CHAPTER VI
A BOLT FROM THE CLOUDS
"The old hen has laid an egg! The old hen has laid an egg!"
The performance was moving merrily on, the gasoline lampsshedding a bright glow over the golden haze of the circus tent,when a diminutive clown rushed into the arena bearing somethingin his arms.
To the spectators it was just another clownish act, and theylaughed uproariously. The circus people, however, realized atonce that something not down on the bills was taking place, andthey cast wondering glances at the little clown, who was dancingabout in high glee.
"Get out of here!" growled the ringmaster angrily. "What do youmean by breaking into the performance in this way. Out of here,I say!"
"The old hen has laid an egg!" repeated the clown, holding aloftthe object that all might see.
Teddy Tucker, for it was he, cared nothing for the crowdsoccupying the seats. In fact, it is doubtful that he gaveany thought to them at all.
"What do you mean?" demanded the ringmaster.
"The ostrich. Don't you see?"
"The ostrich?"
"Yes, she's laid an egg."
Quick to appreciate the value of the clown's interruption, theringmaster took the great egg that Teddy had brought in, and heldit aloft.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, as the band suddenly ceasedplaying, "wonders never cease in the Great Sparling Shows.You have been treated to startling feats of skill upon the loftyflying swings; you have witnessed desperately dangerous displaysof unrivaled aerialism, and you are about to observe thethundering, furious Roman chariot races three times aboutthe arena--"
"Say, what are you trying to get at?" growled Teddy Tucker."Give me back that egg."
"But a sensation greater than all of these is in store for you,though you did not know it. The tallest hen in the world haslaid an egg for your instruction and amusement--the ostrich hasimmortalized the town of Milledgeville by laying an egg withinits sacred precincts, and my friend, Teddy Tucker, in discoveringit, has accomplished an achievement beside which the discovery ofthe north or south pole is a cheap side show."
The audience yelled its approval and appreciation.
"Young man, what do you intend to do with this wonderful andrare specimen?"
"What do I intend to do with it?"
"Yes. Is it your purpose to present it to this beautiful littlecity, to be placed among its other treasures in the city hall?"
"Well, I guess not!"
"What, then?"
"I'm going to eat it. That's what I'm going to do with it,"answered Teddy in a voice loud enough to be heard all overthe big top.
The people shouted.
"Give me that egg!" demanded the Circus Boy, grabbing the bigwhite ball and marching off toward the paddock with it, to theaccompaniment of the laughter and applause of the audience.
"Now that we have seen this remarkable Easter achievement, theperformance will proceed," announced the ringmaster, blowing hiswhistle and waving his hand.
The band struck up; the performers, grinning broadly, took uptheir work where they had left off upon the entrance of TeddyTucker with the giant egg.
The incident had served to put both performers and audience inhigh good humor. Mr. Sparling was not present to witness it.He was busy down by the docks, attending to the loading of suchof the show's equipment as was ready to be packed away forshipment on the Sparling fleet.
Perhaps it was just as well for Teddy, that the owner of the showwas not present, as he might have objected to the Circus Boy'sinterruption of the performance.
Teddy was irrepressible. He stood in awe of no one exceptthe Lady Snake Charmer, and did pretty much as he pleased allthe time. Yet, beneath the surface, there was the making of amanly man, a resolute, sturdy character of whom great thingsmight be expected in the not far distant future.
As the performance proceeded an ominous rumbling wassuddenly heard.
"I think it is going to storm," Phil confided to his working mateon the flying trapeze.
"Sounds that way. Is that thunder I hear?"
"Yes."
"Guess it won't amount to much. Just a spring shower. You willfind a lot of them along the river for the next month or so."
"I have always heard that rivers were wet," replied Philhumorously, swinging off into space, landing surely andgracefully in the arms of the catcher in the trapeze act.
"I think we had better cut the act short."
"Oh, no, let's go on with it," answered Phil. "I am not afraidif you are not."
"Afraid nothing. I remember still what a narrow escape we hadlast season just before that blow-down, when Wallace, the biglion, made his escape. That was a lively time, wasn't it?"
"Rather," agreed Phil.
The ringmaster motioned to them to bring their act to a close,and the band leader, catching the significance of the movement,urged his musicians to play louder. The crash of cymbals and theboom of the bass drum and the big horns almost drowned out therumbling of the thunder.
Those up near the dome of the tent, still going through theiracts, now heard the patter of heavy rain drops on the canvas top.The lights throughout the tent flickered a little under thedraught that sucked in through the openings in the tent andthe open space at the top of the side walls.
The audience showed signs of restlessness.
"It is only a spring shower, ladies and gentlemen," announcedthe ringmaster. "You have no cause for alarm. The hats of theladies are perfectly safe. This tent is waterproof. You couldsoak it in the Mississippi without getting a drop of waterthrough it. That's the way the Sparling show looks out forits patrons. Nothing cheap about the Sparling outfit!"
A laugh greeted his remarks.
A blinding flash faded the gasoline lamps to a ghostly flame.A few seconds later a crash that shook the earth followed,causing the audience to shiver with nervous apprehension.
Teddy had come out and was gazing aloft. He grinned at Phil,noting at the same time that all the lofty performers werepreparing to come down.
"Hello, fraid-cats up there!" jeered the Circus Boy.
"You get out of here!" snapped the ringmaster. "What are youdoing here, anyway?"
"I'm working."
"Yes, I see you working. Go on about your business and don'tbother me. Don't you think I have anything else to do except towatch you, in order to prevent your breaking up the performance?"
"You ought to thank me for keeping you busy," chuckled Teddy,making a lively jump to get out of the way of the long lash thatsnapped at his heels.
Perhaps there was method in Teddy Tucker's movements.He strolled out into the concourse, gazing up at the crowdedseats, winking and making wry faces at the people, as he movedslowly along, causing them to laugh and shout flippant remarksat him.
This was exactly what he wanted them to do. It gave Teddy anopportunity to talk back, and many a keen-pointed shaft did hehurl at the unwary who had been imprudent enough to try to makesport of him.
While this impromptu act was going on the minds of the peoplewere so occupied that they forgot all about the storm.
The rain was now beating down on the big top in a deluge, anddespite the ringmaster's assurance that the canvas would notleak, a fine spray was filling the tent like a thin fog, throughwhich the lights glowed in pale circles.
"Even the lamps have halos," Teddy informed the people. "I hadone once, but the ringmaster borrowed it and forgot to return it.But I don't care. He needs a halo more than I do."
A howl greeted this sally.
Teddy was about to say something else, after the first wave oflaughter had swept over the audience, but no one heard him speak.
Another flash, more brilliant, more blinding than any that hadgone before it, lighted up the tent. The big top seemed suddenlyto have been filled with fire. Thin threads of it ran downquarter and center pole; circles of it raced about the iron ringsused in various parts of the tent, then jumped into the rigging,running up and down th
e iron braces and wire ropes used to bracethe apparatus.
The flash was accompanied by a report that was terrifying.At that instant a great ball of fire descended from the damptop of the tent, dropping straight toward the concourse.Teddy Tucker chanced to be standing just beneath it. He hadglanced up when the report came, to see if any damage hadbeen done aloft.
"Wow!" breathed Teddy.
Just then the ball burst only a few feet above his head,scattering fire in all directions.
Teddy fell flat to the ground.
He was up almost at once.
"I'm all right! How's the rest of the family?" he howled.
The rest of the family were too much concerned with what wastaking place in the big top to notice the Circus Boy's humor.
Then Teddy observed that the center pole was split from endto end. The lightning bolt had followed it from its peak tothe ground. Several of the side poles had already given way,and the lad saw the dome of the tent slowly settling.
"Hitch it! Anchor it!" he bellowed.
The attendants were too frightened to give heed to his words.
Phil Forrest was coming down a rope, hand under hand, as rapidlyas he could travel.
"Snub the rope or you'll have the tent down on you!" he shouted.
Teddy darted forward, throwing himself upon the heavy rope thatheld the dome in place.
At that instant the rope on which Phil Forrest was descendinggave way, and Phil came straight down.
He landed on Teddy Tucker's head and shoulders, knocking Teddyflat on the ground, where the little Circus Boy lay still.Yet he had, with rare presence of mind, snubbed the heavy ropearound a tent stake, keeping the free end of the rope in hand,and holding desperately to it.
Nor did Teddy release his grip on the rope, now that he had beenknocked unconscious. He held it in place, the strands woundfirmly about his arm, though inch by inch he was slipping towardthe heavy tent stake. Phil had received a severe shaking-up,but he was on his feet quickly, looking about to see on whom hehad fallen.
When he discovered that Teddy had been the victim, Phil groaned.
"I'm afraid I have finished him!"
Teddy had now been drawn along by the rope until his head wasagainst the tent stake.
"Quick! Lend a hand here!" shouted Phil.
He wrenched the rope loose from Tucker's hands, taking a twistabout his own arms and holding on with all his might.
Several ring attendants came to their senses about that time andrushed to his assistance.
"Take care of Teddy!" cried Phil.
The ringmaster turned Teddy over and looked into the lad's face.At that, Teddy opened his eyes and winked. The ringmaster jerkedhim to his feet and shook him vigorously.
This restored the boy to his normal condition.
"Hello, folks!" howled Teddy, turning a handspring, falling overa ring curbing as he did so.
The people forgot their fear and greeted Teddy withwild applause. The Circus Boy had saved a blow-downand perhaps many lives as well.
The Circus Boys on the Mississippi; Or, Afloat with the Big Show on the Big River Page 7