CHAPTER I
THE BOYS HEAR GOOD NEWS
"You never can guess it--you never can guess the news, Teddy,"cried Phil Forrest, rushing into the gymnasium, his face flushedwith excitement.
Teddy Tucker, clad in a pair of linen working trunks and aragged, sleeveless shirt, both garments much the worse for theirwinter's wear, was lazily swinging a pair of Indian clubs.
"What is it, some kind of riddle, Phil?" he questioned, bringingthe clubs down to his sides.
"Do be serious for a minute, won't you?"
"Me, serious? Why, I never cracked a smile. Isn't anything tosmile at. Besides, do you know, since I've been in the circusbusiness, every time I want to laugh I check myself so suddenlythat it hurts?"
"How's that?"
"Because I think I've still got my makeup on and that I'll crackit if I laugh."
"What, your face?"
"My face? No! My makeup. By the time I remember that I haven'tany makeup on I've usually forgotten what it was I wanted tolaugh about. Then I don't laugh."
Teddy shied an Indian club at a rat that was scurrying across thefar end of their gymnasium, missing him by half the width ofthe building.
"If you don't care, of course I shan't tell you. But it's goodnews, Teddy. You would say so if you knew it."
"What news? Haven't heard anything that sounds like news,"his eyes fixed on the hole into which the rat had disappeared.
"You can't guess where we are going this summer?"
"Going? Don't have to guess. I know," answered the lad with anemphasizing nod.
"Where do you think?"
"We're going out with the Great Sparling Combined Shows,of course. Didn't we sign out for the season before we closedwith the show last fall?"
"Yes, yes; but where?" urged Phil, showing him the letter hehad just brought from the post office. "You couldn't guess ifyou tried."
"No. Never was a good guesser. That letter from Mr. Sparling?"he questioned, as his eyes caught the familiar red and goldheading used by the owner of the show.
"Yes."
"What's he want?"
"You know I wrote to him asking that we be allowed to skip therehearsals before the show starts out, so that we could stay hereand take our school examinations?"
Teddy nodded.
"I'd rather join the show," he grumbled.
"Never did see anything about school to go crazy over."
"You'll thank me someday for keeping you at it," said Phil."See how well you have done this winter with your school work.I'm proud of you. Why, Teddy, there are lots of the boys a longway behind you. They can't say circus boys don't know anythingjust because they perform in a circus ring."
"H-m-m-m!" mused Teddy. "You haven't told me yet where we aregoing this summer. What's the route?"
"Mr. Sparling says that, as we are going to continue ourlast year's acts this season, there will be no necessityfor rehearsals."
The announcement did not appear to have filled Teddy Tuckerwith joy.
"We do the flying rings again, then?"
"Yes. And we shall be able to give a performance that willsurprise Mr. Sparling. Our winter's practicing has done a lotfor us, as has our winter at school."
"Oh, I don't know."
"You probably will ride the educated mule again, while I expectto ride the elephant Emperor in the grand entry, as I did before.I'll be glad to get under the big top again, with the noise andthe people, the music of the band and all that. Won't you,Teddy?"questioned Phil, his eyes glowing at the picture he had drawn.
Teddy heaved a deep sigh.
"Quit it!"
"Why?"
" 'Cause you make me think I'm there now."
Phil laughed softly.
"I can see myself riding the educated mule this very minute,kicking up the dust of the ring, making everybody get out of theway, and--"
"And falling off," laughed Phil. "You certainly are themost finished artist in the show when it comes to gettinginto trouble."
"Yes; I seem to keep things going," grinned the lad.
"But I haven't told you all that Mr. Sparling says inthe letter."
"What else does he say?"
"That the show is to start from its winter quarters, just outsideof Germantown, Pennsylvania, on April twenty-second--"
"Let's see; just two weeks from today," nodded Teddy.
"Yes."
"I wish it was today."
"He says we are to report on the twenty-first, as the show leavesearly in the evening."
"Where do we show first?"
"Atlantic City. Then we take in the Jersey Coast towns--"
"Do we go to New York?"
"New York? Oh, no! The show isn't big enough for New York quiteyet, even if it is a railroad show now. We've got to grow somebefore that. Mighty few shows are large enough to warrant takingthem into the big city."
"How do you know?"
"All the show people say that."
"Pshaw! I'd sure make a hit in New York with the mule."
"Time enough for that later. You and I will yet perform inMadison Square Garden. Just put that down on your route card,Teddy Tucker."
"Humph! If we don't break our necks before that! Where did yousay we were--"
"After leaving New Jersey, we are to play through New York State,taking in the big as well as the small towns, and from Buffaloheading straight west. Mr. Sparling writes that we are goingacross the continent."
"What?"
"Says he's going to make the Sparling Shows known from theAtlantic to the Pacific--"
"Across the continent!" exclaimed Teddy unbelievingly."No; you're fooling."
"Yes; clear to the Pacific Coast. We're going toSan Francisco, too. What do you think of that, Teddy?"
"Great! Wow! Whoop!" howled the boy, hurling his remainingIndian Club far up among the rafters of the gymnasium, whence itcame clattering down, both lads laughing gleefully.
"We're going to see the country this time, and we shan't have tosleep out in an open canvas wagon, either."
"Where shall we sleep?"
"Probably in a car."
"It won't be half so much fun," objected Teddy.
"I imagine the life will be different. Perhaps we shall not haveso much fun, but we'll have the satisfaction of knowing that weare part of a real show. It will mean a lot to us to be with anorganization like that. It will give us a better standing in theprofession, and possibly by another season we may be able to getwith one of the really big ones. Next spring, if we have goodluck, we shall have finished with our school here. If they'llhave us, we'll try to join out with one of them. In the meantimewe must work hard, Teddy, so we shall be in fine shape when wejoin out two weeks from today. Come on; I'll wrestle you afew falls."
"Done," exclaimed Teddy.
Phil promptly threw off his coat and vest. A few minutes laterthe lads were struggling on the wrestling mat, their facesdripping with perspiration, their supple young figures twistingand turning as each struggled for the mastery of the other.
The readers of the preceding volume in this series, entitled,THE CIRCUS BOYS ON THE FLYING RINGS, will recognize Phil andTeddyat once as the lads who had so unexpectedly joined the SparlingCombined Shows the previous summer. It was Phil who, by hisready resourcefulness, saved the life of the wife of the owner ofthe show as well as that of an animal trainer later on. Then,too,it will be remembered how the lad became the fast friend of thegreat elephant Emperor, which he rescued from "jail," and withwhich he performed in the ring to the delight of thousands.Ere the close of the season both boys had won their way to theflying rings, thus becoming full-fledged circus performers.Before leaving the show they had signed out for another seasonat a liberal salary.
With their savings, which amounted to a few hundred dollars, theboys had returned to their home at Edmeston, there to put in thewinter at school.
That they might lose nothing of their fine physical condition,the Circus Boys had rent
ed an old carpenter shop, which theyrigged up as a gymnasium, fitting it with flying rings, trapezebars and such other equipment as would serve to keep them in trimfor the coming season's work.
Here Phil and Teddy had worked long hours after school.During the winter they had gained marked improvement intheir work, besides developing some entirely new acts onthe flying rings. During this time they had been living withMrs. Cahill, who, it will be remembered, had proved herself areal friend to the motherless boys.
Now, the long-looked-for day was almost at hand when they shouldonce more join the canvas city for a life in the open.
The next two weeks were busy ones for the lads, with theirpractice and the hard study incident to approaching examinations.Both boys passed with high standing. Books were put away,gymnasium apparatus stored and one sunlit morning two slender,manly looking young fellows, their faces reflecting perfecthealth and happiness, were at the railroad station waiting forthe train which should bear them to the winter quarters ofthe show.
Fully half the town had gathered to see them off, for Edmestonwas justly proud of its Circus Boys. As the train finally drewup and the lads clambered aboard, their school companions set upa mighty shout, with three cheers for the Circus Boys.
"Don't stick your head in the lion's mouth, Teddy!" was theparting salute Phil and Teddy received from the boys as the traindrew out.
"Well, Teddy, we're headed for the Golden Gate at last!"glowed Phil.
"You bet!" agreed Teddy with more force than elegance.
"I wonder if old Emperor will remember me, Teddy?"
"Sure thing! But, do you think that 'fool mule,' as Mr. Sparlingcalls him, will remember me? Or will he want to kick me full ofholes before the season has really opened?"
"I shouldn't place too much dependence on a mule," laughed Phil."Come on; let's go inside and sit down."