CHAPTER XX
ANDY'S ESCAPE
Jim Tapp gave a great wriggle as Andy involuntarily let go his hold ofthe young rascal. His ferret-like eyes twinkled and followed the glanceof Andy's own.
Tapp was too keen a fellow not to observe that Andy was startled andunnerved by the unexpected appearance of some one on the scene.
He probably caught the words spoken by Andy: "My aunt," and presumablyidentified Miss Lavinia Talcott as the cause of the boy's disquietude.Further, Jim Tapp knew that Andy had run away from home and had beensought for by the police. As it turned out later in Andy Wildwood'scareer, Jim Tapp knew a great deal more than all this put together. Infact, he knew some things of which Andy never dreamed.
Andy had been completely driven off his balance at the sight of hisaunt. It was natural that she should be at Tipton. She went there quiteoften. Loneliness at home and the variety of the county fair at Tiptonhad probably induced her to make the present visit.
Instantly Andy thought of but one thing--to escape recognition. Still,the minute he let go of Tapp his presence of mind returned, and he wassorry he had lost his nerve on an impulse. It would have been quite aneasy thing to roll and force his antagonist over the sidewalk edge. Now,however, Tapp had wriggled past his reach.
Andy made one grab for him, prostrate on the planks now, missed, rolledalong, and dropped squarely over the inner edge of the walk five feetdown into the vacant lot below.
"She didn't see me," he panted--"I'm sure she didn't. Too bad, though! Ihad that fellow, Tapp, tight. Why should I lose him, even now?"
Andy ran under the sidewalk for about ten feet. He rounded a heap ofsand and glided up a slant where an alley cut in. There he paused,hidden by a big billboard. Peering past this barrier he could view thecrowd he had just left.
"Thief--stop thief!" fell in a frantic yell on his hearers.
To his surprise it was Jim Tapp who uttered the call. He was flingingabout in great excitement. As a police officer ran up, Andy saw himpointing into the vacant lot. He also evidently told some specious storyto the officer.
The latter jumped into the lot, and two or three followed him. Andy sawthat he was in danger of discovery, and directed a last glance at thecrowd on the sidewalk. He saw his aunt's bobbing bonnet retreating fromthe scene. He also saw Jim Tapp, apparently following her. He did notdare to go in the same direction.
Andy dodged down the alley and came out on the next street. He lookedvainly for the two persons in whom he was interested. He failed tolocate them, and then proceeded in the direction of the circus grounds.He was very thoughtful, and in a measure worried and uneasy.
"Tapp is pretty smart," soliloquized Andy. "He's mean, too. If henoticed that I was flustered and afraid of Aunt Lavinia seeing me, andguesses who she is and connects my running away from home with her, hewould tell her where I am just out of spite. Wonder if she could have mearrested here, in another State?"
Andy was too tired to stay awake over this problem when he located theclown's new quarters. Before he retired, however, he got word to thecircus manager that Jim Tapp was evidently following the circus, and hadbeen seen in Tipton that very evening.
The next morning Andy was too busy to give the matter of his aunt's nearproximity much thought. He worked with a gang hoisting the main tentuntil nearly noon.
"Hi, Wildwood!" hailed a friendly voice, as Andy was leaving the cook'stent an hour later.
The speaker was Marco. He made a few inquiries as to how Andy wasgetting along. Then he said: "I saw Miss Stella Starr this morning. Youknow the manager, of course?"
"Mr. Scripps--yes," nodded Andy.
"Well, about two o'clock they're going to line up the amateurs in theperformance tent. You be there."
"All right," said Andy.
"Benares and Thacher will be on hand. You'll see some fun. Afterwardsthey'll put you through some stunts in dead earnest. It's your chance toget in on the tumbling act. Would you like that?"
"I should say so--if I can do it good enough."
"Well, try, anyhow. If you're not up to average, Benares will train you.He's taken a fancy to you, and he'll help you along. Some of thetumblers leave us here, and they're shy on a full number. If they takeyou, stick hard for ten dollars."
"A month?" said Andy.
"No, a week."
"Gracious!" exclaimed Andy, "that's too good to come out true."
"Stick and strive, Wildwood--the motto will win," declared Marco.
When Andy went to the performers' tent at two o'clock, he found overfifty persons there. In its centre a balancing bar had been put up. Anold circus horse stood at one side. Some low trapezes were swung from apost. A number of the circus people were lounging on benches in onecorner of the tent. In another corner on other benches some twentypersons, mostly boys, were gathered.
"Here, you're not on show yet," spoke Benares, the trapezist, pullingAndy beside him as he passed along. "Your turn will come after they getrid of those aspirants yonder."
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