The Circus Boys in Dixie Land; Or, Winning the Plaudits of the Sunny South

by Edgar B. P. Darlington

  CHAPTER XIX

  THE CIRCUS ON AN ISLAND

  Teddy landed in the net with a smack that made thespectators gasp.

  "Are you hurt," cried Mr. Sparling, running forward.

  Teddy got up, rubbing his shins gingerly, working his head fromside to side to make sure that his neck was properly in place.

  "N-n-no, I guess not. I'll bet that net got a clump that itwon't forget in a hurry, though. Folks, the show is all over.You may go home now," added Teddy, turning to the audience andwaving his hand to them.

  The seats began to rattle as the people, realizing that there wasnothing more to be seen, finally decided to start for home.

  "It is lucky, young man, that I had that net under you,"announced Mr. Sparling.

  "Lucky for me, but a sad blow to the net," answered Teddyhumorously, whereat Mr. Sparling shook his head hopelessly.

  The tent was beginning to darken and the showman glancedup apprehensively.

  "What's the outlook?" he asked as Mr. Kennedy passed.

  "Just a shower, I guess."

  The owner strode to the side wall and peered out under the tent,then crawled out for a survey of the skies.

  "We are in for a lively storm," he declared. "It may not breakuntil late tonight, and I hardly think it will before then.Please tell the director to cut short all the acts tonight.I want every stick and stitch off the lot no later than eleveno'clock tonight."

  "Shall we cut out the Grand Entry?"

  "Yes, by all means. If possible I should like to make the nexttown before the storm breaks, as it's liable to be a long,wet one."

  "I don't care. I've got a rubber coat and a pair of rubber bootswith a hole in one of them," spoke up Teddy.

  "And, Teddy Tucker," added the owner, turning to the Circus Boy."If you mix things up tonight, and delay us a minute anywhere,I'll fire you. Understand?"

  Teddy shook his head.

  "You don't? Well, I'll see if I can make it plainer then."

  "Why, Mr. Sparling, you wouldn't discharge me, now, would you?Don't you know this show couldn't get along without me?"

  The showman gazed sternly at Teddy for a moment, then his facebroke out in a broad smile.

  "I guess you're right at that, my boy."

  The cook tent came down without delay that afternoon, and onaccount of the darkness the gasoline lamps had to be lighteda full two hours earlier than usual.

  The show at the evening performance was pushed forward with arush, while many anxious eyes were upon the skies, for it wasbelieved that the heaviest rainstorm in years was about to fall.

  By dint of much hard work, together with a great deal of shoutingand racket, the tents were off the field by the time indicated byMr. Sparling, and loaded. A quick start was made. Long beforemorning the little border town of Tarbert, their next stand,was reached.

  Mr. Sparling had all hands out at once.

  "Get to the lot and pitch your tents. Everything has got to beup before daylight," he ordered. "You'll have something to eatjust as soon as you get the cook tent in place."

  That was inducement enough to make the men work with a will,and they did. The menagerie and circus tents had been lacedtogether, lying flat on the ground, when the storm broke.

  "That will keep the lot dry, but hustle it! Get the canvas upbefore it is so soaked you can't raise it," commanded the owner.

  By daylight the tents were in place, though men had to bestationed constantly at the guy ropes to loosen them as theystrained tight from the moisture they absorbed.

  The rain seemed to be coming down in sheets. Fortunately the lotchosen for pitching the tents was on a strip of ground higherthan anything about it, so the footing remained fairly solid.But it was a cheerless outlook. The performers, with theirrubber boots on, came splashing through a sea of mud and wateron their way to the cook tent that morning, Phil and Teddy withthe rest.

  "Looks like rain, doesn't it," greeted Teddy, as he espiedMr. Sparling plodding about with a keen eye to the safety ofhis tents.

  "I wish the outlook for business today were as good," was thecomprehensive answer.

  When the hour for starting the parade arrived, the water over theflats about them was so deep and the mud so soft that it wasdecided to abandon the parade for that day.

  "I almost wish we hadn't unloaded," said the owner. "It looksto me as if we might be tied up here for sometime."

  "Yes," agreed Phil. "The next question is how are the peoplegoing to get here to see the show?"

  "I was thinking of that myself. The answer is easy, though."

  "What--"

  "They won't come."

  "Why? Are they drowned out?"

  "No; the town is high enough so they will not suffer much of anydamage, except as the water gets into their cellars. No; theyare all right. I wish we were as much so, but there'll be no usein giving a show this afternoon."

  "Wait a minute," spoke up Phil, raising one hand while heconsidered briefly.

  "Of course, you have an idea. It wouldn't be you if you hadn't.But I am afraid that, this time, you will fall short ofthe mark."

  "No, not if you will let me carry out a little plan."

  "What is it?"

  "When I came over I noticed a strip of ground just a few rods tothe north of the lot, and running right into it, that was higherthan the flats. It was a sort of ridge and fairly level on top."

  "I didn't see that."

  "I did. It was showing above the water a few inches and lookedlike hard ground. If you don't mind getting wet I'll take youover and point it out."

  The showman agreed, though as yet he did not understand whatPhil's plan was.

  Phil led the way to the north side of the lot, then turningsharply to the left after getting his bearings, walkedconfidently out into the water followed by Mr. Sparling.The ground felt firm beneath their feet. As a matter of fact itwas a stratum of rock running out from the nearby mountains.

  "Boy, you've struck a way for us to get out when time comes forus to do so. That mud on the flats will be so soft, for severaldays, that the wheels would sink in up to the hubs. The stockwould get mired now, were they to try to go through."

  "But not here."

  "No; I rather think that's so. What's your plan?"

  "We have plenty of wagons that are not in use--take for instancethe pole wagons. Why not send our wagons over to the villageand bring the people here? I am sure they will enjoy that,"suggested Phil.

  "Splendid," glowed the showman. "But I'm afraid the horses neverwould be able to pull them over."

  "Think not?"

  "I said I was afraid they would not be able to."

  "I had considered that, sir."

  "Oh, you had?"

  "Yes."

  "Of course, I might have known you had. Well, what is it?"

  "I have an even better scheme, and it will be great advertising--one that few people in town will be able to resist."

  "Yes? I am listening."

  "Well, in the first place, have the long pole wagons fixed up tobring the people over. We can use our ring platforms to make abottom for the passengers to sit on."

  "Yes, that will be easy."

  "Then, take some side wall poles, stand them up along the sidesof the wagon and build a roof with canvas. That will keep theinside of the wagon as dry as a barn."

  "A splendid idea. But how are you going to get the folks overhere after you have done that?"

  "Wait, I am coming to that. What do you say to hitching theelephants to the wagons and hauling the people back and forth?Nothing like that has ever been done, has it?"

  Mr. Sparling tossed up his hat regardless of the fact that therain was beating down on his head and running down his neck.

  "Nothing ever been done to compare with it, since P. T. Barnumploughed up his farm with Jumbo. By the great Dan Rice, that'sa scheme!" shouted Mr. Sparling enthusiastically.

  "But you will have to hurry if you are going to put the plan intoo
peration," urged Phil.

  "What would you suggest, Phil?"

  "I would suggest that you send men into town on horseback, rightaway, having them call at every house, at the post office, thehotel and every other place they can think of, telling the peoplewhat we propose to do. Teddy and I will take horses and go outwith the rest, if you say so. The rain won't hurt us, andbesides, it will be great fun. What do you say, sir?"

  Mr. Sparling hesitated for one brief second.

  "Come on!" he shouted as with hat in hand he splashed toward thelot followed a short distance behind by Phil.

  The arrangements suggested by the Circus Boy were quickly made,and a company of horsemen rode over to the village to tell thepeople how they might see the show without getting wet.While this was being done the pole wagons were being riggedfor the purpose, and the elephants were provided with harnessstrong enough to stand the strain of the heavy loads they wouldhave to draw.

  The wagons were to be driven along the village streets at oneo'clock, the circus to begin at half-past two. That would givethe show people plenty of time to prepare for the performance.

  The suggestion met with great enthusiasm. Few people had everhad the privilege of riding behind an elephant team, and theygladly welcomed the opportunity.

  At Phil's further suggestion a separate wagon had been preparedfor the colored people. When all was ready the elephants werefirst driven across the ridge without their wagons, to show theanimals that the footing was safe. Then they were hooked to thecovered pole wagons and the work of transporting the village tothe lot was begun.

  The show grounds were on an island, now, entirely surroundedby water. Some of the clowns had rigged up fishing outfitsand sat on the bank in the rain trying to catch fish, thoughthere probably was not a fish within a mile of them, accordingto Phil's idea.

  "That's good work for a fool," gloated Teddy.

  "It takes a wise man to be a fool, young man," was theclown's retort.

  "Perhaps you don't know that the river has overflowed a few milesabove here, and that this place is full of fish?"

  "No; I don't know anything of the sort. The only water I seecoming is from right overhead. Maybe there's fish swimmingaround up there; I don't know. Never caught any upthere myself."

  After a time the clowns tired of their sport and went back totheir dressing tent to prepare for the afternoon performance, theonly performance that would be given that day, as it would not besafe to try to transport the people across the water in the dark.And, besides, the owner of the show hoped to be able to get hisshow aboard the cars before night.

  In the big top a slender rope had been stretched across theblue seats from the arena back to the sidewall. This was the"color line." On one side of it sat the colored people, on theother the white people.

  After all were seated, however, the line was taken down andcolored and white people sat elbow to elbow. All were perfectlysatisfied, for the color line had been drawn. The rest didnot matter.

  The show people entered into the spirit of the unusual exhibitionwith the keenest zest, and the Sparling show had never given abetter entertainment than it did that afternoon. The clowns,even though they had not been successful as fishermen, wherewholly so when they entered the ring. Teddy and his donkey,which he had named January, after the manner of most clowns whoown these animals, set the whole tent roaring, while Shivers andhis "shadow" made a hit from the moment they entered.

  "I've got the greatest bunch of people to be found inthis country," confided Mr. Sparling proudly to the surgeon.

  "Especially those two boys, eh?"

  "Yes. They can't be beaten. Neither can a lot of the others."

  A fair-sized house had been brought over to see the show, andafter the performance was ended they were taken back to theirhomes in the pole wagons, as they had been brought over.

  "I'll tell you what you ought to do," said Teddy confidentially,just before the show closed.

  "Well, what is it?" questioned Mr. Sparling.

  "You ought to leave those folks here."

  "Leave them here?"

  "Yes."

  "What for?"

  "Why, they couldn't get back, and they would have to go to theevening performance again. You'd get 'em going and coming then.Do you see?"

  The showman tipped back his head, laughing long and loud.

  "Yes; I see."

  "Then why not do it?"

  "Young man, this show doesn't do things that way. We do businesson the square, or we don't do it at all. I admire your zeal, butnot your plan."

  "Yes," agreed Phil, who stood near; "I sometimes thinkTeddy Tucker's moral code does need bolstering up a bit."

  "What's that?" questioned Teddy. "What's a moral code?"

  "I'll explain it to you some other time when we are not so busy,"replied Phil.

  "Nor so wet," added Mr. Sparling. "You see, we want to come tothis town to show again some other time."

  "I don't," responded Teddy promptly. "I've had all I want of itfor the rest of my natural life. I can get all the fun I wantout of performing on dry ground, instead of the edge of a lakethat you are expecting every minute to tumble into."