CHAPTER XX
THE RETURN TO THE SAWDUST LIFE
"Is he dead?"
"No; you can't kill a thick-head like that," snarled theringmaster.
The audience was still roaring.
With angry imprecations the members of the band who had fallenthrough were untangling themselves as rapidly as possible. Teddy,in the meantime, had dragged himself from beneath the heap andslunk out from under the broken platform. He lost no time inescaping to the paddock, but the bandmaster, espying him, startedafter the lad, waving his baton threateningly.
No sooner had Teddy gained the seclusion of the dressing tentthan James Sparling burst in.
"Where's that boy? Where's that boy?"
"Here he is," grinned a performer, thrusting Teddy forward, muchagainst the lad's inclinations.
Mr. Sparling surveyed him with narrow eyes.
"You young rascal! Trying to break up my show, are you?"
"N-no--sir."
"Can you do that again, do you think?"
"I--I don't know."
"That's the greatest Rube mule act that ever hit a sawdust ring.I'll double your salary if you think you can get away with itevery performance," fairly shouted the owner.
"I--I'm willing if the mule is," stammered Teddy somewhatdoubtfully.
As a result the lad left his job in the cook tent, never toreturn to it. After many hard knocks and some heavy falls hesucceeded in so mastering the act that he was able to go throughwith it without great risk of serious injury to himself. Theeducated mule and the boy became a feature of the SparlingCombined Shows from that moment on, but after that Teddy tookgood care not to round off his act by a high dive into the bigbass horn.
No one was more delighted at Teddy Tucker's sudden leap to famethan was his companion, Phil Forrest. Phil and Dr. Irvinereturned to the show, one afternoon, about a week after theaccident. They had come on by train.
Phil, though somewhat pale after his setback, was clear-eyed, anddeclared himself as fit as ever. He insisted upon going on withhis act at the evening performance, but Mr. Sparling told him towait until the day following. In the meantime Phil could get hisapparatus in working order.
"I'll look it over myself this time," announced the showman. "Idon't want any more such accidents happening in this show. Yourfriend Teddy nearly put the whole outfit to the bad--he and thefool mule."
That afternoon Phil had an opportunity to witness for himself theexhibition of his companion and the "fool mule." He laugheduntil his sides ached.
"O Teddy, you'll break your neck doing that stunt one of thesetimes," warned Phil, hastening back to the dressing tent afterTeddy and the mule had left the ring.
"Don't you think it's worth the risk?"
"That depends."
"For two dollars a day?"
"Is that what you are getting?"
"Yep. I'm a high-priced performer," insisted Teddy, snapping histrousers pocket significantly. "I'd jump off the big top, twiceevery day, for that figure."
"What are you going to do with all your money? Spend it?"
"I--rather thought I'd buy a bicycle."
Phil shook his head.
"You couldn't carry it, and, besides, nobody rides bicycles thesedays. They ride in automobiles."
"Then I'll buy one of them."
"I'll tell you what you do, Teddy."
"Lend the money to you, eh?"
"No; I am earning plenty for myself. But every week, now, Ishall send all my money home to Mrs. Cahill. I wrote to herabout it while I was sick. She is going to put it in the bankfor me at Edmeston, with herself appointed as trustee. That'snecessary, you see, because I am not of age. Then no one cantake it away from me."
"You mean your Uncle Abner?" questioned Teddy.
"Yes. I don't know that he would want to; but I'm not taking anychances. Now, why not send your money along at the same time?Mrs. Cahill will deposit it in the same way, and at the end ofthe season think what a lot of money you will have?"
"Regular fortune?"
"Yes, a regular fortune."
"What'll I do with all that money?"
"Do what I'm going to do--get an education."
"What, and leave the show business? No, siree!"
"I didn't mean that. You can go to school between seasons. Idon't intend to leave the show business, but I'm going to knowsomething besides that."
"Well, I guess it would be a good idea," reflected Teddy.
"Will you do it?"
"Yes; I'll do it," he nodded.
"Good for you! We'll own a show of our own, one of these days.You mark me, Teddy," glowed Phil.
"Of our own?" marveled Teddy, his face wreathing in smiles. "Say,wouldn't that be great?"
"I think so. Have you been practicing on the rings since Ileft?"
"No."
"That's too bad. You and I will begin tomorrow. We ought to bepretty expert on the flying rings in a few weeks, if I don't gethurt again," added the boy, a shadow flitting across his face.
"Then, you'd better begin by taking some bends," suggested Mr.Miaco, who, approaching, had overheard Phil's remark.
"Bends?" questioned Teddy
"What are they?" wondered Phil. "Oh, I know. I read about themin the papers. It's an attack that fellows working in a tunnelget when they're digging under a river. I don't want anythinglike that."
"No, no, no," replied Mr. Miaco in a tone of disgust. "It's nodisease at all."
"No?"
"What I mean by bends is exercises. You have seen the performersdo it--bend forward until their hands touch the ground, legsstiff, then tipping as far backwards as possible. Those arebending exercises, and the best things to do. The performerslimber up for their act that way. If you practice it slowlyseveral times a day you will be surprised to see what it will dofor you. I'd begin today were I in your place, Phil. You'llfind yourself a little stiff when you go on in your elephant acttonight--"
"I'm not going on tonight--not until tomorrow. Mr. Sparlingdoesn't wish me to."
"All right. All the better. Exercise! I wouldn't begin on therings today either. Just take your bends, get steady on yourfeet and start in in a regular, systematic way tomorrow," advisedthe head clown.
"Thank you, Mr. Miaco; I shall do so. I am much obliged to you.You are very kind to us."
"Because I like you, and because you boys don't pretend to knowmore about the circus business than men who have spent theirlives in it."
"I hope I shall never be like that," laughed Phil. "I know Ishall always be willing to learn."
"And there always is something to learn in the circus life. Noneof us knows it all. There are new things coming up every day,"added the clown.
Phil left the dressing tent to go around to the menagerie tentfor a talk with Mr. Kennedy and Emperor. Entering the tent thelad gave his whistle signal, whereat Emperor trumpeted loudly.
The big elephant greeted his young friend with every evidence ofjoy and excitement. Phil, of course, had brought Emperor a bagof peanuts as well as several lumps of sugar, and it was withdifficulty that the lad got away from him after finishing hischat with Mr. Kennedy.
Phil was making a round of calls that afternoon, so he decidedthat he would next visit Mr. Sparling, having seen him only amoment, and that while others were around.
"May I come in?" he asked.
"Yes; what do you want?"
"To thank you for your kindness."
"Didn't I tell you never to thank me for anything?" thundered theshowman.
"I beg your pardon, sir; I'll take it all back," twinkled Phil.
"Oh, you will, will you, young scapegrace? What did you comehere for anyway? Not to palaver about how thankful you are thatyou got knocked out, stayed a week in bed and had your salarypaid all the time. I'll bet you didn't come for that. Want araise of salary already?"
"Hardly. If you'll give me a chance, I'll tell you, Mr.Sparling."
"Go on. Say it quick."
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"I have been thinking about the fall I got, since I've been laidup."
"Nothing else to think about, eh?"
"And the more I think about it, the more it bothers me."
"Does, eh?" grunted Mr. Sparling, busying himself with hispapers.
"Yes, sir. I don't suppose it would be possible for me to getthe broken wire now, would it? No doubt it was thrown away."
The showman peered up at the boy suspiciously.
"What do you want of it?"
"I thought I should like to examine it."
"Why?"
"To see what had been done to it."
"Oh, you do, eh?"
"Yes, sir."
"What do you think happened to that wire? It broke, didn't it?"
"Yes, I guess there is no doubt about it but somebody helped tobreak it."
"Young man, you are too confoundedly smart. Mark my words,you'll die young. Yes; I have the wire. Here it is. Look atit. You are right; something happened to it, and I've beentearing myself to pieces, ever since, to find out who it was.I've got all my amateur sleuths working on the case, this veryminute, to find out who the scoundrel is who cut the wire. Haveyou any idea about it? But there's no use in asking you. I--"
"I've got this," answered Phil, tossing a small file on the tablein front of Mr. Sparling.
"What, what, what? A file?"
"Yes, will you see if it fits the notch in the wire there?"
The showman did so, holding file and wire up to the light for abetter examination of them.
"There can be no doubt of it," answered the amazed showman,fixing wondering eyes on the young man. "Where did you get it?"
"Picked it up."
"Where?"
"In the dressing tent."
"Pooh! Then it doesn't mean anything," grunted Mr. Sparling.
"If you knew where I picked it up you might think differently."
"Then where _did_ you get it?"
"Found it in my own trunk."
"In your trunk?"
Phil nodded.
"How did it get there?"
"I had left my trunk open after placing some things in it. WhenI went out to watch Teddy's mule act I was in such a hurry that Iforgot all about the trunk. When I came back, there it lay, nearthe end--"
"Somebody put it there!" exploded the showman.
"Yes."
"But who? Find that out for me--let me know who the man is andyou'll hear an explosion in this outfit that will raise the bigtop right off the ground."
"Leave it to me, Mr. Sparling, I'll find him."
The owner laughed harshly.
"How?"
"I think I know who the man is at this very minute," was PhilForrest's startling announcement, uttered in a quiet, even tone.
Mr. Sparling leaped from his chair so suddenly that he overturnedthe table in front of him, sending his papers flying all over theplace.