CHAPTER XXII
EMPEROR ANSWERS THE SIGNAL
Making sure that everybody had left, Phil Forrest ran swiftlytoward the village. He knew the way, having been downtown duringthe day.
A light twinkled here and there in a house, where the people, nodoubt, were discussing the exciting events of the day. As Phildrew near the cemetery he heard voices.
It would not do to be discovered, so the lad climbed the fenceand crept along the edge of the open plot. He was nearing theblacksmith shop and it was soon apparent to him that quite anumber of men had gathered in front of the shop itself.
Skulking up to the corner, the last rod being traversed on allfours, the circus boy flattened himself on the ground to listen,in an effort to learn if possible what were the plans of thevillagers. If they had any he did not learn them, for theirconversation was devoted principally to discussing what they haddone to the Sparling show and what they would do further beforethey had finished with this business.
Phil did learn, however, that the man who had been hurled throughthe store window was not fatally injured, as had been thought atfirst. Someone announced that the doctor had said the man wouldbe about again in a couple of weeks.
"I'm glad of that," muttered Phil. "I shouldn't like to thinkthat Emperor had killed anyone. I wonder how he likes it inthere."
Evidently the elephant was not well pleased, for the lad couldhear him stirring restlessly and tugging at his chains.
"Won't he be surprised, though?" chuckled Phil. "I shouldn't besurprised if he made a lot of noise. I hope he doesn't, for Idon't want to stir the town up. I wonder if those fellows aregoing to stay there all night?"
The loungers showed no inclination to move, so there was nothingfor the boy to do but to lie still and wait.
After a little he began to feel chilled, and began hopping aroundon hands and feet to start his blood moving. A little of thiswarmed him up considerably. This time he sat down in the fencecorner. The night was moonless, but the stars were quite bright,enabling Phil to make out objects some distance away. He couldsee quite plainly the men gathered in front of the blacksmithshop.
After a wait of what seemed hours to Phil, one of the watchersstirred himself.
"Well, fellows, we might as well go home. The brute's settleddown for the night, I reckon."
"What time is it?"
"Half past two," announced the first speaker.
"Well, well, I should say it was time to go. Not going to staywith him, are you, sheriff?"
"Not necessary. He can't get out."
After listening at the closed door, the one whom Phil judged tobe an officer joined his companions and all walked leisurely downthe road.
The lad remained in the fence corner for sometime, but he stoodup after they had gone. He did not dare move about much, fearingthat Emperor might hear and know him and raise a great tumult.
Phil waited all of half an hour; then he climbed the fence andslipped cautiously to the door of the shop.
It was securely locked.
"Oh, pshaw! That's too bad," grumbled the lad. "How am I goingto do it?"
Phil ran his fingers lightly over the fastening, which consistedof a strong hasp and a padlock.
"What shall I do? I dare not try to break the lock. I should becommitting a crime if I did. Perhaps I am already. No; I'm not,and I shall not. I'll just speak to Emperor, then start off onfoot after the show. It was foolish of me to think I could doanything to help Mr. Sparling and the elephant out of histrouble. I ought to be able to walk to the next stand and getthere in time for the last breakfast call, providing I can findthe way."
Perhaps Phil's conscience troubled him a little, though he haddone nothing worse than to follow the dictates of his kind heartin his desire to be of assistance to his employer and to befriendold Emperor.
Placing his lips close to the door, Phil called softly.
"Emperor!" he said.
The restless swaying and heavy breathing within ceased suddenly.
"Emperor!" repeated the lad, at the same time uttering the lowwhistle that the big elephant had come to know so well.
A mighty cough from the interior of the blacksmith shop answeredPhil Forrest's signal.
"Be quiet, Emperor. Be quiet! We are going to get you out assoon as we can, old fellow! You just behave yourself now. Doyou hear?"
Emperor emitted another loud cough.
"Good old Emperor. I've got some peanuts for you, but I don'tknow how I am going to give them to you. Wait a minute. Perhapsthere is a window somewhere that I can toss them through."
Phil, after looking around, found a window with the small panesof glass missing. The window was so high that he could not reachit, so he stood on the ground and tossed the peanuts in, whilethe big elephant demonstrated the satisfaction he felt, in aseries of sharp intakes of breath.
"Now I'm going," announced Phil. "Goodbye, Emperor. Here's alump of sugar. That's all I have for you."
Phil turned away sorrowfully. His purpose had failed. Notbecause he doubted his ability to carry it out, but he was notsure that he would be right in doing so.
A few rods down the road he paused, turned and uttered his shrillsignal whistle, with no other idea in mind than to bring somecomfort to the imprisoned beast.
Emperor interpreted the signal otherwise, however. He uttered aloud, shrill trumpet; then things began to happen with a rapiditythat fairly made the circus boy's head whirl.
A sudden jingle of metal, a crashing and rending from within theshop, caused Phil to halt sharply after he had once more startedon his way.
Crash! Bang!
Emperor had brought his wonderful strength to bear on hisflimsily constructed prison with disastrous results to thelatter. First he had torn the blacksmith's bellows out by theroots and hurled it from him. Next he set to work to smasheverything within reach. A moment of this and the elephant hadfreed himself from the light chains with which the keeper hadsecured him.
"Wha--oh, what is he doing?" gasped Phil Forrest.
The boards on one side of the shop burst out as from a suddenexplosion. Down came half a dozen of the light studdings thatsupported the roof on that side.
By this time Emperor had worked himself into a fine temper. Heturned his attention to the other side of the shop with similardisastrous results. The interior of the blacksmith shop was awreck. It could not have been in much worse condition had itbeen struck by a cyclone.
All of a sudden the elephant threw his whole weight against thebig sliding door. It burst out with a report like that of acannon.
Emperor came staggering out into the open. There he paused, withtwitching ears and curling trunk, peering into the darkness insearch of Phil Forrest.
Phil recovered from his surprise sufficiently to realize what hadhappened and that old Emperor was free once more.
The lad uttered a shrill whistle. Emperor responded by apiercing scream. He then whirled, facing up the road in Phil'sdirection, though unable to see the lad.
Once more the boy whistled. Emperor was off in a twinkling.
"Steady, steady, Emperor!" cautioned the lad, as he saw the hugehulk bearing swiftly down on him. "Easy, old boy!"
But the elephant did not lessen his speed one particle. Philfelt sure, however, that he himself would not be harmed. He knewEmperor too well. With perfect confidence in the great animal,the lad threw both hands above his head, standing motionless inthe center of the street right in the path of the oncoming beast.
"Steady, steady, steady!" cautioned Phil. "Now up, Emperor!"
The elephant's long, sinuous trunk uncurled, coiled about thelad's waist and the next instant Phil felt himself being liftedto the big beast's head.
"I've got him!" shouted Phil, carried away by the excitement ofthe moment. "Now, go it! Emperor! Go faster than you ever havesince you chased lions in the jungle."
And Emperor did go it! As he tore down the village street hewoke the echoes wit
h his shrill trumpetings, bringing every manand woman in the little village tumbling from their beds.
"The elephant is escaping!" cried the people, as they threw uptheir windows and gazed out. As they looked they saw a huge,shadowy shape hurling itself down the street, whereat theyhastily withdrew their heads. In a few moments the men of thevillage came rushing out, all running toward the blacksmith shopto learn what had happened there. There followed a perfectpandemonium of yells when they discovered the wrecked conditionof the place.
In the meantime Phil had guided Emperor into the road that led tothe show grounds of the previous day. The elephant was about toturn into the lot, when a sharp slap from his rider caused him toswing back into the highway on the trail of the wagons that hadpassed on some hours before.
Once he had fairly started Emperor followed the trail, making theturns and following the twists of the road as unerringly as anIndian follows the trail of his enemy.
"Hurrah!" shouted Phil, after they had got clear of the village."I've won, I've won! But, oh, won't there be a row back therewhen they find out what has happened, I wonder if they willfollow us."
The thought startled him.
"If they do they are liable to arrest me, believing that I lethim out. _Go it,_ Emperor! Go faster!"
Emperor flapped his ears in reply and swung off at an increasedgait. The darkness of early morn was soon succeeded by thegraying dawn, and Phil felt a certain sense of relief as herealized that day was breaking. On they swept, past hamlets, byfarm houses, where here and there men with milkpails in handpaused, startled, to rub their eyes and gaze upon the strangeoutfit that was rushing past them at such a pace.
Phil could not repress a chuckle at such times, at thought of thesensation he was creating.
The hours drew on until seven o'clock had arrived, and the sunwas high in the heavens.
"I must be getting near the place," decided Phil. He knew he wason the right road, for he could plainly see the trail of thewagons and of the stock in the dust of the road before him."Yes; there is some sort of a village way off yonder. I wonderif that is it?"
A fluttering flag from the top of a far away center-pole, whichhe caught sight of a few minutes later, told the boy that it was.
"Hurrah!" shouted Phil, waving his hat on high.
At that moment a distant chorus of yells smote his ears. The ladlistened intently. The shout was repeated. Holding fast to theheadstall, he glanced back over the road. There, far to hisrear, he discovered a cloud of dust, which a few minutes laterresolved itself into a party of horsemen, riding at top speed.
"They're after me! Go faster! Go faster!" shouted the lad. Ashe spoke a rifle cracked somewhere behind him, but as Phil heardno bullet the leaden missile must have fallen far short of themark.
The Circus Boys on the Flying Rings; Or, Making the Start in the Sawdust Life Page 23