CHAPTER XV
EMPEROR TO THE RESCUE
"Get back!" shouted the boy.
He had descried Teddy Tucker driving his own mount toward him.Teddy was coming to the rescue in the face of almostcertain death.
"You can't make it! Go back!"
Whether or not Teddy heard and understood, did not matter,for at that moment the view of the plucky lad was shut offby the elephants forming their charging line into crescent shape.
"Emperor!" he called in a shrill penetrating voice. But in thedust of the charge he could not make out which one was Emperor,yet he continued calling lustily.
"Emperor!"
Phil threw his hands above his head as was his wont when desirousof having the old elephant pick him up.
Right across the center of the crescent careened a great hulkingfigure, uttering loud trumpetings--trumpetings that were taken upby his companions until the very ground seemed to shake.
Phil's back was half toward the big elephant, and in the noise hedid not distinguish a familiar note in the call.
All at once he felt himself violently jerked from the ground.The lad was certain that his time had come. But out of thatcloud of dust, in which those who looked, believed that thelittle Circus Boy had gone down to his death, Phil Forrestrose right up into the air and was dropped unharmed to the backof old Emperor.
For the moment he was so dizzy that he was unable to make up hismind what had happened or where he was. Then it all came to him.He was on Emperor's back.
"Hurrah!" shouted Phil. "Good old Emperor! Steady, steady,Emperor!That's a good fellow."
He patted the beast's head with the flat of his hand, crooned tohim, using every artifice that he knew to quiet the nerves of hisbig friend.
Little by little Emperor appeared to come out of his fright,until the lad felt almost certain that the big beast wouldtake orders. He tried the experiment.
"Left, Emperor!"
The elephant swerved sharply to the left, aided by a sharp tap ofthe riding crop which Phil still carried.
Phil uttered a little cry of exultation.
"Now, if I can head them off!"
With this in mind he gradually worked Emperor around until theherd had been led into a narrow street. Here, Phil began forcinghis mount back and forth across the street in an effort to checkthe rush of the stampede, all the time calling out the command toslow down, which he had learned from Mr. Kennedy.
He was more successful than he had even dreamed he could be.
"Now, if I am not mistaken, that street beyond there leads out tothe lot. I'll see if I can make them go that way."
All did save Jupiter, who charged straight ahead for somedistance, then turning sharply tore back and joined his fellows.
"If I had a hook I believe I could lead him. He's a verybad elephant. I hope nobody has been killed."
It was more quiet in the street where Forrest now found himself,and by degrees the excitement that had taken possession of thehuge beasts began to wear off.
Phil uttered his commands to them in short, confident tones,all the time drawing nearer and nearer to the circus lot.
Very soon the fluttering flags from the big top were seen abovethe intervening housetops.
"I'm going to win--oh, I hope I do!" breathed the Circus Boy.
With rapid strides, at times merging into a full run, the beaststore along, now understanding that they were nearing theirquarters, where safety and quiet would be assured.
And, beyond that, it was time for their dinners. Already balesof hay had been placed in front of their quarters, and theelephants knew it.
As the procession burst into the circus lot a dozen attendantsstarted on a run toward them.
"Keep off!" shouted Phil. "Do you want to stampede them again?Keep away, I tell you and I'll get them home. Drive all thepeople out of the way in case the bulls make another break.That's all you can do now."
Now young Forrest urged Emperor to the head of the line ofbobbing beasts, feeling sure that the others would follow himin now.
They did. The whole line of elephants swept in through theopening that the attendants had quickly made by letting downa section of the side walls of the menagerie tent, with PhilForrest a proud and happy boy, perched on the head ofold Emperor.
"Halt!"
He went at it with all the confidence and skill of a professionalelephant trainer.
"Stations!"
Each beast walked to his regular place, a dozen sinuous trunksgathering up as many wisps of hay.
"Back up! Back, Jupiter!"
As docile as if they never had left the tent, each huge beastslowly felt his way into his corner.
"Good boy, Emperor!" glowed Phil holding out a small bag ofpeanuts, which Emperor quickly stowed away in his mouth bagand all.
"You greedy fellow! Now get back into your own corner!"
The elephant did so.
"You fellows keep away from here," warned Phil as the anxioustent men began crowding around him. "Don't let anybody get thesebig fellows excited. We've had trouble enough for one day."
Phil then began chaining down the beasts, his first care being tosecure the unruly Jupiter. But Jupiter's fit of bad temperseemed to have left him entirely. He was as peaceful as couldbe, and, to show that he was good, he showered a lot of hay allover Phil.
"You bad, bad boy!" chided the lad. "All this is just becauseyou let your temper get the best of you. I think perhapsMr. Sparling may have something to say to you if anyonehas been killed or seriously hurt. Oh, you want some peanuts,do you? I haven't any, but I'll get you some, though goodnessknows you don't deserve any. Bring me some peanuts, willyou please?"
An attendant came running with a bag of them. Phil met himhalfway, not wishing the man to approach too near. With the bagin his hand the boy walked slowly down the line, giving to eachof his charges a small handful.
This was the final act in subduing them. They were allthoroughly at home and perfectly contented now, and Philhad chained the last one down, except the baby elephant,that usually was left free to do as it pleased, providing it didnot get too playful.
At this moment Phil heard a great shouting out on the lot.
"Go out there and stop that noise!" the boy commanded. He was asmuch in charge of the show at that moment as if he had been theproprietor himself.
Shortly after that Mr. Kennedy came rushing in on one of thecircus ponies that he had taken from a parade rider. Phil wasdelighted to see that the keeper was uninjured.
"Did you do this, Phil Forrest?" he shouted bursting in.
"Yes. But I'll have to do it all over again if you keep onyelling like that. What happened to you?"
"Jupiter threw me over a fence, into an excavation where theywere digging for a new building. I thought I was dead, but aftera little I came to and crawled out. It was all over but theshouting then."
"Did you know I had them?"
"No; not until I got near the lot. I followed their tracksyou see. Finally some people told me a kid was leading the herdback here. I knew that was you. Phil Forrest, you are a dandy.I can't talk now! I'm too winded. I'll tell you later on what Ithink of your kind. Now I'm going to whale the daylights out ofthat Jupiter."
"Please don't do anything of the sort," begged Phil. "He isquiet now. He has forgotten all about it. I am afraid if youtry to punish him you will only make him worse."
"Good elephant sense," emphasized the keeper. "You ought to beon the animals."
"It seems to me that I have been pretty well on them today,"grinned the lad. "Oh, was anybody killed?"
"I think not. Don't believe anyone was very seriously hurt.You see, that open lot there gave the people plenty of chanceto see what was coming. They had plenty of time to get awayafter that."
"I'm so glad. I hope no one was killed."
"Reckon there would have been if you hadn't got busy whenyou did."
"Have you seen Mrs. Robinson? I'm rather anxious abo
ut her."
"There she is now."
Dimples had changed her torn white dress for a short ridingskirt, and when Phil turned about she was running toward himwith outstretched arms. He braced himself and blushed violently.
"Oh, you dear," cried the impulsive little equestrienne, throwingboth arms about Phil's neck. "I wish my boy could have seen youdo that! It was splendid. You're a hero! You'll see what acraze the people will make of you--"
"I--I think they are more likely to chase us out of town,"laughed Phil. "We must have smashed up things prettythoroughly downtown."
"Never mind; Mr. Sparling will settle the damage. The onlytrouble will be that he won't have anyone to scold. You savedthe day, Phil, and you saved me as well. Of course I'm not much,but I value my precious little life just as highly as the nextone--I mean the next person."
"The bay ran away with you, didn't he?"
"I suppose that's what some people would call it. It would havebeen a glorious ride if it hadn't been that I expected you werebeing trampled to death back there. The bay brought me right tothe lot, then stopped, of course. Circus horses have a lot ofsense.I heard right away that you were not injured and that you werebringing the bulls in. Then I was happy. I'm happy now.We'll have a lesson after the show. You--"
"When do you think I shall be fit to go in the ring?"
"Fit now! You're ahead of a good many who have been workingat it for years, and I mean just what I'm saying. There isMr. Sparling. Come on; run along back to the paddock with me.I haven't finished talking with you yet."
"Perhaps he may want me," hesitated Phil.
"Nothing very particular. He'll want to have it out withMr. Kennedy first. Then, if he wants you, he can go back andhunt you up, or send for you. Mr. Sparling knows how to send forpeople when he wants them, doesn't he?" twinkled Dimples.
"I should say he did," grinned Phil. "He's not bashful. Has myfriend Teddy got back yet?"
"Haven't seen him. Why? Worried about him?"
"Not particularly. He has a habit of taking care of himselfunder most circumstances."
Dimples laughed heartily.
"It will take more than a stampede to upset him. He'll make ashowman if he ever settles down to the work in earnest."
"He has settled down, Mrs. Robinson," answered Phil withsome dignity.
"My, my! But you needn't growl about it. I was paying hima compliment."
Thus she chattered on until they reached the paddock. They hadbeen there but a few moments before the expected summons for Philwas brought.