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CHAPTER XX. THE RETURN TO THE SAWDUST LIFE
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 “Is he dead?”
 
“No; you can’t kill a thick-head like that,” snarled1 the ringmaster.
 
The audience was still roaring.
 
With angry imprecations the members of the band who had fallen through were untangling themselves as rapidly as possible. Teddy, in the meantime, had dragged himself from beneath the heap and slunk out from under the broken platform. He lost no time in escaping to the paddock, but the bandmaster, espying2 him, started after the lad, waving his baton3 threateningly.
 
No sooner had Teddy gained the seclusion4 of the dressing5 tent than James Sparling burst in.
 
“Where’s that boy? Where’s that boy?”
 
“Here he is,” grinned a performer, thrusting Teddy forward, much against the lad’s inclinations6.
 
Mr. Sparling surveyed him with narrow eyes.
 
“You young rascal7! Trying to break up my show, are you?”
 
“N-no—sir.”
 
“Can you do that again, do you think?”
 
“I—I don’t know.”
 
“That’s the greatest Rube mule8 act that ever hit a sawdust ring. I’ll double your salary if you think you can get away with it every performance,” fairly shouted the owner.
 
“I—I’m willing if the mule is,” stammered9 Teddy somewhat doubtfully.
 
As a result the lad left his job in the cook tent, never to return to it. After many hard knocks and some heavy falls he succeeded in so mastering the act that he was able to go through with it without great risk of serious injury to himself. The educated mule and the boy became a feature of the Sparling Combined Shows from that moment on, but after that Teddy took good care not to round off his act by a high dive into the big bass10 horn.
 
No one was more delighted at Teddy Tucker’s sudden leap to fame than was his companion, Phil Forrest. Phil and Dr. Irvine returned to the show, one afternoon, about a week after the accident. They had come on by train.
 
Phil, though somewhat pale after his setback11, was clear-eyed, and declared himself as fit as ever. He insisted upon going on with his act at the evening performance, but Mr. Sparling told him to wait until the day following. In the meantime Phil could get his apparatus12 in working order.
 
“I’ll look it over myself this time,” announced the showman. “I don’t want any more such accidents happening in this show. Your friend Teddy nearly put the whole outfit13 to the bad—he and the fool mule.”
 
That afternoon Phil had an opportunity to witness for himself the exhibition of his companion and the “fool mule.” He laughed until his sides ached.
 
“O Teddy, you’ll break your neck doing that stunt14 one of these times,” warned Phil, hastening back to the dressing tent after Teddy and the mule had left the ring.
 
“Don’t you think it’s worth the risk?”
 
“That depends.”
 
“For two dollars a day?”
 
“Is that what you are getting?”
 
“Yep. I’m a high-priced performer,” insisted Teddy, snapping his trousers pocket significantly. “I’d jump off the big top, twice every day, for that figure.”
 
“What are you going to do with all your money? Spend it?”
 
“I—rather thought I’d buy a bicycle.”
 
Phil shook his head.
 
“You couldn’t carry it, and, besides, nobody rides bicycles these days. They ride in automobiles15.”
 
“Then I’ll buy one of them.”
 
“I’ll tell you what you do, Teddy.”
 
“Lend the money to you, eh?”
 
“No; I am earning plenty for myself. But every week, now, I shall send all my money home to Mrs. Cahill. I wrote to her about it while I was sick. She is going to put it in the bank for me at Edmeston, with herself appointed as trustee. That’s necessary, you see, because I am not of age. Then no one can take it away from me.”
 
“You mean your Uncle Abner?” questioned Teddy.
 
“Yes. I don’t know that he would want to; but I’m not taking any chances. Now, why not send your money along at the same time? Mrs. Cahill will deposit it in the same way, and at the end of the season think what a lot of money you will have?”
 
“Regular fortune?”
 
“Yes, a regular fortune.”
 
“What’ll I do with all that money?”
 
“Do what I’m going to do—get an education.”
 
“What, and leave the show business? No, siree!”
 
“I didn’t mean that. You can go to school between seasons. I don’t intend to leave the show business, but I’m going to know something besides that.”
 
“Well, I guess it would be a good idea,” reflected Teddy.
 
“Will you do it?”
 
“Yes; I’ll do it,” he nodded.
 
“Good for you! We’ll own a show of our own, one of these days. You mark me, Teddy,” glowed Phil.
 
“Of our own?” marveled Teddy, his face wreathing in smiles. “Say, wouldn’t that be great?”
 
“I think so. Have you been practicing on the rings since I left?”
 
“No.”
 
“That’s too bad. You and I will begin tomorrow. We ought to be pretty expert on the flying rings in a few weeks, if I don’t get hurt again,” added the boy, a shadow flitting across his face.
 
“Then, you’d better begin by taking some bends,” suggested Mr. Miaco, who, approaching, had overheard Phil’s remark.
 
“Bends?” questioned Teddy
 
“What are they?” wondered Phil. “Oh, I know. I read about them in the papers. It’s an attack that fellows working in a tunnel get when they’re digging under a river. I don’t want anything like that.”
 
“No, no, no,” replied Mr. Miaco in a tone of disgust. “It’s no disease at all.”
 
“No?”
 
“What I mean by bends is exercises. You have seen the performers do it—bend forward until their hands touch the ground, legs stiff, then tipping as far backwards16 as possible. Those are bending exercises, and the best things to do. The performers limber up for their act that way. If you practice it slowly several times a day you will be surprised to see what it will do for you. I’d begin today were I in your place, Phil. You’ll find yourself a little stiff when you go on in your elephant act tonight—”
 
“I’m not going on tonight—not until tomorrow. Mr. Sparling doesn’t wish me to.”
 
“All right. All the better. Exercise! I wouldn’t begin on the rings today either. Just take your bends, get steady on your feet and start in in a regular, systematic17 way tomorrow,” advised the head clown.
 
“Thank you, Mr. Miaco; I shall do so. I am much obliged to you. You are very kind to us.”
 
“Because I like you, and because you boys don’t pretend to know more about the circus business than men who have spent their lives in it.”
 
“I hope I shall never be like that,” laughed Phil. “I know I shall always be willing to learn.”
 
“And there always is something to learn in the circus life. None of us knows it all. There are new things coming up every day,” added the clown.
 
Phil left the dressing tent to go around to the menagerie tent for a talk with Mr. Kennedy and Emperor. Entering the tent the lad gave his whistle signal, whereat Emperor trumpeted18 loudly.
 
The big elephant greeted his young friend with every evidence of joy and excitement. Phil, of course, had brought Emperor a bag of peanuts as well as several lumps of sugar, and it was with difficulty that the lad got away from him after finishing his chat with Mr. Kennedy.
 
Phil was making a round of calls that afternoon, so he decided19 that he would next visit Mr. Sparling, having seen him only a moment, and that while others were around.
 
“May I come in?” he asked.
 
“Yes; what do you want?”
 
“To thank you for your kindness.”
 
“Didn’t I tell you never to thank me for anything?” thundered the showman.
 
“I beg your pardon, sir; I’ll take it all back,” twinkled Phil.
 
“Oh, you will, will you, young scapegrace? What did you come here for anyway? Not to palaver20 about how thankful you are that you got knocked out, stayed a week in bed and had your salary paid all the time. I’ll bet you didn’t come for that. Want a raise of salary already?”
 
“Hardly. If you’ll give me a chance, I’ll tell you, Mr. Sparling.”
 
“Go on. Say it quick.”
 
“I have been thinking about the fall I got, since I’ve been laid up.”
 
“Nothing else to think about, eh?”
 
“And the more I think about it, the more it bothers me.”
 
“Does, eh?” grunted21 Mr. Sparling, busying himself with his papers.
 
“Yes, sir. I don’t suppose it would be possible for me to get the broken wire now, would it? No doubt it was thrown away.”
 
The showman peered up at the boy suspiciously.
 
“What do you want of it?”
 
“I thought I should like to examine it.”
 
“Why?”
 
“To see what had been done to it.”
 
“Oh, you do, eh?”
 
“Yes, sir.”
 
“What do you think happened to that wire? It broke, didn’t it?”
 
“Yes, I guess there is no doubt about it but somebody helped to break it.”
 
“Young man, you are too confoundedly smart. Mark my words, you’ll die young. Yes; I have the wire. Here it is. Look at it. You are right; something happened to it, and I’ve been tearing myself to pieces, ever since, to find out who it was. I’ve got all my amateur sleuths working on the case, this very minute, to find out who the scoundrel is who cut the wire. Have you any idea about it? But there’s no use in asking you. I—”
 
“I’ve got this,” answered Phil, tossing a small file on the table in front of Mr. Sparling.
 
“What, what, what? A file?”
 
“Yes, will you see if it fits the notch22 in the wire there?”
 
The showman did so, holding file and wire up to the light for a better examination of them.
 
“There can be no doubt of it,” answered the amazed showman, fixing wondering eyes on the young man. “Where did you get it?”
 
“Picked it up.”
 
“Where?”
 
“In the dressing tent.”
 
“Pooh! Then it doesn’t mean anything,” grunted Mr. Sparling.
 
“If you knew where I picked it up you might think differently.”
 
“Then where did you get it?”
 
“Found it in my own trunk.”
 
“In your trunk?”
 
Phil nodded.
 
“How did it get there?”
 
“I had left my trunk open after placing some things in it. When I went out to watch Teddy’s mule act I was in such a hurry that I forgot all about the trunk. When I came back, there it lay, near the end—”
 
“Somebody put it there!” exploded the showman.
 
“Yes.”
 
“But who? Find that out for me—let me know who the man is and you’ll hear an explosion in this outfit that will raise the big top right off the ground.”
 
“Leave it to me, Mr. Sparling, I’ll find him.”
 
The owner laughed harshly.
 
“How?”
 
“I think I know who the man is at this very minute,” was Phil Forrest’s startling announcement, uttered in a quiet, even tone.
 
Mr. Sparling leaped from his chair so suddenly that he overturned the table in front of him, sending his papers flying all over the place.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 snarled ti3zMA     
v.(指狗)吠,嗥叫, (人)咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 );咆哮着说,厉声地说
参考例句:
  • The dog snarled at us. 狗朝我们低声吼叫。
  • As I advanced towards the dog, It'snarled and struck at me. 我朝那条狗走去时,它狂吠着向我扑来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 espying c23583be9461e37616c8600966feafcb     
v.看到( espy的现在分词 )
参考例句:
3 baton 5Quyw     
n.乐队用指挥杖
参考例句:
  • With the baton the conductor was beating time.乐队指挥用指挥棒打拍子。
  • The conductor waved his baton,and the band started up.指挥挥动指挥棒,乐队开始演奏起来。
4 seclusion 5DIzE     
n.隐遁,隔离
参考例句:
  • She liked to sunbathe in the seclusion of her own garden.她喜欢在自己僻静的花园里晒日光浴。
  • I live very much in seclusion these days.这些天我过着几乎与世隔绝的生活。
5 dressing 1uOzJG     
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料
参考例句:
  • Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
  • The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。
6 inclinations 3f0608fe3c993220a0f40364147caa7b     
倾向( inclination的名词复数 ); 倾斜; 爱好; 斜坡
参考例句:
  • She has artistic inclinations. 她有艺术爱好。
  • I've no inclinations towards life as a doctor. 我的志趣不是行医。
7 rascal mAIzd     
n.流氓;不诚实的人
参考例句:
  • If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做,我就认为他是个恶棍。
  • The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。
8 mule G6RzI     
n.骡子,杂种,执拗的人
参考例句:
  • A mule is a cross between a mare and a donkey.骡子是母马和公驴的杂交后代。
  • He is an old mule.他是个老顽固。
9 stammered 76088bc9384c91d5745fd550a9d81721     
v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠,结结巴巴地说,“你是什么意思?” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
10 bass APUyY     
n.男低音(歌手);低音乐器;低音大提琴
参考例句:
  • He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
  • The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。
11 setback XzuwD     
n.退步,挫折,挫败
参考例句:
  • Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
  • She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。
12 apparatus ivTzx     
n.装置,器械;器具,设备
参考例句:
  • The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
  • They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。
13 outfit YJTxC     
n.(为特殊用途的)全套装备,全套服装
参考例句:
  • Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
  • His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。
14 stunt otxwC     
n.惊人表演,绝技,特技;vt.阻碍...发育,妨碍...生长
参考例句:
  • Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。
  • Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。
15 automobiles 760a1b7b6ea4a07c12e5f64cc766962b     
n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后,就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上,汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
16 backwards BP9ya     
adv.往回地,向原处,倒,相反,前后倒置地
参考例句:
  • He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
  • All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。
17 systematic SqMwo     
adj.有系统的,有计划的,有方法的
参考例句:
  • The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
  • The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。
18 trumpeted f8fa4d19d667140077bbc04606958a63     
大声说出或宣告(trumpet的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Soldiers trumpeted and bugled. 士兵们吹喇叭鸣号角。
  • The radio trumpeted the presidential campaign across the country. 电台在全国范围大力宣传总统竞选运动。
19 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
20 palaver NKLx0     
adj.壮丽堂皇的;n.废话,空话
参考例句:
  • We don't want all that palaver,do we?我们不想那样小题大做,不是吗?
  • Progress is neither proclamation nor palaver.进步不是宣言,也不是空谈。
21 grunted f18a3a8ced1d857427f2252db2abbeaf     
(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
参考例句:
  • She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声,继续看书,不屑抬起头来看一眼。
  • She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。
22 notch P58zb     
n.(V字形)槽口,缺口,等级
参考例句:
  • The peanuts they grow are top-notch.他们种的花生是拔尖的。
  • He cut a notch in the stick with a sharp knife.他用利刃在棒上刻了一个凹痕。


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