The Circus Boys Across the Continent; Or, Winning New Laurels on the Tanbark

by Edgar B. P. Darlington

  CHAPTER XIV

  IN DIRE PERIL

  Two days had passed and nothing more had been seen of thedischarged canvasmen. Believing they were well rid of themall hands proceeded to forget about the very existence of Larryand Bad Eye.

  As Phil was passing the roped-off enclosure where the elephantswere tethered, the next morning just before the parade, he sawMr. Kennedy regarding one of the elephants rather anxiously.

  "What's the trouble? Anything gone wrong?" sang out thelad cheerily.

  "Not yet," answered the keeper without turning his head.

  "Something is bothering you or else you are planning outsomething new for the bulls," decided Phil promptly."What is it?"

  "I don't like the way Jupiter is acting."

  "How?"

  "He is ugly."

  Phil ducked under the ropes and boldly walked over toward theswaying beast.

  "Better keep away from him. He isn't to be trusted today."

  "Going to send him out in the parade?"

  "Haven't decided yet. I may think it best to leave Jupiter herewith perhaps the baby elephant for company. He would cut up, I'mafraid, were I to leave him here alone. No; I think, upon secondthought, that we had better take him out. It may take his mindfrom his troubles."

  "What do you think is the matter with him?" questioned theCircus Boy, regarding the beast thoughtfully.

  "That's what bothers me. He has never acted this way before.Usually there are some signs that I told you about once beforethat tells one an elephant is going bad."

  "You mean the tear drops that come out from the slit underthe eye?"

  "Yes. There has been nothing of that sort with Jupiter."

  "He acts to me as if he had a bad stomach," suggestedPhil wisely.

  "That's right. That expresses it exactly. I guess we'll have togive him a pill to set him straight. But Jupiter never was muchof a hand for pills. He'll object if we suggest it."

  "Then don't suggest it. Just give it to him in his food."

  "You can't fool him," answered Mr. Kennedy, with a shake ofthe head. "He'd smell it a rod away, and that would make himmadder than ever. The best way is to make him open his mouth andthrow the pill back as far as possible in his throat."

  "Have you told Mr. Sparling?"

  "No. He doesn't like to be bothered with these little things.He leaves that all to me. It's a guess, though, as to justwhat to do under these conditions. No two cases, any morethan any two elephants, are alike when it comes to dispositionand treatment."

  "No; I suppose not."

  "Where are you going now, Phil?"

  "Going back to the dressing tent to get ready for the parade.Hope you do not have any trouble."

  "No; I guess I shan't. I can manage to hold him, and if I don't,I'll turn Emperor loose. He makes a first-rate policeman."

  Phil hurried on to the dressing tent, for he was a little latethis morning, for which he was not wholly to blame, considerabletime having been lost in his interview with Mr. Sparling.

  In the hurry of preparation for the parade, Phil forgot all aboutMr. Kennedy's concern over Jupiter. But he was reminded of itagain when he rode out to fall in line with the procession.Mr. Kennedy and his charges, all well in hand, were justemerging from the menagerie tent to take their places forthe parade. Jupiter was among them. He saw, too, thatMr. Kennedy was walking by Jupiter's side, giving him almosthis exclusive attention.

  Phil's place in the parade this season was with a body ofGerman cavalry. He wore a plumed hat, with a gaudy uniform androde a handsome bay horse, one of the animals used in the runningrace at the close of the circus. Phil had become very proficienton horseback and occasionally had entered the ring races, beinglight enough for the purpose. He had also kept up his barebackpractice, under the instruction of Dimples, until he felt quiteproud of his achievements.

  Vincennes, where the show was to exhibit that day, was a largetown, and thousands of people had turned out to view the paradewhich had been extensively advertised as one of the greatestfeatures ever offered to the public.

  "They seem to like it," grinned Phil, turning to the riderbeside him.

  "Act as if they'd never seen a circus parade before," answeredthe man. "But wait till we get out in some of the way-back townsin the West."

  "I thought we were West now?"

  "Not until we get the other side of the Mississippi, we won't be.They don't call Indiana West. We'll be getting there prettysoon, too. According to the route card, we are going to makesome pretty long jumps from this on."

  "We do not go to Chicago, do we?"

  "No. Show's not quite big enough for that town. We go south ofit, playing some stands in Illinois, then striking straight west.Hello, what's the row up ahead there?"

  "What row, I didn't see anything."

  "Something is going on up there. See! The line is breaking!"

  The part of the parade in which Phil was located was well uptoward the elephants, the animals at that moment having turneda corner, moving at right angles to Phil's course.

  "It's the elephants!" cried the lad aghast.

  "What's happening?"

  "They have broken the line!"

  All was confusion at the point on which the two showmen hadfocused their eyes.

  "It's a stampede, I do believe!" exclaimed Phil. "I wonder whereMr. Kennedy is? I don't see him anywhere."

  "There! They're coming this way."

  "What, the elephants? Yes, that's so. Oh, I'm afraid somebodywill be killed."

  "If there hasn't already been," growled Phil's companion."I'm going to get out of this while I have the chance. I've seenelephants on the rampage before." Saying which, the showmanturned his horse and rode out of the line. His example wasfollowed by many of the others.

  People were screaming and rushing here and there, horsesneighing, and the animals in the closed cages roaring in amost terrifying way.

  Phil pulled his horse up short, undecided what to do. He hadnever seen a stampede before, but desperate as the situationseemed, he felt no fear.

  The elephants, with lowered heads, were charging straight ahead.Now Phil saw that which seemed to send his heart right up intohis throat.

  Little Dimples had been riding in a gayly bedecked two-wheeledcart, drawn by a prancing white horse. Dressed in white fromhead to foot, she looked the dainty creature that she was.

  Dimples, seeing what had happened, had wheeled her horsequickly out of line, intending to turn about and drive back alongthe line. It would be a race between the white horse and theelephants, but she felt sure she would be able to make it andturn down a side street before the stampeding herd reached her.

  She might have done so, had it not been for one unforeseenincident.As she dashed along a rider, losing his presence of mind, ifindeed,he had had any to lose, drove his horse directly in front of her.The result was a quick collision, two struggling horses lyingkicking in the dust of the street, and a white-robed figure lyingstretched out perilously near the flying hoofs.

  The force of the collision had thrown Little Dimples headlongfrom her seat in the two wheeled cart, and there she lay,half-dazed with the herd of elephants thundering down upon her.

  Phil took in her peril in one swift glance.

  "She'll be killed! She'll be killed!" he cried, all the colorsuddenly leaving his face.

  All at once he drove the rowels of his spurs against the sides ofhis mount. The animal sprang away straight toward the oncomingherd, but Phil had to fight every inch of the way to keep thehorse from turning about and rushing back, away from the perilthat lay before it.

  The lad feared he would not be able to reach Dimples in time,but with frequent prods of spur and crop, uttering littleencouraging shouts to the frightened horse, he dashed on,dodging fleeing showmen and runaway horses at almost every jump.

  He forged up beside the girl at a terrific pace. But, now thathe was there, the lad did not dare dismount, knowing thatwere he to do so, his
horse would quickly break away from him,thus leaving them both to be crushed under the feet of theponderous beasts.

  It was plain to Phil that Jupiter must have gone suddenly bad,and, starting on a stampede, had carried the other bullswith him. And he even found himself wondering if anythinghad happened to his friend Kennedy, the elephant trainer.If Kennedy were on his feet he would be after them.

  As it was, no one appeared to be chasing the runaway beasts.

  Phil leaned far from the saddle grasping the woman by herflimsy clothing. It gave way just as he had begun to lift her,intending to pull her up beside him on the horse's back.

  Twice he essayed the feat, each time with the same result.The bay was dancing further away each time, and the elephantswere getting nearer. The uproar was deafening, which, withthe trumpetings of the frightened elephants, made the stoutesthearts quail.

  With a grim determination Forrest once more charged alongsideof Dimples. As he did so she opened her eyes, though Phil didnot observe this, else he might have acted differently.

  As it was he threw himself from the bay while that animal wasstill on the jump. Keeping tight hold of the saddle pommel,the reins bunched in the hand that grasped it, Phil dropped down.When he came up, Dimples was on his arm.

  He then saw that she was herself again.

  "Can you hold on if I get you up?"

  "Yes. You're a good boy."

  Phil made no reply, but, with a supreme effort, threw the girlinto the saddle. To do so he was obliged to let go the pommeland the reins for one brief instant. But he succeeded inthrowing Dimples up to the saddle safely, where she quicklysecured herself.

  The bay was off like a shot, leaving Phil directly in front ofthe oncoming elephants.

  "Run! I'll come back and get you," shouted Dimples overher shoulder.

  "You can't. The reins are over the bay's head," he answered.

  She was powerless to help. Dimples realized this at once.She was in no danger herself. She was such a skillful rider thatit made little difference whether the reins were in her hand oron the ground, so far as maintaining her seat was concerned.With Phil, however, it was different.

  "I guess I might as well stand still and take it," muttered thelad grimly.

  He turned, facing the mad herd, a slender but heroic figure inthat moment of peril.