Four Afoot: Being the Adventures of the Big Four on the Highway

by Ralph Henry Barbour

  CHAPTER XII

  WITNESSES THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF “DANELLO”

  They found their dinners at the first house they applied at, and good,generous dinners they were. At a quarter of two they were returningto the circus ground, and not alone. The vicinity for two weeks pasthad been well sprinkled with glowing posters advertising “America’sGreatest Circus and Hippodrome,” and now the result was in evidence.The road to the field was lined with pedestrians and filled withvehicles. The mud-specked family carryall of the farmer or the springwagon with boards forming extra seats for the accommodation of a largefamily rubbed hubs with the natty phaeton or rubber-tired station ’busfrom the summer settlement. That thoroughly American vehicle, thebuggy, showed the national spirit of independence by rattling along inthe way of impatient and arrogant English carts and supercilious Frenchtouring cars. Tom’s eyes hung out of his head.

  “I didn’t know there were so many people on the whole island!” heexclaimed.

  “They’ll have a full house this afternoon, all right,” said Nelson.

  When they reached the field they had difficulty in working their wayover to the mess tent, so great was the throng. The side show was beingliberally patronized. In the shade of the pictured canvas a man, in ahigh silk hat and wearing a flannel shirt with a large yellow diamondin it, stood upon a box and pointed out the attractions with a longstick.

  “This way, ladies and gentlemen!” he cried. “Don’t forget the SideShow, the Palace of Mysteries, the Greatest Aggregation of NaturalCuriosities ever placed before the American Public. Step up, ladies andgentlemen! It is only ten cents, a dime, the tenth part of a dollar!’Twill neither make nor break! The Performance in the Main Tent doesnot begin for half an hour. You have plenty of time to visit the Hallof Wonders! See the Snake Charmer in her wonderful demonstrationof Psychic Force! A beautiful young girl who handles the deadlyrattlesnake, the formidable boa constrictor, and the treacherous IndianCobra as a child fondles a kitten! Only a dime, ten cents! See Boris,the Wild Man of the Tartary Steppes! Lives on raw flesh, sleeps but onehour in the twenty-four, and speaks no word of any known language! Apuzzle to the Scientists of all Countries! Listen to the Albino Patti,whose voice has the greatest range of any singer in the world and hasdelighted the ears of Royalty all over the Civilized Globe! Step up!Step up! Step up! Have your fortunes told by Queen Phyllis! Tells thepast and the future! Reads your mind like an open book! Advises you inaffairs of business for the ridiculously small price of fifteen cents.The greatest Fortune Teller of the Age! This way to the Side Show! Stepup! Step up! Step up! Step up!”

  Tom listened with open mouth.

  “Let’s go in,” he whispered. “We’ve got half a dollar yet.”

  “Oh, come on,” laughed Nelson, dragging him forcibly away from theenticing “barker” and the lurid canvas. “It’s nearly quarter past, andwe’ve got to find Jerry.”

  They pushed their way through the jostling throng, seeking the messtent. Since morning dealers in lemonade, sandwiches, photographs,souvenir post cards, and many other things had set up their tables. Afive-cent photograph tent was doing a rushing business, and a man witha cane-toss outfit was fast becoming rich. Bob wanted to linger at thepost-card booth, but Nelson pulled him away only to discover the nextinstant that they had lost Tom. He was discovered finally, watchingthe efforts of a country youth to capture a pocket-knife by throwing awooden ring over the head of a cane.

  “Say, Bob, lend me ten cents, will you?” he begged. “I’ll just bet Ican do that!”

  “No, sir,” answered Bob firmly; “you come along here.”

  Eventually they reached the mess tent and found Jerry awaiting them.

  “Have you seen Dan?” they asked.

  “Dan?” repeated Jerry, looking about as though that youth might behidden under the wagon or the trestles. “He ain’t here. Have you losthim?”

  “We left him an hour ago and he promised to be around here, but hedidn’t say where. I thought maybe he was with you,” answered Nelson.Jerry shook his head again.

  “No, he ain’t here.”

  “Well, we’ll wait awhile. Maybe he’ll turn up if he hasn’t got lost.”

  But he didn’t, and when the strains of the band reached them from thebig tent Tom refused to sit still a moment longer.

  “Come on,” he said impatiently. “He’s got his ticket. Maybe he’s inthere now. We’re missing half the fun.”

  So, led by Jerry, who seemed strangely excited for a boy who had beenpart and parcel of the show for several days, they made their way tothe main tent, Nelson carrying Barry in his arms to keep him frombeing walked on. They fought their way through the narrow entrance andfound seats near the end of the tent. There was one ring and a stage.Suddenly Tom nudged Nelson.

  “Look, I’ll bet they’ve got Donello back,” he said. “See there? That’sthe ladder and the tank like pictures show them.”

  “Yes,” said Jerry; “I heard they’d found a fellow to take Donello’splace, but it ain’t Donello himself. Here comes the grand march.”

  The curtains at the far end of the tent were pulled aside, and aprocession of horses and chariots and animals entered and lumberedaround the tan bark to the martial strains of the overworked band.Hercules wobbled along in a world-weary way, swaying his trunk asthough keeping time to the music. The camel followed. Tom said helooked as though he was trying to do a cake walk. Then the three clownssuddenly appeared, fell over the ropes in time-honored fashion, andthe performance began. It wasn’t a half-bad show, the boys agreed, Bobpointing out the fact that it was an advantage to have only one ringbecause you didn’t get cross-eyed trying to see two or three things atthe same time. The bareback riding was good, the trick roller-skatersfair, and the clowns quite as funny as clowns ever are. Everybody atepeanuts and threw the shells on everybody else, the air grew heavy withdust, and the band played tirelessly. Tom sat with fascinated gaze andsaw everything that went on. Jerry told interesting inside history ofthe performers, and was greatly pleased at the evident enjoyment of hisfriends. It was the first time in his life that Jerry had ever treatedanybody and acted as host, and he was proud and elated. The afternoonwore along and the performance with it. The ringmaster mounted thestage and invited everybody to remain for the Minstrel Show and PopularConcert to be held immediately after the conclusion of the performance.

  “An amusing, instructive, and moral entertainment,” he declared,“that no one should miss. Tickets are ten cents apiece. Gentlemanlyagents will now pass through the audience, and all wishing to do somay purchase tickets to the Concert. Remember, they are but ten centsapiece. Keep your seats, Ladies and Gentlemen! The best part of theafternoon’s performance is still to be seen!”

  Whereupon, as if by magic, vociferous men appeared everywhere shouting“Tickets to the Minstrel Show and Concert! Only ten cents! Ticketshere! Who wants a ticket?”

  “Here he comes!” whispered Jerry excitedly.

  “Who?” asked Nelson.

  “The fellow that’s going to dive,” answered Jerry. “That’s him comingalong there by the ropes. See?”

  But they couldn’t see very well, for Donello’s substitute was at theother end of the tent from them and various persons intervened. Theydid, however, catch sight of a figure in pink fleshings with greenvelvet trunks. Then the ringmaster introduced “Signor Donello, theWorld-Renowned Aërial Diver,” and the drums rolled while the figure inpink fleshings bowed gracefully and turned to the ladder. Up he went,nimbly, hand over hand, until he stood on the tiny two-foot platformattached to the top of the ladder high up under the creamy canvas roof.Then he turned and looked down, and for the first time the boys saw hisface.

  Nelson gasped, Bob half rose from his seat, Tom shouted:

  “_Dan!_”

  Nelson pulled him back to his seat.

  “Shut up, you idiot!” he whispered hoarsely. “He’ll hear you and getnervous.”

  “Bu-bu-bu-but he’ll bu-bu-bu-break his nu-nu-neck!” cried Tom. />
  “Not Dan,” answered Nelson, but with more confidence than he felt.“Just the same, it’s a fool stunt.”

  “He ought to be licked,” growled Bob nervously.

  “Do you think he’s tried it?” asked Nelson.

  “Yes; he practiced before the tent opened,” said Jerry. “I knew aboutit, but he made me promise not to tell.”

  “I’ll bet he did,” said Nelson savagely. “He knew plaguy well we’d havestopped him. That’s where he got the money he gave us, I guess.”

  “Wh-wh-why don’t he jump?” asked Tom, squirming in his place. “Do yousu-su-suppose he’s scared?”

  “That’s part of it,” explained Jerry. “Donello always did that. It getsyou sort of scared-like and anxious.”

  It certainly did. Tom’s face looked like a piece of white paper. Bobwas scowling at his programme. Even Nelson, in spite of his confidencein Dan’s ability to do most anything he made up his mind to do, lookedrather miserable. Jerry was the least anxious of the four,--but he hadwitnessed the trials. The only entirely unperturbed member of the groupwas Barry. Barry was sniffing the mingled odors of the tent with calmcuriosity.

  High up above the ridiculously tiny tank of water, which to theuninitiated seemed barely deep enough to bathe in, stood Dan. He helda handkerchief in his hand the while he measured the distance. Then,carefully, he stepped to the edge of the little ledge, dropped thehandkerchief, which went fluttering slowly down, accentuating thedistance, and let his arms fall straight to his sides.

  There was scarcely a sound throughout the crowded tent. The audiencesat with upturned faces and fast-beating hearts. Tom’s fingers weregripped fiercely into his legs as he watched with staring fascinatedeyes. Bob was breathing like a steam engine. Nelson, hands stuffed intopockets, held his underlip between his teeth and made no sound. Barrywas standing in his lap and was now sniffing excitedly, his little nosepointing toward the figure on the platform and twitching violently.

  The ringmaster held up one gloved hand. The bandmaster raised his baton.

  “_Ready!_”

  The voice sounded a quarter of a mile away, and Nelson shivered. Thepink-clad figure gave a little hop from the edge of the platform andshot downward like a flash of light. The drums broke into a roll. Theringmaster cried “_Hi!_” and snapped his long whip. When a third of theway down “Signor Donello’s” arms shot out and his body revolved.

  “_In mid-air!_” cried the ringmaster exultantly.

  Another drop and again the falling body turned head over heels, whilethe drums rolled faster and the cymbals crashed. The new Donello hadbeaten the old one at his own trick! The next instant there was asplash and a cloud of flying spray as the body plunged headfirst intothe tank.

  A gasp of relief arose from the audience, and then the applausethundered forth, applause which quickly turned to laughter. For, as theperformer climbed over the edge of the tank, a white streak boundedacross the ring and leaped at his face. Barry had found his master.