CHAPTER XXII
AMONG THE CAGES
"Hi! Hello--stop, stop."
"Oh, it's you, Luke Belding?"
Andy, passing through the circus grounds, turned at an eager hail. Theowner of the chicken that walked backwards came running after him. Hecaught Andy's arm and smiled genially into his face.
"Well," spoke Andy, surveying Luke in a pleased way. "You lookprosperous."
In fact Luke did present signs of a betterment over his first forlornappearance on the circus scene.
He wore a new jacket and a neat collar and necktie. His face had notrouble in it now. He presented the appearance of a person eminentlysatisfied with the present and full of hope and animation forthe future.
"Prosperous?" he declaimed volubly--"I guess I am. Square meals, a sureberth for a week, jolly friends--and, oh, say! you're one of thetrue ones."
"Am I?" smiled Andy--"I'm glad to hear you say so."
"Billy Blow is another. He got me on at a side show. They give me mykeep, ten per cent, on what photographs I sell, and togged me outrespectable looking, gratis."
"Good for you," commended Andy heartily. "And what of the famouschicken?"
"In capital trim. Say, that wise little rooster seems to know he's onexhibition. There's some monkeys in our tent. He steals their food,fights them, cuts up all kinds of antics. Boss says he thinks he will bea drawing card. I've got him to turn a somersault now. Come on."
"Come where?"
"I want to show you. See there. Isn't that grand, now?"
Luke led Andy into the tent where the side show was. A big frame coveredwith cheese cloth took up the entire width of the place. Upon this a manwith a brush was liberally spreading several quarts of glaring red andyellow paint.
"Greatest Curiosity In The World--Remarkable Freak of Nature--The FamousBolivar Trick Rooster, Who Walks Backwards"--so much of the grandannouncement to the circus public had been already painted on the sign.
"They're bound to give you a chance, anyhow," observed Andy. "And I mustsay I am mighty glad of it."
"And see here," continued Luke animatedly. "Come on, old fellow. Easy,now. Ah, he wants a lump of sugar."
Luke had approached a very strongly-built cage.
Its occupant was one of the largest and ugliest-looking monkeys Andy hadever seen.
It bristled and snarled at Andy, but as Luke opened the cage door leapedinto his arms, snuggled there, and began petting his face with one paw.
Luke gave the animal a lump of sugar, coaxed it, stroked it. Then hetook it over to where an impromptu slack wire was strung between twoposts, and set the monkey on this.
The animal went through some evolutions that were so perfect animitation of first-class human trapeze performance, that Andy was fairlyastonished.
"The people here give me great credit on that," announced Luke withhappy eyes, as he put the monkey back in his cage. "They were just goingto kill him when I came here"
"Kill him--what for?" asked Andy.
"Oh, he was so savage. He bit off an attendant's finger, and maimed twosmaller monkeys. He wouldn't do anything but sulk and show his teeth allday long. I got at him. When he first grabbed my hand in his teeth Ijust let it stay there. Never tried to get it away or fight him. Justlooked him in the eyes sort of reproachfully, and began to boo-hoo. Oh,I cried artistic, I did. Say, that monkey just stared at me, dropped myhand and began to bellow at the top of his voice, too. Then he got sorryand licked my hand. A lump of sugar sealed the compact. Why, he's thesmartest animal in the show. You see what he did for me. The people hereare delighted. It's made me solid with them."
Luke introduced Andy to the "Wild Man," a most peaceable-lookingindividual out of his acting disguise. His wife was the Fat Woman, whodid not act as if she was very much afraid of her supposed savage anduntamable 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 thebig flaps."
Andy walked over with his new acquaintance to the menagerie. Thewatchman at the door admitted them at a word from Andy.
The trainers, keepers and manager were busy about the place, feeding theanimals, cleaning the cages and the like.
Luke's eyes sparkled as if at last he found himself in his element. Hepetted the camels affectionately, and talked to the elephants in apurring, winning tone that made more than one of them look at him as ifpleased at his attention.
The lion cages were Luke's grand centre of interest. He stood watchingold Sultan, the king of the menagerie, like one entranced.
Luke began talking to the beast in a musical, coaxing tone. The animalsat grim as a statue. Luke thrust his hand into his pocket. As hewithdrew it he rested his fingers on the edge of the cage.
The lion never stirred, but its eyes described a quick, rollingmovement.
"Look out!" warned Andy--"he's watching you."
"I want him to," answered Luke coolly.
"But--"
Luke continued his animal lullaby, he kept extending his hand. Straightup towards the lion's face he raised his arm fearlessly, now inside thedanger line fully to the elbow.
"Hi! Back! Thunder! He'll eat you alive!" yelled a trainer, discoveringthe lad's venturesome position.
"S-sh. Good old fellow. Purr-rr. So--so."
Old Sultan bristled. Then his corded sinews relaxed. He lowered hismuzzle. Andy stroked it gently. The animal sniffed and snuffed at hishand. He began to lick it.
Just then the trainer ran up. He gave Luke a violent jerk backwards,throwing him prostrate in the sawdust. With a frightful roar Sultansprang at the bars of the cage, glaring apparently not at Luke, but atthe trainer.
"Do you want to lose an arm?" shouted the latter, angrily. "You chump!that animal is a man-eater."
"I'm only a boy, though, you see?" said Luke, arising and brushing thesawdust from his clothes. "He wouldn't hurt me."
"Wouldn't, eh? Why--"
"He didn't, all the same. Did he, now? Say, mister, I'm a side showactor just now, but some day I'll work up to the cages here. Bet you Ican make friends with your fiercest member."
"Bah! you keep away from those cages."
"How did you dare to do that?" asked Andy, as the boys came out of themenagerie.
"Why, I'll tell you," explained Luke. "I love animals, and most timesthey seem to know it. Once a lion tamer summered at our farm on accountof poor health. He told me a lot of things about his business. One thingI tried just now. I've got a lot of fine sugar flavored with anise in mypocket. When I tackled Sultan I had my hand covered with it. Any wildanimal 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 hiscompanion interestedly.
"That so?" smiled Luke. "I don't see why. You fancy tumbling. I'm deadgone on the cages. We both have our especial ambitions--say, I haven'tcaught your name yet."
"Andy."
"All right, Andy. Going to use your full name on the circus posters, orjust Andy?"
"The circus posters are a long way ahead," smiled Andy. "But if I everget that far I think I'll use my right name--Andy Wildwood."
"Eh? What's that? Andy Wildwood!" exclaimed Luke.
Andy was amazed at a sharp start and shout on the part of his companion.
"Why, what now--" he began.
"Andy Wildwood? Andy--Wildwood?" repeated Luke.
He spoke in a retrospective, subdued tone. He tapped his head as iftrying to awaken some sleeping memory.
"Got it now!" he cried suddenly. "Why, sure, of course. Knew the name ina minute."
Luke seized and pulled at a lock of his hair as if it was a sproutingidea.
"You came from Fairville," he resumed.
"Fairview."
"Then you're the same. Yes, you must be the fellow--Andy Wildwo
od, theheir."
Andy the Acrobat Page 22
