"What!"
THE BATTLE OF THE ELEPHANTS
"Yes, hurry!" and Phil sank back, weak from lack of food and the severe strain he had put upon himself.
Mr.Sparling grasped the meaning of the lad's words in a flash.Snatching a whistle from his pocket he blew two short, shrill blasts.A mounted man came riding up at a gallop.
"Go to the lot! Have the tents surrounded.Let no one through who doesn't belong to the show.I trust you to look out for our property.An attempt may be made to do us damage while we are out on parade.Now, ride!"The man did ride.He whirled his horse and set it at a run down the line, headed toward the circus lot.
"I've got to get back there myself, Phil.Can you stand it to stay in the carriage until it reaches the lot?""Yes, but I don't look fit.I--"
"Sit up and look wise.The people will think you are a clown and they'll split their sides laughing.I'll talk with you later.You must have had a rough time of it.""I have had."
Mr.Sparling jumped out of the carriage, and, ordering a rider to dismount, took the latter's horse, on which he, too, rode back to the lot with all speed.
Phil pulled himself together.Half a block further on the people, espying him, did laugh as Mr.Sparling had said they would.
Phil grinned out of sheer sympathy.
"I must look funny riding in this fine carriage with four white horses drawing me through the streets.I don't blame them for laughing.If I had something to eat, now, I would be all right.I am getting to have as much of an appetite as Teddy Tucker has.I--"Phil paused, listening intently.
"I hear another band and it is coming nearer," he exclaimed."Thatmust be the Sully show.I forgot in my excitement, to ask Mr.Sparling about them.I wonder where they are?"The music of the rival band grew louder and louder, but strain his eyes and ears as he would, Phil was unable to locate the other show's line of parade.
"Where's that band?" he called up to the driver of his carriage.
"Off that side of the town, I guess," he answered, waving his whip to the right of them.
"Well, I think they are pretty close to us and I don't like the looks, or rather the sound of things."At that moment Phil's carriage was drawn across an intersecting street.He looked up the street quickly.
"There they are!" he cried.
Less than a quarter of a block up the street he saw the other parade sweeping down upon them, bands playing, flags flying and banners waving.Phil's quick, practiced eyes saw something else too.The elephants were leading the rival parade, with horsemen immediately at their rear, the band still further back.
This being so unusual in a parade, the Circus Boy knew that there must be some reason for the peculiar formation.The elephants should have been further back in the line, the same as were those of the Sparling show.
Phil divined the truth instantly.
"They're going to break up our parade!" he cried."That's what they are hoping to do.Drive on! I'm going to get out and run back to tell the parade manager.They'll do us a lot of damage."Phil leaped from the carriage and ran down the street, his coat wide open showing his pink riding shirt beneath it.
"Where's the parade manager?" he cried."Gone to the lot.Boss sent him back."Phil groaned.Something must be done and done quickly.The rival parade must be nearing their street by this time.
A thought occurred to him.Phil dashed for the elephant herd."Mr.Kennedy!""Yes?"
"Sully's show is going to run into us at that corner there." "They don't dare!""They do and they will.Swing your elephants out of line and throw them across that intersecting street.I'll bet they won't get by our bulls in a hurry.""Great!Great, kid!I'd never thought of that.""You'll have to hurry.The other fellows are almost here and their elephants are leading the parade.Sully's just looking for trouble!"The voice of the elephant trainer uttered a series of shrill commands that sounded like so many explosions.The elephants understood.They swung quickly out of line and went lumbering down the street.
"Hey, there, that you, Phil?"
It was Teddy on old Emperor's back in the same frog costume that he had worn for that purpose the first season with the show.
"Yes, what's left of me," answered Phil, running fast to keep up with the swiftly moving elephants.
Just before reaching the intersecting street he managed to get ahead of Kennedy and his charges.
"Hurry, hurry!They're right here," howled the Circus Boy.
The trainer, with prod and voice, urged the elephants into even quicker action than before.Two minutes later they swung across the street down which the rival parade was coming, and, at the command of their keeper, the huge animals turned, facing the other body of paraders.
"We're just in time!There they are!" cried Phil excitedly.
"I should say so.They were going to do what you said they would, the scoundrels!""Can you hold them till our people get by, do you think?""Can I hold them? I can hold them till all the mill ponds in Canada freeze up!" exploded the elephant trainer.
Phil walked forward to meet the Sully parade.The owner of that show was well up toward the front of the line on horseback.
"You'll have to wait till our line gets by, sir," announced Phil, with a suggestive grin."We've got your little game blocked, you see.""You!"
Sully fairly hurled the word at the disreputable looking Circus Boy."Yes; you see I got away.Are you going to stop?""No, not for any outfit that James Sparling runs.Where is he? Afraid to come out and show himself, eh? Sends a runaway kid out to speak for him.Get out of the way, or I'll run you down!"Phil's eyes snapped.
