Peter T. Harkness

“ Every imagination was vividly recalling the rope tied from the schoolhouse chimney to a near tree. Every heart renewed the thrills that had greeted Andy Wildwood's daring walk across the quivering cable.
Then the culminating climax: the giving way of the chimney, a shower of bricks—but the young gymnast, safe and serene, dangling from the eaves.
"Last week also," continued the schoolmaster, "you stole Farmer Dale's calf and carried it five miles away. You are complained of continually. As I said, young man, you have reached the limit. Human patience and endurance can go no farther. ”

“ Andy heard them respond from the farthest haunts of the circus grounds.
From under the benches, through the main entrance, under the loose side flaps, a rallying army sprang into being.
Stake men, wagon men, cooks, hostlers, candy butchers, came flying from every direction.
Every one of them had found a weapon—a stake. Like skilled soldiers they grouped, and bore down on the intruders like an avalanche. ”

“ Zeno, the balloon clown, eating "redhots," i.e. peanuts, led the procession, bouncing up and down on a rubber globe in the advance chariot. The bands began to play. The prancing horses, rumbling wagons, screaming calliope, frolicking tumblers, tramp bicyclists weaving in and out in grotesque costumes, often on one wheel, the Tallyho stage filled with smiling ladies, old Sultan, the majestic lion, gazing in calm dignity down from his high extension cage—all this passed, a fantastic panorama, before Andy's engrossed gaze. ”

“ I guess you boys are all alike," commented the equestrienne.
"Why do you wish to leave home?"
"It's a long story," said Andy, with a sigh.
"Tell it, Wildwood," spoke Marco. "We will be glad to listen."
"Yes, indeed," assented Stella Starr. "I am interested in you, Andy. You have been of great service to us. Let us help you, if we can."
Andy told his story. Stella Starr laughed merrily at his mild escapades. Marco's big eyes opened widely as Andy made plain the fact that he was a very fair amateur acrobat.
"Why, the kid is up to the trained average, if he can do all those things," he declared. ”

“ Andy did not go far from the clown's tent. It was fairly dawn. Happening to glance towards the chandelier wagon he came to a dead stand-still, and stared.
"Hello!" said Andy with animation. "There's that Jim Tapp, and the man with him—yes, it's the fellow, Murdock, I saw with Daley in the old hay barn."
As he stood gazing Tapp caught sight of him. He started violently and spoke some quick words to his companion, pointing towards Andy.
"That's the man who cut the trapeze," murmured Andy. "I'll rouse the clown and tell him. He's a dangerous man to have lurking around." ”

“ After several clever specialties, the ringmaster suddenly stepped forward. He lifted his hand. The orchestra stopped playing.
Raising a pistol, the ringmaster directed it aloft. Bang! Crash! went the orchestra, and from a box suspended over the trapezes the bottom suddenly dropped out.
Following, an agile youthful form shot down through space. Quick as lightning the Benares Brothers swung by their feet, joined hands in mid-air, and the descending form—Andy Wildwood—catching at the wrists of Thacher, was swung back in a twenty foot circle. ”

“ Instantly the truth flashed over Andy. He turned to his aunt with a pale, stern face.
"Are you going to let this man take me to jail?" he demanded.
"Yes, I am," snapped Miss Lavinia. "You've gone just a little too far this time, Andy Wildwood."
"What have I done that's so bad?" inquired Andy indignantly. "What is the charge against me?"
"That's so, Miss Lavinia," observed the constable with a laugh. "There's got to be a specific charge, as I told you."
"Charge!" sniffed Miss Lavinia scornfully. "I'll make a dozen of them.
He's a bad, disobedient boy—"
"When did I ever disobey you?" ”

“ They seemed far away. The circus manager had stepped briskly out into the ring.
In great wonderment he stood gazing aloft. The audience swayed, and a general murmur filled the air. Many pointed upwards. Some arose from their seats, craning their necks in excitement.
The orchestra dropped the music to low, undecided notes. Puzzled spectators wondered if the strange appearance above was part of some new novelty change in the programme.
Andy clung to the dangling strip of canvas for dear life. The trapezist, Thacher, stared at him in profound astonishment. ”

“ The manager nearly fell over in his chair with repressed laughter. The audience was one vast chuckle.
"Well, sir," spoke up the ringmaster, with difficulty keeping a straight face, "what can you do?"
"I'd like to be a clown," grinned the victim.
"A clown, sir. Good. Let's see you act."
The fellow capered into the ring. One stocking came down, letting out a quart of sawdust. One tight split up to the knee as he made a jig step that brought the tears to the eyes of Billy Blow, who, with his boy, had come to witness the show. ”

“ Andy gave an unbiased account of the morning's occurrences.
"Ha! hum!" commented the farmer. "No end of scrapes because you're a lively lad and can't help it. See here, Wildwood, do you know what I would do if I were in your place?"
"No, what's that, Mr. Dale?" asked Andy.
"I'd join the show—yes, I would!" declared the farmer energetically. "I tell you I believe circus is born in you, and you can't help it. You don't have much of a life at home. You're not built for humdrum village life. Get out; grow into something you fancy. No need being a scamp because you're a rover. ”

“ Andy saw the manager seize a great megaphone near the band stand. He shouted:
"Preserve order. There is no danger. Keep your seats. It is only a passing gust of wind. Play! play!" he shouted frantically to the band.
"Take care!" shouted the man, Marco, with a look through the outside flap, "she's coming again!"
A sudden tumult fell on the air. Shrieks, yells, a great babel arose from the audience. The centre pole creaked and swayed dangerously. Then, with a sharp rip the canvas roof over Andy's head was wrenched from place and went sailing up into the air. ”

“ He fixed such a glance on his aunt that she quailed.
"Shame on you!" he burst forth. "You my guardian! What did you ever guard for me, except too little clothes and victuals? I'm never out of the house after dark. I never refuse to do your hardest work. I even scrub for you. Well, I won't any longer. I have made up my mind to go away."
"You hear that? you hear that?" cried Miss Lavinia. "He's going to run away from home!"
"Home!" retorted Andy scornfully. "A fine home this has been for me—snapped at, found fault with, treated like a charity pauper. Do your duty, Mr. Wagner. ”

“ Women were shrieking, fainting on the benches, children were crying. The audience was in a wild turmoil. Some benches broke down. The scene was one of riotous confusion.
Suddenly a shot rang out. Then Andy had a final sight of crashing clubs and mad, bleeding faces, as some one pulled the centre-light rope. The big chandelier came down with a crash, precipitating the tent in semi-darkness. ”

“ When I tackled Sultan I had my hand covered with it. Any wild animal loves the smell of anise. You saw me try it on their champion, and it worked, didn't it?"
"You are a strange kind of a fellow, Luke," said Andy studying his companion interestedly.
"That so?" smiled Luke. "I don't see why. You fancy tumbling. I'm dead gone on the cages. We both have our especial ambitions—say, I haven't caught your name yet."
"Andy."
"All right, Andy. Going to use your full name on the circus posters, or just Andy?"
"The circus posters are a long way ahead," smiled Andy. ”

“ Ripley nearly had a fit. He instantly realized that whoever was to blame for the runaway, it was not Andy.
"Where's the mail?" he asked.
"There's the newspaper bag," said Andy; "here's the registered mail pouch. Those thieves took the other bag of mail."
"They did? Do you hear, officer? Get after them quick, won't you? Never mind us. Describe them, kid."
"How can I, when I never saw them?" said Andy.
Ripley groaned and wrung his hands. He was in a frenzy of distress and indecision.
"See here," spoke the officer to him. "You had better go after that horse. Your wagon isn't worth fishing up. ”

“ Luke introduced Andy to the "Wild Man," a most peaceable-looking individual out of his acting disguise. His wife was the Fat Woman, who did not act as if she was very much afraid of her supposed savage and untamable husband.
"I want you to do something for me," said Luke, presently. "Will you?"
"I'll try," answered Andy.
"I'd like to go through the menagerie. You see I'm not regular, so, while I have the run of the small tops, they won't pass me in at the big flaps."
Andy walked over with his new acquaintance to the menagerie. The watchman at the door admitted them at a word from Andy. ”

“ Graham, quite a young man, and double the weight of the schoolmaster, had arisen from his seat. He walked quietly between Mr. Darrow and Andy, quite pushing back the former gently.
"The lad is right, Mr. Darrow," he said, in his quiet, drawling way. "I wouldn't punish him before the scholars if I were you, sir."
"What's this? You interfere!" flared out the pedagogue.
"Don't take it that way, Mr. Darrow," said Graham. "You are displeased, and justly so, sir, but boys will be boys. Andy is the right kind of a lad, I assure you, only in the wrong kind of a place. ”

“ The constable looked in a friendly way at Andy. He liked the lad's pluck and independence. He recalled, too, how Andy had once led him to a quiet haystack, where he had slept himself sober instead of risking his position and making a public show of himself on the streets of Fairview.
"See here, Miss Lavinia," he spoke, "I don't fancy treating Andy like a criminal. If I take him with me now I'll have to lock him up with two chicken thieves and a tramp. They're no good company for a homebred boy." ”

“ They found the clown's tent empty.
"Billy Blow is probably giving Midget an airing," said Andy, half to himself.
"Who's Billy Blow?" inquired Luke.
"The clown."
"Do you know a real live clown? Say, that's great!" said Luke. "Must keep a fellow laughing all the time."
"I thought so until yesterday," answered Andy. "But no—they have their troubles, like other people. This poor, sorrowful fellow has his fill of it. He don't do much laughing outside of the ring, I can tell you. There, we'll enjoy the cook's gift together." ”

“ Andy soon discovered, however, that the present layout was on a far different scale to the second-class show he had seen at Fairview.
It was a city in itself. There were well-defined bounds as to the circus proper. Ropes strung along iron stakes driven into the ground kept curious visitors at a distance.
The performers' tent, the horse tents, the cook's quarters and the sleeping space of the working hands were all guarded, and intruders warned to keep their distance. ”

“ He swung outward on one foot in true circus ring fashion. He swayed back at the end of the bridles. He tipped thrillingly at the very edge of the cushioned platform. All the time by shouts and whip, he urged up old Dobbin to his best spurt of speed.
At the schoolhouse door Mr. Darrow gazed at the astonishing spectacle with uplifted hands.
"Shocking!" he groaned. "Graham, there goes the most incorrigible boy in
Fairview."
"Yes," nodded Graham with a quaint smile, as Andy Wildwood flashed out of sight past the break in the timber—"he certainly is going some."
"He'll break his neck!" ”

“ He could not therefore pay his fare into the show. Only for an instant, however, was Andy daunted.
He suddenly realized that he could get more promptly to the manager or the ringmaster from the rear.
He ran around the big white mountain of canvas till he reached the performers' tent. Patrolling outside of it was a club-armed watchman.
"Please let me in," said Andy hurriedly. "I want to see the manager, quick."
"Yes, they all do. G'wan! Games don't go here."
"No, no, I'm not trying to dead-head it," cried Andy. "Please call Mr.
Marco or Miss Starr. They know me—"
"G'wan, I tell you. ”

“ CHAPTER XXV A BEAR ON THE RAMPAGE "Hoop-la!"
All a-spangle, to the blare of quick music, the great tent ablaze with light, the rows of benches crush-crowded with excited humanity, Andy Wildwood left the spring-board. For a second he whirled in midair. Then, gracefully landing on the padded carpet, he made his bow amid pleased plaudits and rejoined the row of fellow tumblers.
"You've caught the knack," spoke the ringmaster encouragingly. "Be careful on the double somersault, though."
"It's just as easy to me," asserted Andy. ”

“ Along the trail sped bruin. Andy put across the fields.
He heard a bell ring out. Glancing back at the farmhouse, he saw a human arm reaching through an open window. It pulled at a rope leading to a big alarm bell hanging from the eaves. Looking beyond the farmhouse he also saw three or four men in a distant field, summoned by the bell, now rushing in its direction.
"I'll get Big Bob beyond the danger line, anyhow," decided Andy. "No, you don't!"
The fugitive had pounced fairly on the dragging beef. Andy gave it a whirling jerk. Bruin uttered a baffled growl.
"Come on," laughed Andy. ”

“ Billy Blow told Andy that Luke had been to his tent a dozen times to see him. That morning early, before Andy's return, the side show Luke was with had packed up and shipped by train to join a show going east.
"So I'll never find out what I'm heir to," smiled Andy. "Oh, well, of course it was some absurd guess of Luke's. It's funny, though. That fellow, Jim Tapp, had the same delusion. By the way, Aunt Lavinia seems to have been in earnest. Nobody appears to be looking for me to go back to Fairview. I am free to do as I choose. ”

“ In that we shall not only follow brave-hearted Luke but also Andy, and see what the future held in store for the boy acrobat.
"Andy, are you glad you joined the circus?" questioned Luke, one day, after a particularly brilliant performance in the ring.
"Glad doesn't express it," was the quick answer. "Why, it seems to be just what I was cut out for."
"I really believe you. You never make work of an act—like some of the acrobats."
"It must be in my blood," said Andy, with a bright smile. "Anyway, I expect to be Andy the Acrobat for a long while to come." ”

“ Prospects looked fine, and Andy's heart warmed as he thought of all the good friends he had made.
"They're a nice crowd," he thought—"Miss Starr, Marco, the Benares
Brothers, the clown. How different, though, to what I used to think!
It's business with them, real work, for all the tinsel and glare. It's a
pleasant business, though, and they must make a lot of money."
There was a shrill, whistling shriek from the calliope wagon. The various performers scampered from their dressing rooms at the signal. ”

“ Aunt Lavinia has had me arrested; she wants to send me to reform school."
"Why," exclaimed Graham indignantly, "that's a burning shame!"
"I thought so. The constable was around last evening. He locked me in the attic for safe keeping, but I got free, and here I am, on my way to—to—on my way to find work."
"Do you mean circus work?" guessed Graham quickly.
"Why, yes, I do. I don't mind telling you, for you have always been a friend to us smaller boys."
"Always will be, Andy."
"I believe that. We all like you. It's this way: I think I have a chance to join a show, and I want to, bad. ”