Edward Stratemeyer

“ The shot from Leo told, and he sank back in his chair.
“Griswold under arrest!” he gasped.
“Yes, and you will be soon, too,” added Barton Reeve.
“By gum!” came faintly from Daniel Hawkins.
“I—I—it is all a mistake,” stammered Nathan Dobb. “I—er—never intended to defraud Leo out of a cent.”
“I will never believe that,” replied our hero warmly.
“Get an officer,” said Barton Reeve quietly.
“No! no! don’t arrest me! For the sake of my family, have mercy!” groaned Nathan Dobb, breaking down utterly.
“Will you promise to restore every cent due Leo?”
“Yes! yes! He shall have it all!” ”

“ They were a party from the circus on the search for the lion.
Leo heard them coming and ran down the road to meet them.
“Hi, boy! Seen anything of a lion around here?” asked the leader.
“Indeed I have,” laughed Leo.
“Where is he?” demanded another of the crowd quickly.
“Over in the dooryard of that farmhouse.”
“Has he hurt any one?”
“He has scared the wits out of that man and his wife,” and Leo pointed to Daniel Hawkins and his spouse.
“He’s enough to scare the wits out of any one,” put in another of the crowd. “Come, boys, now for a tussle with old Nero.” ”

“ They found Adam Lambert in the main ticket wagon, counting tickets and cash. He was much disturbed.
“I don’t know much about you, Dunbar,” he said coldly. “The thing looks very black, and——”
“Mr. Lambert, I am innocent!” cried Leo. “I believe this is only a plot against me.”
“A plot? Whose plot?”
“This man Snipper——”
“You and Snipper seem to be fighting continually,” broke in the manager.
“It is not my fault. He——”
“He always got along well enough before you came, Dunbar. I won’t have this continual quarreling around the show. It sets a bad example for the others.” ”

“ He struck out boldly.
“Take care—she may fight you if she has a fit!” called his partner.
Soon Leo reached the girl’s side. She was about to sink when he came to her support. She lay like one dead.
“I guess the fit’s gone,” he thought, when suddenly she gave a frightful scream and began to tear at his face like an enraged tigress!
It was a position he had not bargained for, and what to do the young gymnast did not know.
“Look out for her!” yelled Carl, as the girl in the water began her attack.
“Keep quiet, please!” gasped Leo to his charge. “I will take you to the boat.” ”

“ Their victim should never get away from them alive.
The tug captain was given orders, and soon a landing was approached.
After tying up Hank Griswold hurried ashore. He procured a coach with difficulty, and it was some time before he appeared on the box, whip in hand.
Then the two men went to the locker, intending to drag Leo forth, gag him, and roll him up as though he were a bundle of clothes.
“Gone!” burst from Griswold’s lips.
He spoke the truth. The locker was empty.
“How did he manage it?” queried Broxton, in deep perplexity. ”

“ Then he turned about and faced Leo.
“Run for your life!” sang out the youth to the woman. “Run, I tell you!”
She stared at him, but when he gave her a shove she realized what he was saying, and made such a spurt as had never before been seen in that dooryard.
The lion watched her go, but made no attempt to follow. His mind was on Leo and on the blow the boy had given him.
He was an ugly brute, and around the circus was known to be the most difficult to manage. Trainer after trainer had tried to break him in, but without effect. Instead of getting more docile, he grew worse. ”

“ One morning the performer called Leo aside.
“Say, Leo, have you any enemies besides that Porler?” he asked.
“I don’t know but what I have,” laughed the young gymnast.
“Don’t laugh; I am serious.”
“Why, what’s up?”
“For the past two days I have noticed an ugly-looking man hanging around, watching you,” went on Delbier earnestly.
“Watching me?”
“Yes, and if I’m not mistaken, he follows you wherever you go.”
“What kind of a looking man?”
As well as he could, Delbier described the individual. But Leo was not thinking of Hank Griswold—indeed, he hardly knew the man—and he shook his head. ”

“ Carl looked at the paper.
“Hardly, sir. I don’t care to work for nothing but fame.”
“But this is dead sure, Carl, dead sure. A fortune——”
“The other company was to bring me a fortune, Mr. Wampole. No, henceforth I’m going to travel with a responsible manager or on my own hook.”
“Do you mean to insinuate I’m not responsible?” cried Nathan Wampole, bristling up.
“You haven’t proved yourself to be.”
“I’ve had a misfortune, that’s all. But I’ll get on my feet again, and—hullo, here’s my friend, Leo Dunbar!”
“Nathan Wampole!” ejaculated the young gymnast. ”

“ Nathan Wampole’s face grew white.
“You will not. On the other hand, I’ll compel you to perform in my company. I have your signatures, remember.”
“That old contract doesn’t count—you broke it yourself,” returned Carl.
“It was never broken.” Nathan Wampole smiled maliciously. “I’ve been to a lawyer and he says you must perform with me.”
“The lawyer that said that is a fool,” cried Leo.
“No, he’s not—he’s a smart man. You will perform with me and nowhere else. If you don’t——”
“If we don’t?” queried Carl. ”

“ Every one praised Leo for what he had done; every one, that is, but Snipper. He had not a word to say, but looked more morose than ever.
Leo did not wait, however, to hear all that the others had to say. He donned his regular clothing just as quickly as he could, and with Natalie Sparks rode from the grounds to the hotel at which they were stopping.
Barton Reeve was nowhere around. He had gone off to Hopsville to see Nathan Dobb.
He came in about half-past ten, and then Leo and he had a long discussion concerning the boy’s past and future.
“The squire is a sly one,” said the menagerie manager. ”

“ Leo was the first to reach Carl’s side.
“By jove! Carl, that was great!” he ejaculated. “You did him up in jig time.”
“You are a brave young man and no mistake,” put in Walter Raymond. “Not one man in a hundred would have tackled that dog. I wouldn’t have done it for a thousand dollars.”
“I don’t want any more of it,” answered the young magician, as he wiped the perspiration from his forehead. “Shall I go on with the performance?” he continued to the young man of the house. ”

“ As she began to perform, Leo commenced to climb the centerpole of the tent, doing so in a way that nearly choked the crowd with laughter.
“See him twisting like a monkey!”
“He ain’t a clown at all! See, he is throwing off his clown dress!”
“Now he is dressed in tights!”
It was true. Leo was in full gymnastic costume and was swinging gracefully from the high bar.
As Leo began to do his best on the bar, Natalie the Fire Queen started to leap through rings of fire held up by several ringmen.
The performances of the young gymnast and the Fire Queen were in full swing when a cry of horror arose. ”

“ I am going to get to the bottom of this affair.”
“I am discharged!” gasped Leo.
“Mr. Lambert, aren’t you a bit hard on the lad?” put in Barton Reeve.
“I don’t think so. Most men would have him arrested. But I’ll let him go, and that will give him a chance to clear himself—if he can.”
There was a sneer in the last words which cut Leo to the quick. He drew a long breath.
“Very well, sir, I’ll go,” he said in a strained voice. “But, sir, let me tell you that you are doing me a great injustice.”
Unable to control his feelings any longer, Leo, left the ticket wagon and hurried to the dressing tent. ”

“ Mart also heard about the attack and came to Leo full of fear.
“Oh, Leo, do be careful in the future,” he pleaded. “What if that bad man should take your life!”
Two days passed, and as the young gymnast neither saw nor heard of Griswold, he began again to feel a bit easier in mind.
But one afternoon, while walking in the vicinity of the lake, Leo’s attention was attracted to a small steam tug which was tying up at a wharf.
“Look! look!” he shouted to Carl, who was with him. “It is Griswold, and Broxton, who was discharged from the circus for drunkenness, is with him.” ”

“ But the thought of losing their baggage nerved them to do their best, and over the ground they flew in good shape, gradually closing the gap between them and the man they were after.
Evidently Jack Darrow was getting winded, for when a quarter of a mile had been passed he slowed up and turned around.
“Keep back or I’ll fire on yer!” he howled, making a suggestive movement, toward his hip pocket.
The two pursuers slowed up, but did not come to a halt.
“Do you think he’s got a pistol?” asked Leo.
“No; if he has he won’t dare to use it. Arm yourself with a stick or stone,” were Carl’s words. ”

“ And off he went with a side glance at Carl, as if half-expecting the young juggler might conjure the quarter from the pocket in which he had placed it.
Leo and Carl found that Jack Hazlett was out on the river, but would soon return. They sat down and waited. While doing so they noticed a large steamboat coming up the river, crowded with people.
“An excursion of some sort,” said Carl. “See the flags flying.”
“They are going to land up at yonder island,” said Leo. “See, they are turning into the landing.” ”

“ Realizing that something must be done, the young gymnast resolved to duck the girl. He did so, and when she came up again she lay as limp as before. Ere she could recover he struck out for the boat.
Carl and Jack Hazlett were waiting for him, and quickly assisted him on board. Here the girl dropped upon the deck unconscious.
“My gracious, that’s the worst experience I ever had in my life!” panted Leo, as soon as he could speak. “I thought she was going to chew me up!”
“She’s got fits the worst way,” put in the boatman. “I’ll take her back to that steamboat.” ”

“ Daniel Hawkins talked and threatened, but all to no purpose.
At last he agreed to take ten dollars and two tickets for the evening performance, and the bargain was settled on the spot.
It was not long after that that the steel-caged circus wagon came along, followed by a crowd of men and boys, all eager to see the strange sights connected with an escaped lion.
It was noised about that Leo Dunbar had captured the savage brute, and the boys gazed at the farm lad enviously.
“He’s a brave one, eh?” said one. ”

“ When Carl received the apple he split it partly open and dropped the marked bullet inside on the sly. The rest of the trick will now be readily understood.
The remarkable performance with the pistol and some additional acrobatic feats from Leo brought the entertainment to a close, and the two performers hurried to the house to get into their street dress.
“You must have dinner here before you leave,” said Walter Raymond as he paid them off. “It is but a slight return for killing that mad bulldog and saving the children.” ”

“ Presently came the crash of a breaking bench.
“Some of the audience are getting mad,” Leo muttered to himself. “I fancy——”
“We must run for it,” gasped Carl, in a low voice. “Hark! Some of the toughs that were in the gallery have threatened to mob the entire company!”
“I am ready to go,” said Leo, as he picked up his valise.
He turned to go out into the hallway. Then he leaped back and slammed the door shut and locked it.
“Too late. They are coming; they are here!”
The young gymnast spoke the truth. Heavy footsteps came up to the door. A hand tried the knob. ”

“ The young gymnast ran to his own tent and came out.
He saw Porler looking around anxiously.
The lad had certainly escaped.
“I hope he doesn’t find him,” thought Leo.
Porler whispered to his assistant, a man named Murphy, and the latter hurried off to ascertain, if possible, what had become of Mart.
Then Porler re-entered his tent. The band was playing and it was time for him to make his ascension.
He delayed as long as possible, but at last the crowd got impatient.
“A little hole in the balloon, that is all, gentlemen,” said Porler. “I am ready now.” ”

“ Half a dozen young men, the worst in the town, swarmed into the apartment, only to find it empty.
Up the alleyway sped Leo and his companion, nor did they stop until the theater had been left several blocks behind.
Deeming themselves now safe, they dropped into a walk and began to discuss the situation.
Soon they met several other members of the company. From these they learned that Nathan Wampole had indeed run away, carrying every cent of the box-office receipts with him.
“The scoundrel!” burst out Carl. “What are we going to do here, penniless and over two hundred miles from New York?” ”

“ As he spoke Leo ran to the centerpole, and up this he went like a flash.
Then he gave a sudden leap and sat down on the bar several yards off.
“By Jove, there is something in that boy!” murmured Adam Lambert to Reeve. “He has just daring enough to succeed.”
“So I would say, Mr. Lambert. Hullo! Look there!”
Leo was turning rapidly on the bar.
He went through a dozen gymnastic movements, and then slid down the center pole.
“That will do,” shouted the manager. “I’ll give you a trial. You can place yourself under Dick Pomeroy, the head tumbler and bar man. Mr. Reeve, take him to Dick.” ”

“ CHAPTER V.—A LEAP OF GREAT PERIL. Leo fully understood his great peril.
The entire canvas above him was in flames, and in a very short while the ropes which supported the bar upon which he had been performing would be burned through.
And then? Leo hardly dared to think of the consequences. The sawdust ring below seemed a terrible distance away.
A leap to it would mean broken limbs, perhaps death.
A panic arose among the audience.
“He can’t escape!”
“He must fall or jump!”
A rope and a net were sent for, but long before they arrived Leo had made a move to save himself. ”

“ Leo’s friends were glad to see him back, and doubly glad that they had gotten rid of Snipper.
“I never want to see that man again,” declared Natalie Sparks, and nobody blamed her.
The next two weeks were busy ones for Leo. Not only had he to practice up himself in his old acts, but he had also to instruct a new gymnast who came to take Snipper’s place. ”