CHAPTER XXX
WITH THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH
"The Greatest Show On Earth?" repeated Andy wonderingly. "You don'tmean--"
"I do mean," nodded Luke vigorously. "The one--the only. Is there morethan one? I'm on my way to join it."
"You're lucky," commented Andy.
"And ambitious, and tickled to death!" cried Luke effusively. "My! WhenI think of it, I imagine I'm dreaming. And say--I'm a capitalist."
"Well!" smiled Andy.
"Yes, sir--see?" and Luke spun round, exhibiting his neat apparel. "I'man independent gentleman."
"You do look prosperous," admitted Andy.
"Living on my royalties."
"Royalties? How's that?"
"You remember the chicken?"
"That walked backwards. I'll never forget it."
"Well, sir," asserted Luke, "it took. When we left you, we struck abrisk show. Big business and the chicken a winner from the start.Another side showman offered me a big salary, and my boss got worried.He agreed to pay me ten per cent gross receipts for Bolivar. I knew hehad a brother who was chief animal trainer with the Big Show. I took himup on condition that he got me a place there. He wrote to his brother,and I'm his assistant. On my way to Baltimore now. The show is on itsway through Delaware."
"Wait here a minute," spoke Andy, and he went back to his friends.
Andy told them of meeting Luke, and the whereabouts of the Big Show.Just then the conductor came into the car, and they had to make arapid decision.
"Let us get to Baltimore, anyway," suggested the clown. "It's nearerhome--and my wife."
Andy paid their fares. Miss Starr briefly told the conductor of theirmishaps at Lacon. Her eloquent, sympathetic eyes won Midget a free ride.
Andy got pillows for his three friends, and some coffee and pie from theadjoining buffet car.
He saw them comfortably disposed of for the night; and then went back toLuke.
They sat down close together, two pleased, jolly friends. Andyinterested Luke immensely by reciting his vivid experiences since theyhad parted.
"By the way, Luke," he observed at last, "there's something I missedhearing from you at Tipton. Remember?"
"Let's see," said Luke musingly. "Oh, yes--you mean about your being anheir?"
"That's it."
Luke became animated at once.
"I've often thought about that," he said. "You know I was all struck ofa heap when you first told me your name!"
"Yes."
"And asked if you was Andy Wildwood, the heir? Do you remember?"
"Exactly."
"Well, it was funny, but early on the day I came to the circus I wastramping it along a creek. About three miles out of town I should think,I lay down to rest among some bushes. Ten minutes after I'd got there aboat rowed by some persons came along. They beached it right alongsidethe brush. Then one of them, a boy, lifted a mail bag from the bottom ofthe skiff."
"A mail bag--- a boy?" repeated Andy, with a start of intelligence. "Didyou hear his name?"
"Yes, in a talk that followed. The man with him called him Jim."
"Jim Tapp," murmured Andy.
"He called the man Murdock."
"I thought so," Andy said to himself. "They put up that mail robbery."
"They cut open the bag and took out a lot of letters," continued Luke."A few of them had money in them. This they pocketed, tearing up theletters and throwing them into the creek. There was one letter the boykept. He read it over and over. When they had got through with theletters, he said to the man that it was funny."
"What was funny?" asked Andy.
"Why, he said there was a letter putting him on to 'a big spec.,' as hecalled it. He said the letter told about a secret, about a fortune thewriter had discovered. He said the letter was to a boy who would neverknow his good luck if they didn't tell him. He said to the man there wassomething to think over. He chuckled as he bragged how they would make abig stake juggling the fortune of the heir, Andy Wildwood."
"I don't understand it at all," said Andy, "but it is a singular story,for a fact."
"Well, that's all I know about it. The minute I heard your name, ofcourse I recalled where I had heard it before."
"Of course," nodded Andy thoughtfully.
After that the conversation lagged. Luke soon fell asleep. For over twohours, however, Andy kept trying to figure out how he could possibly bean heir, who had written the letter, and to whom it had been addressed.
The next day they arrived at Baltimore. A morning paper contained adispatch from Lacon.
The circus men had nearly killed half-a-dozen of the mob of roughs. Thepolice had restored order, but fire and riot had put the show outof business.
Miss Starr wired to the town in Delaware where the Big Show was playing.Luke had gone on to join it. By noon she received a satisfactory reply.Then she telegraphed to Lacon about their traps, directing the managerwhere to send them.
That evening, after a long talk over their prospects, the four refugeestook the train for Dover.
The next morning Miss Starr, Billy, Midget and Andy went to theheadquarters of The Biggest Show on Earth.
Andy had a chance to inspect it while waiting for Bob Sanderson, theassistant manager, who was a distant relative of Miss Stella Starr.
Its mammoth proportions fairly staggered him. Its details werebewildering in their system and perfection. Alongside of it, the circushe had recently belonged to was merely a side show.
Sanderson was a brisk, business-like fellow. He soon settled on anengagement for Miss Starr and Billy and Midget for the rest ofthe season.
"I don't think I can use the boy, though," he said, glancing at Andy.
"Then you can't have us," said the equestrienne promptly. "Bob, you andI are old friends, but not better ones than myself and Andy Wildwood. Hestood by us through thick and thin, he makes a good showing in the ring.Why, before the Benares Brothers left us, they were training him for oneof the best acts ever done on the trapeze."
"Is that so?" spoke Sanderson, looking interested. "The Benares Brothersjoined us only last week. Here, give me five minutes."
"Miss Starr, you mustn't let me stand in your way of a good engagement,"said Andy, as the assistant manager left the tent.
"It's the four of us, or none," asserted the determined little lady.
Sanderson came bustling in at the end of five minutes.
"All right," he announced brusquely, "I'll take the boy on."
"You'll never regret it," declared Stella Starr positively.
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