CHAPTER XXII
A DASH FOR LIBERTY
"Help!"
"What is it?" cried Billy in alarm. "I'm hung up--hung down,I mean!"
"What--what's the matter, are you in trouble?"
"Yes, I'm hanging head down. I'm fast by the feet.Help me down!"
"Help you down? I can't help you. You will have to get out thebest way you can. Can't you crawl up and free your feet?"
"No; go get Phil."
"Can you hold on?"
"I--I'll try. Go get Phil."
Conley dashed away as fast as he could run.
"I knew it, I knew it," he repeated at almost every bound.
Teddy's climbers had lost their grip in the rotting wood.Before he could recover himself he had tumbled backward.Fortunately the rope had clung to the pole; he was held fastbut Teddy was hanging with his back against the pole, beingpowerless to help himself in the slightest degree. Again, hewas afraid that, were he to stir about, the rope, which hadslipped down and drawn tight about his ankles, might suddenlyslide down the pole and dash him to his death.
Not many minutes had elapsed before Phil and Conley camerunning back. Phil, at the suggestion of the assistantmanager, had brought a pair of climbers with him, Billyexplaining, as they ran, the fix that the Circus Boy was in.
For a wonder, all the disturbance had attracted no attention onthe street.
"Are you all right?" called Phil as he ran to the spot.
"N--no; I'm all wrong," came the answer from above. "All theblood in my body is in my head. I'm going to burst in a minute."
Phil wasted no words. Quickly strapping on his climbers, hebegan shinning up the pole, which he took much faster than Teddyhad done, for the situation was critical.
"Hurry up! Think I want to stay here all night?"
"I'm coming. Hang on a few moments longer," panted Phil, for theexertion was starting the perspiration all over his body.
At last he reached the spot where Teddy was hanging head down.
"Well, you have got yourself into a nice fix!" growled Phil.
"I got the banners up," retorted Teddy.
Phil cast his eyes aloft, and there, above his head, floated thegaudy banners of the Sparling Show.
"Great!" he muttered. "But you are lucky if it doesn't cost youyour life and perhaps mine, too. Now, when I place this rope inyour hands, you hang on to it for all you are worth. I will makeit fast above, and I think I shall have to cut the rope thatholds your feet. I see no other way to get you down."
"What, and let me drop? No, you don't."
"I shall not let you drop if I can help it. Can't you manage toget a grip on the pole with your arms?"
"If I were facing the other way, I might."
"Twist yourself. Aren't you enough of a circus man to do acontortion act as simple as that?"
Teddy thought he was. At least, he was willing to try, and hesucceeded very well, throwing a firm grip about the pole.
Phil cautiously climbed above his companion. None save a trainedaerial worker could have accomplished such a feat, but the CircusBoy managed it without mishap. He then made fast a rope aboutthe pole above the place where Teddy's rope was secured, drawingit tight above a slight projection on the pole itself, where partof a knot had been left.
Phil had not secured himself as Teddy had done, but he feltno fear of falling as long as he had one arm about the pole.He might slip, but even then the principal danger to beapprehended was that he might carry Teddy down with him.
"Pass the rope about your body," directed Phil.
"Which rope?"
"My rope--_this_ rope," answered Phil, raising and lowering therope that Teddy might make no mistake. "If you get the wrong oneyou will take a fine tumble. Got it?"
"Yes."
"All right. When you have secured it about your body letme know."
"I've got it."
"Have you also got a firm grip on the pole?"
"Yes."
"Then look out. I am going to cut your feet loose.Are you ready?"
"All ready!"
Phil severed the rope that held Teddy's feet, and the boy dida half turn in the air, his feet suddenly flopping over untilhe found himself in an upright position. But the twist of thebody had given him a fearful wrench, drawing a loud "ouch!"from Teddy. To add to his troubles Tucker found himself unableto move.
"I'm tied up in a hard knot," he wailed.
"What's the trouble?"
"I'm all twisted. I can't wiggle a toe."
"Well, you don't have to wiggle your toes, do you?"
Phil found the work of extricating his companion a more difficultmatter than he had expected, and to set Teddy free it wasnecessary to cut the rope again.
This time the cutting was followed instantly by a wild yell.
Teddy shot down to the splice in the pole, where he struck thecrosspiece with a jolt that shook the pole from top to bottom;but, fortunately, his arms were about the pole and the crosspiecehad kept him from plunging to the ground many feet below.
"Are you all right?" called Phil.
"No; I'm killed."
"Lucky you didn't break the pole, at any rate."
"Break the pole? Break the pole?" yelled Teddy, halfin anger, half in pain. "What do I care about the pole?I've broken myself. I won't be able to sit down againthis season. Oh, why did I ever come with this outfit?"
"Hurry and get down. We shall have the whole town awakeif you keep up that racket."
Phil let himself down to where Teddy sat rubbing himselfand growling.
"Go on down. You are not hurt," commanded Phil.
"I am, I tell you."
"Well, are you going to stay up here all night?"
Teddy pulled himself together, preparing for the descent.
"Can you get down alone? If not I will tie a rope to you toprotect you."
"No; you keep away from me. I'll get down if you let me alone."
"Teddy Tucker, you are an ungrateful boy."
"I'm a sore boy; that's what I am. Don't speak to me tillI get down again. Then I'll talk with you and I'll havesomething to say, too. I want that fifty dollars forputting the banner up, too."
"Well, wait till you get down, anyhow," retortedPhil impatiently.
Teddy made his way down, muttering and growling every foot of theway, followed by Phil at a safe distance, the latter chucklingand laughing at Teddy's rage.
Young Tucker had nearly reached the base of the pole, when oncemore he missed his footing.
Billy Conley was just below him, ready to assist, when Teddylanded on him, both going down together.
Teddy uttered a yell that could have been heard more than ablock away.
As the two struggled to get up, both Teddy and Billythreatening each other, rapid footsteps were heard approachingthem down the street. In a moment they saw the flash of apoliceman's shield.
"We're caught!" cried Conley. "Run for it!"
"Halt!" commanded the officer. He was almost upon them now.Phil was still up the pole, where he clung, awaiting the resultof the surprise below.
"What does this mean?" demanded the bluecoat.
"It means you are it!" howled Teddy, bolting between theofficer's legs, causing the bluecoat to fall flat uponthe ground.
"Run! Run!" howled Teddy.
Phil sprang from the pole and all hands made a lively sprint forthe car.