CHAPTER XV
IN AN EXCITING RACE
"More trouble," announced Teddy, one morning a few days later,when the boys awoke in Lawrence, Kansas.
"What's the trouble now, Old Calamity?" demanded Phil, who waswashing his face and hands.
Contrary to his usual practice, he had not lookedfrom his stateroom window immediately upon getting up.Teddy had, however. His eyes grew a little larger ashe did so, but otherwise the sight that met them didnot disturb his equanimity in the least.
"The usual."
"What do you mean? Have we run over another man?"
"Worse than that."
"You are getting to be a regular calamity howler."
"I'm a showman, I am. I keep my eyes open and I know what'sgoing on about me. That's more than you can say for some peoplenot more than a million miles away."
"All right; I will take that for granted. But tell me what it isthat is disturbing you so early in the morning?" questioned Philwith a short laugh.
"We're all surrounded," answered Teddy grimly.
"Surrounded?"
"Yes."
"I don't understand."
"You will, pretty soon."
"Surrounded by what?"
"Opposition."
"What!"
"What's the matter, can't you hear this morning?"
"I hear very well, but I don't understand what you mean when yousay we are surrounded by opposition. It strikes me we have beensurrounded by nothing else since we took charge of Car Three."
Teddy nodded.
"Yep, that's right. But this is different. On our left, ifyou will observe closely, you will notice the canary yellowof Car Three of the so-called Greatest Show on Earth. On yourright, if you still keep your eyes open and look hard, you willdiscover the flaming red of the Wallace advance car. And--"
"What!"
"And, as I was saying, if that fails to make an impression onyou, a glance to the rear will discover to your feeble eyesight,one John Robinson's publicity car."
Having delivered himself of this monologue, Teddy calmly sat downand began to draw on his trousers, yawning broadly as he did so.
"Methinks, milord, that trouble is brewing in bucketfuls,"he added.
Phil sprang to the car window, threw up the shade and peered out.He stepped to the other side of the car, looking from thewindow there.
"You're right."
"Of course I am right. I'm always right. How does it happen youdid not discover all this after we got in last night!"
"They were not here then. They must have come in afterwards."
Dashing out into the main part of the car Phil called the men.
"Wake up, fellows!"
"What's up," called a voice.
"The yards are full of opposition. Three advertising cars arehere besides our own."
No other urging was necessary to get the crew out of bed.They came tumbling from their upper berths like as manyfiremen upon a sudden alarm. All hands ran to the windowsand peered out.
"Sure enough, they are all here," shouted Conley. "I reckon theyhave caught us napping this time."
"No; they are not awake yet. I hope they sleep as well as BobTripp's crew did," answered Phil. "But we have a big job beforeus today. You had better hustle through your breakfasts, boys.I will call up the livery and get the country routes off at once.Perhaps we can get ahead of the other fellows."
Phil did so, but as his teams drove up another set swung over thetracks, pulling up before the canary car.
"Hustle it! Hustle it!" cried Phil. "You drivers, if you getout ahead of the others and keep ahead, you'll get a bonus whenyou come in tonight."
Each side was now striving to get away first. The crew from thecanary car made the getaway ahead of Phil's men, but they hadless than a minute's headway.
The Circus Boys had their coats off and were hustling cans ofpaste over the side of the car into the wagons. Every move ontheir part counted. There was not a particle of lost motion.
Phil sprang into the first wagon to leave.
"Come on, fellows! Never mind the horses. I can buy more, ifthese break their necks."
With a rattle and a bang both rigs smashed over the tracks,and were on their way down the village street, each team ona runaway gallop. Phil's team was gaining gradually.
"Hang on to the cans!" shouted the Circus Boy. "We are coming toa bad crosswalk!"
People paused on the street, not understanding what the madpace meant. A policeman ran out and raised his stick.Teddy, who had hopped on behind at the last minute, not wishingto lose any of the fun, now stood up unsteadily, hanging to thedriver's coat collar and nearly pulling that worthy fromhis seat.
They overhauled the first wagon from the canary car andpassed it.
"Ye--ow!" howled Teddy as their wagon swept by. "This is a WildWest outfit!"
The paste cans in the two wagons were dancing a jig by this time.Teddy suddenly lost his grip on the driver's collar, sitting downheavily on the nearest can. At that moment they struck the roughcrossing, whereat Teddy shot up into the air, landing in a heapby the side of the road.
"Whoa!" commanded Phil, at the same time jumping on the can tokeep it from following in the wake of Teddy.
"Go on!" howled Teddy, partially righting himself.
The driver urged his horses on and the team sprang away withloud snorts. But the rival wagon had taken a fresh start,and was drawing up on the Sparling outfit, the rear team,with lowered heads, appearing to be running away.
These horses struck the crosswalk with a mighty crash. The rearwheels slewed. The big can of paste was catapulted over a fence,narrowly missing Teddy Tucker's head as it shot over him.He flattened himself on the ground, but was up like a flash,sprinting out of harm's way.
There was reason for his last action. Other things were cominghis way. As the wheels of the rival wagon slewed, they strucka gutter.
The wagon turned turtle, and men, paste brushes, paper and allwere scattered all over the place.
"Oh, that's too bad!" muttered Phil. "But we can do nothingfor them if we stop. There are plenty back there tolend assistance."
His tender heart told him to go back, whether he could be ofservice to his rival or not, but his duty lay plain before him.He must outdistance the enemy.
A second team came plunging down the road from the canary car,close behind the unfortunate wagon. These horses, too, wereinstantly mixed in the wreck. The wagon did not turn turtle asthe one before it had done, but one of the horses went down.
Now came other wagons of the Sparling outfit. They were runningtwo abreast in the road. But the drivers saw the obstruction intime, slowed down and dodged it. They were off at a tremendousspeed, and a few moments later branched off on different roads,quickly disappearing in a cloud of dust.
Phil's wagon crew discovered a farm barn just ahead of them.They drove up to it on a run. All hands piled out. And how theydid work! In a few moments the old barn was a blaze of color.
"First blood for the Sparling Combined Shows!" shouted the boy."Now hit the trail for all you are worth!"
They were off again. A cloud of dust to their rear told themthat one of their rival's wagons was after them. At the nextstop the pursuing wagon rolled by them, the menyelling derisively.
"It is the Wallace Show's crowd!" shouted Phil."Get after them."
The Wallace people went on half a mile further. As Phil drewup on them he shouted to his driver to go on to the next stop.When they made it finally, they were passed by the crew fromthe canary advance car.
It was give and take. Such billing never had been seen along theKansas highway before. But, up to the present moment, theSparling crew had much the best of it.
"This won't do, boys; I have got to get back. I have nobusiness here. Keep this right up. Don't lag for an instant.Is there a town near here?"
The driver informed Phil that there was one about a mile aheadof them.
Phil
rode on until he reached it. Here he jumped out, taking abundle of paper with him, ordering his men to drive on. With himhe carried a bucket of paste and a brush.
Phil went to work like a seasoned billposter, plastering everyold stable and tight board fence in the village. By the timethe rival crews drove in there was little space left for them,and such spots as were left were all on back or side streets.
"I guess they will know we have been here," decided Phil. "Now Imust find a way to get back to the car."
Inquiring at the post office he learned where he might be able tohire a rig.
Losing not a minute the boy hunted up the man who owned thehorse, and, by offering to pay him about twice what the servicewas worth, got the fellow to take him back.
The journey back to town was executed in almost as good time asthat which Phil had made in driving out. The rig rattled intotown at a gallop, and Phil was landed on his car again, safe andsound after his exciting rides.
"Did you beat them," cried Teddy, as Phil drove up.
"We did and we didn't. But we have got the start of them onthe billing. Were any of the other men hurt?"
"One of the canary bird crowd got a broken arm. The others werepretty well bruised up, but they are still in the ring."
"What is doing in the town?"
"I sent our men out to square the locations. Told them not toput up any paper, but to hustle the squaring."
"Good for you, Teddy! You are a winner. Where did you learnthat trick?"
"Oh, it's a little trick I picked up the other day. I'm aprofessional publicity man, you know."
"Are our opposition friends doing the same thing?"
"I think not. I got the start of them by fully an hour.Worked the same game on them that we did on Tripp theother day. You remember?"
Phil nodded. Indeed, he did remember.
"The men were so excited over the race that they couldn't spendtime to attend to business. I got a pretty good bump, but Ithought it was a good time to get back in the town and hustleour fellows, seeing that you had hit the long trail. I didn'texpect you back before the middle of next week, the rate youwere going."
Phil laughed good-naturedly.
"You remain here and watch the car, Teddy. I am going to runover town. Had your breakfast?"
"Say, I forgot all about that. I haven't had a thing."
"Your appetite will keep. I must look around a little.Something may be going on that needs attention from our side."
Phil had reason, a few minutes later, to be thankful that hisinstinct had prompted him to hurry over town.