CHAPTER XX
A CAPTURE IN THE AIR
Fortunately, the band carried a new set of heads for the drum,and the contribution of the boys served to restore the offendedmusicians to good nature. Teddy, however, was not appeased.That youngster vowed that he would take revenge on the bassdrummer at the very first opportunity.
That afternoon, during the performance, Teddy began hisgetting-even process by standing in front of the bandstandbetween his acts, and making faces at the musicians.
This seemed to amuse them, and brought only smiles totheir faces. Teddy was not there for the purpose ofamusing the band, so he turned his back on them andtried to think of something more effective.
The show did a great business at Des Moines, having a "turn-away"at both afternoon and evening performances. The Sparling showshad played there before, but never to such business, which theshowman decided was due to their novel way of traveling. He knewthat these little novelties frequently made fortunes forCircus owners.
At the evening performance, Teddy had an inspiration. He wastoo busy, during the first part of the show, to give his idea apractical test, but later in the evening, while he was awaitinghis cue to go on in his clown act, he tried the new plan.
The lad had purchased half a dozen lemons from therefreshment stand. One of these he cut in halves, secretingthe pieces in a pocket of his clown costume; then when thetime came he stationed himself in front of the bandstandwhere he stood until he had gained the attention of severalof the musicians.
Teddy took out the two pieces of lemon with a great flourish,went through the motions of sprinkling sugar over them, thenbegan sucking first one piece, then the other, varying hisperformance by holding out the lemon invitingly to the players.
The bass drum player scowled. Teddy's lemon did not affect thebeating of the drum, but as the lad began to make believe thatthe acid juice was puckering his lips, some of the musiciansshowed signs of uneasiness.
The Circus Boy observing this, smacked his lips again and again,and industriously swallowed the juice, though it nearly chokedhim to do so.
Very soon some of the players got off the key, their playing grewuneven and in some instances stopped altogether. The leadercould not understand what the trouble was. He called out angrilyto the offending musicians, but this seemed only to add totheir troubles.
All at once the big German, who played the bass horn, rose fromhis seat and hurled his music rack at the offending Teddy Tucker.Everything on the bandstand came to a standstill, and theperformers in the ring glanced sharply down that way, wonderingwhat could have happened.
The leader turned and discovered Teddy and his lemons. He wasbeside himself with rage. He understood, now, why his musicianshad failed. Teddy sucking the lemon had given many of them"the puckers."
It was an old trick, but it worked as well as if it had beenbrand new.
The Circus Boy was delighted. The leader experienced nosuch sensations. With an angry exclamation, he leaped fromthe box on which he was standing, aiming a blow at Teddy withhis baton.
The boy dodged it and ran laughing out into the ring, for it wasnow time for him to go on in his next act.
After a minute or two the band once more collected itself andthe show went on, but there were dire threats uttered againstTeddy Tucker by the leader and players. The bass drummergrinned appreciatively.
"I wish I could think of something that would tie up that fellowwith the drum," muttered Teddy, gazing off at the drummer withresentful eyes.
The band leader had no scruples against carrying tales, andimmediately after the performance he hunted up Mr. Sparling andentered a complaint against the irrepressible Teddy. The resultwas that Teddy was given a severe lecture by the showman afterthey got on board the boat that night. Then Phil addeda warning.
"Well, what about yourself?" retorted the lad.
"Why?"
"I never stirred up as much roughhouse as you did this morning.You had better take some of that advice to yourself."
Phil laughed good-naturedly.
"I shall have to admit the impeachment," he said.
It seemed, however, as if the Sparling shows could not getalong without exciting incidents happening at least once intwenty-four hours. They appeared to follow the Circus Boys,too, like a plague. It is likely that, had they not followedthe boys, Teddy Tucker would have gone out hunting for them.
The next morning something else occurred that was not a part ofthe daily routine. The boats were late and the next stand wasnot yet in sight, so the band had not been called to work asearly as on the previous morning. The bandsmen were justrousing themselves, in response to raps on their cabin doors,when they heard rapid footsteps on the deck, and excited shoutsfrom several voices.
Teddy and Phil awakened at about the same time, having beendisturbed by the unusual sounds.
"Now, what is the trouble?" exclaimed Phil.
"Something is going on, and here I am in bed," answered Teddy,tumbling out and throwing open the blinds.
He saw nothing unusual. The boat was slipping along, envelopedin a cloud of black smoke. The disturbance seemed to be on theother side of the vessel.
"Come on, Phil. Let's find out what it is all about.Maybe the boat has struck a rock and we are sinking.Wouldn't that be fun?"
"I don't see anything funny about that. It would be serious, andyou and I would be out of a job for the rest of the season."
"Don't you care! I have money. Didn't I give you seven-fiftyyesterday and still have some left?"
"Eight," grinned Phil.
By this time the boys had hurried out into the corridor, andthence to the deck.
"Well, what do you think of that?" howled Teddy.
"Bruiser is out," exclaimed Phil.
Bruiser was a baboon, whose temper was none too angelic. He wasa big heavy fellow, who never lost an opportunity to vent histemper on whoever chanced to be within reach.
It seems that on this particular occasion a sleepy keeper wascleaning Bruiser's cage so that it might be neat and presentablewhen the show opened. Bruiser had sat on a trapeze far up in thecage, watching the proceedings with resentful eyes, perhapswondering how he might administer a rebuke to the keeper.
All at once the baboon saw his opportunity. The keeper hadstooped over to pick up something from the floor of the boat,as he stood at the open door of the cage in the rear.
Bruiser projected himself toward the opening like a catapult.At that instant the keeper had straightened up and the baboonhit him squarely in the face. There could be but one result.The keeper tumbled over on his back.
Chattering joyously, Bruiser began hopping off on all fours.First he investigated the tops of the cages, running over themand bringing roars from the animals within. Then he hopped downand paid a visit to the horses.
January sent a volley of kicks at the beast, but Bruiser was tooquick, and the hoofs passed harmlessly over his head.
About this time the keeper had scrambled to his feet in alarm.At first he did not know where the baboon had gone, but hearingthe disturbance among the horses he ran that way, soon comingupon Bruiser. With a scream of defiance, the animal bolted upthe companionway, hurriedly investigated the corridors and themain cabin, then leaped out through an open window to thehurricane deck.
Two other men had joined in the chase now, and it was theirshouts that had awakened the Circus Boys.
"Come on, here's sport!" shouted Teddy Tucker starting on a runafter the fleeing Bruiser. The latter tried to climb up thesmoke stack and narrowly missed being captured in the attempt.At the same time he burned his feet, filling him with rage andresentment, so that, when the keeper grabbed him, the former'sface was badly scratched.
Round and round the deck ran pursued and pursuers, the baboonhaving not the slightest difficulty in eluding his followers,Teddy chasing gleefully and howling at the top of hisshrill voice.
Others joined the chase, until well nigh half the boat's companyraced yel
ling up and down the decks. Mr. Sparling was one ofthe number, though he devoted most of his attention to directingthe others.
One mast had been erected on the boat from which to fly flags,and from this rope braces ran off forward and aft.
Finally Bruiser was so hard pressed that he took to this riggingand ran up one of the ropes to the mast, where he perched on theend of a spar and appeared to mock his pursuers.
Poles were brought, at the direction of the owner, with which themen sought to poke Bruiser down. But the poles were too short.Then the men threw ropes and missiles at the baboon, most ofwhich went overboard and were lost.
"It is no use. We shall have to wait until he gets ready to comedown," decided Mr. Sparling. "How did he get away?"
The keeper explained.
"He won't come down today," added the man. "That is, so long aswe are here. He is a bad one."
"You do not have to tell me that. Can any of youoffer suggestions? I am not very strong on capturingescaped animals. Phil, how about it?"
Phil shook his head.
"I have an idea, Mr. Sparling," spoke up Teddy.
"I knew you had, from the expression on your face. What is it?"
"I'll climb up and shake him down."
A loud laugh greeted this remark.
"You couldn't climb up there. The mast is too slippery."
"I'll show you."
"Very well; go ahead."
"Teddy, I think I would keep out of this, were I in your place,"remarked Phil.
"You keep out of it yourself. I'll show you that I know howto catch wild beasts. I haven't ridden January all this timefor nothing."
Teddy started in bravely to climb the mast. After a greatstruggle he managed to get up about eight feet. Suddenly helost his grip and came sliding down, landing at the foot ofthe mast in a heap.
A shout greeted his ludicrous drop.
"I think you had better give it up," laughed Mr. Sparling.
"I won't give it up."
"You cannot climb the mast."
"I don't intend to. I have an idea."
"What is your idea?"
"I will show you. Bring me a rope."
The rope was quickly handed to him. The Circus Boy coiledit neatly, closely observed by the show people, who did notunderstand what he was about to do.
"I'm a sailor, you know," he grinned. Measuring the distanceaccurately, Teddy swung the coil about his head a few times,then let it fly up into the air, keeping the free end in onehand as he did so.
The coil tumbled over the yard or cross piece and came down,hitting the deck with a thump.
"There. Can you beat that?" he demanded triumphantly.
"Very well done," agreed Mr. Sparling. "Now that it is over,what do you propose to do next?"
"Watch me!"
The lad made fast one end of the rope to the ship's rail, thebaboon peering down suspiciously.
"Oh, I'm after you, you rascal," jeered Teddy, shaking a fist atthe ugly face above him.
After testing the rope, Teddy began climbing it hand over hand.Then the spectators divined his purpose.
"The boy is all right," nodded Mr. Sparling approvingly."That is the time that he got the best of you, Phil."
"He is welcome to the job," answered Phil. "You haven't capturedthe baboon yet."
Teddy, by this time, was halfway up the mast. It seemed a dizzyclimb, but the lad was so used to being up high that he did notmind it in the least.
"Hey, down there!" he called.
"What is it?"
"Better get out a small net so you can catch him. I'm going toshake him down as I would a ripe apple. If you catch him in thenet he will tangle himself up so that he cannot get away."
"That is a good idea," approved Mr. Sparling. "Get the net, andhold it in readiness."
Teddy, in the meantime, was working his way up. After a time hishands grasped the crossbar and he pulled himself up astride it,waving one hand to those below him.
Bruiser, however, was not there. The baboon had scrambled to thetop of the mast on which there was a golden ball, and on this heperched some eight or nine feet above Teddy Tucker's head.
"Now where is your baboon?" called a voice.
"Where he cannot get away from me unless he jumps into theMississippi," answered Teddy quickly.
"How are you going to get him?" called Mr. Sparling.
"I'll see when I get to him."
With great caution, the lad climbed up the slender top ofthe mast.
Bruiser's tail hung over, while he clung with his feet, glaringdown at Teddy. The baboon realized that he could not get away.
"Come down here!" commanded Teddy, grabbing the beast's tail andgiving it a mighty tug.
Bruiser's grip gave way. Down shot Teddy and the baboon.But the cross-tree saved him, as the lad figured that it would.One hand was clinging to Bruiser's tail, the other arm thrownabout the mast.
Now, Bruiser took a hand. With a snarl of rage he fastenedin the hair of Teddy Tucker's head, causing that young manto howl lustily.
For a moment boy and baboon "mixed it up" at such a lively ratethat it was difficult for the spectators below to tell which wasboy and which baboon. Teddy seemed to be getting the worstof it.
"Look out! Let go of him! You will be in the river the firstthing you know!" shouted Mr. Sparling warningly.
Teddy did not hear him. He was too busy, at the moment, tryingto keep those savage teeth from fastening themselves in his neck,for which the beast seemed to be aiming. At the same time theboy was getting more and more angry. It was characteristic ofTeddy that, the angrier he became, the cooler he grew.
He was guarding himself as best he could and watching his chanceto get the upper hand of his antagonist.
All at once Teddy let drive a short-arm blow at the head ofthe baboon.
Few things could withstand that blow, and least of all a baboon.It landed fairly on the grinning jaws and Bruiser's head joltedbackwards as if it were going right on into the river.
Teddy lost his balance, aided in this by the fact that Bruiserhad fastened to the lad's pajamas.
"They're going to fall!" roared Mr. Sparling. "Catch them!Catch them!"
The men hastened to move the net, and none too soon, for Teddyand Bruiser came whirling down, the lad making desperate effortsto right himself so as to drop on his feet. But the baboonprevented his doing this.
They struck the net, which was jerked from the hands of the men,and Teddy hit the deck with a terrific bump.
The Circus Boys on the Mississippi; Or, Afloat with the Big Show on the Big River Page 21