It was late when the Circus Boy awoke next morning. A stewardrapped at the door and a suit of officer's clothes, brass buttons and all washanded in to him.
"With the captain's compliments, sir," said the steward. "He hopes itwill fit you. When you are ready, you will please come to the saloon forbreakfast.""Thank the captain for me, and say that I can't get there any too soon,"laughed Phil, springing out of bed.
The passengers had all heard the remarkable tale from the captain thatmorning, and they were anxious to see the young Circus Boy who hadperformed such a plucky act.
Phil entered the dining room, not thinking for a minute that he wouldbe recognized. When the passengers saw the handsome young fellow inan officer's uniform, they knew him. Everyone in the room sprang to hisfeet and three cheers rang out for Phil Forrest.
"Speech, speech!" cried someone.
Blushing faintly, Phil glanced about him.
"You cannot expect a boy to make much of a speech before breakfast,especially after he has been swimming most of the night. I don't knowthat I am entitled to any special credit. I saved only my own life, and Ido not expect to get a medal for it, either. I hope all of you will visitthe Great Sparling Shows at the first opportunity. Then I shall try toentertain you in a way that I understand far better than this. I'm verymuch obliged to you all."Then Phil sat down. The passengers gave him another cheer, louderand more enthusiastic than the first. Mr. Sparling would have been proudof the lad could he have heard that speech. Phil lost no opportunity toadvertise the Sparling shows, and every passenger on the boat, thatmorning, made up his mind to visit the show ere another week had passed.
All the rest of the morning Phil was a hero in the eyes of thepassengers, who followed him wherever he went, asking questions abouthis experience in the river, and how he had happened to fall in, as well asnumerous questions about the life of a circus man.
With regard to his accident, Phil had little to say. He seemed to wishto avoid discussing the falling-in matter, but his face took on a seriousexpression when it was referred to.
At last Memphis was sighted. Phil arranged with the captain toreturn the uniform, which he promised to send to St. Louis, so that hisbenefactor could get it on the return trip.
As the craft began drawing in toward the dock, the Circus Boy bade allthe passengers good-bye, everyone of whom insisted on shaking handswith him.
Phil walked off, the passengers giving him three cheers as he steppedover the gangplank to the dock. Before he had reached the end of it, hewas overtaken by a reporter who had just heard of Phil's feat and wishedan interview.
At first Phil was reluctant to speak.
"I think it will be a good advertisement for the show," he said tohimself. So the Circus Boy related, modestly, the story of hisexperience in the river and of his rescue of himself; not forgetting to saysome pleasant things about the Sparling shows, which would visitMemphis two days hence. That afternoon he saw his story set forth inthe Memphis newspaper. He bought two papers, one of which he tuckedin his pocket, sending the other to Mrs. Cahill, his guardian. His nextmove was to start for the station, to take a train for Corinth. He wasalready too late to reach that town in time for the afternoon performance,but he had wired Mr. Sparling that he was safe.
As it happened the lad reached the show grounds before his messagehad been delivered. Mr. Sparling, well nigh beside himself with worry,had telegraphed to all points passed by their boats, begging that neithereffort nor expense be spared to find his Circus Boy.
The showman was standing in front of his office tent, that afternoon, atabout three o'clock, his broad-brimmed slouch hat pulled well down overhis eyes, his hands thrust deep in his trousers pockets.
Off under the big top the band was playing a lively tune, and theside-show people were out in front sunning themselves, all discussing PhilForrest's mysterious disappearance.
After a short time, Mr. Sparling espied a young man in uniformcoming on the lot. He did not pay much attention to the stranger,thinking the fellow was a police officer or something of the sort.
As the young man drew nearer, however, the showman thought henoted something familiar in the springy step and the poise of the body.
"Now, who is that?" he muttered. "Somehow I seem to know thatyoungster."Others about the main entrance were also looking in his directionabout that time. Still no one seemed to recognize the young man.
All at once the showman tilted up the rim of his hat and gazed morekeenly.
"Phil!" he shouted, casting the hat aside and running forward withoutstretched arms. "It's Phil, it's Phil Forrest!"A moment more and Mr. James Sparling had clasped his little CircusBoy about the waist, hugging him delightedly. There was a suspiciousmoisture in the eyes of the showman, which he sought to hide from Phil.
"Phil! Phil! Where have you been?" he cried leading the boytoward the office tent. "And that uniform--what does it mean?""I will tell you all about it as soon as I get my breath," laughed the lad.
By this time the others out in front had hurried forward, showeringquestions upon the boy, all of which he answered without giving verymuch information. He wished to talk with Mr. Sparling first of all.
"Where is Teddy?" was almost his first question.
"He is in the big top at work.""I presume he was considerably excited when he missed me, was henot?""Yes, at first, but since then he has not said much. Teddy is a queerboy."The word was quickly passed that Phil had returned safe and sound,and ten minutes after his arrival every man and woman in the show hadheard the news. There was great rejoicing.
Teddy was going through his clown act when he first heard the rumorthat Phil was back. Teddy waited until he had worked around to theentrance to the menagerie tent when he suddenly darted through, leavinghis work and the ring, a most serious breach of discipline. Teddy,however, did not care. He was willing to be fined. He bolted throughthe main entrance like a miniature tornado, to the amazement of the doortenders.
"Where's Phil?" he shouted.
One of the doormen pointed to Mr. Sparling's office tent.
The little clown was off on a run.
"Hey, Phil, you old rascal! Where have you been?" he demanded,dashing into the small tent.
"I have been out for a swim, old fellow. Did you miss me?""I nearly broke my neck thinking about you this afternoon. Landedon my head in the leaping act, and I've got a pain in my neck yet.""Young man, what are you doing here?" demanded the showman,sternly.
"Same thing you are. Seeing Phil.""Get back to your act!""I'm off. I'll see you later, Phil, then we will talk it over.""We will, Teddy," and Teddy was off at top speed to take up hisperformance where he had so abruptly left it a few minutes before. Theringmaster had not missed him, though he saw at once that the boy wasnot on his station, when Teddy began to work again.
"Now, Phil, we will hear all about it. How in the name of theSparling shows did you get into that uniform?""The captain of the river boat that picked me up fitted me out.""So you really fell in?""I got _in,_ right.""Tell me all about it."The Circus Boy related his experiences from the time he found himselfin the river, until his arrival in Memphis that morning.
"Marvelous--almost unbelievable," breathed Mr. Sparling as the talewas unfolded. "I never heard anything to compare with it."When Phil told of his speech in the dining saloon of the riversteamboat, Mr. Sparling leaned back with hands on his hips, laughingimmoderately.
"Oh, Phil, you are the sort from which great showmen are made!"Phil handed over the Memphis paper with the account of hisexperience, which the showman glanced over briefly.
"That will give us another turn-away in Memphis. You can't stopthem, after that. They will come to the show even if they have to fighttheir way in. That was a great stroke of enterprise, but I would rather ithad not happened, of course.""What--the interview?""No, of course not. I mean your accident.""It is all right, Mr. Sparling. I am here now, and none the worse formy bath, but for a time I surely thought I was a goner. I would not care togo through that experience again.""I should say not. Yours was the most wonderful escape I ever heardof. I'll wager there was never anything like it before on this river."Mr. Sparling paused suddenly and bent a keen, searching glance onPhil Forrest's face. The lad felt that he knew what was in the mind of hisemployer.
"Phil?""Yes, sir.""You have not told me everything, yet.""What makes you think that, Mr. Sparling?""Because I know you so well. There is something on your mind thatyou have not told me. I want to know what it is."Phil's eyes were lowered to the green grass at his feet. For a momenthe was silent and thoughtful.
"What is it you wish me to tell you, Mr. Sparling?" he asked in a lowvoice.
"You have not given me a satisfactory explanation of how you came toget into the river.""Perhaps I fell in," answered the lad with a faint smile.
"Perhaps. But you have not said so. I want you to tell me how youdid get in.""I think I was thrown in, Mr. Sparling," answered the Circus Boyquickly.
"Thrown in!" exclaimed the showman, leaping to his feet, his faceworking convulsively in his effort to control his emotions. "Phil Forrest,do you mean that?""I do."Mr. Sparling sat down helplessly.
"Is it possible?""I am sure of it, sir.""Had anyone but you told me that I should have laughed. I know Ican depend upon what you say. Tell me more about it?""As I have already said, I was leaning on the rail and dropped off intoa doze. How long I had been in that position I do not know. I could nothave been there many minutes, or I should have gone so soundly asleepthat I would have fallen over to the deck, you know.""Yes, yes.""All at once I felt myself being lifted. At first, as I remember it, thesensation was as if the deck were dropping from under me. As I recalledthe incident afterwards, I realized that I had been lifted. You know allthat occurred after that.""Was there more than one who threw you overboard?""I am unable to say. I did not even see one," said Phil with a half-smile. "I felt myself being lifted--that's all. The next minute I was inthe river, with the 'Marie' pounding away downstream at a lively clip.""Dastardly! Dastardly!" growled the showman. "I shall send for adetective to meet us in Memphis tomorrow. This thing has gone farenough.""I think I agree with you, sir," was Phil's half-humorous answer. "But Ihad been in hopes of solving this mystery myself.""Yes, and you came near losing your life as the result. No, sir!
This thing must be cleared up at once. I shall wire to St. Louis now, andwe will have a man with us sometime tomorrow. Say nothing to anyone ofmy plan. The detective will join the show in some capacity or other,and have regular duties to perform. You will know him, but no one elsewill except myself. I think the Roman races are about due under thebig top now. Suppose you go in and change your clothes, joining me atmy table after you come out. We will talk these matters over at lengththis evening. When the officer reaches here I shall expect you to tell himfreely all that you know as well as what you suspect. Keep nothingfrom him. Run along, Phil. I want to think this matter over by myselffor a few minutes."As Phil entered the big top the Roman races were just coming on.
The chariot drivers, with their prancing steeds, had entered the arena.
Phil paused to wait until the fast and furious races were over. Theleading woman chariot driver was trying out a new three-horse team; thatis, two of the horses were new to the work, the third, being an old hand.
The new animals were spirited, and after the first round of the arena, Philsaw that they were nervous.
"I am afraid she is going to have trouble with that pair," muttered Philwith a shake of his head. "If she can keep them up to the mark, they willoutrun anything in the show today."The new team fairly tore around the arena. They won the first raceseasily, then lined up in the center to await the finals which were to followa few minutes later.
The ringmaster's whistle trilled for the successful drivers to swing outinto the concourse. They were driving furiously, almost before theechoes of the whistle had died away.
Making the turn at the lower end of the track in safety, the two teamsin the race squared away down the home stretch. All at once Phil sawthat something was wrong. The leading chariot was swaying dizzily, andthe driver was trying with all her strength to pull the plunging animalsdown.
Suddenly the wheel on the inner side slipped from its axle and wentrolling off into the center of the arena. The axle dropped to the turf,caught, then turned the chariot bottom side up.
The woman driver was hurled off into the center in the wake of thecareening wheel, landing on her head and shoulders beside the centerplatform.
The team did not stop, however. It started directly across the arena,in a diagonal course.
"She is hurt!" cried Phil. "Somebody will be killed unless that wildteam is stopped!"Giving no thought to the danger to himself, Phil Forrest darted acrossthe arena and leaped for the bridles of the plunging, frightened animals.
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