The circus was one of the few road shows that are now traveling through the country, as distinguished4 from the great modern organizations that travel by rail with from one to half a dozen massive trains. The Sparling people drove from town to town. They carried twenty-five wagons, besides a band wagon2, a wild-west coach and a calliope.
“Phil! Phil! Look!” exclaimed Teddy, clutching at his companion’s coat sleeve, as two hulking, swaying figures appeared out of the shadows of the early morning.
“Where?”
“There.”
“Elephants! There’s two of them.”
“Ain’t that great? I didn’t suppose they’d have any elephants. Wonder if there’s any lions and tigers in those big wagons.”
“Of course there are. Didn’t you see pictures of them on the bills, Teddy?”
“I don’t know. Dan Marts, the postmaster, says you can’t set any store by the pictures. He says maybe they’ve got the things you see in the pictures, and maybe they haven’t. There’s a camel! Look at it! How’d you like to ride on that hump all day?” questioned Teddy gleefully.
“Shouldn’t like it at all.”
“I read in my geography that they ride on them all the time on the—on—on Sarah’s Desert.”
“Oh, you mean the Sahara Desert—that’s what you mean,” laughed Phil.
“Well, maybe.”
“I should rather ride an elephant. See, it’s just like a rocking chair. I could almost go to sleep watching them move along.”
“I couldn’t,” declared Teddy. “I couldn’t any more go to sleep when a circus is going by than I could fly without wings.”
“See, there comes a herd5 of ponies6. Look how small they are. Not much bigger than St. Bernard dogs. They could walk right under the elephants and not touch them.”
“Where do they all sleep?” wondered Teddy.
“Who, the ponies?”
“No, of course not. The people.”
“I don’t know unless they sleep in the cages with the animals,” laughed Phil. “Some of the folks appear to be sleeping on the horses.”
“Sure,” agreed Phil. “Hello! There come some more wagons. Come on! We’ll run down to meet them.”
“No; Let’s go over to the grounds where the circus is coming off. They’ll be putting up the tents first thing we know.”
“That’s so, and I want to be around. You going to work any, Teddy?”
“Not I. I’m going to see the show, but you don’t catch me carrying pails of water for the elephants for a ticket of admission that don’t admit you to anything except a stand-up. I can stand up cheaper than that.”
Both boys slipped from the fence, and, setting off at a jog trot8, began rapidly overhauling9 and passing the slow-moving wagons with their tired horses and more tired drivers.
By the time Teddy and Phil reached the circus grounds several wagons were already there. Shouts sprang up from all parts of the field, while half a dozen men began measuring off the ground in the dim morning light, locating the best places in which to pitch the tents. Here and there they would drive in a stake, on one of which they tied a piece of newspaper.
“Wonder what that’s for,” thought Phil aloud.
“That’s the front door, sonny.”
“He means that’s the place where the people enter and leave their tickets.”
“Oh, yes. That’s what they call the ‘Main Entrance,’” nodded Teddy. “I’ve seen it, but I don’t usually go in that way.”
With the early dawn figures began emerging from several of the wagons. They were a sleepy looking lot, and for a time stood about in various attitudes, yawning, stretching their arms and rubbing their eyes.
“Hey, boy, what town is this?” questioned a red-haired youth, dragging himself toward the two lads.
“Edmeston.”
“Oh, yes. I remember; I was here once before.”
“With a show?” asked Teddy.
“Yes, with a Kickapoo Indian medicine man. And he was bad medicine. Say, where can I wash my countenance12?”
“Come on; I’ll show you,” exclaimed Teddy and Phil in the same breath.
They led the way to the opposite side of the field, where there was a stream of water. While the circus boy was making his morning toilet the lads watched him in admiring silence.
“What do you do?” ventured Phil.
“I perform on the rings.”
“Up in the air?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Ever fall off?”
“I get my bumps,” grinned the red-haired boy. “My name is Rodney Palmer. What’s your names?”
They told him.
“We’re going to be circus men, too,” Teddy informed him, but the announcement did not seem to stir a deep interest in the circus boy. He had heard other boys say the same thing. “Is it very hard work?”
“Worst ever.”
“When do you sleep?”
“When we ain’t awake.”
“And you perform on the flying rings?”
Rodney nodded his head indifferently.
“I should think you’d burn the tent up with that head of red hair,” grinned Teddy.
Instead of getting angry at the boy’s thrust, Rodney glanced at Teddy with a half questioning look in his eyes, then burst out laughing.
“You’re a cheerful idiot, aren’t you?” he twinkled. “I’ll tell you why I don’t. Confidentially13, you know?”
“Sure.”
“I wear a wig14 when I’m performing. Mebby if it wasn’t for that I might set something on fire. I must get over on the lot now.”
“You’re in a lot already,” Teddy informed him.
“We call the place where we pitch the tents ‘the lot.’ The cook tent must be up by this time, and I’m half starved. The performance was so late yesterday afternoon that they had the cook tent down before I got my supper. Will you come along?”
They did.
“Do you think there is anything I could do to earn a ticket to the show today?” asked Phil.
“Yes, there’s most always something for a boy to do.”
“Whom do I ask about it?”
“Go see the boss canvasman. I’ll point him out to you as we go along.”
“Thank you. You want to see him, too, Teddy?”
“No; I don’t have to.”
“That’s him over there. He’s a grouch15, but just don’t let him bluff16 you. Yes, the cook tent’s about ready. I’ll sneak17 in and hook something before breakfast; then mebby I’ll come back and talk with you.”
“We’ll look for you in the show this afternoon,” said Phil.
“All right, if I see you I’ll swing my hand to you,” Rodney replied, starting for the cook tent, where the meals were served to the show people.
“Now, I’m going to see that boss canvasman,” announced Phil. “See, they are laying the pieces of the tents flat on the ground. I suppose they fasten them all together when they get them placed, then raise them up on the poles.”
“I guess so. I don’t care much so long as I don’t have to do it.”
“Don’t I have just as good a time and better, than you do?”
“Guess you do.”
“Don’t I get just as much to eat?”
“I presume so,” admitted Phil.
“Don’t I see all the shows that come to town, and go to all the picnics?”
“Yes.”
“Then, what’s the use of being any more’n lazy?”
“No, they are using the elephant to push the cage around in place. I wonder what’s in it,” said Phil.
A roar that fairly made the ground shake answered Phil’s question. The cage in question held a lion, and a big, ugly one if his voice was any indication. The great elephant, when the cage was being placed, would, at a signal from its keeper, place its ponderous22 head against one side of the cage and push, while a driver would steer23 the wagon by taking hold of the end of the tongue.
It was a novel sight for the two boys, and they watched it with the keenest interest. A man dressed in riding clothes, carrying a short crop in his hand, was observing the operations with equal interest. He was James Sparling, the proprietor24 and manager of the Great Combined Shows, but the lads were unaware25 of that fact. Even had they known, it is doubtful if Mr. Sparling would have been of sufficient attraction to draw their attention from the working elephant.
All at once there was a warning shout from Mr. Sparling.
The men set up a yell, followed by a sudden scurrying26 from the immediate27 vicinity of the cage that the elephant had been shunting about.
“Stop it! Brace it!” bellowed28 the owner of the show, making frantic29 motions with his free hand, cutting circles and dashes in the air with the short crop held in the other.
“What’s the row?” wondered Teddy.
“The elephant’s tipping the lion cage over!” shouted someone. “Run for your lives!”
For once in his life Teddy Tucker executed a lightning-like movement. He was one of several dark streaks31 on the landscape running as if Wallace, the biggest lion in captivity32, were in reality hard upon his heels. As he ran, Teddy uttered a howl that could have been heard from one end of the circus lot to the other.
A few of the more fearless ones, the old hands of the show, did not attempt to run. Instead they stood still, fairly holding their breaths, waiting to see what would happen next.
Mr. Sparling was too far away to be able to do anything to prevent the catastrophe33 that was hanging over them, but it did not prevent him from yelling like a madman at the inactive employees of the show.
At the first cry—the instant he comprehended what was happening— Phil Forrest moved every bit as quickly as had his companion, though he leaped in the opposite direction.
All about on the ground lay tent poles of various length and thickness, side poles, quarter poles and the short side poles used to hold the tent walls in place. These were about twenty feet in length and light enough to be easily handled.
With ready resourcefulness and quick comprehension, Phil pounced34 upon one of these and darted35 toward the cage which was toppling over in his direction.
The roof of the lion cage that housed Wallace projected over the edge some six inches, and this had caught the keen eyes of the lad at the first alarm. His plan had been formed in a flash.
He shot one end of the side pole up under the projecting roof, jammed the other end into the ground, throwing his whole weight upon the foot of the pole to hold it in place.
For an instant the tent pole bent36 like a bow under the pull of the archer37. It seemed as if it must surely snap under the terrific strain.
Phil saw this, too. Now that the foot of the pole was firmly imbedded in the ground, there was no further need for him to hold it down. He sprang under the pole with the swaying cage directly over him, grabbed the pole at the point where it was arching so dangerously, and pulling himself from the ground, held to the slippery stick desperately38.
Light as he was the boy’s weight saved the pole. It bent no further.
The cage swayed from side to side, threatening to topple over at one end or the other.
“Get poles, you lazy good-for-nothings!” bellowed the owner. “Brace those ends. Look out for the elephant. Don’t you see he’s headed for the cage again?”
Orders flew thick and fast, but through it all Phil Forrest hung grimly to the side pole, taking a fresh overhand hold, now and then, as his palms slipped down the painted stick.
Now that he had shown the way, others sprang to his assistance. Half a dozen poles were thrust up under the roof and the cage began slowly settling back the other way.
“Hadn’t you better have some poles braced40 against the other side, sir?” suggested Phil, touching41 his hat to Mr. Sparling, who, he had discovered, was some person in authority. “The cage may tip clear over on the other side, or it may drop so heavily on the wheels as to break the axles.”
“Right. Brace the off side. That’s right. Now let it down slowly. Not so hard on the nigh side there. Ease off there, Bill. Push, Patsy. What do you think this is—a game of croquet? There you go. Right. Now let’s see if you woodenheads know enough to keep the wagon right side up.”
Mr. Sparling took off his hat and wiped the perspiration42 from his forehead, while Phil stood off calmly surveying the men who were straightening the wagon, but with more caution than they had exercised before.
“Come here, boy.”
Someone touched Phil on the arm.
“What is it?”
“Boss wants to speak to you.”
“Who?”
“Boss Sparling, the fellow over there with the big voice and the sombrero.”
Phil walked over and touched his hat to Mr. Sparling.
The showman looked the lad over from head to foot.
“What’s your name?” He shot the question at the lad as if angry about something, and he undoubtedly43 was.
“Phil Forrest.”
“Do they grow your kind around here?”
“I can’t say, sir.”
“If they do, I’d like to hire a dozen or more of them. You’ve got more sense than any boy of your age I ever saw. How old are you?”
“Sixteen.”
“I should like to have a chance to earn a pass to the show this afternoon. Rodney Palmer said the boss canvasman might give me a chance to earn one.”
“Earn one? Earn one?” Mr. Sparling’s voice rose to a roar again. “What in the name of Old Dan Rice do you think you’ve been doing? Here you’ve kept a cage with a five-thousand-dollar lion from tipping over, to say nothing of the people who might have been killed had the brute45 got out, and you want to know how you can earn a pass to the show? What d’ye think of that?” and the owner appealed helplessly to an assistant who had run across the lot, having been attracted to the scene by the uproar46.
The assistant grinned.
“He’s too modest to live.”
“Pity modesty47 isn’t more prevalent in this show, then. How many do you want? Have a whole section if you say the word.”
“How many are there in a section?” asked Phil.
“ ’Bout a hundred seats.”
“I—I guess two will be enough,” he made answer.
“Here you are,” snapped the owner, thrusting a card at the lad, on which had been scribbled49 some characters, puzzling to the uninitiated. “If you want anything else around this show you just ask for it, young man. Hey, there! Going to be all day getting that canvas up? Don’t you know we’ve got a parade coming along in a few hours?”
Phil Forrest, more light of heart than in many days, turned away to acquaint his companion of his good fortune. Teddy Tucker was making his way cautiously back to the scene of the excitement of a few moments before.
“Did he get away?” Teddy questioned, ready to run at the drop of the hat should the danger prove to be still present.
“Who, the manager?”
“No, the lion.”
“He’s in the cage where he’s been all the time. They haven’t opened it yet, but I guess he’s all right. Say, Teddy!”
“Say it.”
“I’ve got a pass to the show for two people for both performances—this afternoon and tonight.”
The interest that the announcement brought to Teddy’s eyes died away almost as soon as it appeared.
“Going?”
“Am I going? I should say so. Want to go in with me on my pass, Teddy?”
The lad hitched50 his trousers, took a critical squint51 at the canvas that was slowly mounting the center pole to the accompaniment of creaking ropes, groaning52 tackle and confused shouting.
“They’re getting the menagerie tent up. I’ll bet it’s going to be a dandy show,” he vouchsafed53. “How’d you get the tickets?”
“Manager gave them to me.”
“What for?”
“I did a little work for him. Helped get the lion’s cage straightened up. How about it—are you going in on my pass?”
“N-o-o,” drawled Teddy. “Might get me into bad habits to go in on a pass. I’d rather sneak in under the tent when the boss isn’t looking.”
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1
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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2
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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3
wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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4
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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5
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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6
ponies
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| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
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7
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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8
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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9
overhauling
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| n.大修；拆修；卸修；翻修v.彻底检查( overhaul的现在分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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10
peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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11
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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12
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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13
confidentially
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| ad.秘密地，悄悄地 | |
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14
wig
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| n.假发 | |
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15
grouch
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| n.牢骚，不满；v.抱怨 | |
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16
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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17
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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18
brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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19
logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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20
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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21
butting
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| 用头撞人（犯规动作） | |
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22
ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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23
steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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24
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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25
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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26
scurrying
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 ) | |
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27
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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28
bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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29
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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30
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
streaks
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| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
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32
captivity
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| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
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33
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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34
pounced
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| v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击） | |
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35
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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36
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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37
archer
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| n.射手，弓箭手 | |
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38
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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39
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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40
braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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41
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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42
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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43
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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44
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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45
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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46
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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47
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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48
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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49
scribbled
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| v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
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50
hitched
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| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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51
squint
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| v. 使变斜视眼, 斜视, 眯眼看, 偏移, 窥视; n. 斜视, 斜孔小窗; adj. 斜视的, 斜的 | |
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52
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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53
vouchsafed
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
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