A FRIENDLY AUDIENCE
The afternoon performance had passed without a hitch.While there were many town people there the greater part of the audience, which nearly filled the big tent, was composed of visitors from the country.
Great applause greeted the performances of Phil Forrest and Teddy Tucker, but the two Circus Boys were saving their best efforts for the evening performance when all their friends would be present.
Mrs.Cahill, after her tumble, had been picked up by the lads who insisted that she shake the trunk of Emperor before he left the lawn.And now that she had seen the afternoon show, taking a motherly pride in the performance of her boys, as she proudly called them, the kindhearted woman sat down to a meal in the cook tent, which proved one of the most interesting experiences of her life.
As the hour for the evening performance approached there was an unusual bustle in the dressing tent.By this time the whole show had taken a keen interest in the affairs of the Circus Boys, who had been known to the performers--at least, to most of them--for the past two years.
Teddy had paid sundry mysterious visits to the horse tent, and held numerous confidential conversations with the equestrian director, all of which was supposed to have been unknown to Mr.Sparling, the owner of the show.
But, while Teddy was nursing his secret, Mr.Sparling also was keeping one of his own, one which was to be a great surprise to the two Circus Boys.
The first surprise was given when the clowns came out for their first entry.Lining up in front of the reserved seats, where the high school boys and girls sat, they sang a song in which they brought in the names of every member of Phil's class.This elicited roars of laughter from the spectators, while the school boys and girls waved their crimson and white class flags wildly.
The whole class was there as the guests of the management of the show.This was one of Mr.Sparling's surprises, but not the only one hewas to give them that night.
Next came the leaping act, somersaulting from a springboard and in the end jumping over the herd of elephants.Teddy was so effectively disguised by his clown makeup that, for some time, the class did not recognize him.When finally they did, through some familiar gesture of his own, the boys and girls set up a perfect howl of delight in which the audience joined with enthusiastic applause, for Teddy, with all his clumsy ways, was one of the best tumblers in the show.He had developed marvelously since the close of the show the fall before.
Never had Teddy tumbled as he did that night.He took so many chances that Mr.Sparling, who was on the side lines, shouted a word of caution to him.
"You'll break your neck, if you're not careful."In answer to the warning, Teddy took a long running start and did a double turn in the air, over the backs of the elephants, landing plump into the waiting arms of a bevy of painted clowns, the spectators evincing their appreciation by shouting out Teddy's name.
Teddy's chest swelled with pride as he waved his hand and shook his head as if to say: "Oh, that's nothing! You ought to see me when I'm really working."The band played on and the show moved along with a merry medley of daring deeds and furious fun from the clowns.
At last, in response to the command of the ringmaster's whistle, the band ceased playing and silence fell over the tent as the ringmaster raised his hand for silence.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said."The next act will be a bareback riding feat unexcelled in any show in the world.In ring No.1 the famous equestrienne, Little Dimples, will entertain you with her Desperate, Daring Dips of Death that defy imitation.In ring No.2 you will recognize a fellow townsman--a townsboy, I should say.It will not be necessary for me to mention his name.Suffice it to say that, although he has been riding for less than a year, he has already risen to the enviable position of being one of the foremost bareback riders of the sawdust arena.I think that's all I have to say.Your friends will do the rest."The ringmaster waved his hand to the band, which instantly blared forth and to its music Phil Forrest tripped lightly down the concourse, being obliged to go three-fourths of its length to get to the ring where he was to perform.
His journey led him right past the grandstand seats where his admiring school fellows were sitting, or rather standing.As a matter of fact, every one of them had risen to his feet by this time and was shouting out Phil's name.
As he drew nearer they began to chant, keeping time with his footsteps and the music of the band:
"Phil, Phil--Phillip F!Rah, rah!Siss-boom-ah!"The Circus Boy grinned happily and waved his whip at them as he passed.
"I hope I won't make a fool of myself," he thought.
He had no intention of doing so.He had a few tricks that he was going to show his friends, and incidentally surprise Mr.Sparling himself, for Phil, who now owned his own ring horse, had been practicing in secret all winter on the act that he was going to attempt for the first time in public that evening.
Discarding his slippers and chalking the bottoms of his riding pumps, Phil began his act by riding standing on the rump of his mount, to get his equilibrium and his confidence at the same time.
Then the lad began throwing himself into his work, which increased in speed as the moments passed, until his supple, slender body was flashing here and there on the back of the handsome gray, causing the eyes of the spectators fairly to ache in their efforts to keep track of him.
The people voiced their excitement by yells of approval and howls of delight.
"My, but that boy can ride!" muttered Mr.Sparling, who had been watching the act critically."In fact, I should like to know what he cannot do.If he had to do so, he could run this show fully as well as can I--and perhaps better at that," added the showman, with a grin.
Now the band struck up the music for the concluding number of theact.
