"I'll show you how it works," he called out, with a grin, and without a word of warning he whirled it about the legs and bodies of the boys, who jumped with pain and started to run.  
He followed them just as the teacher did before, delivering blows rapidly, every one of which fairly burned and blistered where it struck. Bud laughed and enjoyed it, because he was inflicting suffering, and he would have caused serious injury had not one of the men shouted to him to stop.
 
Bud obeyed, catching the end of the lash in the hand which held the whipstock, and slouching back to his position, said:
 
"They wanted me to give 'em free tickets, and 'cause I wouldn't they told me they were going to crawl under the tent; so I thought I would let 'em have a little taste beforehand."
 
"You mustn't be quite so ready," said the man; "some time you will get into trouble."
 
"It wan't be the first time," said Bud, looking with a grin at the poor boys, all three of whom were crying with pain; "and I reckon I can get out ag'in, as I've done often enough."
 
[Pg 65]
 
Fred Sheldon, after edging away from the other lads and his friends, all of whom were pitying him, recalled that he had come into the village of Tottenville to see the constable, Archie Jackson, and to tell him about the robbery that had been committed at the residence of the Misses Perkinpine the preceding evening.
 
Archie, a short, bustling, somewhat pompous man, who turned in his toes when he walked, was found among the crowd that were admiring the circus and menagerie, and was soon made acquainted with the alarming occurrence.
 
"Just what might have been expected," he said, severely, when he had heard the particulars; "it was some of them circus people, you can make up your mind to that. There's always an ugly crowd going along with 'em, and sometimes a little ahead. It's been some of 'em, I'm sure; very well, very well, I'll go right out and investigate."
 
He told Fred it was necessary he should go along with him, and the boy did so, being informed that he would be permitted to attend the show in the afternoon.
 
The fussy constable made the investigation, assisted by the sisters, who had become much calmer, and by Fred, who, it will be understood, was an important witness.
 
The officer went through and through the house, examining the floor and chairs and windows and furniture for marks that might help him in ferreting out the guilty parties. He looked very wise, and, when he was done, said he had his own theory, and he was more[Pg 66] convinced than ever that the two burglars were attachés of Bandman's menagerie and circus.
 
"Purely as a matter of business," said he, "I'll attend the performances this afternoon and evening; I don't believe in circuses, but an officer of the law must sometimes go where his inclination doesn't lead him. Wouldn't you ladies like to attend the show?"
 
The sisters were quite shocked at the invitation, and said that nothing could induce them to go to such an exhibition, when they never attended one in all their lives.
 
"In the meantime," added the bustling officer, "I suggest that you offer a reward for the recovery of the goods."
 
"The suggestion is a good one," said Aunt Annie, "for I do not believe we shall ever get back the silverware unless we make it an inducement for everybody to hunt for it."
 
After some further words it was agreed that the constable should have a hundred posters printed, offering a reward for the recovery of the stolen property, nothing being said about the capture and conviction of the thieves.
 
Nor would the conscientious ladies consent to make any offer that could be accepted by the thieves themselves, by which they could claim protection against prosecution.
 
They would rather bear their irreparable loss than consent to compound crime.
 
"I know Mr. Carter, a very skillful detective in New[Pg 67] York," said Archie Jackson, as he prepared to go, "and I will send for him. He's the sharpest man I ever saw, and if the property can be found, he's the one to do it."
 
The confidence of the officer gave the ladies much hope, and they resumed their duties in their household, as they had done so many times for years past.
 
As the afternoon approached, the crowds began streaming into Tottenville, and the sight was a stirring one, with the band of music inside, the shouts of the peddlers on the outside, and the general confusion and expectancy on the part of all.
 
The doors were open early, for, as is always the case, the multitude were ahead of time, and were clamoring for admission.
 
As may be supposed, the boys were among the earliest, and the little fellows who had suffered at the hands of the cruel Bud Heyland forgot all their miseries in the delight of the entertainment.
 
On this special occasion Fred had rolled down his trousers and wore a pair of shoes, although most of his playmates preferred no covering at all for their brown, expanding feet.
 
The "performance," as the circus portion was called, did not begin until two o'clock, so that more than an hour was at the disposal of the visitors in which to inspect the animals.
 
These were found to be much less awe-inspiring than they were pictured on the flaming posters and on the sides of their cages. The hippopotamus, which was represented as crushing a large boat, containing several[Pg 68] men, in his jaws, was taken for a small, queer-looking pig, as it was partly seen in the tank, while the grizzly bear, the "Monarch of the Western Wilds," who had slain any number of men before capture, did not look any more formidable than a common dog.
 
The chief interest of Fred and two or three of his young friends centered around the cage containing the Numidian lion. He was of pretty fair size, looked very fierce, and strode majestically back and forth in his narrow quarters, now and then giving vent to a cavernous growl, which, although not very pleasant to hear, was not so appalling by any means as some travelers declare it to be.
 
Most of the boys soon went to the cage of monkeys, whose funny antics kept them in a continual roar; but Fred and Joe Hunt, who were about the same age, seemed never to tire of watching the king of beasts.
 
"Come, move on there; you've been gaping long enough, and it's time other folks had a chance."
 
It was Bud Heyland, who had yielded his position on the outside for a few minutes to one of the men, and had come in to look around. He raised his whip in a threatening manner, but did not let it descend.
 
"I'm not in anybody's way," replied the indignant Fred, "and I'll stand here as long as I want to."
 
"You will, eh? I'll show you!"
 
This time the bully drew back his whip with the intention of striking, but before he could do so Archie Jackson, standing near, called out:
 
"You touch him if you dare!"
 
[Pg 69]
 
Bud turned toward the constable, who stood at his elbow, with flashing eyes, and demanded:
 
"What's the matter with you?"
 
"That boy isn't doing any harm, and if you touch him I'll take you by the collar and lock you up where you'll stay a while after this miserable show has gone."
 
Bud knew the officer and held him in more fear than any one else in the community, but he growled:
 
"This boy crawled under the tent, and he's no business in here."
 
"That's a falsehood, for I saw him buy his ticket. Come now, young man, I know something about last night's nefarious proceedings."
 
It would be hard to describe the significance with which these words were spoken, but it may be said that no one could have made them more impressive than did the fiery constable, who said them over a second time, and then, shaking his head very knowingly, walked away.
 
It may have been that Bud Heyland was such a bad boy that his conscience accused him at all times, but Fred Sheldon was certain he saw the red face grow more crimson under the words of the hot-tempered constable.
 
"Can it be Bud knows anything about last night?" Fred asked himself, attentively watching the movements of Bud, who affected to be interested in something going on a rod or two distant.
 
He walked rapidly thither, but was gone only a short while when he came back scowling at Fred, who looked at him in an inquiring way.
 
[Pg 70]
 
"What are you staring at me so for?" asked Bud, half raising his hand as if he wanted to strike, but was afraid to do so.
 
Fred now did something which bordered on insolence, though the party of the other part deserved no consideration therefor. The little fellow looked steadily in the red, inflamed face, and with that peculiar grin that means so much in a boy, said in a low, confidential voice:
 
"Bud, how about last night?"
 
Young Sheldon had no warrant to assume that Bud Heyland knew anything of the robbery, and he was only following up the hint given by Archie Jackson himself.
 
This may have been the reason that Fred fancied he could detect a resemblance—very slight though it was—between the voice of Bud Heyland and that of the tramp who sat at the table in the old brick house, and who, beyond question, had a false beard on.
 
The young man with the whip in his hand simply looked back at the handsome countenance before him, and without any appearance of emotion, asked in turn:
 
"What are you talking about?"
 
Fred continued to look and smile, until suddenly Bud lost all self-command and whirled his whip over his head.
 
As he did so, the lash flew through the bars of the cage and struck the Numidian lion a sharp, stinging blow on the nose.
 
He gave a growl of anger, and half-rearing on his[Pg 71] hind feet, made a furious clawing and clutching with both paws. The end of the lash seemed to have hit him in the eye, for he was furious for a minute.
 
Bud Heyland knew what the sounds behind him meant, and instead of striking the young lad whom he detested so much, he turned about in the hope of soothing the enraged lion.
 
He spoke kindly to the beast, and failing to produce any effect, was about to call one of the men to bring some meat, but at that instant every one near at hand was startled by a crashing, grinding sound, and the cage was seen to sway as if on the point of turning over.
 
Then, before any one could comprehend fully what had occurred, a huge form was seen to bound through the air in front of the cage, landing directly among the terrified group, who stood spell-bound, scarcely realizing their fearful peril.
 
"The lion is loose! the lion is loose!" was the next cry that rang through the enclosure.
 
The lion sprang through the air among the terrified group
"The lion sprang through the air among the terrified group."—(See page 71.)