小说搜索     点击排行榜   最新入库
首页 » 经典英文小说 » The Circus Boys on the Flying Rings » CHAPTER XXIV. CONCLUSION
选择底色: 选择字号:【大】【中】【小】
CHAPTER XXIV. CONCLUSION
关注小说网官方公众号(noveltingroom),原版名著免费领。
 “You see, an accident always casts a cloud over a show and makes the performers uncertain,” said Mr. Miaco that night as he and Phil were watching the performance from the end of the band platform.
 
“I should think it would,” mused1 the boy.
 
Soon after that Phil went to his wagon2 and turned in, his mind still on Signor Navaro, who had been taken to a hospital, where he was destined3 to remain for many weeks.
 
“I guess it doesn’t pay, in the long run, to be dishonorable,” mused the lad as he was dropping off to sleep.
 
The next morning Phil was up bright and early, very much refreshed after a good night’s rest between his blankets in the comfortable sleeping wagon. Teddy, however, declared that he didn’t like it. He said he preferred to sleep on a pile of canvas in the open air, even if he did get wet once in a while.
 
Later in the morning, after Mr. Sparling had had time to dispose of his usual rush of morning business, which consisted of hearing reports from his heads of departments, and giving his orders for the day, Phil sought out his employer in the little dog tent.
 
“I’m very sorry about the accident, Mr. Sparling,” greeted Phil.
 
“Yes; it ties up one act. It will be some days before I can get another team in to take it up, and here we are just beginning to play the big towns. I have been trying to figure out if there was not someone in the show who could double in that act and get away with it,” mused the showman. “How’d you sleep?”
 
“Fine. Is there no one you can think of who could fill the bill, Mr. Sparling?”
 
“No; that’s the rub. You know of anyone?”
 
“How about myself.”
 
“What?”
 
Mr. Sparling surveyed the lad in surprised inquiry4.
 
“I think I can make a pretty fair showing on the rings. Of course, if Signor Navaro gets well and comes back, I shall be glad to give the act back to him. I know something about the flying rings.”
 
“Young man, is there anything in this show that you can’t do?” demanded Mr. Sparling, with an attempt at sternness.
 
“A great many things, sir. Then, again, there are some others that I have confidence enough in myself to believe I can do. You see, I have been practicing on the rings ever since I joined out.”
 
“But you are only one. We shall need two performers,” objected the owner.
 
“Teddy Tucker has been working with me. He is fully5 as good on the flying rings as I am, if not better.”
 
“H-m-m-m!” mused the showman. “Come over to the big top and let’s see what you really can do,” he said, starting up.
 
Phil ran in search of Teddy and in a few minutes the two boys appeared in the arena6, ready for the rehearsal7.
 
Mr. Miaco, who had been called on and informed of the news, accompanied them. It was he who hauled the boys up to the rings far up toward the top of the tent.
 
“Get a net under there! We don’t want to lose any more performers this season,” the clown commanded.
 
After some little delay the net was spread and the showman motioned for the performance to proceed, walking over and taking his seat on the boards so that he might watch the performance from the viewpoint of the audience.
 
With the utmost confidence the boys went through the act without a slip. They did everything that Signor Navaro had done in his performance, adding some clever feats8 of their own that had been devised with the help of Mr. Miaco. Mr. Sparling looked on with twinkling eyes and frequent nods of approval.
 
“Fine! Fine! One of the best flying-ring acts I ever saw,” he shouted, when finally the lads rounded out their act by a series of rapid evolutions commonly known as “skinning the cat.” Even in this their act was attended with variations.
 
The boys concluded by a graceful9 drop into the net, from which they bounded into the air, swung themselves to the ground, each throwing a kiss to the grinning manager.
 
A number of performers who had been a witness to the performance clapped their hands and shouted “bravo!”
 
Mr. Sparling called the lads to him.
 
“The act is yours,” he said. “It is better than Navaro’s. Each of you will draw twenty five dollars a week for the rest of the season,” he announced to the proud circus boys, who thereupon ran to the dressing10 tent to take a quick bath and get into their costumes ready for the parade.
 
“See to it that they have the net spread, Mr. Ducro,” he directed. “Never permit them to perform without it.”
 
That afternoon the boys made their first appearance in the flying-ring exhibition, and their act really proved a sensation. Mr. Sparling, who was observing it from the side, kept his head bobbing with nods of approval and muttered comments.
 
After the show Phil suggested that thereafter Teddy be allowed to use a clown makeup11, because his funny antics in the air were more fitted to the character of a clown than to that of a finished performer.
 
To this the owner readily agreed, and that night they tried it with tremendous success.
 
The days that followed were bright ones for the circus boys. Each day seemed an improvement over the previous one. The season drew rapidly to a close and they looked forward to the day with keen regret.
 
One day Mr. Sparling summoned them to his tent.
 
“Are you boys ready to sign up for next season?” he asked.
 
“I should like to,” answered Phil.
 
“This will be a railroad show next season, the third largest show on the road, and I want you both.”
 
“Thank you; I shall join gladly.”
 
“So will I,” chorused Teddy.
 
“Your salaries will be fifty dollars a week next season. And if you wish a vaudeville12 engagement for the winter I think I shall be able to get one for you.”
 
“We are going to school, Mr. Sparling. Teddy and I will be hard at work over our books next week. But we are going to keep up our practice all winter and perhaps we may have some new acts to surprise you with in the spring,” laughed Phil, his face aglow13 with happiness.
 
A week later found the lads back in Edmeston, bronzed, healthy, manly14 and admired by all who saw them. Phil had nearly four hundred dollars in the bank, while Teddy had about one hundred less.
 
Phil’s first duty after greeting Mrs. Cahill was to call on his uncle, who begrudgingly15 allowed his nephew to shake hands with him. Next day the circus boys dropped into their old routine life and applied16 themselves to their studies, at the same time looking forward to the day when the grass should grow green again and the little red wagons17 roll out for their summer journeyings.
 
Here we will leave them. But Phil and his companion will be heard from again in a following volume, to be published immediately, entitled, “THE CIRCUS BOYS ACROSS THE CONTINENT; Or, Winning New Laurels18 on the Tanbark.” In this volume their thrilling adventures under the billowing canvas are to be continued, leading them on to greater triumphs and successes.
 

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 mused 0affe9d5c3a243690cca6d4248d41a85     
v.沉思,冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 );沉思自语说(某事)
参考例句:
  • \"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们,”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道:‘我们这是在干什么?” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
2 wagon XhUwP     
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
参考例句:
  • We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
  • The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。
3 destined Dunznz     
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的
参考例句:
  • It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
  • The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。
4 inquiry nbgzF     
n.打听,询问,调查,查问
参考例句:
  • Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
  • The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。
5 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
6 arena Yv4zd     
n.竞技场,运动场所;竞争场所,舞台
参考例句:
  • She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
  • He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。
7 rehearsal AVaxu     
n.排练,排演;练习
参考例句:
  • I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
  • You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。
8 feats 8b538e09d25672d5e6ed5058f2318d51     
功绩,伟业,技艺( feat的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • He used to astound his friends with feats of physical endurance. 过去,他表现出来的惊人耐力常让朋友们大吃一惊。
  • His heroic feats made him a legend in his own time. 他的英雄业绩使他成了他那个时代的传奇人物。
9 graceful deHza     
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的
参考例句:
  • His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
  • The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。
10 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。
11 makeup 4AXxO     
n.组织;性格;化装品
参考例句:
  • Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
  • Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗?
12 vaudeville Oizw4     
n.歌舞杂耍表演
参考例句:
  • The standard length of a vaudeville act was 12 minutes.一个杂耍节目的标准长度是12分钟。
  • The mayor talk like a vaudeville comedian in his public address.在公共演讲中,这位市长讲起话来像个歌舞杂耍演员。
13 aglow CVqzh     
adj.发亮的;发红的;adv.发亮地
参考例句:
  • The garden is aglow with many flowers.园中百花盛开。
  • The sky was aglow with the setting sun.天空因夕阳映照而发红光。
14 manly fBexr     
adj.有男子气概的;adv.男子般地,果断地
参考例句:
  • The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
  • He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务,并希望别人效之。
15 begrudgingly 8db011a3070223ac1c5b15662f7d88da     
小气地,吝啬地
参考例句:
  • Then, begrudgingly, I clean up – which doesn't really take that much time. 于是,为了省钱,我打扫干净--那也不需要花很多时间。
  • His terrible directness made me feel peeved, and begrudgingly I conceded that he was right. 他的坦率让我恼火。我承认他是对的,但十分不甘心。
16 applied Tz2zXA     
adj.应用的;v.应用,适用
参考例句:
  • She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
  • This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。
17 wagons ff97c19d76ea81bb4f2a97f2ff0025e7     
n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 );铁路货车;小手推车
参考例句:
  • The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。
  • They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。
18 laurels 0pSzBr     
n.桂冠,荣誉
参考例句:
  • The path was lined with laurels.小路两旁都种有月桂树。
  • He reaped the laurels in the finals.他在决赛中荣膺冠军。


欢迎访问英文小说网

©英文小说网 2005-2010

有任何问题,请给我们留言,管理员邮箱:[email protected]  站长QQ :点击发送消息和我们联系56065533