CHOSEN LEADER
“Quit that,” shouted Billy, as he pulled and jerked, trying to break
away from the grip that held him fast.
“No, you don’t,” said old Blue Nose. “I’ve got you now and I say to you
again, either you get us out of here or in you come if I have to pull
you to pieces.”
“Give me time to think a minute,” replied Billy, supposing that someone
would come to his rescue when it was seen what a tight box he was in.
But the crowd only laughed, not perceiving how serious the situation
really was and regarding it a great joke that the sly old monkey had
succeeded in capturing so neatly the now famous goat. It happened that
none of the keepers were near at the time or they would have known by
past experience that Billy Whiskers was now in great danger of his life.
“I’ll give you just one minute to make up your mind whether or not you
care to accept my terms,” now replied Billy’s terrible captor. “If you
free us from our prison, we will make you our leader and follow you
wherever you go,” went on the monkey.
“I don’t want to be your leader, dear Colonel Mandrill. I am not fitted
for so distinguished an honor.”
It was all that Billy could do to make this polite speech. His voice,
in spite of his best effort to control it, shook as though he were
having a chill.
“You waste good time in talking such nonsense. In half a minute more
you will begin to come between the bars of this cage. By the time you
are all in, you’ll look as flat as a pancake for the space is narrow,
but I am strong.” With that heartless remark he gave Billy’s head a
jerk that seemed as though it would break his neck.
Billy Whiskers took a look at the monkey, saw that the thin gaunt arm
which held him was all muscle, as strong as steel. In a flash it came
to him why the old Coon who lived in the big chestnut at home held the
whole monkey tribe in such dread.
“My only chance,” thought Billy, “is to break away from him, even if I
lose all my whiskers in doing it.”
With that, he began to pull back with all his might, throwing his head
up and down, right and left. The strain on his long beard was more
painful than having teeth pulled out, but there was no help for it. He
squirmed and wiggled and twisted. It all did no good. The strong hand
and arm that held him never relaxed. The long, white, luxuriant beard,
once Billy’s pride and joy but now his greatest enemy, did not give
way.
[Illustration: “QUIT THAT!” SHOUTED BILLY.]
He felt that his head was being pulled nearer and nearer the fatal
bars. Now his nose touched the iron, and his fore feet were no longer
on the ground. Billy closed his eyes, throwing his head up once more,
not in the hope of breaking loose--he had given that up--but in utter
despair. It saved him. In some way, Billy could never afterward explain
how, one of his horns caught under the pin with which the door was
fastened and as he raised his head for the last time this pin was
dislodged and fell to the ground.
Billy’s captor was braced against the door at the time, the better to
drag him in, so that when the fastening gave way the door flew open in
a hurry and out popped the blue-nosed Mandrill, followed closely by all
the other monkeys.
Billy now tried, of course, to get away for he had quite enough of the
monkey tribe by this time, but they wouldn’t have it that way. In two
seconds they were all around him. Billy Whiskers had set them free and
it was plain to be seen that he was the one of all others to tie to now.
As soon as the monkeys came piling out of their cage, the people who
were looking on scattered right and left. They made a great commotion
but nobody paid much attention. This clearing of the space gave just
the opportunity that was wanted to organize and make a few plans. It
took far less time than it does to tell it. In a minute the decision
had been reached to give _the_ performance of the afternoon, and so
they moved, in a compact body with Billy Whiskers in the center, toward
the great ring, everybody getting quickly out of their way without
being asked.
At the sudden and unexpected appearance of Billy Whiskers and the
monkeys in the midst of the great amphitheatre, packed with people, a
great shout went up. Such a welcome was never given the most skilled
performer or even to the most popular clown.
The reception tendered to the newcomers by the performers and clown who
were busy at the time of their coming with their different parts was in
marked contrast to that of the audience.
They were apparently frightened out of their wits and every one of them
took to his heels, leaving the ring in the possession of the strangest
group that, up to that time, had ever been seen at any circus, though
it became a common sight afterward for the fashion of a new departure
in circus performing was now being thus strangely set.
Without pausing, the monkeys took up the work of entertaining the
people. It was found afterward, on inquiry, that they had learned their
parts by being able to watch the acting day after day from their cage.
Some of them mounted the trapeze and gave an exhibition of daring
climbing, swinging, jumping, tight rope walking such as had never
before been seen. Others leaped upon the horses which were in the ring
on their arrival, and dashed around helter skelter, jumping through
rings, leaping from one horse to another while going at breakneck speed.
[Illustration]
The audience, of course, at a sight so novel and comical went nearly
mad with delight. It was an occasion never forgotten by those present,
the beginning of a boom for the whole show that made its owners rich
men, for from that day the crowds which came were bigger than ever
before. It was not long before it was necessary to introduce three big
rings in order that the vast audiences might be accommodated.
Billy Whiskers certainly had no idea what the result would be when he,
as he afterward expressed it, let loose that box of monkeys. Even when
they forced him to go into the ring, calling him their leader, his only
thought was to find some way to shake the whole caboodle of them and
make his escape.
But he no sooner perceived the shouts of the people, the hand clapping,
the waving hats and handkerchiefs, saw Mr. and Mrs. Treat with Tom,
Dick and Harry on the third row of seats not far from the main
entrance, and last, but not least to his delight, Terrence Bull Pup
peering enviously at him, his eyes fairly green with jealousy, from a
humble position under one of the front seats to which he had evidently
sneaked entirely unnoticed, than he recognized his opportunity to make
himself famous and resolved to make the most of it.
The old love of excitement, adventure and mischief burned in his heart
once more as it had not done for a long, long time. He forgot his rage
at old Blue Nose Mandrill who was now dashing around the ring in a most
harum-scarum fashion on the beautiful white Arabian steed which had
been deserted by his regular rider on the first appearance of Billy
Whiskers and his troupe, forgot how cruelly the old sinner had pulled
his beard and threatened to make him as flat as a pancake by yanking
him through the close set bars of his cage. He thought only of the fact
that by strange chance he was the acknowledged leader of these bold
acrobats who were taking a great audience by storm.
[Illustration]
“Whatever may come of it,” said Billy, talking to himself of course,
“now is my chance and I’ll improve it. These monkeys know what they are
doing and if they want me to be their leader, I will. It won’t do to be
too easy with them. They have undertaken to amuse this great audience
which seems pleased with their efforts and it’s my part to keep them at
it and up to the mark. No shirking now.”
Whereupon our Billy stepped proudly into the center of the ring.
A little while before he had felt tired and was beginning to look
bedraggled, especially after his trying experience with Colonel
Mandrill, but there were no signs of anything of the sort now. The
Treat boys thought that they had never seen him look so handsome.
Terrence Bull Pup wished as he had never wished anything before in
his life that he had not written that snubbing letter to so famous a
personage.
[Illustration]
“Just think,” he growled, “I might be sharing his glory with him if I
had had more sense and decency.”
No clown ever took the fancy of a crowd as Billy Whiskers did now. He
bowed and bowed in every direction in recognition, as it seemed, of the
great applause that greeted his own efforts and those of his troupe to
please the audience. If any of the monkeys tried to take a rest Billy
was down on him in a minute, sending him aloft or making him go on with
his hair-raising riding. Old Blue Nose, who was completely winded,
fairly begged and plead for a breathing spell, but his leader wouldn’t
hear to it but made him mount his white Arabian and go on with his
trick work.
For fully ten minutes, while the others were performing, Billy did not
give any exhibition of his own high jumping.
“I’ll save that to the last,” he thought. His whole time and attention
were occupied in keeping the others going and in acknowledging the
plaudits of the audience. Finally he jumped over the back of one of the
ponies, then over that of one of the smaller horses.
“I must try the big black stallion,” said Billy. “If I succeed, we will
clear out for we do not want to run this business into the ground. My,
that will be the whale of a jump! I never saw such a big horse in my
life. It won’t do for me to fall down now. These ungrateful monkeys
would depose me, the Treat family would feel disgraced, and that
snooping Terrence Bull Pup would be tickled to death. Here goes!”
Just as he said that, the great black stallion came galloping by.
“He will never make it,” shouted the excited and breathless crowd, for
it was plain to be seen what Billy was planning to do.
He jumped high and true, but the spectators were right for he did not
succeed in going over but lighted fair and square right on the big
black’s back instead.
Nobody but Billy ever knew that he had failed of his purpose. It looked
as though it had been his intention right along to be borne out of the
ring in this proud fashion. Even his band of monkeys thought so.
The big horse dashed once around the ring with triumphant Billy on his
back bowing his acknowledgements on all sides, and then down the alley
where the performers made their regular exit.
The monkeys, seeing their leader departing, without waiting to be
called, followed in quick pursuit.
What happened then will have to be reserved for our next chapter.
[Illustration]