The Crimson Flash

  CHAPTER XV BURSTING BALLOONS

  The big top had never been more crowded than it was the night of Johnny'sfirst performance as a clown. And never, in the memory of the oldestcircus man, had there been a jollier throng. Never had there been an actmore thoroughly appreciated than that of Gwen, the Queen, and Johnny, thefat clown.

  Johnny had been dressed in inflated rubber clothing until he appeared asfat as a butcher. When, by the aid of the balloons, he rose to the tightwire, when he tripped lightly along it, and returned cakewalking, thespectators howled their approval. But when in apparent consternation, helost his step and instead of plunging downward, leaped upward with thesudden lift of the balloons, they rose to their feet and roared theirdelight.

  Silently, calmly, he rose toward the tent top. There was nothing calmabout the feelings that surged in Johnny's breast, however. He had neverbeen in aviation, and never would be. Going up in the air made him feelsick. Had it not been for Gwen, he would have refused to attempt thisstunt.

  "Oh, well!" he sighed, "here's the top; now I can grab the rope and comedown. Rope's more certain than these balloons."

  Hardly had the thought passed through his brain than there came a loudreport. So close it was that it hurt his ear drums. It was followedalmost instantly by a second explosion.

  "The balloons," Johnny groaned. "They're bursting!"

  For a second his head whirled. To drop from those dizzy heights meantdeath. Then his mind cleared. The rope was to his right. Already he wasbeginning to shoot downward. Could he reach it? With one wild leap inmid-air, he thrust out a hand. He grasped the rope with his left, thenlost his hold. With his right, he secured a firmer grip. At that sameinstant the last balloon burst. For one sickening moment, he clung there,swinging backward and forward, madly groping for the rope with his freehand. At last, he found it, and, with a sigh of relief, began slidingdown the rope.

  The crowd was standing up cheering. The band was playing. Even theperformers thought it part of the act.

  For a minute or two after he had reached the ground, Johnny rested on amat. As he rose to go he noticed something lying in the sawdust.Carelessly he picked it up, examined it, then gave a low whistle. It wasan arrow-like affair. The shaft was of steel wire, the head of wood. Thehead had been discolored, part yellow and part dark brown.

  "Sulphur!" he murmured. "Dipped in burning sulphur, then shot at myballoons! No wonder they exploded. Now, who played that dirty trick?"

  He examined the thing carefully. "Couldn't have been shot from a bow, nogroove for the bow string. Now I wonder. An air rifle, that's what itwas."

  Quickly there flashed before his mind a picture of a midget clown chasinga huge elephant around the ring. The clown was dressed in equatorialhunting garb and carried an air rifle.

  "Tom Stick!" Johnny murmured. "Tom Stick and his air rifle! I wouldn'thave thought he'd do it."

  Slowly he walked back through the alleyway that led to the dressing room.

  He had discarded his clown suit and had walked out into the open air,when a shrill young voice called his name:

  "Johnny, Johnny Thompson."

  Whirling about, he found himself facing the millionaire twins. They wereriding astride their ponies, and were dressed as if ready for their turnin the ring.

  "Wha--where'd you come from, and who let you in?" he gasped.

  "We came from our grandfather's to join the circus," piped Marjory.

  "Yes, and to think," Margaret fairly wailed, "we got here too late forthe parade!"

  Johnny looked at them for a moment, then laughed a good natured laugh.

  "Got let down, didn't you?" he smiled. "Well, so did I a minute ago,mighty sudden, too. But perhaps we can get you into a part yet, sincethis is positively your first and last appearance."

  "Oh, no, Johnny," exclaimed Marjory, "not the last! We've come to stay aslong as you do."

  "Then I don't stay long," laughed Johnny. "Circus is no place formillionaire twins. You wait right here. I'll be back."

  By dint of much persuading, Johnny succeeded in getting the twins a placeon the program. At the end of the races came a pony race. The ponies wereridden by monkeys. It was arranged that the two little girls, on theirown ponies, were to race the monkeys on their circus mounts.

  It was a wilder and more genuine race than is usually pulled off in thecircus, for the twins were dead in earnest about winning it, and so werethe monkeys. The monkeys and their ponies had played at racing so long,however, they were not able to get seriously down to business. When thetwins were riding neck and neck, three lengths ahead of their nearestrivals, they delighted the throng by leaping upon their feet and ridingin this manner around the last sweeping circle and out of sight.

  "That's fine," exclaimed the manager, rubbing his hands. "Who are they,friends of yours? Can we book 'em for the rest of the season?" He wasspeaking to Johnny.

  "Can't book them for another show," groaned Johnny. "And I'll get skinnedalive for letting them in on this one. They're the daughters of MajorMacDonald, the steel magnate. Ran away from their grandfather's, and theygo back to-night."

  The manager whistled. "Too bad to spoil perfectly good circus girls tomake society belles," he smiled. "But seein' that's who they are, I guessit can't be helped."

  "Oow-wee! That was grand!" exclaimed Marjory, who now came up with hersister. "Did we make good. Can we stay?"

  "You made good, but you can't stay," smiled Johnny. "What do you supposeyour grandparents are thinking of about now?"

  "Oh, they won't know about it at all. We are supposed to be over herewith friends who live down on Pine street. That's how they let us come atall. These friends are real old folks and don't go to circuses. When wegot here, we called them up as if we were at home and told them wecouldn't come; so you see it's all right. And, Johnny, if we can't stayand be circus folks, we can stay just one night, can't we, and have areal ride in a circus train?"

  Johnny looked at the manager.

  "Sure," grinned the good natured boss of the circus. "We'll put you inthe care of Ma Kelly, the circus girls' matron, and you'll be safe as abean in a bowl of soup."

  "How far do we move?" asked Johnny, a bit anxiously.

  "Only forty miles, and that leaves us less than thirty miles from theirgrandfather's place. They can make it back all right."

  "I'll borrow one of the rough riders' ponies, and hoof it back withthem," said Johnny. "But remember," he turned to the twins, "remember,this is the last. To-morrow morning you turn your faces toward home. Andby thunder! I wish I could go along to stay!"

  "Why? Why can't you?" cried Marjory. "We want you to. Indeed, we do."

  "I can't tell you now. Maybe some time. You stay right here. I'll send MaKelly around. Then I've got to go box the bear."

  Johnny rushed away, and that was the last they saw of him for some time.