CHAPTER XVIII
TEDDY TAXES A DROP
"Throw him a rope!" shouted someone.
"Yes, give him a rope," urged Mr. Sparling.
"No one can throw a rope that high," answered Phil. "I think thefirst thing to be done is to get the monkeys and I have a plan bywhich to accomplish it."
"What's your plan?"
"Have their cage brought in. We should have thought ofthat before."
"That's a good idea," nodded Mr. Sparling. "I always have saidyou had more head than any of the others of this outfit, notexcepting myself. Get the monkey cage in here."
While this was being done Phil hurried out into the menagerietent, where, at a snack stand, he filled his pockets with peanutsand candy; then strolled back, awaiting the arrival of the cage.
"We shall be able to capture our monkeys much more easily if theaudience will please leave the tent," announced Mr. Sparling."The show is over. There will be nothing more to see."
The spectators thought differently. There was considerable to beseen yet. No one made a move to leave, and the manager gave uptrying to make them, not caring to attempt driving the people outby force.
The cage finally was drawn up between the two rings.This instantly attracted the attention of the little beasts.Phil stood off from the cage a few feet.
"Now everybody keep away, so the monkeys can see me,"he directed. Phil then began chirping in a peculiar way, givinga very good imitation of the monkey call for food. At the sametime he began slowly tossing candy and peanuts into the cage.
There was instant commotion aloft. Such a chattering andscurrying occurred up there as to cause the spectators to gaze inopen-mouthed wonder. But still Phil kept up his weird chirping,continuing to toss peanuts and candy into the cage.
"As I live, they are coming down," breathed Mr. Sparling inamazement, "never saw anything like it in my life!"
"I always told you that boy should have been a menagerie maninstead of a ring performer," nodded Mr. Kennedy, theelephant trainer.
"He is everything at the same time," answered Mr. Sparling."It is a question as to whether or not he does one thing betterthan another. There they come. Everybody stand back. I hopethe people keep quiet until he gets through there. I am afraidthe monkeys never will go back into the cage, though."
There was no hesitancy on the part of the monkeys. They beganleaping from rope to rope, swinging by their tails to facilitatetheir descent, until finally the whole troop leaped to the top ofthe cage and swung themselves down the bars to the ground.
Phil lowered his voice to a low, insistent chirp. One monkeyleaped into the cage, the others following as fast as they couldstretch up their hands and grab the tail board of the wagon.Instantly they began scrambling for the nuts and candies that laystrewn over the floor.
The last one was inside. Phil sprang to the rear of the cageand slammed the door shut, throwing the padlock in place andsnapping it.
"There are your old monkeys," he cried, turning to Mr. Sparlingwith flushed, triumphant face.
The audience broke out into a roar, shouting, howling andstamping on the seats at the same time.
"Now, you may go," shouted Mr. Sparling to the audience."Phil, you are a wonder. I take off my hat to you," and theshowman, suiting the action to the word, made a sweeping bowto the little Circus Boy.
Still the audience remained.
"Well, why don't you go?"
"What about the kid up there near the top of the house?"questioned a voice in the audience.
"That's so. I had forgotten all about him," admitted the ownerof the show.
"Oh, never mind me. I'm only a human being," jeered Tucker, fromhis perch far up near the top of the tent. This brought a roarof laughter from everybody.
"We shall have to try to cast a rope up to him."
"You can't do it," answered Phil firmly. Nevertheless the effortwas made, Teddy watching the attempts with lazy interest.
"No, we shan't be able to reach him that way," agreed Mr.Sparling finally.
"Hey down there," called Teddy.
"Well, what is it? Got something to suggest?"
"Maybe--maybe if you'd throw some peanuts and candy in my cage Imight come down."
This brought a howl of laughter.
"I don't see how we are going to make it," said Mr. Sparling,shaking his head hopelessly.
"I'll tell you how we can do it," said Phil.
"Yes; I was waiting for you to make a suggestion. I thought itfunny if you didn't have some plan in that young head of yours.What is it?"
"What's the matter with the balloon?"
"The balloon?"
"Yes."
"Hurrah! That's the very thing."
The balloon was a new act in the Sparling show that season.A huge balloon had been rigged, but in place of the usual basket,was a broad platform. Onto this, as the closing act of the show,a woman rode a horse, then the balloon was allowed to rise slowlyto the very dome of the big tent, carrying the rider and horsewith it.
The act was a decided novelty, and was almost as great a hit ashad been the somersaulting automobile of a season before.
The balloon stood swaying easily at its anchorage.
"Give a hand here, men. Let the bag up and the boy can get onthe platform, after which you can pull him down."
"That won't do," spoke up Phil. "He can't reach the platform.Someone will have to go up and toss him a rope. He can make therope fast and slide down it."
"I guess you are right, at that. Who will go up?"
"I will," answered the Circus Boy. "Give me that coil of rope."
Taking his place on the platform the lad rose slowly toward thetop of the tent as the men paid out the anchor rope.
"Halt!" shouted Phil when he found himself directly oppositehis companion.
"Think you can catch it, Teddy?"
"Yep."
"Well, here goes."
The rope shot over Teddy's head, landing in his outstretched arm.
"Be sure you make it good and fast before you try to shin downit," warned Phil.
"I'll take care of that. Don't you worry. You might toss me apeanut while I'm getting ready. I'll go in my cage quicker."
Phil laughingly threw a handful toward his companion, three orfour of which Teddy caught, some in his mouth and some in hisfree hand, to the great amusement of the spectators.
"They ought to pay an admission for that," grinned Phil.
"For what?"
"For seeing the animals perform. You are the funniest animalin the show at the present minute."
"Well, I like that! How about yourself?" peered Teddy withwell-feigned indignation.
"I guess I must be next as an attraction," laughed the boy.
"I guess, yes."
"Haul away," called Phil to the men below him, and they startedto pull the balloon down toward the ground again.
"Get a net under Tucker there," directed Mr. Sparling.
"I'm not going to dive. What do you think?" retorted Teddy.
"There is no telling what you may or may not do," answeredthe showman. "It is the unexpected that always happenswith you."
Phil nodded his approval of the statement.
In the meantime Teddy had made fast the end of the rope to theaerial bar, and grasping the rope firmly in his hands, beganletting himself down hand under hand.
"Better twist your legs about the rope," called Phil.
"No. It isn't neces--"
Just then Teddy uttered a howl. The rope, which he had notproperly secured, suddenly slipped from the bar overhead.
Teddy dropped like a shot.
The Circus Boys in Dixie Land; Or, Winning the Plaudits of the Sunny South Page 20