Leo the Circus Boy: or, Life under the great white canvas
TextCHAPTER XXIV. – IN THE CIRCUS RING AGAIN
“Leo, Mr. Lambert wants to see you,” said Barton Reeve, after the excitement of the arrest was over.
“What about?” questioned the young gymnast.
“Oh, he wants to see you, that’s all,” added Reeve, with a peculiar wink of his eye.
The circus manager was at the main ticket wagon, as usual. As Leo entered, he held out his hand.
“Dunbar, I did you a great wrong, and I am sorry for it,” he said frankly.
“I am glad that my name is cleared, Mr. Lambert,” said Leo, as he took the extended hand.
“We owe you something for what you have done for the show,” went on the manager. “You did what the detectives failed to do, and I feel I ought to pay you a reward.”
“You can reward me well enough by taking me back, Mr. Lambert – that is, if you will take my present side partner, too,” Leo added, for he did not intend to desert Carl, who had done so much for him.
“I don’t understand. Who is your partner?”
“Carl Ross, a magician and juggler. He is very clever, and I think would make a hit with the show. We have been traveling around giving private exhibitions.“
“In that case, I will be pleased to see what your partner can do. Can he come around to the dressing-tent just before the evening performance begins?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Very well then. Have him bring what apparatus he possesses with him. And remember, your old place is open whenever you care to step into it again.”
“I’ll be on hand as soon as you settle with Carl Ross,” smiled Leo.
He lost no time in hunting up Carl, who was close at hand, having heard of the arrest of the ticket thieves at the hotel.
“The manager of the circus says my old position is open for me,” said Leo.
“Are you going to leave me, Leo?” asked Carl, with an anxious look on his face.
“No. I said I would rejoin if he would give you an opening too.”
“Oh!”
“He wants you to show what you can do at the dressing tent a little before seven o’clock.” And Leo went into a few particulars. “Do your best, Carl, and you are sure of a steady place at a good salary.”
“That would certainly be far better than knocking around, as we have been doing, on an uncertainty.”
That evening Carl presented himself, in company with Leo, and gave an exhibition of his finest tricks and of his most dexterous juggling. Mr. Lambert was greatly pleased.
“You’ll do first rate,” he said, when Carl had concluded. “If you wish, you can join us, and I’ll pay you the same wages that I was paying Dunbar.”
Carl accepted on the spot, and the next day found him and Leo traveling with the other performers of the “Greatest Show on Earth.”
Leo’s friends were glad to see him back, and doubly glad that they had gotten rid of Snipper.
“I never want to see that man again,” declared Natalie Sparks, and nobody blamed her.
The next two weeks were busy ones for Leo. Not only had he to practice up himself in his old acts, but he had also to instruct a new gymnast who came to take Snipper’s place.
The newcomer was named Harry Ray. He was a first-class fellow, and soon he and Leo and Carl became warm friends.
The “Greatest Show on Earth” moved nearly every day. Its course was westward, something which did not suit the young gymnast, but which was also something he could not help.
For during all his adventures he had not forgotten about the old life at Hopsville, and how Barton Reeve had promised, when he got the chance, to look up his monetary affairs for him. One day he spoke to Reeve about it.
“I haven’t forgotten, Leo, don’t think that. But at present I can do nothing.”
“When will we move eastward again?”
“That I can’t say either. It will depend to a great extent on how matters pan out in the West. If we don’t take in much money we’ll turn back again as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made.”
“Well, I want the show to make all the money possible. But I want my rights, too.”
“And you shall get them; never fear of that,” concluded Barton Reeve.
“I reckon Nathan Dobb is glad to get rid of the care of me,” thought Leo, as he walked away. “And yet, it seems to me he has been acting very queerly.”
Never for an instant did the young gymnast dream that Nathan Dobb had placed Hank Griswold on his track to do him harm.
Why Griswold had not put in an appearance ere this will be related later.
CHAPTER XXV. – ANOTHER BALLOON TRIP
In the middle of the ring the circus men usually built a large tank, in which several celebrated swimmers and divers used to give a special performance.
This was something new in the circus line, and it made a hit with the audience.
One morning one of the swimmers, a lad named Delbier, was trying a new act.
This was to turn in the air in a peculiar way and land in the water on his side, with his body tied up in a knot.
It was a very difficult feat, and Leo watched Delbier with interest.
“That’s dangerous,” he said.
“I know it, but orders are for something new, and it’s the only thing I can think of,” was the reply.
Leo was practicing on the rings close at hand, and for some minutes all went along well.
Then Delbier did the new trick. Down he went into the tank, but failed to come up.
Leo waited for nearly half a minute, and then growing alarmed, dropped from the rings and hurried to the edge of the tank.
In the clear water he beheld Delbier at the bottom.
The fellow had disjointed himself in some way and could not straighten out.
He was in great danger of drowning.
Without hesitation Leo leaped into the tank, intending to raise the doubled-up body.
He made an alarming discovery.
Delbier had a cramp, and his right hand and left foot were tightly twisted about a corner brace in the bottom of the water-box.
In vain Leo tugged to free the diver. He could not break that deathlike hold.
In less than half a minute Leo was out of breath.
It looked as if he must arise to the surface and leave poor Delbier to his fate.
But then he clinched his teeth.
“I’ll save him,” he thought grimly.
Catching the brace in both hands, he planted his feet against the side of the tank.
Then he strained and tugged for dear life.
At first the brace, which was screwed on, would not budge.
But finally it parted with a snap which sounded unusually loud in the water.
Delbier still clung to it, and so Leo brought both brace and drowning man to the surface together.
By this time a crowd of helpers and performers had gathered.
“What’s the matter?”
“Hello! Delbier has a cramp!”
“See how he holds to the brace!”
“Leo Dunbar saved him. He tore the brace loose!”
Meanwhile a doctor was sent for. He quickly came, and after an hour’s hard work succeeded in bringing Delbier around all right.
Leo’s wonderful nerve was much commented upon.
“He’s a plucky chap,” said Pomeroy, the head of the tumblers, and all agreed with him.
Delbier was very thankful to our hero for what he had done for him, and from that day he was added to Leo’s growing list of friends.
About this time the “Greatest Show on Earth” was joined by a balloonist named Professor Ricardo, and his assistant, Larry Greson. The professor gave ascensions in the afternoon, previous to the circus performance, and thereby attracted large crowds.
Professor Ricardo was a jovial sort of fellow and he and Leo were soon on good terms.
“How would you like to go up some day with me, Dunbar?” he asked one afternoon.
“First-rate.”
“It’s a peculiar sensation when you go up for the first time.”
The young gymnast smiled.
“It wouldn’t be my first trip,” he said. “I went up once before – in a big hurry.”
And he told of his adventure while trying to escape from Daniel Hawkins.
About a week after this Leo went up with the professor, taking the place of the assistant. He rather enjoyed the trip and was not at all afraid.
“I’m used to swinging around in the air, you know,” he explained.
The circus was going still further west, and one day it struck a town around which the forest fires were raging rather extensively. On this same day Larry Greson came to the manager of the show and said that Professor Ricardo was sick and could not give his customary exhibition.
“That’s too bad,” replied Adam Lambert. “It has been advertised, and I hate to disappoint the crowds.”
Leo heard about the trouble and presently he volunteered to go up with Greson.
“I’ll do a turn or two on the bar and the country folks won’t know the difference,” he said.
And so it was arranged that the young gymnast should go up.
“But be mighty careful, Leo,” cautioned Barton Reeve. “We can’t afford to lose you.”
At the appointed time Leo was on hand, the big balloon was inflated, and up the monster went, with Greson in the tiny basket and Leo clinging to a bar beneath.
The wind was blowing rather strongly, and as they shot up it increased in velocity. Before Leo had time to make a dozen turns on the bar the balloon had left the circus grounds far behind and was sailing rapidly over the outskirts of the town.
Far ahead could be seen the burning forests.
It being useless to remain on the bar, Leo hastily clambered into the basket.
“We had better come down,” he cried.
“We can’t come down fast enough,” gasped Greson.
“What do you mean, Greson?”
“We are sailing along too fast. We’ll land right in the center of the fire.”
“Then what is best to do?”
“Sail over it and land on the other side of the woods.”
“Can we do that?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Then go ahead,” returned Leo, much relieved. “Put some more alcohol on your sponge,” he added, referring to the sponge which was blazing beneath the balloon opening to keep the air hot.
Leo kept a sharp lookout ahead while Greson tended to the lighted sponge.
They kept well up in the air.
It was not long before the burning forest could be seen plainly.
“Gosh! but we don’t want to get down in that!” cried Greson, with a shudder. “We would never come out alive!”
“Look to your sponge!” called out the young gymnast sharply.
A puff of wind had blown the flame in an opposite direction.
Greson turned to comply, but at that moment the wind took a piece of the lighted sponge from the holder and carried it upward.
It caught on the balloon. There was a puff of smoke and a tiny flame.
The balloon was on fire!
White with terror, Greson sank down on the floor of the basket, too overcome to think or act.
Leo’s heart leaped into his throat.
They were speeding with terrible swiftness directly toward the forest of fire.
CHAPTER XXVI. – ADVENTURES AMID THE FLAMES
There was no escape, for the burning balloon was going down in the very midst of the crackling forest.
Already the atmosphere was thick with smoke and flaming pieces of wood and brush.
It was with difficulty that Leo breathed, and he could scarcely see a dozen feet before him.
Larry Greson, the assistant, lay on the floor of the basket, too frightened to move.
“Out with the sandbags!” cried the young gymnast. “It is our one hope!”
“What’s the use? The balloon is on fire!” gasped Greson hopelessly.
“We must do something – I won’t give up!” was Leo’s response.
He began to cast out the heavy bags one after the other. Greson at last consented to help him.
The burning balloon shot up into the air fifty or sixty feet. But only for a few seconds.
Yet this space of time was enough to carry them over the worst of the burning forest.
Then they began to settle again, the smoke rolling blackly on all sides of them.
“We’re goners!” groaned Greson. “Good-by.”
Splash! What was this? Both could scarcely believe the evidence of their senses.
They had dropped into the very center of a little lake in the midst of the forest. Down they went, with the burning balloon settling over them. Both knew enough to leap from the basket and dive under. It was well they did so; otherwise they would have been caught in the folds of the ignited monster and drowned like rats in a trap.
Leo took a long dive, and when he came up he was fully fifty feet away from what was left of the once valuable balloon, now partly above and partly below water, and still burning and hissing.
“Larry, where are you?” he called out.
He received no reply, but a moment later perceived his assistant puffing and blowing not a dozen feet away.
“This is awful!” spluttered Greson. “We’ve escaped from fire to be drowned.”
“Nonsense! Come, let us swim ashore.”
“How can we do that when the fire is on all sides of the lake?” was Greson’s dismayed answer.
“I’ll find some spot to land, never fear,” was Leo’s confident reply.
He led the way, and Greson, being a good swimmer, easily followed.
The firebrands were thick about them, and often they had to duck to get out of the way of being burned. It was with difficulty that they could get any fresh air.
To one side of the lake, which was not over three hundred feet in diameter, Leo beheld a number of high rocks comparatively free from burning brush. Hither he directed his course.
“We can get on the rocks, if nothing else,” he said.
“Yes, and have our feet blistered,” growled Greson. “I’ll bet the stones are as hot as pepper.”
“We’ll try them, anyway.”
The young gymnast swam around with great care before he essayed to land.
Presently he discovered a little cove, and further on a split in the rocks several feet in width.
“Just the spot! Come,” he shouted to Greson.
He led the way into the narrow opening. Fifteen feet further on was a bit of a cave, and into this the pair crawled on hands and knees.
It was much cooler in the cave than it had been outside. By lying flat on the flooring they managed to get a current of fresh air. There was also a little pool there, and both washed the sweat and smoke from their faces and procured a drink. They were exhausted, and only too glad to about lie down and rest in their safe retreat.
“A narrow escape, truly,” said Leo with a shiver.
“We ain’t out of it yet,” returned Greson.
“I know that.”
“We may have to stay here a week, and without food; that won’t be very pleasant.”
Slowly the day wore on.
Overhead the flames crackled and roared as if delighted to hold sway over such an immense area of woods.
Once the wind changed a bit and blew the smoke directly down upon them. But just as they had about made up their minds that they would have to seek new quarters it went back, and they were molested no more on that score.
Toward evening both began to feel hungry.
“There ought to be lots of dead birds and small animals around,” said the young gymnast. “But the thing is to get hold of them.”
“I’m not going to venture out – at least not yet,” said Greson.
“All right – let’s wait till empty stomachs drive us out.”
“I have an idea. The lake – it must have fish in it.”
“That’s right!” cried Leo.
He had some line in his pocket. Soon he had made a hook with a big bent pin.
In the meantime Greson dug around among some dirt near the pool for worms. He brought out several.
The line was baited, a stone put on for a sinker and thrown into the water. Then they went back to the cave.
Twice they found the line as they had left it. But the third time something was on it. They hauled in the catch.
It was a fat, spotted fish, weighing nearly two pounds.
“Good!” shouted Greson. “Now to cook him. Heaven knows there is fire enough!”
Half an hour later the fish was done to a turn. They ate him with a big relish, and at once threw out the line again, in hope of catching something for the morning meal.
CHAPTER XXVII. – ESCAPE FROM THE BURNING FOREST
The night passed and half of the next day.
The two remained in the cave, living on fish alone.
It looked as if they would have to remain in the cave a week, perhaps longer.
“I’m sick of it from my hair to my toes,” growled Greson.
“So am I; but I am thankful we are alive,” returned Leo grimly.
The noon hour passed slowly.
It was furiously hot.
“Wouldn’t you think the fire would burn itself out, Leo?” remarked the assistant.
“There are a good many thousands of cords of wood to consume, and that takes time, Larry.”
About the middle of the afternoon it began to grow dark.
“More smoke coming this way,” announced Greson.
“No, it’s clouds!”
“Clouds! yes, and – hark!”
They listened intently. A low rumble was heard.
“A thunderstorm! If it only rains hard enough!”
The sky kept growing blacker and blacker. Then came a flash of lightning through the smoke, and the patter of rain.
As the rain came down the smoke grew thicker, and soon it drifted into the cave, and they were all but driven out.
“We can’t stand this! Let us get out!” said Greson.
“No, no; wait awhile, Larry! See, the wind is changing!”
The young gymnast was right. The wind swerved around and at once the smoke left them.
Another hour passed, and still the rain came down steadily. It had full effect on the burning forest, for the fire died out in spot after spot.
“We’ll be able to get out by morning,” said Leo.
That night they thought it safe to sleep, and lay down utterly exhausted.
In the morning it was still raining. All around the lake the burned trunks of tall trees were left standing. Every bush was reduced to ashes.
They had not even a compass by which to make their course out of the forest. But this did not stop them from departing.
“Here is a stream that flows from the lake,” said Leo. “It must lead to some river or larger lake. We will follow it for a few miles and see where it brings us.”
“That’s right; keep near the water. We may need it if the rain stops and the fire starts up again,” replied Greson.
They picked their way slowly along the bank of the brook, sometimes walking directly in the water where the dirt and stones became too hot for their feet.
“Hurrah!” cried the young gymnast at the end of a long turn in the stream.
He pointed ahead. There, beyond a stretch of prairie grass, lay a small village.
Evidently it had entirely escaped the ravages of the fierce forest fire.
The prairie grass was burned in spots, but that was all.
The village could be distinctly seen, but they knew it was, nevertheless, several miles off.
One can see a long distance over a prairie, the same as over the water.
The middle of the afternoon saw them safe in the village of Rallings, footsore and weary.
The people were astonished to hear their tale.
“It’s lucky ye escaped with your lives,” said one old inhabitant, and Leo and Larry Greson agreed with him.
To keep the circus folks from worrying, Leo sent Barton Reeve a telegram stating they were both safe. That very day they started back to join the “Greatest Show on Earth.”
When they returned it was found that Professor Ricardo was still sick. He had another balloon, but this would be of no use unless somebody was found to take his place.
“I’ll become balloonist for awhile,” said Leo, “that is, if you don’t ask me to go up near any burning forests again.”
“That’s right,” put in Greson. “No more such adventures for me. Besides, burning up balloons is rather expensive.”
The matter was talked over, and it was decided that for the next few weeks Leo should take the old balloonist’s place.
CHAPTER XXVIII. – THE RIVAL BALLOONISTS
“We’re going to have fun to-day, Leo,” said his assistant two days later.
“How so, Larry?”
“There is a rival here.”
“Who?”
“Porler from New Orleans.”
“You don’t mean to say he is going to give an exhibition here?” said the young gymnast with much interest.
“So he says, and he adds that he will show up in a way that will throw the circus exhibition away in the shade.”
Leo smiled. He had heard that Porler was a very conceited man who had been in the business for a dozen years or more.
Once he had wanted to become Professor Ricardo’s partner, but the professor refused to go into the deal.
This made Porler angry with the professor and also with the circus folks.
When Leo arrived at the circus lot he found that the two balloons had been located side by side.
Porler was to exhibit at one o’clock, while Leo usually went up an hour later.
The young gymnast cautioned Larry to be on guard, so that no harm should come to his outfit, and he likewise cautioned his men to keep away from Porler’s inclosure and thus avoid trouble.
The backs of the two tents used by Leo and Porler were almost together, and while Leo was in his own, looking over his things, he heard quarreling in the tent beyond.
“Oh, don’t ask me to do that, Mr. Porler!” pleaded a boyish voice. “Anything but that!”
“You must do it, Mart Keene!” responded the gruff voice of the balloonist.
“I can’t – really I can’t!” pleaded the boyish voice again.
“You can do it and you will. My reputation is at stake and you must go up with me and do the fairy act.”
“I will fall and break my neck!”
“No, you won’t – not unless you get too confoundedly nervous, which you haven’t any right to do.”
“Let me do my own act,” pleaded Mart Keene, for such was the boy’s name.
“No, you’ll do as I want you to. We must show up at our best.”
The boy began to cry.
He was a street waif from New Orleans. Porler had picked him up in the French quarter one day and adopted him. He had promised him a good living and some money, but he got neither. He had often abused him, and at times made him do acts in connection with his exhibitions which imperiled Mart’s limbs and life. He did not care what became of the boy, as long as he made money.
Porler flew into a rage when Mart started to cry.
“Shut up!” he cried in a low tone that was full of passion. “Do you want the crowd outside to hear your sniveling?’
“I will stop when you promise not to make me do the fairy act,” sobbed Mart.
“You’ll do that act, I say, and that ends it!” howled Porler.
He looked around the tent, and, espying a whip lying near a trunk, picked it up.
“Do you see this?” he demanded.
“Oh, don’t whip me, please!”
“Promise to do as I wish you to or I’ll break this whip over your bare back, you rascal!”
“No, no!”
Mart tried to shrink back from the man, but he sprang forward and clutched him by the arm.
Yet the upraised whip never descended.
The back canvas of the tent was pushed up and Leo appeared.
He caught the whip and twisted it from Porler’s hand.
“You coward, let that poor boy alone!” he cried.
Porler was thunderstruck. He had not dreamed of being interrupted. His face grew dark as he whirled around and faced the young gymnast.
“What right have you to come in here?” he hissed.
“The right any one has to save a defenseless boy from a brute!” retorted Leo. “I want you to leave him alone.”
“He is my ward.”
“I don’t care if he is. You evidently treat him worse than you would a dog.”
“He won’t do as I order him to.”
“You want him to risk his neck in the fairy act, an act that can’t be accomplished except by long and careful training. It isn’t right.”
“You are jealous and afraid we are going to outdo you,” sneered Porler.
Leo’s face flushed.
“I am not,” he said calmly. “I wish to stick up for the lad, that is all. Leave him alone and I won’t bother you.”
“Supposing I don’t choose to leave him alone?”
“Then I’ll make you, and not only that, I’ll go outside and let the crowd know just how matters stand – that you want to force him to do an act that he can’t do, and which may cause him to lose his life.”
Hardly had Leo uttered the words than, with a muttered imprecation, Porler sprang upon him and bore him to the ground.