The Circus Boys on the Mississippi; Or, Afloat with the Big Show on the Big River
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CHAPTER IV
THEIR CURIOSITY AROUSED
"Phil, I have an idea that you are wondering where we are boundfor?" said Mr. Sparling, with a merry twinkle in his eyes.
"I will confess that I have been somewhat curious," smiledthe boy. "From the route I could not imagine where youwere heading."
"You are not the only one who has been guessing. Our rivals arepositively nervous over the movements of this show. They thinkwe are going to jump into the Mississippi River, or something ofthe sort--"
"Or float on it," added Phil.
Mr. Sparling eyed him keenly.
They were in the owner's private tent, discussing the businessof the show itself, as these two did every day of the season, forMr. Sparling had come to place no little reliance on the judgmentof his young Circus Boy.
"What made you say that, Phil?"
"I had no particular reason. Perhaps I thought I was sayingsomething funny."
"Nothing very funny about that," answered the showman.
"I agree with you."
"I thought perhaps you might ask me where we were routed forthis season."
"And I thought you would tell me when you wished me to know,"answered the boy.
"It was not because I did not wish you to know our route, Phil.I rather thought I should like to give you a surprise."
"Yes, sir."
"We are going to surprise the show world at the same time, so yousee you are not the only one who will be surprised."
"You arouse my curiosity, Mr. Sparling."
"Still you refuse to ask where we are going," replied theshowman, laughing heartily. "I have made my arrangements withthe utmost secrecy because I did not wish any of the oppositionshows to get a line on my plans. Not one of them has done sothus far. Tomorrow they will know. Or at least by the dayafter tomorrow. I am not going to let you in on my littlesecret today either. Do you think you can possess your soulin patience until then?"
"I think there will be no trouble about that. If I haverestrained my curiosity so far I surely can control ituntil tomorrow. We show at Milledgeville tomorrow, dowe not?"
"That's what the route card says and I guess the route cardis right."
"Small town, is it not?"
"Yes, one of the little river towns. Do you know much aboutthe river?"
"Nothing except what I observed when we played the southernstates last season. I should like to take a trip down the river,and hope I may have an opportunity to do so one of these days."
"You'll have the opportunity, all right."
"Sir?"
"I said you would have the opportunity."
"I hope so."
"Perhaps sooner than you think, too. How is your friend, Tucker,getting along?"
"Pretty well, thank you. I guess he is working better thisseason than he did last. His acts are much more finished, don'tyou think so?"
"Yes. I noticed that he nearly finished a clown with one ofhis acts the other night," answered Mr. Sparling dryly, whereatboth laughed heartily. "Have you had any trouble, with any ofthe men?"
"Do you mean myself, personally?"
"Either or both of you?"
"Some slight disagreements. What trouble we have had has beendue wholly to our own fault," answered Phil manfully.
"With whom?"
"I would rather not say anything about it, if you will permit meto remain silent."
"You are a queer boy, Phil."
"So I have been told before," answered the lad, laughing.
"And your friend Teddy is a confounded sight more so. I'm afraidhe would have a hard time with most any other show in spite ofthe fact that he is an excellent performer."
"I have told him as much."
"Oh, you have?"
"Yes, sir."
"What does he say?"
"He doesn't take my advice very seriously, I am afraid. Teddy isall right at heart, however."
"I agree with you."
Phil then related to Mr. Sparling the incident of the dressingtent, when Teddy gathered the daisies to place on the "grave" inmemory of Mrs. Waite's soldier dead, to all of which the showmanlistened with thoughtful face. Mr. Sparling rose, walked to thedoor of the tent, then returned and sat down.
"You never knew that I was a soldier, too, did you, Phil?"
"No, sir. Were you really?"
"Yes. I fought with the South. I was a drummer boy in a Georgiaregiment," said the showman reminiscently. "Perhaps had I beenolder I might have done differently, but I loved my Sunny Southand I love it now."
"So do I," added Phil Forrest fervently.
"But the war is over. It is the show business that concerns usmost intimately at the present moment. I want to say that youare doing excellent work on the flying trapeze this season."
"Thank you. I am doing my best."
"You always do. Whatever you attempt you go at with all theforce you possess, and that is no slight factor, either. I havebeen waiting to talk seriously with you for sometime. You havefinished your studies, have you not?"
"Yes."
"What are your plans for the future?"
"I have no immediate plans beyond continuing in theshow business. I am trying to lay up some money so Ican go into business some of these days."
"What business?"
"Circus business, of course. It is the only business I knowanything about, and I know very little about that, it seemsto me."
"Let me tell you something, Phil. Nine-tenths of the men whohave been in it nearly all their lives know no more about thecircus business than you do. Many of them not so much. You area born showman. Take my word for it, you have a very brilliantcareer before you. You spoke, sometime ago, about wishing to goto college."
"I should like to go."
"Under the circumstances I would advise against it, though I am athorough believer in the value of an education. You have a goodstart now. Were you to go to college you would spend four yearsthere and when you finished, you would find that the show worldhad been moving right along just the same. You would be out ofit, so to speak. You would have been standing still so far asthe circus was concerned, for four full years. Think it over andsome of these days we will have another talk."
"What would you advise, Mr. Sparling?"
"I don't advise. I am simply pointing out the facts for you toconsider, that's all."
"I thank you, Mr. Sparling. I already owe you a debtof gratitude. I shall never forget all you have done forTeddy and myself, and I am sure Teddy also appreciates it."
"You owe me nothing."
"Oh, yes, I do! I shall never be able wholly to pay thedebt, either."
"We will drop that side of the case, my boy. You will want topack all your things for moving tonight."
"You mean my dressing-room trunk?"
"I mean all your belongings."
Phil looked his surprise.
"I have special reference to your stuff in the sleeper."
"May I ask why, Mr. Sparling."
"Because tonight will be the last night you will spend on thesleeping car for sometime, in all probability."
"I don't understand. Am I to leave the show?"
"Leave the show?"
"Yes, sir."
"I should say not. You leave the show? I would rather lose anyten men in it than to have you go away. I trust you never willleave it for any length of time--at least not while I am inthe business. No, you are going on a little trip--the show isgoing on a little trip. That is the surprise I have in storefor you. You will know tomorrow morning. Not another word now,Phil Forrest. Run along and get ready for the performance."
The Circus Boy hurried over to the dressing tent, full ofcuriosity and anticipation of what awaited him on the morrow.Strange to say, Phil had not the least idea what the plan of theowner of the show might be.
The surprise was to be a complete one.