CHAPTER XVIII
THE MISSING SHOW CARS
The work was completed late that afternoon. The Sparling crowdhad got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.Sparling show bills were everywhere.
But Phil was thoughtful. He did not like the methods he wasobliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of theshow business. He had the satisfaction, too, of knowing thathe had done nothing unfair. He had got the best of his rivalsby perfectly fair methods, and he would pursue no others, nomatter how badly he was beaten.
After making a round of the town, during which he had twicepassed the scowling manager of the canary car, Phil returnedto his own car, as there were frequently matters arising therethat needed his attention. He found a telegram awaiting himfrom Mr. Sparling.
"The greatest work ever done by an advance car. I congratulateyou all. Keep it up," was what Phil read.
Phil rubbed his forehead in perplexity.
"Now, how in the world did he find out about this so soon, Iwonder?" questioned the boy. As a matter of fact, the manager ofthe Robinson Show's car, who was a friend of Mr. Sparling, hadwired him of the day's doings. It was too good to keep, and thenagain Mr. Sparling's friend was too delighted at the downfall ofSnowden, the man whom he thoroughly disliked, to be at alljealous of Phil's triumph.
Phil went over to the yardmaster to find out what train he wouldbe able to go out on that night.
"We are going to send the whole bunch of you out on number 42,"was the reply.
"What time does number 42 leave?"
"Half-past eleven."
"What do you mean by 'the bunch of us'?"
"All you advance car fellows. I have got to do that. That isthe only train through tonight. You will have to go on that orwait until tomorrow morning."
"Very well; I do not know as I care whether my rivals go on thesame train or not. It would do me no good if I did object."
That night the unusual sight of four advance cars hooked togetherwas presented to those who chanced to be in the railroad yardswhen number 42 pulled out of the station.
Car Three had been coupled up first, the others being hooked onbehind it, with the canary car at the rear.
"I am afraid we shall not cut a very big slice tomorrow, Teddy,"said Phil after they had got under way.
"Why not?"
"What, with all those crews working against us? It will be acase of three to one. Of course we shall do as much as any oneof them, and perhaps a little more, but we cannot expect anygreat results."
"Maybe I can think of something," mused Teddy.
"I wish you might."
"What would you say to ditching the other fellows?" askedTeddy innocently.
"Teddy Tucker, I am ashamed of you!" exclaimed Phil.
"Sometimes I am ashamed of myself, I am so easy. If it wasn'tfor my tender heart, Phil, I would have been a great showman bythis time."
"Yes, it really is too bad about your tender heart. I--"
His words were cut short by a jolt that nearly threw the ladsfrom their chairs.
"Collision!" yelled Teddy. "Brace yourself!"
"Don't get excited," laughed Phil. "They have forgotten orneglected to couple the airbrake pipes up. Someday one ofthese crews will wreck us all. I have talked until I am tired.You see there is air on the front end of this train, but theseshow cars have not been coupled up with the air pipes of theregular train. It is very bad business. I'll report it whenwe get in tomorrow."
"Let me. I know how to do it up brown."
"No, I will attend to it myself."
"Say, Phil!"
"Yes?"
"If the air was coupled on and the train broke in two in themiddle what would happen?"
"Why it would bring everything up standing. Breaking the aircircuit would set the brakes the entire length of the train."
"And if the air was not coupled up, what then?"
"In that event nothing would happen."
"The train wouldn't stop?"
"No."
"H-m-m."
"Why do you ask?"
"For information. What do you suppose I am asking for unless Iwant to know."
Teddy relapsed into a moody silence.
"Why don't you go to bed?" Teddy asked after awhile, lookingup suddenly.
"I guess it would be a good idea," replied Phil. "We shallhave to get up rather early in the morning. I will set myalarm for three o'clock. I have an idea some of the rivalcrews will be up and out about that time. They won't be soeasily beaten tomorrow."
"Oh, I don't know," answered Teddy. "Maybe so and maybe not.You can't most always sometimes tell."
"Aren't you going to turn in?" demanded Phil, beginningto undress.
"No, not yet. I am not very sleepy tonight."
"You will be, in the morning, and you will not want to get up,"cautioned Phil.
"I will take the chance."
Teddy picked up a book and settled himself to read.
Little conversation passed between them after that, and Phil,tumbling into his berth, was soon asleep.
Teddy eyed him narrowly. He waited until his companion wassleeping soundly; then Teddy got up and strolled out to therear platform. It was deserted. The trainmen did not comeback that far, because the doors of the show cars were keptlocked so they could not. Show people do not like strangersabout them.
Teddy lay down on the platform, peering down between the cars.
"No, no air is coupled on. They ought to be ashamed ofthemselves," he muttered. "I guess they must have fixed it upfor me on purpose."
Teddy opened the door of Car Three softly, listened, then closedit again. Next he leaned out and looked along the tracks, whichhe could see fairly well, for the moon was now shining brightly.
"I guess there is no grade here." Stepping across to theplatform of the car to the rear of him, the boy partially setthe brake until he could feel it grinding on the wheels.
"Now, I think we are all ready," he muttered, as, stepping backto the platform of his own car, he grasped the coupling leverfirmly with both hands, giving it a mighty tug.
At first it would not budge. The drawheads of the couplers ofthe two cars were straining because of the drag of the brake thathe had but just set.
Teddy loosened the brake a little, then tried the couplinglever again.
This time it swung over with a bang. The lad lost his balancefor an instant, and nearly went overboard.
"My, that was a close shave," he exclaimed, hanging desperatelyto the platform railing, the wind blowing about him in aperfect gale.
"Hello, I wonder what has become of our friends?" laughed theCircus Boy to himself.
Teddy had uncoupled Car Three from the others in their rear, andthe cars of his rivals were dropping behind rapidly. He couldsee the dim lights in the car nearest to him, but even these wererapidly disappearing. A few minutes later as the train sweptaround a bend, the rival advertising cars disappeared from sight.Teddy knew that they would stop in a few minutes, and liethere stalled.
Teddy Tucker had done a very serious thing, but in his zeal hethought he had accomplished a great feat. Well satisfied withhis efforts the lad entered his own car softly, undressed in thecorridor and crept quietly to bed. In a very short time he wassnoring, sleeping the sleep of peace and innocence.
Teddy hardly moved again that night, until he was roused out byPhil at three o'clock the next morning.
The lad grumbled sleepily and finally tumbled out rubbinghis eyes.
Phil stepped out to the rear platform before dressing, for abreath of the fresh morning air.
"Why, Teddy!" he called through the open door.
"What?"
"The opposition cars are not here. The other train must havecarried them on. I wonder if those fellows are stealing a marchon us?"
"Is that so?"
"Yes; come out and see for yourself."
Teddy stumbled out to the platform, gazed about sleepily andlook
ed solemn.
"No, not here," he said, turning back into the car.
Phil was worried. He could not imagine exactly what the plans ofhis rivals might be.
"I will wire on to the next stand as soon as the telegraph officeopens, and find out if they are there," he decided.
In the meantime Teddy was taking his time about dressing, whilethe men of the crew were hurrying into their clothes. Phil didthe same, then dropped from the car and walked about the yards,rather expecting to find the cars of his rivals hidden behindfreight cars.
They were nowhere in sight.
"Well, it cannot be helped, even if we are beaten into thenext stand. This is a small place, but an important one.I cannot afford to skip it, no matter if the otherfellows have."
Teddy went about his morning duties as usual, solemn facedand silent, but there was a triumphant gleam in his eyes thatPhil Forrest as yet had failed to observe.
Phil was pacing up and down on the platform station, waitinguneasily for the operator to appear. After making ready, themen went off to breakfast, Teddy hanging about the car, busyinghimself with trifling matters. The car seemed to hold an unusualinterest for him that morning.
At six o'clock the livery rigs drove up and the rural route menwere soon off for their day's work. Phil started thelithographers and banner men out soon thereafter.
About that time the operator arrived; Phil wrote a message tothe liveryman at the next town, inquiring if his rivals hadreached there.
The answer came back that nothing had been seen of them.They had not even passed through. The operator at theother end said they were at Salina, where Phil's car wasat that moment.
This was a puzzler.
"I am afraid it will take a better railroad man than I am tofigure this problem out," mused Phil. "Hey, Teddy!"
"Yep?"
"What do you suppose could have become of those other cars?"
"How should I know?"
"They were on this train last night, when we started, andthey have not arrived at the next stand yet. They surelyare not here."
"Maybe they got a hot journal and had to stop," suggested Teddy.
"Nonsense! Something has happened to them. However, it is notmy business to worry about my rivals. As long as I know they arenot ahead of me I shall not disturb myself. It is up to me toimprove the opportunity and bill this town from one end to theother," decided Phil, starting off over town.
The work went on at a lively pace, Phil urging his men to greaterefforts, momentarily expecting to see the canary and red carscome rolling into town.
But no cars came. The next train from the direction Phil hadcome was not due until nearly noon, the road being a branch roadwith little traffic over it.
After a time Phil strolled down to the railroad station.
"Any news?" he asked.
"Yes," answered the operator. "They have found the cars."
"Where?"
"It seems they broke away from the train during the night and layon the main track until morning. One of the crew walked back tenmiles to the next station to ask for an engine to pull them out.They will be here on the next train."
"Funny the train crew did not discover that when they put us onthe siding here. I do not quite understand it yet?" Phil walkedslowly back to his own car, thinking deeply.
The Circus Boys on the Plains; Or, The Young Advance Agents Ahead of the Show Page 19