Andy the Acrobat

by John Kendrick Bangs

  CHAPTER XXVII

  A ROYAL REWARD

  Bang! bang!

  Five sharp reports rang out from the cellar. Then came a roar from BigBob. Then a second frantic man appeared at the smashed window.

  One sleeve was in ribbons. He carried a smoking pistol. Without ado,like his predecessor he ran for the road. Glancing thither, Andy saw thetwo running down it, one after the other, like mad.

  Andy hardly knew what to make of it all. The two men did not look likefarmers. He went around the house, and hammered at the front door. Noresponse. Every window on the lower floor was tightly shuttered.

  Finally he came back to the smashed window. At first he could seenothing much beyond it. Then, his eyes becoming accustomed to thedarkness, he was able to make out the cellar interior quite clearly.

  His anxiety as to Big Bob was immediately relieved. If five bullets hadbeen fired at the bear, they had made no more impression than peas froma putty blower. The serene old animal was leisurely devouring the juicybait that had lured him to his present prison.

  "He's safe for a time, anyhow," decided Andy. "I can't quite make outthe situation here. It looks to me as if those two men don't exactly fitto the premises. They are certainly not farmers, nor tramps. Maybe theyhad sneaked in the cellar for a nap, or to steal, leaving the door open,and Big Bob tackled them."

  Andy made further unsuccessful efforts to arouse the house. He was surenow that there was nobody at home. He sat down on its front stepsto think.

  Finally he noticed that a wire ran from the barb wire fence in frontinto the house.

  "They've got a telephone here, as they have at most of thesefarmhouses," he decided. "That ought to help me out. If I could only getto the inside."

  Andy took another rambling tour about the house. Finally he discovered awindow an inch or two down from the top in the second story.

  His natural aptitude for climbing helped him out. With the aid of alightning rod he soon reached the window, lowered it further, steppedinto a bedroom, and descended a pair of stairs. Looking around thelittle front hall, he made out a telephone instrument on theoutside wall.

  Andy promptly turned the handle of the call bell. He placed the receiverto his ear.

  "Hello," came the instantaneous response "this is Central."

  "Central--where?" asked Andy.

  "Brownville."

  "Are you anywhere near the way station where the circus train issidetracked?" inquired Andy.

  "Certainly. We're the station town."

  "Can you reach any of the circus folks?"

  "Reach them?" responded the distant telephone operator animatedly. "Thewoods are full of them. They say the whole menagerie has escaped, andthey're hunting for the animals everywhere. What do you want?"

  "I want to talk with some one connected with the show--and--quick."

  "All right I've just got to call to the street. Wait a minute."

  Soon a new voice came over the telephone: "Hello."

  "Who is that?" asked Andy promptly.

  "Brophy."

  "Oh, the chief hostler? Say, Mr. Brophy, this is Andy Wildwood."

  "The acrobat?--where are you?"

  "Tumbler, yes. Listen: I've found and caged Big Bob."

  "What's that?--Say, where?"

  Even over the wire Andy could discern that the man at the other end ofthe line was manifestly stirred up.

  "Let me tell you," spoke Andy. "I've got the animal shut up in a cellar.For how long or how safe, I can't tell. You had better tell the trainer,and get some people here with the things to secure the bear."

  "I'll do it," called back Brophy. "Try and keep those crazy farmers fromfinding him. There's a hundred of them out gunning."

  "All right. Listen."

  Andy described his present location. He wound up by saying he would staywithin call--- telephone 26--until the capturing crew put in anappearance.

  Andy sat down in an easy chair in the hall a good deal satisfied withhimself. However, he felt a trifle squeamish at the thought of thetenant of the premises returning and finding him there.

  A growling grunt came to his ears. Andy, tracing it, came to an opendoorway leading down under the front stairs to the cellar.

  This he closed and locked, although he saw that the stairs were toocrooked and narrow to admit of Big Bob ascending to the upper portion ofthe house.

  Andy simply rested. There was no further call on the telephone. Finallyhe arose abruptly to his feet.

  The sound of wagon wheels came from the front of the house. A minutelater footsteps echoed on the steps. A key grated in the front doorlock. The door swung open.

  "Hi--Hello! Who are you?" sang out a brusque, challenging voice.

  The minute the newcomer entered the hall his eyes fell on Andy. Theybecame filled with dark suspicion. He was a powerfully-built,intellectual-looking man. Andy believed he was the proprietor of thepremises, although he did not resemble a farmer.

  This man kicked the door shut behind him. He made a pounce on Andy andgrabbed his arm.

  "Let me explain "--began Andy.

  "How did you get in here?" retorted the man, his brow darkening.

  "By an open window--I was waiting--"

  "Let's have a closer look at you," interrupted the newcomer.

  Dragging Andy with him, the speaker threw open the parlor door. Thatroom was lighter, but as he crossed its threshold he uttered awild shout.

  He stood spellbound, staring about the apartment. Andy stared, too.

  The room was in dire disorder. A cabinet had all its drawers out. Thefloor was littered with their former contents.

  A stout tin box was overturned, its fastenings were all wrenched apart.

  "Robbed!" gasped the man. "Ha, I see--you are a burglar," he continued,turning fiercely on the astonished youth.

  "Not me," dissented Andy vigorously.

  "Yes, you are. All my coins and curios gone! Why, you young thief--"

  "Hold on," interrupted Andy, resisting the savage jerk of his captor."Don't you abuse me till you know who I am. Yes, your place has beenburglarized--I see that, now."

  "Oh, do you?" sneered the man. "Thanks."

  "Yes, sir. I saw two men come out of the cellar here an hour ago. Ididn't understand then, but I do now."

  "From the cellar? Well, we'll investigate the cellar."

  "Better not," advised Andy. "At least, not just yet."

  "Well, you're a cool one! Why not?"

  "Because there's a bear down there."

  "A what?" cried the man, incredulously.

  "A bear escaped from the circus. Say, I just thought of it. Have theburglars taken much?"

  "Oh, you're innocent aren't you?" flared out the man.

  "I certainly am," answered Andy calmly.

  "Did they take much? My hobby is rare coins. With the missing curios, Iguess they've got about two thousand dollars' worth."

  "Would the stuff make quite a bundle?" asked Andy.

  "With the curios--I guess! Five pound candlesticks. Two large silverservers. The coins were set on metal squares, and would make bulkand weight."

  "I have an idea--" began Andy. "No, let me explain first. Please listen,sir. You will think differently about me when I tell you my story."

  "Go ahead," growled his captor.

  Andy recited his chase of the bear and its denouement. Then he added:

  "If those two men were the burglars, they got in by way of the cellar.They came out through the cellar window. I theorize they came down intothe cellar with their plunder. They disturbed the bear, and Big Bob wentfor them. When I saw them they were empty-handed. I'll bet they droppedtheir booty in their wild rush for escape."

  "Eh? I hope so. Let's find out."

  The man appeared to believe Andy. He released his hold on him. Just asthey came out on the front porch Andy spoke up:

  "There are the circus people. They'll soon fix Mr. Bear."

  A boxed wagon had driven from the road into the yard. It held six men.Th
e chief animal trainer jumped down from the vehicle, followed by thehead hostler. Four subordinates followed, carrying ropes, muzzles,pikes, and one of them a stick having on its end a big round cork filledwith fine needles.

  "I'm glad you've come," said Andy, running forward to meet them. "BigBob is in there," he explained to the trainer, pointing to the cellar.

  "You're a good one, Wildwood," commended the trainer in an approvingtone. "How did you ever work it?"

  Andy explained, while the trainer selected a muzzle for the bear andarmed himself with the needle-pointed device. Then he went to thecellar door.

  "Shut it quick after me," he said. "Come when I call."

  Andy ran around to the broken window as soon as the trainer was insidethe cellar.

  He watched the man approach Big Bob. The bear snarled, made a stand, andshowed his teeth.

  One punch of the needle-pointed device across his nostrils sent himbellowing. A second on one ear brought him to the floor. The trainerpounced on him and adjusted the muzzle over his head. Then he deftlywhipped some hobbles on his front paws.

  He yelled to his assistants. They hurried into the cellar and soonemerged, dragging Big Bob after them.

  The owner of the place had stood by watching these proceedings silently.While the others dragged the bear to the boxed wagon the trainerapproached him.

  "If there's any bill for damages, just name it," he spoke.

  "I'll tell you that mighty soon," answered the man.

  He dashed into the cellar and Andy heard him utter a glad shout. He cameout carrying two old satchels. Throwing them on the ground heopened them.

  They were filled with coins and curios. The man ran these over eagerly.He looked up with a face supremely satisfied.

  "Not a cent," he cried heartily. "No, no--no damages. Glad to haveserved you."

  "All right. Come on, Wildwood," said the trainer, starting for thewagon.

  "One minute," interrupted the owner of the place, beckoning to Andy.

  He drew out his wallet, fingered over some bank bills, selected one, andgrasped Andy's hand warmly.

  "You have done me a vast service," he declared. "But for you--"

  "And the bear," suggested Andy, with a smile.

  "All right," nodded the man, "only, the bear can't spend money. You can.I misjudged you. Let me make it right. Take that."

  He released his grasp of Andy's hand momentarily, to slap into his palma banknote.

  "Now, look here--" began Andy, modestly.

  "No, you look there!" cried the man, pushing Andy towards the wagon."Good bye and good luck."

  Andy ran and jumped to the top of the wagon, which had just started up.

  Settling himself comfortably, he took a look at the banknote. His eyesstarted, and a flush of surprise crossed his face.

  It was a fifty dollar bill.