by Charles King
CHAPTER VI.
_A CLUE._
Sam and Dan, who had worked at many fairs and been forced to sleep infar less desirable places, thought it was a rare piece of good fortuneto get such comfortable quarters free; but the prospect of lying on theground all night was far from pleasing to Teddy.
He looked around for some spot softer than another; but there was nochoice, and he said to himself:
"There's one satisfaction about it, I'm better off on the ground than Iwould have been if Uncle Nathan had succeeded in having me arrested andput in jail."
This thought caused the interior of the tent to seem less disagreeable,and he almost persuaded himself that it would be sport to stay all nightin a museum with a real contortionist as host.
Dan had thrown himself at full length on the ground where he could watchthe proprietor of this "enormous exhibition" cook his supper on anoil-stove, and Sam, anxious about other people's affairs as usual,devoted his entire time to asking questions regarding the business.
"How do you count on gettin' along when the crowds get here? You can'tsell tickets an' act too."
"I've got a barker an' a clown coming to-morrow; it was no use to pay'em wages for layin' around when there was nothing to be done but put upthe tent."
"What's a 'barker?'" Sam asked, in surprise.
"Why, the man who stands outside an' does the talking, of course."
Then, his supper having been cooked and eaten, the host amused himselfand his guests by telling of his experience in the show business;relating stories and talking of the different fakirs he had met.
"When I started out," he said, "I made up my mind that a fortune couldbe made in one season. I bought a fine tent; had lots of performers,about twenty animals, and a dozen cases of stuffed birds and othercuriosities. We struck hard luck from the sendoff, an' first the womanwith an iron jaw gave me the shake because she got tired of waiting forthe salary that never came. Two of the bears grew so disgusted with thebad business that they died, and one after another of the peopleskipped, till I was pretty nigh alone. A sheriff in Harmer seized thecases, another levied on my live stock, and it has only taken twoseasons to bring the show down to where you see it."
This was not pleasing information for Teddy, who was obliged to makesuch a large amount of money in order to free himself from debt, and heasked:
"Isn't it possible to make money at every fair? I thought the fakirs gotrich in a little while."
"So did I before I went into the business. A fellow may make a big stakethis week and lose it all at the next stand. If you strike bad weather,or a crowd that hasn't got any money, it's up-hill work to pull in theentrance fee. Now, I have to pay a hundred dollars for this privilege,because I've got a big tent, and it wouldn't be any more if I had a showto compare with it in size. It'll take a good many ten-cent pieces tomake that up."
This plain statement of facts caused Teddy to figure how many nickels hemust receive before the capital invested and stolen would be returned,and the result was far from gratifying.
"The eighteen dollars which must be given to Uncle Nathan, the thirty Iowe in Waterville, and ten I paid for the privilege of running theboards makes eleven hundred and sixty five-cent pieces. I'll never seeso many customers as that, and Aunt Sarah was right when she called me afool for thinking of going into the business," he said to himself, ashis companions began to make their preparations for the night.
It is useless to "cry over spilled milk," however, and this he realizedin time to prevent himself from being plunged into the lowest depths ofdespondency. It was barely possible business would be exceptionallygood, he argued mentally, and if hard work could accomplish the desiredresult he must be successful.
Dan was already lying down with his head toward the side of the tent andhis feet near the oil-stove, which had been left burning because of thedampness, and Teddy crawled over by the side of him. Sam had decided tosleep by the side of his host, probably with the idea that he mightappear to be on terms of greater intimacy, and all hands gave themselvesup to slumber.
The excitement of the morning and subsequent labor had so tried Teddythat, despite the hardness of his bed, he fell asleep in a very fewmoments, and it was not yet nine o'clock when all the inmates of thetent, save the goat, and possibly the alligator and snakes, were wrappedin blissful unconsciousness.
Half an hour later a terrific yell from Sam caused the remainder of theparty to spring to their feet in alarm.
"What's the matter?" Dan cried.
"Somebody has got into the tent and been poundin' me with a club! I'mpretty near killed."
The faint glow cast by the oil-stove was not sufficient to illumine anyportion of the tent, and the host made all haste to light a lantern,after which Dan proceeded to search for the supposed intruder; butbefore he had taken a dozen steps the proprietor of the museum burstinto a hearty laugh.
"Funny, ain't it?" Sam cried, angrily. "I s'pose you'd laugh if I'd beenkilled in your old tent!"
This savage remark appeared to excite the man's mirth rather than checkit, and while he was thus enjoying himself Teddy and Dan stood gazing athim in surprise.
It was several minutes before the man could speak, and then he said, ashe pointed to the goat who stood a short distance away calmly munchingsome potato parings:
"That's the fellow who has been beating your friend with a club. Ialways let him loose at night, and he has walked over our dying boy."
Sam insisted that he had been beaten with a club; but on examining hisclothing two spots of fresh earth were found, showing where the animalhad stepped. A hoof-print on the sleeve and another directly on thebreast of his coat comprised the full amount of damage done.
The boy who had believed himself so dangerously wounded now grew angry,and, leaping to his feet, declared he would not remain in the tentanother minute unless the goat was tied.
"There's nothing to prevent your bunking somewhere else," the owner ofthe animal replied, quite sharply.
"Billy always has had the liberty of the tent at night, and I reckon hewon't lose it now."
Sam started toward the entrance; but before reaching it he realized thathe would be punishing no one but himself, and slowly turned back, sayingas he approached the stove:
"It's too late to hunt for lodgings now, an' I s'pose I'll have to makethe best of it."
"I guess you will," the host replied, quietly, and the angry Sam laydown on the seat of the baggage wagon, to insure himself against anothervisit from "Billy."
This incident had driven the desire for sleep from the eyelids of Teddyand Dan, and they remained awake some time after the loud breathing oftheir companions told that the visit from the goat had been temporarilyeffaced from their minds.
Now Teddy discovered what a hard, uncomfortable bed the bare earth was,and after tossing about for half an hour, he whispered to Dan:
"Do you suppose it would be any better in the wagon?"
"No; you'll get used to it in a little while, and the ground is softerthan a board."
Teddy was about to reply when the sound of voices from the outsideattracted his attention, and then came the crackle as of a match beinglighted.
Two or more men had halted near the canvas within a few feet of wherethe boys were lying, evidently that they might be sheltered from thewind while getting their pipes or cigars in working order.
A moment later both the listeners heard one of the newcomers say:
"I don't think it will be safe for you to show up very much while westay here."
"Why not? If them boys recognize me it will be an easy matter tofrighten 'em into holdin' their tongues, and there's goin' to be goodpickin's this week."
"But what's the use of runnin' any risk? We've made a fairly good haulalready, an' it's better to get safe off with that than stick our noseswhere it'll be hard work to pull them back."
Teddy was in the highest possible excitement. In the tone of the secondspeaker's voice he recognized the man who had stolen his money, and
hepunched Dan with his elbow to assure himself that the latter waslistening.
"Keep quiet," Dan whispered, and then the conversation on the outsidewas continued.
"I'll take good care to keep shady, an' you see what can be doneto-morrow."
The boys crept through the flap of the tent and followedthe two men.]
"Will you promise not to leave the house till after dark?"
"I thought you had more nerve; but so long as you haven't I reckon I'llpromise, for this is bound to be a fat thing, and I don't want to losethe whole of it.
"When these country jays begin to send their stuff home I'll have oursshipped, an' there's little danger it'll be overhauled, more especiallysince the old man couldn't get a warrant for the only one he suspects.It's a safe bet that Hazelton has a pretty good idea who did the job,an' if they make trouble for him he'll most likely tell what he thinks."
"There's no call to be afraid of him after he has worked a couple ofdays, for those he ropes in would do all they could to have himarrested."
The last portion of this remark was almost indistinguishable, owing tothe fact that the men were walking away, and when the sound of theirfootsteps could no longer be heard Teddy said:
"Those are the men who robbed Uncle Nathan's store, an' I'm certain oneof them got my money."
"Would you know their voices if you heard them again?"
"Sure; but why don't we find out where they are going? It wouldn't be ahard job."
"Are you willin' to sneak after them?"
"Of course I am. Come on!"
The boys arose softly and crept through the flap of the tent withoutawakening the sleepers.
The night was dark and cloudy, and it was impossible to see any verygreat distance in either direction; but Dan had taken especial heed tothe course taken by the men, and he started off without hesitation.
"We ought to have a club or something to protect ourselves in case theyshould see us," Teddy whispered.
"We won't get near enough to let them do much mischief. Do you see twosparks over there? They are the lighted ends of cigars, an' our men arebehind them."
Dan quickened his pace; but he had failed to calculate the distancecorrectly, and was much nearer the game than he had suspected.
"Be careful they don't see us," he said, in a low tone, and in anotherinstant the boys were directly in front of the men.
Teddy started back in alarm; but he was too late. In an instant thesparks flashed before his eyes, and he fell to the ground unconsciousjust as Dan succeeded in warding off the blow of a fist which was aimedat him.