Though the center pole had been struck by lightning, repairs were soonsufficiently advanced to enable the show to go on and complete theperformance. The pole itself was practically ruined.
Fortunately, the show had another one, and the wrecked pole was lefton the lot that night as worthless.
After the Roman races the people stood up in their seats and gave threecheers for the boy who had saved many of them from perhaps seriousinjury or death.
Teddy heard the cheer. He was in his dressing tent changing hisclothes, having thus far gotten on only his trousers and undershirt.
He could not restrain his curiosity, so trotting to the entrance heinquired the cause of the commotion.
"They're cheering for you," a canvasman informed him.
"For me?""Yes."Teddy needed no more. Without an instant's hesitation he ran out intothe ring, where he stood smiling, bowing and throwing kisses to them.
"Come and see us again!" yelled the Circus Boy.
"We will that!" answered a chorus of voices.
"I'll have the big hen lay another egg for you. I--" His voice wasdrowned in the roar of laughter that followed this sally.
Already the attendants were ripping up the seats, loading them into thewagons, with a rattle and bang. Men were shouting, horses neighing;here and there an animal uttered a hoarse-voiced protest at something, itknew not what.
Circus animals often scent a change, perhaps more quickly than do thepeople about them.
Performers and others, whose duties did not keep them on the lot, werehurrying to get to the dock where the circus boats were waiting, and whereMr. Sparling was attending to the loading.
Phil and Teddy were in no less haste. Quickly getting their trunkspacked, they started off for the river. The moon had come out after thestorm and the air was fresh and fragrant, though underfoot the evidencesof the storm were still present.
"Did I hurt you much when I fell on you tonight, Teddy?""Hurt me?""Yes?""You knocked the breath out of me. But don't let a little thing likethat worry you. I thought the tent had fallen on me, or at least a centerpole. Lucky I was there, wasn't it?""It was.""You might have received a bump that you wouldn't have gotten overright away.""I might have done so.""I saved your life, didn't I?""Perhaps you did. I had only a few feet to drop, you know. I wasready to drop on all fours lightly when you happened to get in the way--""When I happened to get in the way?""Yes. Didn't you?""Well, I like that," growled Teddy indignantly. "Here I run in andsave your life, willing to sacrifice my own for you and you say when I'happened to get in the way.'"Phil laughed heartily.
"Of course, I appreciate your wonderful self-sacrifice. It was verykind of you to get in the way and let me fall on you. Nothing like havinga soft place to fall, is there, old chap?"Teddy uttered an unintelligible growl.
"That's right; insult me. I'm only a clown and--and a life-saver--""And one of the best fellows a chap could have for his friend, eh?
was only joking, Teddy.""I accept your apology. My hand on it," answered Teddycondescendingly. "Next time you can fall on the ground or any oldplace. I don't care. I shan't try to catch you." "If I remembercorrectly, you could not very well help yourself in this instance. You didnot catch me. I caught you--caught you unawares. There is Mr.
Sparling and there are the boats. Don't they look fine, all lighted upinside, their signal lights burning on the outside?""They look wet to me."Thin wisps of smoke were curling lazily from the funnels of the threeboats, for the stokers had not yet started to get up steam. Some hourswould elapse before the fleet would be ready to begin its journey down thebig river.
"There goes the 'Little Nemo,'" cried Teddy.
The smaller of the three steamboats moved slowly out into the stream,and there came to anchor to await the other boats. The "Fat Marie" wasalready alongside the long dock, but she now moved up a little further tomake room for her companion boat, the "River Queen," which latter Philhad nicknamed the "Yellow Peril.""Let's see, where do we stow our belongings, Phil?""On the 'Fat Marie.'""If that name don't sink her, nothing will," said Teddy, with a broadgrin. "I hope the boat floats better than Fat Marie did when she fell in thecreek last season. If not, we're lost. Let's go on board and find outwhere we are going to live.""After we speak to Mr. Sparling. Is there anything we can do to helpyou, Mr. Sparling?" asked Phil, stepping up to the owner of the show, who,hatless, coatless, his hair looking as if it had not been combed in days, wasgiving orders in sharp, short sentences, answering questions and shoutingdirections almost in the same breath.
"Oh, is that you, Phil?""It is myself, sir," smiled the lad. "How are you getting along?""Much better than I had hoped. You see the 'Little Nemo' is alreadyloaded. The 'Fat Marie' is well loaded and the 'Queen' is taking stuff onboard at a two-forty gait.""I see you haven't driven the bulls on yet," meaning the elephants.
The elephants were standing off beyond the docks, huge shadowyfigures, swaying silently in the faint light, for there was a slight haze in theair that even the brilliant moonlight could not wholly pierce.
"No; I thought it best to load the bulls and the ring stock later on.
The bulls might get frightened with all the unusual noises around them.
After they become more used to this method of traveling they will be allright.""What time do we pull out?""It will be three o'clock, I think. Perhaps a little later than that.""You mean earlier," suggested Teddy.
The showman turned on him sharply.
"Why, hello, Teddy. Really, you are so small that I did not seeyou."Teddy winced.
"I guess I'm some, even if I am little," protested the lad warmly.
"You are right. You are not only some, but _much._ What's this Ihear about trouble on the lot? Some of the men said they heard there hadbeen an accident, but they guessed it didn't amount to much.""It was not very serious," said Phil.
"Oh, no; nothing of any consequence," jeered Teddy. "I was struckby lightning, that's all.""What!""Hit by balls of fire--and the big hen laid an egg.""See here, what are you driving at--""And crushed, utterly crushed by my best friend, Phil Forrest. Now,what do you think of that?""Teddy, please hitch your tongue to the roof of your mouth for amoment. Now, Phil, tell me what happened. I get so dizzy when Teddyis talking that I almost imagine I am going to be seasick.""Pshaw!" growled Teddy.
"We did have a little trouble.""Tell me about it.""The storm came up while the aerial acts were on. We all shortenedour acts at the direction of the ringmaster, and it was well we did so. Wehad not all gotten down when a bolt of lightning struck the main centerpole.""You don't say! Here, men, stow those canvas wagons forward!
You must learn to trim the boat, giving her an even load all over! Didthe bolt do any damage?""Slivered the pole.""Wreck it?""Yes. Not worth carrying off the lot.""What else?""Some excitement--""Panic?""No, but I think there would have been had it not been for my friend,Teddy Tucker. He amused the audience while things were happening upabove.""Good for you, Teddy Tucker," said the showman, slapping the CircusBoy on the back.
"Ouch!" howled Teddy.
"I was congratulating you, that's all," laughed Mr. Sparling.
"If it is all the same to you, please use a club when you congratulateme. I won't feel it so much."Phil next went on to relate how Teddy had, by his quickness, made fastthe rope and probably saved the top from falling in on them, and how he,Phil, had fallen on the boy and knocked him out.
Mr. Sparling surveyed the flushed face of Teddy approvingly.
"Thank you, Teddy," he said. "I'll give you a day off to go fishing,sometime, for that.""I don't want to go fishing.""Then you are the first showman I ever knew who did not. They aresimply crazy over fishing. You'll see every one of them hanging over therails in the early morning trying to catch fish.""I won't. You'll see me asleep about that time, if you look in the rightplace," answered Teddy very promptly.
"Teddy deserves your praise, Mr. Sparling.""He does, and he has it. I will show my appreciation more fullywhen I get all this rush out of the way. The loss of the center pole doesn'tamount to much, but the rest does.""And the hen laid an egg," reiterated Teddy.
"Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you. The big ostrich hen laid an egg thisevening.""Is it possible?""Yes; Teddy found it in the hay behind the concert platform."The showman's eyes twinkled.
"What were you doing back there?""Looking for a place to take a catnap between acts."Mr. Sparling laughed heartily.
"There's only one Teddy in the whole wide world!""I hope not," added the boy quickly.
"Where is the egg--what did you do with it?""Got it in my bag here, want to see it?"He handed the egg to Mr. Sparling who turned it over, glancing at itcuriously.
"Look out! You'll drop it!""And what are you going to do with it, may I ask?""Eat it.""What, eat up my property?""Eggs belongs to the finder, and--""You mean eggs _belong_ to the finder," corrected Phil.
"Yes, I guess so. Any way, so you say it. I'm going to eat this egg,even if it does give me indigestion all the rest of my life. How do youcook ostrich eggs?""I never cooked any, my boy. You will have to consult the cook onthat point. Perhaps he may consent to cook it for you.""I'll give you a slice off the white when it's cooked.""Thank you. You are welcome to the whole egg. Better go up andlocate yourselves, boys.""What number is our room, Mr. Sparling?" asked Phil.
"Number twenty-four, on the upper deck. I have given you a nice,roomy, light and airy cabin that I think will please you. It is one of thebest on the ship and you should be very comfortable there.""I am sure we shall be, and thank you very much," said Phil. "Comealong, Teddy."Together they made their way to the boat and through the crowded,bustling lower deck, where the big canvas-covered wagons were beingwarped into place, a sort of orderly confusion reigning over everything,the scene lighted by lanterns swinging from hooks all about the deck.
The lads found their cabin, and after lighting the lamp, utteredexclamations of surprise. Instead of the narrow berths they had expectedto see, there were white enameled iron bedsteads, a washstand with thesame neat finish, and several pictures on the walls.
The cabin was a large one. In the center of it stood a table on whichlay a large portfolio and inscribed in gold letters on the outside they readthe words, "For the Circus Boys."The portfolio was filled with writing materials.
"Oh, isn't that fine?" exclaimed Phil.
"Yes, it's a fine egg. I'm going to have the feast of my life when I getit baked--""Teddy Tucker!""What?""What do you think I am talking about?""Eggs.""I am not. I am talking about this beautiful cabin that Mr. Sparlinghas fixed for us. Look at it--look at this portfolio. I am afraid youdon't appreciate how good our employer is to us. There is an easy chairfor each of us, too. Why, we ought to be very happy.""I am happy. So would you be if a hen had laid a five pound egg foryou," retorted Teddy.
"Hopeless, hopeless," groaned Phil.
Teddy, muttering to himself, carefully laid the egg away in his trunk,first wrapping it up in an old silk ring shirt, then locking the trunk andputting the key in his pocket.
The lad then made a personal and critical examination of the room,tried the springs of the bed, nodded approvingly, sat down in one of theeasy chairs and put his feet on the table.
Phil promptly pushed the feet off.
"Here, what are you doing?""This is not the dressing room of a circus, Teddy. This is the livingroom of a couple of young gentlemen. Let's not forget that. Let us tryto keep our cabin looking nice and shipshape, else Mr. Sparling will thinkwe do not appreciate his kindness.""Say, Phil!""Yes?""I'll tell you what we'll do!""I am listening.""We'll have a spread up here all by ourselves, tomorrow night, after theshow. We'll eat the egg. I'll get the cook to boil it all day tomorrow-doesit take a day to boil an ostrich egg?""I should think it might take a month," laughed Phil. "Yes; I'll makea martyr of myself and help you eat the egg. I shall never have any peaceuntil that egg is finally disposed of--""What's going on downstairs?" interrupted Teddy.
A commotion was heard out on the dock. There was the tramping ofmany feet, mingled with loud, angry shouts and sharp commands.
"It sounds to me as if something has been let loose," said TeddyTucker wisely.
Something had been "let loose."With one accord the Circus Boys sprang up. Rushing out into thecorridor they leaped down the after companionway four steps at a jump.