CHAPTER XII
LOCKED IN THE LINEN CLOSET
Phil roused himself for a moment.
"We're going," he muttered, realizing that the train wasin motion. Then he dropped off to sleep again.
When next he awakened it was broad daylight, though the laddid not know it until after he had struck a match and lookedat his watch.
"Eight 'clock in the morning," he exclaimed. "My, how I musthave slept, and on such a bed too!"
The lad was lame and sore from the cramped position in which hehad been obliged to lie all night, but he was just as cheerful asif he had awakened in his own berth on sleeper number eleven onthe Sparling train. He began to feel hungry, though.
Phil tapped on the door. There was no response, so he rappedagain, this time with more force. Still failing to arouse anyonePhil delivered a series of resounding kicks against the door.
"If no one answers that I'll know there is nobody here and I'llsee if I can't break the door down."
There was someone there, however, as was made plain a momentlater, when the door was thrown suddenly open, revealing thegrinning face of Sully, the owner of the show.
"Morning," greeted Phil. "I thought maybe breakfast was beingserved in the dining car, and I didn't want to miss it."
"You're a cheerful idiot, aren't you?"
"So I have been told. But about that breakfast? If you'llkindly conduct me to the wash room, so I can make myselfbeautiful and prepare for breakfast, I shall be obliged to you."
"Huh!" grunted the showman.
"Where are we?"
"Brant."
"Is this where we show today?"
"Yes, this is where we show today. As if you didn't know that aswell as I do."
"I may have heard something to that effect. I don't justremember for the moment. But, how about that breakfast?"
"How do you know you are going to get any breakfast?"
"Because I smelled it a few minutes ago."
"That's my breakfast that your keen nose scented, young man."
"Well, I guess I can stand it for once."
Sully was forced to smile at his young captive's good nature.So he took Phil by the arm and led him to the wash room, wherethe showman remained until Phil had completed his preparationsfor breakfast. Then Sully led the way to a compartment at therear of the car where a small table had been set.
"This looks good to me," grinned Phil, rubbing hispalms together. "You live high in this outfit, don't you?"
The lad ate his breakfast with a will.
"I hope I am not depriving you of your meal?" questioned Phil,glancing up quickly.
"I've had my breakfast. If there had been only enough for one,you'd have gone hungry."
"You don't have to tell me that. I know it. That's aboutyour measure."
"That will be about all from you," snapped the showman."The trouble with you is that you can't appreciatedecent treatment. You're just like your boss."
"I'll not hear you say a word against Mr. Sparling," bristledPhil, then suddenly checked himself.
"So, I caught you that time, did I?" exclaimed Sully, slappinghis thighs and laughing uproariously, while Phil's face grew redwith mortification at the slip he had made. "You are not half assmart as you think you are, young man. I'll keep at you until Iget out of you all the information I want."
"I'm afraid the show season isn't long enough for you to dothat," was the boy's quick retort.
"You'll find out whether it is or not."
"I shall not be with you that long. Now that I have admittedthat I have been connected with the Sparling show, what do youthink my employer will do when he finds I am missing?"
"Nothing."
"I rather guess he will do something. Wait."
"When does he expect you back?"
Phil looked at the showman, laughing.
"Did I mention that I was expected? I said that when he missedme there would be an inquiry, and there will."
"Little good that will do him," growled the showman.
"Then you don't know James Sparling."
"How'll he know you are here?"
"Trust him to find out, and then--wow! There will bean explosion that you can hear on the other side of theSt. Lawrence. Do I take a walk for my healthafter breakfast?"
"You do."
"Thank you."
"To the other end of the car, to the linen closet, where you areto stay until--"
"Until what?" questioned Phil sharply.
"Until you tell me what I want to know."
"What is it that you wish to know?"
"Why were you sent to spy on my outfit?"
"Perhaps for the same reason that you keep a spy in his camp,"retorted Phil, bending a keen gaze on the face of his jailer.
Sully's face went violently red. Without another word he graspedPhil roughly by the shoulder, jerked him from the table andhurried the lad down the corridor.
"Here, here, I haven't finished my breakfast yet," protestedthe boy.
"You have, but you don't know it. You will know in a minute."
With that the showman thrust Phil into the linen closet again andslammed the door.
"My, I wouldn't have a temper like yours if you were to make me apresent of a six-pole circus!" called the Circus Boy.
He chuckled as Sully uttered a grunt of anger and strode off tothe other end of the car.
"He'll be going to the lot after a while, then I'll get busy,"muttered Phil. In the meantime there was nothing for him to dobut to sit down and make the best of his situation, which he did.Once, during the morning, Phil, believing himself to be alone,made several desperate attempts to break the door down.
His efforts brought a threat from the corridor as to what wouldhappen if he tried that again. Phil knew, then, that he was notto be left alone.
After a while the lad went to sleep, not awakening until late inthe afternoon.
He got no supper that night, nor did the showman come near himuntil late on the following morning. Phil was ravenously hungry,not having had a thing to eat in twenty-four hours, but he hadtoo much grit to utter a word of complaint.
An excellent breakfast was served, but instead of Mr. Sully oneof his men sat at the table while another stood out in thecorridor ready to take a hand in case the boy made an effortto escape.
Had there been an open window near him Phil would have tried adive through it, taking the chance of getting away. The windowsin the room where the breakfast was served had been prudentlyshut, however.
He had just finished his breakfast when Sully came storming in.The lad could see that he was very angry about something.
"Good morning, sir. Aren't you feeling well this morning?"questioned Phil innocently.
"Feeling--feeling--" The words seemed to choke in theshowman's throat.
"Yes, feeling."
"Why--why--why didn't you tell me that Sparling had changedhis date and was planning to make Corinto the same day we arebilled there?" thundered Sully.
"Is he?"
"Is he? You know very well that he is, and it was your reportthat put him up to doing this trick. We've got you to thank forthis piece of business, and you're going to pay dear for yourpart in it. Is he going to follow us all around the country--isthat what he's planning to do?"
"I guess you had better ask Mr. Sparling himself. He hasn't seenfit to tell me, as yet."
"I'll show him that he can't trifle with me, and I'll show you,so you won't forget it for the rest of your circus career."
"I wouldn't make threats were I in your place, Mr. Sully.Wait until you get over your mad fit; then you'll be glad youdidn't say anything you might have to take back later on,"advised Phil.
"Take back? Take back?"
"Yes."
For the moment the showman was too far overcome with emotionto speak. Then he uttered a roar and stamped out of the car.
"Say, when is he going to let me out of here?"
"Not till we get to the
border," answered the attendant.
"When will that be?"
"I don't know for sure. I guess maybe a month."
"You don't mean he is going to keep me in that linen cupboard fora full month--you can't mean that?"
"Can't say about that. I guess that's it. If you're finishedwith your breakfast--"
"I have been finished for sometime."
"Then you'll have to git back to the coop again."
Phil reluctantly rose, but his keeper kept tight hold of him, andthe man on guard out in the corridor walked ahead of the boy ondown to the linen closet, where Phil was once more thrust in andthe door closed on him.
He had not been there long before he heard Sully enter the carwith one of his men. All at once their voices seemed to come tohim clearly and distinctly. The lad did not remember to haveheard voices there so plainly before.
This time Phil began looking about to see if there were notreally an opening in his chamber. He found it at the topover one of the shelves, a small grill, over which a curtainhad been stretched. Phil lost no time in climbing up to it.He peered out and saw the men plainly. With Sully was hisparade manager, and they were talking excitedly.
Phil opened his eyes wide when he began to realize the enormityof the plan that they were discussing.
The Circus Boys in Dixie Land; Or, Winning the Plaudits of the Sunny South Page 14