your own work. We'll look out for ours," snappedDimples.

　　"Yes, and if you think you can do better just come up and try," addedPhil, with a good-natured laugh. "Up, Dimples!"He threw her lightly to his shoulders, on which the woman stoodpoised, making as graceful and pretty a picture as had ever been seen in acircus ring. Fragile as she was, it seemed as if Phil were all too slenderto support her weight.

　　The act brought a whirlwind of applause.

　　"You look out for him, Phil. I--""Jump, Dimples!"The ring horse had suddenly stumbled, its nose plowing up thesawdust in a cloud.

　　Phil, with rare presence of mind, lifted the feet from his shoulders andhurled the girl far from him.

　　"Land on your feet!" he shouted, then Phil plunged off, head first.