W. Crispin Sheppard

“ Instead, the motor car finally passed through South Milwaukee, and, under the cool and skilful guidance of Bob Somers, plunged steadily along the muddy road, its lamps throwing a strange, fantastic stream of light far in advance. Through its magic, objects continually leaped out of the night, only to be greedily snatched back by the mantle of gloom. Lights suggestive of hobgoblins flitted from tree to tree, or swept across fields and underbrush, but in the immensity of space beyond the glare blackness held supreme control. ”

“ The crisp staccato notes of the motor suddenly drowned the sound of his voice. From the exhaust poured a bluish haze of gasoline vapor. The car apparently became vibrant with life and energy. Then, as the rapid-fire roar quickly lessened to a low musical drone, Bob Somers threw in the clutch.
In the midst of a chorus of good-byes, the motor car began to glide smoothly away, and, upon looking back, the boys saw the lady at the window waving her handkerchief. ”

“ Having been left a comfortable fortune by a relative, he finally retired from the sea, but, feeling that to get away from the sight of land occasionally was as necessary to him as water to a fish, he had built a motor yacht some sixty feet in length designed for speed, as well as to withstand the rough weather on the lake.
Victor, still in a surly mood, felt considerably embarrassed, for Uncle Ralph, attired in a suit of faded blue overalls and a greasy cap, gave more the impression of being a man out of a job than one of the richest citizens in the community. ”

“ The loud blasts of a motor horn, echoing weirdly, brought Dave up with a start.
“What!” he gasped. “What!”
His eyes rested on a brilliant glare of light flooding the darkness. Then a big touring machine glided around a bend. Although the chauffeur handled his car skilfully, the unexpected sight threw the elephants into a state of panic.
“Them brutes is goin’ to git!” yelled Joe, as the rumbling of the wagon wheels ceased.
An instant later Dave and Victor saw the boy swinging from his seat to the ground. ”

“ Leaving the motor car at a garage, the boys made their way to the harbor. Down by the river they found a great deal to attract their attention. Factories with tall chimneys sent columns of smoke whirling upward; schooners, barges and a number of smaller craft were moored along the stream; and these, together with picturesque buildings, big lumber sheds or great pilings presented so many pleasing combinations to the eye that the artistic soul of Dave was enraptured. ”

“ Victor’s eyes were snapping. He leaned over and touched Dave on the shoulder. “See here, Brandon, say a word for me. I want to chauf.”
“It is not so written in the book of destiny,” laughed Dave. “Experience and wisdom teach us that. Experience is sometimes necessary before wisdom can be acquired.”
“Oh, bosh!”
Victor brought out the words with angry emphasis. There was nothing in Dave’s expression to give him encouragement, and his eye caught a twitch of amusement on Tom Clifton’s lips.
It acted upon his impetuous nature somewhat after the fashion of the spark that explodes the gasoline vapor. ”

“ This car has to go all the way to Wisconsin,” sniffed Tom. “We don’t want to have to telegraph any scrap iron dealer to hurry out and shovel up the pieces—eh, Bob?”
“Eh, Bob!” repeated Victor, “eh, Bob! How many times a day do you get that off? The great chauffeur and his brave passenger, Clifton! Let Charlie take the helm. He’ll drive slowly enough to suit you.”
Tom’s eyes gleamed ominously.
“Talking about speed! Why, in Wyoming, where we didn’t have any old laws to think about——”
“Oh, why is Wyoming!” chuckled Victor. “What a state it must be to have no laws.” ”

“ By the aid of a brilliant calcium light and lanterns men were busily engaged in loading the remaining wagons. The workers hurried about, now out of the glare, then back again; the air was full of noise—of shouts, of heavy planks being piled in place, of commands to horses, of sledge-hammer blows. Lanterns bobbed from place to place, suggestive of huge fire-flies. It was all very interesting to Victor; but Joe gave him no further time to enjoy it. ”

“ THE WHALEBACK
Captain Ralph Bunderley was, frankly, glad to see the visitors again.
“Come right on board, lads,” he called from his position on the deck. “Where is Victor? Gone off on a jaunt with that stout boy, eh? Oh, well, it’s all right. He has lots of time to enjoy himself before we leave.”
Uncle Ralph had a great deal to talk about. His exciting sea tales found attentive listeners, and the captain seemed equally interested in hearing about some of the adventures of the Rambler Club.
“Sorry I can’t tell you a thriller with a trip on a motor yacht as the subject,” laughed Bob. ”

“ Bob Somers raised a pair of marine glasses, which the skipper handed him, to his eyes. The vessel was apparently swept across the intervening space with lightning speed. He saw her spread of canvas bellying out in the wind, dingy masses of white slowly moving forth and back against the sky. The instrument shifted from point to point brought into view a network of rigging, spars, cabins, several sailors lounging near the forepeak and the line of water breaking crisply against the length of her hull. ”

“ Despite the frantic efforts of Scott and Robins, the pride of Spudger’s Peerless broke away, the largest almost sending his cumbersome body against the motor car.
The next few instants witnessed a scene which made even the nerves of steady-going Dave Brandon tingle with excitement. It was impossible to tell which way the animals might turn, and any one standing in the road ran great danger of being knocked down and trampled under foot. ”

“ Some distance to his right an occasional column of rapidly-moving smoke or jets of steam marked the progress of north or south-bound trains.
“Easy job—I didn’t have any trouble finding the way,” grinned Tom. “One look at our road map was enough. By George; it’s a lucky thing, too, that I remember the place where Captain Bunderley said his motor yacht was always moored at Milwaukee. ‘Right by the East Water Street bridge, boys,’—those were his very words. She ought to have arrived by this time. And I know how to steer the machine there straight as a carrier pigeon scoots for home.” ”

“ Whiffin,” pleaded Joe. “Maybe he kin make good.”
“Make good, nothin’!” growled the other. “There ain’t anything to prewent your goin’.”
“Only a powerful disinclination to drag myself away from Spudger’s Peerless Circus and Menagerie,” laughed Dave. “Come now, Mr. Whiffin”—he changed his jocular tone to one of seriousness—“I know that a barker is absolutely necessary to the success of your show. As Joe says, give me a chance.” ”

“ The gurgle and splash of lapping waves and the creaking of boats vainly tugging at their moorings formed a steady accompaniment to the occasional puffing of passing tugs or the hoarse blasts of whistles.
[32] Close alongside a big lumber schooner the boys, who had taken turns in carrying Victor’s heavy luggage, finally discovered the motor yacht “Fearless.”
A big, burly man busy at some work on the wharf looked up as they approached.
Captain Ralph Bunderley had been successively the master of a barge, a coastwise schooner and a windjammer on the Atlantic. ”

“ To another school of art, according to Dave, belonged several huge canvases which flanked the main entrance. These were painted with a bolder, broader touch, and represented “Adolphus,” the world-renowned boy giant, “Zingar,” the celebrated dwarf, “Monsieur Ormond de Sylveste,” wizard of bareback riders, in his speed-defying and world-stupefying exhibition, “Tobanus,” the apparently jointless wonder, a contortionist and sword swallower, and, lastly, “Colossus,” “Titan,” and “Nero,” the three great African elephants whose stupendous feats had amazed the whole civilized world. ”

“ Dave’s reflections, however, did not drive away his cheerful expression.
“Now that the chaps have disappeared,” he mused, “their kindly support must needs be withdrawn. Here I am, left high and dry on the shores of adversity, with two awful alternatives facing me: to borrow, or not to borrow; to depend upon myself, or not to depend upon myself.”
The humor of it all appealed irresistibly to the historian; he laughed to himself, although his eyes were turned longingly toward a restaurant in the window of which a tempting collection of food products was displayed. ”

“ Swinging the glass toward the faint line of the horizon, he had suddenly picked out from the gloom a thin wisp of smoke. “Steamer coming,” he announced.
“Very probably a whaleback bound for Chicago,” explained Uncle Ralph. He smiled quizzically. “A cat may look at the king, they say, so we’ll make an inspection of the monster at close range. Then we can race her back to Kenosha. Is she in range yet, Bob?”
“Yes, sir; and looks like a whopper to me. I can see that the sides of the hull are curved over at the top, which means it’s a whaleback, all right.” ”

“ Waiting is tedious. So Victor tilted his cap far back, the process revealing two frowning lines on his forehead which, considering his age, should never have existed.
Fortunately for the lad’s peace of mind, however, the vigorous honk, honk of a motor car, rising above all other sounds in the street, suddenly caused his gaze to become centered upon the approaching machine. ”

“ Approaching the public square, with numerous vehicles and pedestrians on all sides, he became decidedly nervous.
Just as the car rolled toward the principal crossing, around the corner of which Tom decided to turn, a tall man who had been reading a newspaper by the curb suddenly stepped out into the street.
With a cry, Tom reached over and sounded the horn sharply. He took his foot off the clutch and threw on the break. It was an instant of intense satisfaction to him—and, perhaps, some surprise, when the touring car abruptly stopped.
And, meanwhile, a flying leap had taken the man to safety. ”

“ Thus, through the night and storm, the wild flight continued, with neither gaining [238] any advantage until the black horse, by a supreme effort, nosed ahead of its monster rival.
“Good for you, Blacky!” shouted Dave, exultingly.
His lantern whirled in front of Colossus’ head, then again, and again, while he yelled with all his remaining force.
Each time he was in danger of being hurled from his seat; each time the exertion made his heart thump harder. But the actions of the big elephant caused him to keep up the fight with every ounce of strength in his body. ”

“ The few vehicles and pedestrians about appeared as mere crawling things whenever the [21] high-powered car leaped forward in obedience to the summons of its master’s hand.
Victor Collins experienced a delightful sense of ease and comfort as he watched the passing show with all the zest and interest that novelty often brings.
“Go it, Somers, go it!” he urged. “Whoop it up like sixty!”
“Restraint and caution should ever be the chauffeur’s watchword,” drawled Dave.
“That’s what I think, too,” approved Charlie.
“In cities they always have so many laws to bother a chap,” grumbled Tom. ”

“ Spudger and his manager, realizing, too, that the eyes of each were fastened upon him with eager intensity.
That instant of silence was unendurable. But a noise producer was at hand. A large disc of metal hung between two supports on his right, while a wooden mallet lay on a shelf close by.
Dave got into action.
Bang, bang! A series of deafening crashes, rivaling in volume those produced by the brass in the “Ten Thousand,” immediately swung off into space. Again and again the clanging notes swelled into a din of uproarious proportions. ”

“ Dave had completely thrown off his usually languid air. He walked briskly, with a certain look in his eye which his chums would have known meant a determination not to be swerved.
He slackened his rapid pace only when a group of circus tents finally appeared in view. A few minutes later he crossed the lot, directing his steps toward the mess tent.
He found it crowded with men and women seated before rough board tables. A savory odor filling the enclosure made Dave sniff the air with keen relish. It also served to increase his tremendous desire for a good square meal. ”

“ If I ain’t in a mess for a spieler my name ain’t Whiffin. I can’t do it meself; an’ there ain’t nobody worth shucks in the hull shootin’ match.”
The voice of the unhappy manager gradually grew faint in the distance, then, presently, became lost altogether amidst the medley of noises that arose on all sides.
“Say, Brandon, think of that poor little giant standing for all of Peter Whiffin’s fresh talk,” said Victor, disgustedly. “Why, if he’d just start falling——”
“And if Peter got caught beneath him it would make a mighty sad story,” grinned Dave. ”

“ The expense was e-normous.
“At each and every performance there is to be seen a grand exhibition of a-renic pomp and splendor, together with visions of inspiring beauty. Golden chariots drawn by huge African elephants form part of a glittering, jeweled and costumed army rivaling those gorgeous pro-cessions which, centuries ago, filed with majestic pomp before the emperors in the Coliseum of ancient Rome.”
“Bully for you! That’s going some!” screeched the voice of “Mister” Joe Rodgers from the front row.
Dave hit the gong a resounding crack.
“I call attention to Ormond de Sylveste!” ”

“ The insistent cries of peanut, pretzel and lemonade venders, the shrill yells of children, the rough voices of men calling to one another and the awesome snarls and growls which occasionally came from the menagerie tent kept up a never-ceasing din. ”