OUTWITTING THE PURSUERS
"Oh, if only I had a faster horse!" Forrest breathed."I am afraid this old ring horse never will be able to get away from them."Phil was urging the animal with voice and whip, but it was difficult to get the animal into a faster pace than his regular ring gait--the gait that he had been following for many years.This was scarcely faster than a man could trot.
Phil espied a pole wagon partially loaded, just ahead of him.At sight of it a sudden idea occurred to him.He acted at once.
Riding close to the wagon the lad slipped off and, giving the horse a sharp blow with the whip over one hip, Phil ducked under the wagon.
The ring horse galloped on a few rods and then stopped.
"I guess it's time I was getting away from here," decided the lad."I'll be caught sure, if I do not hurry."The lot was in an uproar.Men were running this way and that, and above the din could be heard the voice of the owner, roaring out orders.
Phil, being still in his pink tights, was a conspicuous figure.He knew that if a ray from a torch should chance to rest on him for a moment, they would discover him at once.
Running in a crouching position the boy made for the further side of the lot, where he hoped to get far enough away so that he could straighten up and make better time.
He did finally reach a safe place, and climbing a board fence, dropped on the other side and lay down to await developments.These were not long coming.All at once he discovered half a dozen men running directly toward him.Whether they had caught sight of him or not, he did not know.He did know that it was time to leave.
Phil left.Springing up, he fairly flew over the ground.
The men caught sight of him, as he realized when one of them uttered a yell.But Phil was a faster runner than any of them and in a few minutes, darting this way and that, and finally doubling on his tracks in a wide circle, he succeeded in outwitting them.
"The question is, what am I going to do now?" he asked himself, pausing abruptly."In this rig I don't dare go into the town, or they will nab me on some trumped up charge and then I shall be worse off.Now I am free, even if I haven't got much on me in the way of clothing.I might as well not have anything so far as keeping warm is concerned." Phil shivered, for the night was cool and a heavy dew falling.
"I know what I'll do.I'll slip back to the lot and perhaps I shall be able to find something to put on.There's usually plenty of coats lying about on the wagons."Now that the uproar had ceased Phil crept back toward the circus lot, lying down in the grass whenever he heard a sound near him and peering into the darkness.
At the risk of being discovered he crawled up to a wagon, climbed aboard and searched it diligently for clothes.He found none.Keenly disappointed, Phil made his way to the pole wagon under which he had taken refuge in his first effort at getting away.This, he found, was loaded ready to be taken to the train.At any moment, now, a team might be hitched to it.
"I guess I'll have to hurry!" muttered the lad.Phil's knowledge of circus affairs stood him in good stead now.
To the boy's delight, he found a bundle in which were a coat and a pair of overalls, rolled up and stowed under the driver's seat.
"Fine!" chuckled Phil."It's a good deal like stealing, but I have to have them and I'll send the fellow a new pair if ever I get back to my own show.He'll be mad in the morning when he goes to get his clothes.I wish I had a hat and pair of shoes.But I guess I ought to be thankful for what I already have."Saying this, Phil dropped from the wagon and quickly got into the clothes.They were old and dirty, but he did not mind that.They were clothes and they would cover his conspicuous ring costume, which was the most important thing for him to consider at the present moment.
"Now, I'll buy a ticket and get started for Corinto," he decided.Phil reached under the neck of his shirt for his little bag of money.
"Oh, pshaw!I've lost it.Let me see, did I put my money in therebefore I entered the ring?"
For the life of him he was unable to say whether he had done so, or whether his money was still in his clothes back in the dressing tent.
"Well, I shall never see that money again, I am thinking.If I left it in my clothes it is gone by this time, and if I didn't it is gone anyway," was his logical conclusion.
The first thing to be done now was to get off the lot, which Phil did as quickly as possible.Clad in the soiled, well-worn garments with his coat buttoned tightly about his neck, the lad attracted no special attention.Getting well away from the circus grounds, he halted to consider what his next move should he.
"I guess I'll go over to the station and get some information," he decided.This he did, but the lights looked so bright in the station that he did not consider it prudent to enter.So Phil waited about until he saw one of the railroad switchmen coming in from the yards.
"How far is it to Corinto, please?" he asked."Fifty miles.""Whew!So far as that?" "Yes.Belong to the show?""Well, not exactly.I'm with them, but I can't say that I belong to the outfit, and I'm glad I don't.""Should think you would be glad," growled the switchman, who evidently held the Sully combination in no high regard.
"Which way do the trains go for Corinto?""That way.That track runs right through without a break.It's a single track road all the way.""Thank you."
"Going to hit the ties?"
"I'm likely to before I get there," laughed Phil, again thanking his informant and starting away, for he saw some people approaching whom he thought belonged to the show.
