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“Very well; I want to see you after you have done so.” “I will look you up.” The Circus Boys On the Mississippi 81 With that Phil hurried out into the arena. None of the spectators appeared to recognize the lad in his street clothes. Besides, he tried to avoid observation. He might have been one of the spectators, except that he picked his way, among the ropes and properties down through the center, where the public were not allowed to go. “The rest of you may go,” said Phil, reaching the ring where Jim lay breathing heavily. “Thank you for easing off old Jim. I know he appreciates it.” Jim looked up pleadingly as Phil bent over him, patting the animal on mbt shoes review his splendid old gray head. The attendants went about their duties. “How’d this happen, Phil?” questioned Teddy. “I fell off; that’s what happened.” “Yes, I know you did, but there’s more to it. I wonder if it’s got anything to do with the loss of my egg?” “I guess not.” “You guess not? Well, I know something, Phil.” “I should hope you do.” “I mean about this accident.” Phil gazed at his companion keenly. “What do you know?” “Look here,” said Teddy, pointing to a depression in the sawdust arena. Phil bent over, examining the spot closely. When he rose, his lips were tightly compressed and his face was pale. “Don’t mention this to anyone, Teddy. Promise me?” ” ‘Course I won’t tell. Why should I? But I found out about it, didn’t I?” “Yes; at least you have made a pretty good start in that direction. I shall have to tell Mr. Sparling. It would not be right to keep this information from him.” “N-n-o-o. Then maybe he’ll organize a posse to hunt for my egg.” “Oh, hang your old egg!” The Roman chariot races were on, the rattle of the wheels, the shouts of the drivers drowning the voices of the two boys. The Circus Boys On the Mississippi 82 “Teddy, you’ll have to get back and change your clothes. The performance is about over. That makes me think. I have on my ring clothes under this suit and I must hurry back to my bath and my change.” The performance closed and the rattle and bang of tearing <a href="http://anfu.putianb2b.com/"><strong>莆田安ç¦�商城网å�€</strong></a> down the big white city had begun. The boys were engaged in packing their trunks now, as were most of their fellow performers. mbt “What’s that?” demanded Teddy, straightening up suddenly. “Somebody fired a shot,” answered another performer. Phil knew what it meant. A bullet had ended the sufferings of the faithful old ring horse off under the big top. The Circus Boy turned away, with a blinding mist in his eyes. “Poor old Jim!” he groaned. Off under the women’s dressing tent another pair of ears had heard and understood, and Little Dimples, burying her head in her hands wept softly. “Poor old Jim!” she, too, murmured. The Circus Boys On the Mississippi 83 CHAPTER XIV THE PILOT GETS A SURPRISE The happiness of the day had been marred by the accident, but, like true circus men, all hands took the disaster in the matter-of-fact manner characteristic of their kind. The show people, in couples and singly, took their way to the river, where they boarded the boats. Already wagons were rumbling down on the docks and cages were being quickly shunted into position for their journey down the river that night. Everything moved with as much method as if the show had been traveling in this way from the beginning of the season. The performers were enjoying the novel experience of river traveling too thoroughly to turn into their berths early. A cold lunch had been spread in the main cabins of the “Marie” and the “River Queen” for the performers, while from the cook tent, baskets had been prepared and sent in for the use of the laborers after they had completed their night’s work and finished loading the show. All this was appreciated, and it was a jolly company that MBTS Sandals lined the tables in the two larger boats. Leather upholstered seats were built into the sides of the cabin, and with mouths and hands full, the circus people soon took possession of the seats, where they ate and chatted noisily. “Funny thing about Jim,” said one of the performers. “What do you suppose made him fall, Mr. Miaco?” “I don’t know. Probably for the same reason that anyone falls.” “What is that?” “Stumbled over something, I guess.” “Hey, Teddy, what ailed the ring horse?” called a voice as the Circus Boy sauntered in and espying the tables made a dive for them. “I guess he was hungry,” mumbled Teddy, his mouth full of ham sandwich. “Hungry?” “Yes.” The Circus Boys On the Mississippi 84 “What makes you think that?” ” ‘Cause he bit the dust.” A general groan was heard in the cabin. “Throw him overboard!” “I know a better way to punish him for that ghastly joke.” “How?” mbt shoes clearance sale “Take the food away from him, tie him up and make him watch us eat,” was the answer. A shout of laughter greeted the proposition. The pilot of the “Marie,” a heavily bearded man named Cummings, broke out in a loud guffaw. All eyes were turned upon him. “I reckon I kin tie him up if you says the word,” he volunteered. “All right; tie him up,” shouted the performers, scenting fun. Teddy eyed the pilot out of the corners of his eyes and placidly munched his sandwich. The pilot, in the meantime, had stepped to the rear end of the cabin, where, from a box of life-preservers he took a piece of Manila rope. “I believe he is going to do it,” said a clown, nudging his companion. “You mean he is going to try it,” answered the other. “Watch for some fun. He thinks Teddy is an easy mark.” “He will be in this case. That fellow, Cummings, is hard as a rail fence. He could handle two of Teddy.” In the meantime Tucker had strolled to the table, from which he took a large sandwich, buttered it well, then returned to his seat, not appearing to observe the pilot’s movements at all. As he sat down the lad was observed to open the sandwich, removing the thin slice of ham and stowing the latter in his coat pocket. Then he sat thoughtfully contemplating the two pieces of buttered bread as if trying to decide whether or not he should eat them. “Get up, kiddie,” said Cummings, grasping the boy by the shoulder. “Get up and take your punishment like a little dear.” Teddy got up, carelessly, indifferently, while the pilot stretched the rope to its full length. The Circus Boys On the Mississippi 85 The boy saw that he was in mbt sale earnest. Smack! Quick as a flash Teddy had plastered one half of the sandwich, buttered side in, right over the eyes of Cummings. Smack! The second half of the sandwich landed neatly over his mouth, pressed home by a firm fist. Cummings <a href="http://anfu.putianb2b.com/"><strong>安ç¦�å°�区</strong></a> could not speak, neither could he see. At that moment he was perhaps the most surprised man on the Mississippi River. At least he appeared to be, for he stood still. He stood still just a few seconds too long. Teddy had seized the rope. With it he made a quick twist about the body of the pilot, taking two turns, then drawing the rope tight and tying it, thus pinioning the hands and arms of the pilot to his sides. “Yip-yeow!” howled Teddy. The show people shrieked with delight. “You’ll tie up a Circus Boy, will you?” jeered Teddy. “You’ll have to grow some first. No Rube with a bunch of whiskers on his face like that ever lived who could tie up a real circus man.” Teddy had drawn nearer to impress his words upon the pilot, when all of a sudden the man’s hands gripped the lad. The boy never had felt quite so strong a grip on his body. Cummings had not handled a pilot wheel on the Mississippi for thirty years without acquiring some strength in hands and arms. Teddy, failing to pull away, grappled with his antagonist, all in the best of humor, though his face bore its usual solemn expression. “Gangway,” cried Teddy humorously. “I’m going to give him a bath in the river.” Then began a lively scrimmage. Back and forth the combatants struggled across the cabin floor, the growls of the pilot drowned in the shouts and jeers of the performers. All at once, Teddy tripped his antagonist and the two went down into a heap, rolling under the main table on which the lunch had been spread. “Look out for the table!” warned a voice. The Circus Boys On the Mississippi 86 “Sit on it, some of you fellows, and hold it down!” The suggestion came too late. The table suddenly rose into the air, landing upside down with a crash, at one side of the cabin. A moment more and the two combatants were wrestling on roast beef and ham sandwiches, potato salad and various other foods. “I guess this has gone about far enough,” decided Mr. Miaco, the head clown. “We’ll have a fight on our hands, first thing we know. If Teddy really gets angry you’ll think the ‘Sweet Marie’ is in the midst of a cyclone.” “The ‘Fat Marie,’ you mean,” corrected a voice. With the assistance of two others Miaco succeeded in separating the combatants, after which he untied the rope, releasing the pilot. Teddy was grinning broadly, but Cummings was not. The latter was glowering angrily at his little antagonist. “Shake?” asked Teddy, extending a hand. “No, I’m blest if I will! I’ll not shake hands with anybody who has insulted me by buttering my face,” growled the pilot. “You’ll be better bred if you buy mbt shoes are well buttered,” suggested Teddy. “Oh, help!” moaned The Fattest Woman on Earth. “Put him out! Put him out!” howled several voices in chorus. “Yes mbt uk , that’s the thing! We can stand for some things some of the time, but we won’t stand for everything all of the time,” added a clown wisely. Half a dozen performers picked Teddy up bodily, bore him to one of the open windows and dumped him out on the deck. “Here, what’s all this commotion about?” commanded Phil, who, at that moment, came from his cabin to the deck. “They threw me out,” wailed Teddy. “What for?” “I made a pun.” “Tell it to me.” Teddy in short, jerky sentences, related what had been done and said. Phil leaned against the rail and shouted. “I–I don’t blame them,” he gasped between laughs. “It is a wonder they did not throw you overboard.” The Circus Boys On the Mississippi 87 “They had better not try it.” “But what about the pilot–what happened to him?” “May–maybe they have put him out, too.” “You have a way of getting into trouble, Teddy. Mr. Cummings will love you <a href="http://www.putianb2b.com/"><strong>莆田外贸</strong></a> for what you have done to him, I can well imagine.” “About as much as I love him, I mbt shoes uk guess. He got too bold, Phil. He had to have a lesson and Teddy Tucker was the boy who had to teach it to him. Say, go in and gather me a sandwich out of the wreck, will you?” “Not I. Go and get your own sandwich. I’m going to see Mr. MBT Trainers UK Sparling in his cabin. He has sent for me.” Teddy sat out on deck while the others were picking up the table, the dishes and the ruined food. It would not do for Mr. Sparling to come in and see how they had wasted the food he had had prepared for them. The probabilities were that they would get no more, were he to do so. Teddy watched the proceedings narrowly from the safe vantage point of the deck. In the meantime Phil had gone to Mr. Sparling’s cabin, where the showman was checking up the day’s receipts. “A pretty good day, Phil,” smiled Mr. Sparling. “I am glad to hear that, sir.” “Two thousand dollars in the clear, as the result of our two performances today. Do you know of any other business that would pay as much for the amount invested, eh, Phil?” “I do not, sir.” “You see, it is a pretty good business to be in after all, provided it is run on business principles, at the same time treating one’s employees like human beings.” “Yes, sir.” “How would you like to have an interest in a show?” “I am going to, someday. It may be a long time yet before I have earned money enough, but I shall if I live,” said the Circus Boy quietly but with determination. “So you shall. I intend to have a talk with you on this subject, one of these days. What I wanted to talk with you about is Jim’s loss. I am glad it wasn’t your ring horse, Phil. Have you anything to say about the The Circus Boys On the Mississippi 88 animal breaking his leg?” “I have.” “Out with it.” “Somebody is to blame for that accident.” “How?” “Someone planned that accident.” “Explain!” “Teddy and myself examined the ring, that is, Teddy already had done so before I returned, and he discovered something–we both decided what must have happened.” “Yes,” urged the showman as Phil paused. “A round hole about a foot deep had been dug in the ring. This had been covered with a shingle and the sawdust sprinkled over to hide the shingle. It was a deliberate attempt to do someone an injury.” Mr. Sparling eyed him questioningly. “Are you sure?” “As sure as I can be. Jim didn’t happen to step on the shingle until we were doing the pyramid, then of course something happened. It is a wonder that neither Little Dimples nor myself was injured.” “Phil, we simply must find out who is responsible for this dastardly work.” “Yes, sir.” “And when we do–when we do–” “What then, Mr. Sparling!” The showman was opening and closing his fingers nervously. “Don’t ask me,” he replied in a low, tense voice. “I don’t want to see the man. I should do something I would mbt shoes be sorry for all the rest of my life. Good night, Phil.” Phil Forrest left the cabin and strode thoughtfully away to his own room, where he was soon in bed. Phil, however, did not sleep very well that night. The Circus Boys On the Mississippi 89 CHAPTER XV AN UNWELCOME VISITOR The boats of the Sparling fleet had been moving steadily downstream for several hours, their passengers, in the majority of instances, sound asleep, lulled by the gentle motion and the far away “spat, spat, spat,” of the industrious paddle wheel at the stern of each craft. Teddy had prudently kept away from the main cabin for the rest of the evening; when Phil turned in, Teddy was sleeping sweetly. His active part in the affair in the cabin had not caused him any loss of sleep. With the pilot, Cummings, however, matters had been different. Mr. Cummings had been steadily at the wheel of the “Marie” since the boats had sailed shortly after one o’clock in the morning. The pilot’s temper had suffered as the result of his experience in the cabin, and the jeers aud laughter of the circus people had not added to his peace of mind. At mbt clearance intervals he would break out into a tirade of invective and threats against Teddy Tucker, who had so humiliated him. “I’ll get even with that little monkey-face! They ought to put him in the monkey cage where he belongs,” growled the pilot, giving the wheel a three-quarter turn to keep the boat from driving her prow into the bank, for which he had been steering to avoid a hidden sand bar. “I’ll tell the manager tomorrow, that if he doesn’t keep that boy away from me, I’ll take the matter into my own hands and give that kid a trouncing that will last him till we get to New Orleans.” The darkness of the night, just before the dawn, hung over the broad river. Doors and windows of the pilot house were thrown open so that the wheelman might get a clear view on all sides. All at once Cummings seemed to feel some presence near him. He thought he caught the sound of a footfall cheap mbts on the deck. To make sure he left the wheel for a few seconds, peering out along the deck, on both sides of the pilot house. He saw no one. The air was filled with a black pall of smoke mbt from the “Marie’s” funnel, the smoke settling over the boat, wholly enveloping The Circus Boys On the Mississippi 90 her from her stack to the stern paddle wheel. “Huh!” grunted the pilot, returning to his duties. Yet his ears had not deceived him. Something was near him, a strange shape, the like of which never had been seen on the deck of the “Fat Marie”, in all her long service on the Mississippi. “If that fool boy comes nosing around here I’ll throw him overboard– that’s what I’ll do,” threatened Cummings. “I’ll show him he can’t fool with the pilot of the finest steamboat of the old line. I–” The pilot suddenly checked himself and peered out to starboard. “Wha–what?” he gasped. Something darkened the doorway. What he now saw was a strange, grotesque shape that looked like a shadow itself in the uncertain light of the early morning. “Get out of here!” bellowed the pilot, the cold chills running up and down his spine. The most frightful sound that his ears had ever heard, broke suddenly on the quiet of the Mississippi <a href="http://socialdofollow.com/userrss.php?user=ginarqfjak&status=all"><strong>èŽ †ç”°å¤–贸论å�›</strong></a> night. “It’s the lion escaped!” Cummings grabbed a stout oak stick that lay at hand–the stick that now and then, when battling with a stiff current, he used to insert between the spokes of the steering wheel to give him greater leverage. With a yell he brought the stick down on the head of the strange beast. The roar or bray of the animal stopped suddenly. Whack! came the echo from the club. Cummings sprang back. He slammed the pilot-house door in the face of the beast, and closed the windows with a bang that shook the pilot house. In his excitement the pilot rang in a signal to the engineer for full speed astern. About that time something else occurred. With a terrific crash one of the windows of the pilot house was shattered, pieces of glass showering in upon the pilot like a sudden storm of hail. Crash! Another window fell in a shower about him. He tried to get the door The Circus Boys On the Mississippi 91 on the opposite side of the pilot house open, but locked it instead and dropped the key on the floor. All this time the “Fat Marie’s” paddle wheel was backing water and the craft, now swung almost broadside to the stream, was working her way over toward the Iowa shore. Bang! A section of the pilot-house door fell shattering on the inside, and what sounded like a volley of musketry, rattled against the harder woodwork of the pilot house itself. Frightened almost out of all sense, Cummings began groping excitedly for his revolver. At last he found it, more by accident than through any methodical search for it. The pilot began to shoot. Some of his bullets went through the roof, others through the broken out windows, while a couple landed in the door. At last the half-crazed Cummings was snapping the hammer on empty chambers. He had emptied his revolver without hitting anything more than wood and water. The fusillade from the outside still continued. By this time the din had begun to arouse the passengers on the boat.