The Circus Boys on the Flying Rings; Or, Making the Start in the Sawdust Life

by Edgar B. P. Darlington

  CHAPTER VIII

  IN THE SAWDUST ARENA

  The lad repressed an inclination to cry out, for the thing thathad encircled his waist and raised him up seemed to be tighteningabout him.

  A familiar voice just behind him served to calm Phil's disquietednerves.

  "Don't be frightened, kid. It's only Emperor having a littlejoke. He's a funny fellow," said the elephant's attendant.

  Phil had read somewhere that elephants possessed a keen sense ofhumor, and now he was sure of it. But he never thought he wouldhave an opportunity to have the theory demonstrated on himself.

  The elephants were on their way to participate in the grandentry, and there was not a minute to spare now. Emperor on hisway into the other tent had come across his new-found friend andrecognized him instantly, while Phil had not even heard theapproach of the elephants.

  No sooner had the elephant discovered the lad than he picked himup with his trunk, slowly hoisting the boy high in the air.

  "Steady, Emperor! Steady!" cautioned the attendant. But Emperorneeded no admonition to deal gently with his young friend. Hehandled Phil with almost the gentleness of a mother lifting ababe.

  Phil Forrest experienced a thrill that ran all through him whenhe realized what was taking place.

  "We can't stop to put you down now, my boy. You'll have to gothrough the performance with us. Grab the head harness when helets you down on his head. You can sit on the head withoutdanger, but keep hold of the harness with one hand. I'll betyou'll make a hit."

  "I will if I fall off," answered Phil a bit unsteadily.

  As it was, the unusual motion made him a little giddy.

  "That's a good stunt. Stick to him, Forrest," directed a voiceas they swept on toward the ring.

  The voice belonged to Mr. Sparling, the owner of the show. Hewas quick to grasp the value of Phil's predicament--that is, itsvalue to the show as a drawing card.

  By now the people began to understand that something unusual wasgoing on, and they asked each other what it was all about.

  "It's Phil Forrest riding the elephant," shouted one of the lad'sschool friends, recognizing him all at once. "Hooray for Phil!"

  There were many of the pupils from his school there, and thehowling and shouting that greeted him made the lad's cheeks burn.But now, instead of wanting to crawl under something and hide,Phil felt a thrill of pleasure, of pride in the achievement thatwas denied to all the rest of his friends.

  The inspiring music of the circus band, too, added to hisexhilaration. He felt like throwing up his hands and shouting.

  Suddenly he felt something tugging at his coat pocket, andglancing down gave a start as he discovered the inquisitive trunkof Emperor thrust deep down in the pocket.

  When the trunk came away it brought with it a lump of sugar thatPhil did not know he possessed. The sugar was promptly conveyedto the elephant's mouth, the beast uttering a loud scream ofsatisfaction.

  "Emperor, you rascal!" laughed Phil, patting the beast on thehead.

  Once more the trunk curled up in search of more sugar, but astern command from the trainer caused the beast to lower itquickly. The time for play had passed. The moment had arrivedfor Emperor to do his work and he was not the animal to shirk hisact. In fact, he seemed to delight in it. All elephants workbetter when they have with them some human being or animal onwhich they have centered their affections. Sometimes it is alittle black and tan dog, sometimes a full-grown man. In thisinstance it happened to be a boy, and that boy Phil Forrest.

  "Waltz!" commanded the trainer.

  If Phil's head had swum before, it spun like a top now. Roundand round pirouetted the huge beasts, keeping in perfect stepwith the music of the band, and tighter and tighter did the ladgrip the head harness of old Emperor. Phil closed his eyes aftera little because he had grown so dizzy that he feared he wouldfall off.

  "Hang on, kid. It'll be Christmas by and by," comforted thetrainer humorously.

  "That's what I am trying to do," answered Phil a bit unsteadily.

  "How's your head?"

  "Whirling like a merry-go-round."

  He heard the trainer chuckling.

  The spectators were shouting out Phil's name all over the bigtent.

  "Fine, fine!" chuckled James Sparling, rubbing his palmstogether. "That ought to fill the tent tonight."

  The spectators realized, too, that they were being treated tosomething not down on the bills and their shouts and laughtergrew louder and louder.

  "Do you think you could stand up on his head?" came the voice ofthe trainer just loud enough for Phil to hear.

  "Me? Stand on the elephant's head?"

  "Yes. Think you can do it?"

  "If I had a net underneath to catch me, maybe I'd try it."

  "Emperor won't let you fall. When I give the word he'll wrap histrunk around your legs. That will hold you steady from the waistdown. If you can keep the rest of yourself from lopping overyou'll be all right. It'll make a hit--see if it don't."

  "I--I'll try it."

  "Wait till I give the word, then get up on all fours, but don'tstraighten up till you feel the trunk about you. We'll make ashowman of you before you know it."

  "I seem to be the whole show as it is," grumbled Phil.

  "You are, just now--you and Emperor. Good thing the otherperformers are not in the ring, or they would all be jealous ofyou."

  "I wish Uncle Abner could see me now. Wouldn't he be mad!"grinned Phil, as the memory of his crabbed relative came back tohim. "He'd come right out after me with his stick, he'd be soangry. But I guess Emperor wouldn't let him touch me," decidedthe boy proudly, with an affectionate pat to which the elephantresponded with a cough that sounded not unlike the explosion of adynamite cartridge.

  "All ready now. Don't be afraid. Hold each position till I giveyou the word to change it."

  "Ready," announced the lad.

  "Emperor! Jupiter!"

  The twitching of a ponderous ear of each animal told that theyhad heard and understood.

  "Rise!"

  Phil had scrambled to all fours.

  "Hold him, Emperor!"

  The great trunk curled up, ran over the boy's legs and twinedabout them.

  "Up you go, kid!"

  Phil raised himself fearlessly, straightened and stood full uponhis feet. That strong grip on his legs gave him confidence andtold him he had nothing to fear. All he would have to do wouldbe to keep his ears open for the trainer's commands both tohimself and the beast, and he would be all right.

  He felt himself going up again.

  The sensation was something akin to that which Phil had onceexperienced when jumping off a haystack. He felt as if his wholebody were being tickled by straws.

  The elephants were rising on their hind legs, uttering shrillscreams and mighty coughs, as if enraged over the humiliationthat was being put upon them.

  It seemed to Phil as if Emperor would never stop going up untilthe lad's head was against the top of the tent. He ventured tolook down.

  What a distance it was! Phil hastily directed his glancesupward.

  At last the elephant had risen as high as he could go. He wasstanding almost straight up and down, and on his head the slenderfigure of the boy appeared almost unreal to those off on theseats.

  Thunders of applause swept over the assemblage. People rose upin their seats, the younger ones hurling hats high in the air anduttering catcalls and shrill whistles, until pandemonium reignedunder the "big top," as the circus tent proper is called by theshowmen.

  "Swing your hat at them!"

  The trainer had to shout to make himself heard, and as it wasPhil caught the words as from afar off.

  He took off his soft hat and waved it on high, gazing wonderinglyoff over the seats. He could distinguish nothing save a waving,undulating mass of moving life and color.

  It was intoxicating. And Phil Forrest went suddenly dizzy again.

  "I'm losing my head," rebuked the
lad. "If I don't pull myselftogether I shall surely fall off. Then they will have somethingto laugh at rather than to applaud."

  He took himself firmly in hand. But the applause did not abateone whit.

  "Watch out, we're going down," warned the trainer.

  "Right!"

  The elephant trainer's command came out like the crack of aringmaster's whip.

  Slowly the great beasts lowered themselves toward the sawdustring.

  "Stoop over and grab the harness!"

  Phil did so.

  "Sit! Let go, Emperor!"

  The trunk was released instantly and Phil plumped to the beast'shead once more, amid the wildest applause.

  The band swung into another tune, which was the signal for thenext act to be brought on. At the same time the ringmaster blewa shrill blast on his whistle.

  The trainer left the ring with his charges by an exit that heseldom departed through. But he did so in order to leave Philnear the place where his seats were, first having ascertainedwhere these were located.

  "Put him down, Emperor! Down, I say!"

  Emperor reached up an unwilling trunk, grasped Phil about thewaist and stood him on the ground. At the trainer's command thebeast released his hold of his friend and as the hook was gentlypressed against his side to hurry him, Emperor startedreluctantly away.

  Phil, with flushed face, a happy look in his eyes, had turned torun up the aisle to his seats, when, with a loud trumpeting,Emperor wheeled, and breaking away from his trainer, swept downtoward the spot where he had left Phil Forrest.

  The movement almost threw those in that section into a panic.Women screamed, believing the animal had suddenly gone crazy,while men sprang to their feet.

  Phil had turned at the first alarm, and, observing what wastaking place, with rare presence of mind trotted down to thearena again.

  He reached there about the same time that Emperor did.

  With a shrill scream Emperor threw his long trunk about the lad,and before Phil had time to catch his breath, he had been hurledto the elephant's back.

  Uttering loud trumpetings the great elephant started on a swiftshamble for his quarters, giving not the slightest heed to histrainer's commands to halt.