The Circus Boys on the Mississippi; Or, Afloat with the Big Show on the Big River Read online

  CHAPTER II

  JANUARY LENDS A FOOT

  "Stop it!" roared a voice. "We don't allow 'roughhouse' in thedressing tent."

  "Yes," added another; "go out on the lot if you want to settleyour differences."

  Mr. Miaco, the head clown, who had been a true friend to theboys from the beginning of their circus career, had discoveredwhat was going on about the time Teddy decided to mix in inthe disagreement. Mr. Miaco sprang up and ran to thestruggling heap. Grasping Teddy firmly by the shoulder hetossed the lad aside.

  "Now, you stay out of this, unless you want a thrashing from me,"the head clown warned.

  The next to feel the grip of his powerful hand was the clown,Diaz, and when Mr. Miaco discovered that the clown had PhilForrest down, he could scarcely restrain himself from severelypunishing the fellow. However, Miaco satisfied himself withhauling Diaz from his victim with little ceremony. Then hejerked the angry clown to his feet.

  "Well, sir, what have you to say for yourself?" demanded Miaco,gazing at the other sternly.

  "This no business of yours," growled Diaz.

  "That remains to be seen. I'll decide whether it is any of myaffair or not. Phil, what does this mean?"

  "Just a little matter between ourselves. Thank you for helpingme out."

  "Did he attack you, Phil?"

  "He did, but he no doubt thought he had sufficient provocation.Perhaps we should not be too hard on Mr. Diaz."

  "Then the best thing to do is to tell Mr. Sparling. I--"

  "Please don't do anything of the sort," begged Phil. "In thefirst place, Diaz's anger was directed against Teddy, and I hadto mix myself in their quarrel. Teddy did something to him afew weeks ago that made the clown very angry, and I don'tblame Diaz."

  "Was there any excuse for his pitching into you in this manner?"

  "Well," laughed Phil, "perhaps the situation did not demandexactly that sort of treatment."

  "How did you come to let him get you so easily?"

  "I fell over something."

  "Oh, that's it?"

  "Yes. I wasn't trying to hit him. I could have done so easily,but I felt that I was in the wrong."

  "Humph!" grunted the head clown. Then he turned to Diaz.

  "See here, you fellow!"

  "What you want?" demanded Diaz in a surly tone.

  "I want to advise you to let those boys alone in the future.They have been with this show a long time, and they are highlythought of by Mr. Sparling. Were he to hear what you have donetonight I rather think you would pack your trunk and quitright here. I shall not tell him. Next time I see you doingany such thing you will have to answer to me. I'm the headclown here, and I won't stand for one of my men pitchingon a boy."

  Teddy was chuckling to himself over the severe rebuke that Miacowas administering to his clown.

  "Do you boys intend going on tonight?" Miaco demanded suddenly,turning on Teddy.

  "Certainly," answered Phil.

  "Then I should advise you to be getting into your makeups."

  "Why, what time is it?"

  "A quarter to eight."

  "Whew! Come on, Teddy."

  A few moments more and peace had been restored in the dressingtent, though Diaz was muttering to himself as he laid the powderover his face, preparatory to his first entry into the ring.

  "I am afraid we have not heard the last of Diaz, Teddy,"confided Phil to his companion. "You see what your momentof thoughtlessness has brought upon us, don't you?"

  "You didn't have to mix in the row. I could have handled him."

  "I am forced to admit that you are right. I sought to avoidtrouble and I was the direct cause of a lot of it. There goesthe first call. Hurry up!"

  The Circus Boys had, indeed, made an enemy. It was noticed,however, that Manuel, the assistant of Diaz, had taken no part inthe row. The young man had calmly proceeded with his making upwithout appearing to take the slightest interest in the affair.Whether or not his apparent indifference was merely assumed wasnot known.

  The two boys were not performing on the flying rings this season.They had retained all their other acts, however, though the staract was the flying trapeze, in which Phil Forrest was now one ofthe leading performers.

  Teddy rode his donkey, January, took part in the ground tumbling,acted as shadow again for the clown Shivers, besides makinghimself generally useful in some of the other acts.

  As for Phil's bareback riding, he occupied the center ring inthis act, as he had done the season before. He had come to beperhaps the most useful man with the Sparling show.

  "I advise you to look out for that fellow. He is a dangerouscustomer," warned Miaco under his breath, as Phil sat down on hishorse during a rest in the performance.

  The Circus Boy nodded his understanding, but appeared littledisturbed at Miaco's warning. Like the seasoned circus man thathe was, he had learned to take things as they came, making thebest of every situation when he came face to face with it.

  Diaz and his assistant were entering the ring as Phil left it.They began throwing their hats, winning great applause, for theiract was a clever one of its kind. At about the same time, TeddyTucker and January came on, the Circus Boy howling, Januarybraying and bucking, beating the air with his heels, for he hadbeen taught some entirely new tricks during the winter.

  The ringmaster held up his hand for silence.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you, January.As January is the first month of the year, so is this Januaryfirst in the donkey world. You will observe how docile and kindhe appears. Yet, ladies and gentlemen, the management of thisshow will give a hundred dollars to any person who can stickon his back for a full minute--only sixty seconds, ladiesand gentlemen. Do you know of any easier or faster way tomake money? Six thousand dollars an hour if you stay that long.Who will be the first to earn the money?"

  It was the first time the announcement had been made fromthe ring. Mr. Sparling had given his consent, even thoughhe had not seen the act. He had, however, observed Teddyengaged in a tussle with the beast that afternoon, and couldreadily understand that what Teddy told him about January'scontrariness was not overdrawn.

  A colored man came down from the audience, and, throwing off hiscoat, announced his intention of riding the mule.

  January appeared to have no objection, permitting the coloredman to get on his back without offering the least opposition.To Teddy, who stood in front of the animal, grinning, there wasa glint in the eye of the mule that spelled trouble for thecolored man.

  Suddenly January reared, then as quickly tipped the other wayuntil it appeared to the spectators as if he were standing onhis head.

  The rider suddenly landed on his back in the sawdust.

  "The gentleman loses," announced the ringmaster. "Is there anyother gentleman in the audience who thinks he can earn onehundred dollars a minute--six thousand dollars an hour?"

  No one appeared to be anxious to make the attempt.

  Manuel, in the meantime, had drawn closer, paying strictattention to the words of the ringmaster.

  "You give money for riding the burro?" questioned thelittle Spaniard.

  "Burro? This is no Mexican burro, this is a donkey!" sniffedTeddy contemptuously.

  The ringmaster instantly scented an opportunity to have some fun,and at the same time make the audience laugh. He glanced aboutto see if Mr. Sparling were under the big top, and not seeinghim, instantly decided to take a long chance.

  "Do you think you can ride January, sir?"

  "I ride burro."

  "Very well, it is your privilege to do so if you can. Ladies andgentlemen, this clown has never before attempted this feat.He thinks he can ride the donkey. If he succeeds he will receivethe reward offered by the management of the show, just the sameas you would have done had you performed the feat."

  Teddy stroked January's nose, then leaning over, the Circus Boywhispered in the animal's ear.

  "January," he said, "you've got a solemn
duty to perform.If you shirk it you are no longer a friend of mine, and youget no more candy--understand? No more candy."

  January curled his upper lip ever so little and brayed dismally.

  "That's right; I knew you would agree to the sentiment."

  "Get away from his head, Master Teddy. The Spanish clown isabout to distinguish himself," announced the ringmaster.

  Manuel was an agile little fellow. While the announcement wasbeing made he had been taking mental measurement of the beastand deciding upon his course of action.

  Ere Teddy had stepped back the Spaniard took a running start,and, with a leap, landed fairly on the back of the donkey.

  The latter, taken by surprise, cleared the ground with allfour feet and bucked, but the rider had flung his arms aboutthe donkey's neck, clinging with both feet to the beast'sbody, grimly determined to win that hundred dollars or diein the attempt.

  "Go it, January," encouraged Teddy. "Give it to him!Soak him hard!"

  January stood on his hind feet, then on his head, as it were,but still the Spaniard clung doggedly.

  By this time the donkey had begun to get angry. He had beentaken an unfair advantage of and he did not like it. Suddenly helaunched into a perfect volley of kicks, each kick giving therider such a violent jolt that he was rapidly losing his hold.

  "Keep it up! Keep it up! You've got him!" exulted theCircus Boy.

  The audience was howling with delight.

  "There he goes!" shrieked Teddy.

  Manuel, now as helpless as a ship without a rudder, was beingbuffeted over the back of the plunging animal.

  Manuel was yelling in his native language, but if anyoneunderstood what he was saying, that one gave no heed. Teddy, onthe other hand, was urging January with taunt and prod of theringmaster's whip.

  Suddenly the Spanish clown was bounced over the donkey's rump,landing on the animal's hocks. It was January's moment--themoment he had been cunningly waiting and planning for.The donkey's hoofs shot up into the air with the clown on them.The hoofs were quickly drawn back, but the Spanish clowncontinued right on, sailing through the air like a greatgaudy projectile.

  The audience yelled its approval.

  Manuel landed with a crash in the midst of the lowergrandstand seats. A second later there was a mix-up thatrequired the united services of a dozen ring attendants tostraighten out.

  In the meantime, Teddy Tucker was rolling on the ground near thecenter pole, howling with delight, while January, with loweredhead, was trotting innocently toward the paddock.

  The ringmaster's whistle trilled for the next act, and the showwent on with its characteristic dash and sprightliness.

  However, Teddy Tucker's plan to get one of the Spanishhat-throwing clowns into trouble had been an entire success.He had succeeded, also, in making another bitter enemy forthe Circus Boys.