CHAPTER XIII
DUCKED BY AN ELEPHANT
The great white billows of the Sparling Combined Shows weremoving steadily across the continent. The receipts had exceededMr. Sparling's most sanguine expectations, and he was in greatgood humor.
Only one unpleasant incident had happened and that occurred atFranklin, Indiana. Phil and Teddy, while on their way to theircar after the performance late at night, had been set upon by twomen and quite severely beaten, though both lads had given a goodaccount of themselves and finally driven off their assailants.
They did not report their experience to Mr. Sparling until thenext morning, having gone directly to their car and putthemselves to bed after having been fixed up with plasters andbandages by some of their companions. The next morning neitherlad was particularly attractive to look at. However, bearing thetaunts of the show people good-naturedly, they started for thecook tent just as they were in the habit of doing every day.
But Mr. Sparling had seen them as they passed his car ontheir way.
"Now, I wonder what those boys have been up to?" he scowled,watching their receding forms thoughtfully. "I'll find out."
And he did. He summoned the lads to his office in the tent soonafter breakfast.
"I expected you would send for us," grinned Phil, as he walked inwith Teddy.
"What about it? You are both sights!"
"Grease paint and powder will cover it up, I guess,Mr. Sparling."
"I'll hear how it happened."
"I can't tell you much about it," said Phil. "We were on our wayto the car when a couple of men suddenly jumped out from a fencecorner and went at us hammer and tongs. That's when we got thesebeauty spots. If we had seen the fellows coming we might nothave been hit at all."
"Wait a minute; where did this occur?" demanded the showman.
"Just outside the lot at Franklin. It was very dark there, and,as you know, the sky was overcast."
"Did you know the men--had you ever seen them before?"
"I couldn't say as to that."
"No, sir; we couldn't say," added Teddy, nodding.
Mr. Sparling turned a cold eye upon Tucker.
"I haven't asked for remarks from you, young man. When I do youmay answer."
Teddy subsided for the moment.
"But, had it been anyone you knew, you must have recognizedtheir voices."
"They didn't say a word. Just pitched into us savagely. I thinkthey might have done us serious injury had we not defendedourselves pretty well."
"It occurs to me that you were rather roughly handled as it was,"said the showman, with a suspicion of a grin on his face."Doctor fixed you up, I suppose?"
"Oh, no; it wasn't so bad as that."
"Have you any suspicion--do you think it was any of theshow people?" demanded Mr. Sparling, eyeing Phil penetratingly.
"I don't know. Here is a button I got from the coat of one ofthe men. That may serve to identify him if he is one of our men.I haven't had a chance to look around this morning."
The showman quickly stretched forth his hand for the button,which he examined curiously.
"And here's a collar, too," chuckled Teddy.
"A collar? Where did you get that, young man?"
"Oh, I just yanked it off the other fellow. Guess it hasn't beento the laundry this season."
Mr. Sparling leaned back and laughed heartily.
"Between you, you boys will be the ruination of me. You take mymind off business so that I don't know what I'm about half ofthe time. But I can't get along without you. I'll look intothis matter," he went on more gravely. "Tell the boss canvasmanto send Larry and Bad Eye to me."
"Yes, sir."
The lads delivered the message.
Mr. Sparling's eyes twinkled as these two worthies sneakedinto his tent, each with a hangdog expression on his face."Red" Larry had a black eye, while Bad Eye's nose appearedto have listed to one side.
The showman glanced at Larry's coat, then at the button in hisown hand. He nodded understandingly. Bad Eye was collarless.
"Here's a button that I think you lost off your coat last night,Larry," smiled Mr. Sparling sweetly. "And, Bad Eye, here'syour collar. Better send it to the washerwoman."
The men were speechless for the moment.
"Go to the boss, both of you, and get your time. Then I want youto clear out of here."
"Wha--what--we ain't done nothing," protested Larry.
"And you had better not. If I see you about the circus lot againthis season, I'll have you both in the nearest jail quicker thanyou can say 'scat!' Understand? Get out of here!"
The showman half rose from his chair, glaring angrily at them.His good-nature had suddenly left him, and the canvasmen, knowingwhat they might expect from the wrathful showman, stood not uponthe order of their going. They ran.
Larry had left some of his belongings behind a cage in themenagerie tent, and he headed directly for that place to get itout and foot it for the village before Mr. Sparling shoulddiscover him on the grounds.
In going after his bundle Larry was obliged to pass the elephantstation, where the elephants were taking their morning baths,throwing water over their backs from tubs that had been placedbefore them. A pail full of water had been left near oldEmperor's tub by the keeper, because the tub would hold no more.
Emperor apparently had not observed it, nor did he seem tosee the red-headed canvasman striding his way. Mr. Kennedy,the keeper, was at the far end of the line sweeping off the babyelephant with a broom, while Phil and Teddy were sitting on apile of straw back of Emperor discussing their experience theprevious evening.
"There's Red," said Teddy, pointing.
"Yes, and he seems to be in a great hurry about something.I'll bet Mr. Sparling has discharged him. I'm sorry. I hateto see anybody lose his job, but I guess Red deserves it ifanybody does. He's one of the fellows that attacked uslast night. I haven't the least doubt about that."
"Yes, and he's got a button off his coat, too," added Teddy,peering around Emperor. "What I want now is to see a fellow withhis collar torn off. I got a tent stake here by me that I'd liketo meet him with."
"You would do nothing of the sort, Teddy Tucker! Hello, what'sgoing on there?"
As Larry passed swiftly in front of Emperor, the old elephant'strunk suddenly wrapped itself about the pail of water unobservedby the discharged canvasman.
Emperor lifted the pail on high, quickly twisted it bottom sideup and jammed it down over the head of Larry. The latter wentdown under the impact and before he could free himself from thepail and get up, Emperor had performed the same service for himwith the tub of water.
Under the deluge Red Larry was yelling and choking, makingdesperate efforts to get up. He struggled free in a moment,and in his blind rage he hurled the empty pail full in Emperor'sface, following it with a blow over the animal's trunk with atent stake.
It was the elephant's turn to be angry now. He did not take intoconsideration that it was he that was to blame for the assault.Stretching out his trunk, he encircled the waist of the yellingcanvasman, and, raising him on high, dashed him to the groundalmost under his ponderous feet.
Phil had risen about the time the tub came down. At first helaughed; but when the elephant caught his victim, the lad knewthat the situation was critical.
"Emperor! Down!" he shouted.
It was then that the elephant cast Red under his feet.
Phil darted forward just as a ponderous foot was raised totrample the man to death. Without the least sense of fear thelad ran in under Emperor, and, grabbing Larry by the heels,dragged him quickly out.
The elephant was furious at the loss of his prey, and, raisinghis trunk, trumpeted his disapproval, straining at his chains andshowing every sign of dangerous restlessness.
After getting Larry out of harm's way, Phil sprang fearlesslytoward his elephant friend.
"Quiet, Emperor, you naughty boy!" Forrest chided. "Don't youknow you might
have killed him? I wouldn't want anything to dowith you if you had done a thing like that."
Gradually the great beast grew quiet and his sinuous trunk soughtout the Circus Boy's pockets in search of sweets, of which therewas a limited supply.
While this was going on Mr. Kennedy, the keeper, had hurriedup and dashed a pail of water into the face of the nowunconscious Larry. By this time Larry was well soaked down.He could not have been more so had he fallen in a mill pond.But the last bucketful brought him quickly to his senses.
"You--you'll pay for this," snarled Larry, shaking his fist atPhil Forrest.
"Why, I didn't do anything, Larry," answered the ladin amazement.
"You did. You set him on to me."
"That'll be about all from you, Mr. Red Head," warned Kennedy."The kid didn't do anything but save your life. I wouldn'tlet a little thing like that trouble me if I were you.You've been doing something to that bull, or he'd never haveused you like that. Why, Emperor is as gentle as a young kitten.He wouldn't hurt a fly unless the fly happened to bite himtoo hard. Phil, did you see that fellow do anything to him?"
Phil shook his head.
"Not now. He may have at some other time."
"That's it!"
Just then Mr. Sparling came charging down on the scene, havingheard of the row out at the front door.
Larry saw him coming. He decided not to argue the question anyfurther, but started on a run across the tent, followed by theshowman, who pursued him with long, angry strides. But Larryducked under the tent and got away before his pursuer couldreach him, while Phil and Teddy stood holding their sideswith laughter.