Frank V. Webster

“ But Bill Henyon was not among them. The elephant trainer—the master of Ajax—had given that big brute his last command, for, as they ran, the men from the animal tent told how the elephant had seized Henyon in his trunk, and dashed him to the ground, maiming him so terribly that he was a cripple for life.
But now every man who could be spared from the circus grounds started to race after the fleeing elephant. Canvasmen, drivers, trainers, even the trapeze performers, joined in the hunt, and of course Jack, Sam, and several of the other clowns were there. ”

“ Jack, doing as he saw Sam and the other clown do, blew as loudly as possible on his trumpet. The grotesque music raised many a laugh, as did the funny antics of the clowns.
[125] At times some of them stood up and made elaborate bows, as if in answer to applause, while others did little dance steps. But Jack sat silent, save when he blew the trumpet. He was beginning to see the darker side of the circus life.
“Be a little livelier,” whispered the clown next to him. “There’s no telling when the old man is watching.” ”

“ We only make all the noise we can on battered horns, broken drums and all the odd things the property man can get together. I’ll give you a trumpet. All you’ll have to do is to blow it as loud as you can.”
Jack thought this would be easy enough, and he soon retired to the dressing-tent to make-up for the street parade. The big wagon on which the clowns were to ride was hauled by eight prancing horses, and when Jack saw it, and knew he was to be on it, he felt a sense of pride that he had so soon been able to make a place for himself in such a big aggregation as a circus. ”

“ That’s my motto,” answered the clown. “That’s what we’re for—to make people forget their troubles. Take a little of your own medicine, Jack.”
“Yes, I guess that’s a good idea. I’ll try it. Only I wish I could hear some news of my folks. If I make any money this season I’ll go to China and hunt for them.”
“I guess you’ll make some cash,” went on the clown. “But that’s our cue to enter the ring. Come on now, laugh and smile. A clown that looks as if he had lost his best friend isn’t much use in a circus. Be happy!
“Hoop la!” he went on, as he ran from the dressing-tent into the ring. ”

“ Jack ran to where he heard the cry. Perched upon a man’s back was a monkey—a small one.
“Take him away! Take him away!” yelled the man. “He’s choking me to death!”
The simian had one arm around the man’s neck, but it was not trying to choke him. Instead, the odd little creature was trying to reach a bright-red balloon, one of the small kind sold when the circus comes to town. The man had bought it for his little girl.
“Give him the balloon!” cried the crowd, delighted at the antics of the monkeys. ”

“ Though the boy did not know it, managers of shows, whether they be circuses or theatrical performances, are always on the lookout for novelties, and they are only too willing to advance young players who show that they can stand out above the average, and gain the plaudits of the crowd, which is all, save the ticket receipts, that a manager usually cares about.
Just as Jack was getting up on his platform for his last airship performance, Ted Chester, who was creating some amusement by his antics with the miniature automobile, came along. ”

“ He pulled on a long rope, instead of a short one, and the tent, which was nearly up, was about to fall down. Jack saw what was wanted. He sprang forward, and, just in time to save the big stretch of canvas from collapsing, he hauled on the proper rope, pulling it into place.
“That’s what I wanted,” said the man in charge. “It’s a pity you fellers wouldn’t take lessons off that lad. He don’t need a tent-stake hammer to have sense knocked into his head. Hold that rope a minute, sonny, and I’ll come over there and fasten it. I never see such a lot of dumb idiots in all my born days!” ”

“ As the June afternoon was drawing to a close, Miss Klopper, the professor’s sister, came to Jack’s door.
“Here is your supper,” she said, handing in a tray, none too well filled. “My brother says you are to remain in your room until to-morrow morning, when he hopes you will have repented. I hope you will, too. Boys are such perverse creatures.”
Jack said nothing. He took the tray, for he was very hungry. But he did not intend to remain in his room all that evening, when there was a vaudeville show in town. ”

“ Kyle’s direction he painted his face, and then he donned a suit belonging to a clown who had left the circus because of ill health.
“Well, you look, as good as the average clown,” said Jack’s friend when the boy was fully attired. “Now, it’s what you do that will count to-night, and until you get your new act. Then you may find it easier to make a hit. Don’t be nervous. You may think all in the tent are looking at you, but they’re not. Go ahead just as if you were doing it for Mr. Paine. He’s the one that counts, for if he doesn’t like your act he’ll discharge you.” ”

“ It was getting dusk when he reached the professor’s house, and the doughty old college instructor was waiting for him.
“Did I not tell you to come home early, in order that I might test you in algebra?” he asked Jack.
“Yes, sir. But I forgot about it,” which was the truth for, in the excitement over the game, Jack had no mind for anything but baseball.
“Where were you?” went on Mr. Klopper.
“Playing ball.”
“Playing ball! An idle, frivolous amusement. It tends to no good, and does positive harm. I have no sympathy with that game. It gives no time for reflection. ”

“ What were you thinking of trying?”
“I thought some stunt that had to do with a flying machine wouldn’t be bad,” replied Jack. “You know there’s so much of that going on now that the public is interested. I might get up something to look like an airship, pretend to fly in it, and come tumbling down. Do you think that would take?”
“It might. At any rate, it wouldn’t be any harm to try.”
“I was wondering how I could get a make-believe airship made.”
“Why, Pete Delafield, the property man, will help you out if you ask him. He makes all the things the other clowns and I use in our acts. ”

“ There were men and women on high trapezes, others doing balancing feats on elevated platforms, still others performing on the backs of horses, while in a ring near the two boys ten elephants were being put through their paces.
Jack had often been to a circus before, and now, from a reason for which he could hardly account, he paid particular attention to the antics of the clowns.
“I believe I could do as good as some of them, with a little practice,” he thought. “What is needed is some sort of funny stunt to make the people laugh. It doesn’t much matter what it is, as long as it’s funny.” ”

“ I don’t care for Sam Kyle. If you bother with me and spoil my act, you’ve got to take the consequences.”
[130] “I’m not going to bother you,” replied Jack.
“That’s a hot act you have,” went on Ted. “I wonder the old man lets you get away with it. What in the world people can find in that to laugh at I can’t see. It’s on the blink, I think.”
Jack did not consider that any good would come of answering the mean clown, and he passed into the dressing-tent, as his turn was over for the afternoon. He encountered his friend Sam, who was washing up after the performance. ”

“ At any rate, just as the parade was turning back to the grounds, the cage containing the monkeys suddenly opened.
Jack was the first to notice it, for the clowns’ wagon was right behind that containing the long-tailed creatures. He saw several of the monkeys [165] leaping out of the opened door, and swinging themselves up on top.
“The monkeys! The monkeys!” he cried. “They’re getting loose!”
“They’re already loose,” observed Sam grimly. “Now there’ll be some fun. They’re the hardest of all animals to catch, once they get out.” ”

“ Now it was dark; on all sides were rumbling wagons drawn by struggling horses, and men were shouting and calling to one another, trying to get their vehicles loaded so they could drive them to the flatcars by which they were transported. Yet though there was seeming confusion, everything was done by a careful system.
Jack found that the interior of the sleeping-car was not much like the regular Pullmans. But it answered the purpose, and he soon followed the example of the other circus performers and crawled into his bunk. ”

“ There was an unusually large crowd present and every performer, feeling the stimulation of it, was doing his best. It seemed to Jack that he could do funnier capers than he had ever before attempted, and soon he had a goodly section of the assemblage laughing at his tricks with the imitation wings.
“Most merrily mirth-making,” said Mr. Waddleton, the “adjective man,” as he passed near Jack. “I’m watching you. I’m going to have your new act on the bills.”
This encouraged the boy, and he went on with a vim, doing his odd dance, his big wings flapping out behind him. ”

“ Paine, for which Jack was grateful, for the boy thought perhaps, in spite of Sam Kyle being his friend, the manager might discharge him.
“Don’t mind Ted,” said the head clown as he took Jack aside and showed him how best to remove the grease paint from his face. “He thinks every performer is trying to spoil his act. He’s jealous, that’s all. But look out for him. He’ll try to make trouble for you, and he has an ugly temper. Keep away from that part of the ring where he is, and you’ll get along all right. ”

“ Tent blew down in a tornado, and the whole show, and a big crowd, was caught. Pole hit me on the head, and I lay there unconscious and slowly smothering. They got me out in time, but fifteen people were killed.”
“This is a more dangerous life than I thought,” mused Jack.
“Dangerous? I guess it is. Folks on the outside don’t know anything about it. They think being in a circus is fun. ”

“ Make him quit,” advised Mitz, the ringmaster, who had just finished putting several horses through their paces, and who was retiring to the dressing-tent. “Make him quit the show,” he added.
Jack looked at him apprehensively, but the ugly ringmaster had been taught a lesson. He did not flick his whip at the boy.
The young clown hesitated. He did not know whether to ignore Ted and go on with his act, or appeal to Mr. Paine, who was at the far side of the ring, making an announcement about a young woman who did a “loop the gap” act in an automobile. ”

“ Paine said, when he saw Jack’s latest performance; but the young clown knew that was the highest praise the manager ever bestowed.
“If it goes off as well to-night as it did this afternoon, you’ll get two dollars more a week,” went on Mr. Paine. “I like my clowns to think up new things. It’s a wonder some of you fellows wouldn’t put a little more ginger into your work,” the manager continued to Jack’s fellow workers. “Some of you are all right, but unless the rest of you wake up, you’ll be looking for other jobs soon.” ”

“ He had been told by Sam Kyle that all the clowns repeated their acts four times, in different parts of the ring, so that the entire audience might see them. Bearing this in mind, Jack prepared to go through the same stunt a little farther along. He succeeded even better than at first, and his funny antics earned him loud applause.
“Ha! hum! Not so bad,” murmured a voice near him, as he finished his second attempt. He looked up and saw Mr. Paine.
“Keep it up, my boy,” said the manager. “I guess you’ll do.” ”

“ I broke a hoop in the bag this afternoon.”
Jack started for the property tent, and he had [186] scarcely reached it when, from the menagerie, there came such a terrifying yell, mingled with a trumpet of rage, that every one who heard it stood still in horror.
“That’s an elephant!” cried Mr. Delafield. “Something’s gone wrong!”
“Ajax! It must be Ajax!” shouted Jack. “Bill told me he was acting queer a while ago!”
“Then he’s killed some one,” exclaimed the property man, as he rushed from his tent. “I know that yell. I heard one like it once before! Ajax has killed a man!” ”

“ Breakfast was a much better meal than Jack had expected, from knowing the hurried manner in which it must have had to be prepared and under what adverse circumstances. But he was to learn that a circus cannot afford not to feed its employees and performers well, and that the preparation and cooking of meals had been reduced to a science. ”

“ Jack thanked his new friend, but said he had other plans. A little later he parted from Ferd, and, by inquiring, he found the boss canvasman, who was taking a rest after his labors in superintending the erection of the tents.
Jack explained what he wanted—an introduction to the manager, who had charge of hiring the performers.
“Sure I’ll take you to him,” replied Ike Landon, “only I don’t believe you can do anything he’d want. Circus performers have to train for a good while.”
“Well, maybe I can do something to earn a little,” replied Jack. “Where will I find the manager? What’s his name?” ”