DUCKED BY AN ELEPHANT
The great white billows of the Sparling Combined Shows were
moving steadily across the continent. The receipts had exceeded
Mr. Sparling's most sanguine expectations, and he was in great
good humor.
Only one unpleasant incident had happened and that occurred at
Franklin, Indiana. Phil and Teddy, while on their way to their
car after the performance late at night, had been set upon by two
men and quite severely beaten, though both lads had given a good
account of themselves and finally driven off their assailants.
They did not report their experience to Mr. Sparling until the
next morning, having gone directly to their car and put
themselves to bed after having been fixed up with plasters and
bandages by some of their companions. The next morning neither
lad was particularly attractive to look at. However, bearing the
taunts of the show people good-naturedly, they started for the
cook tent just as they were in the habit of doing every day.
But Mr. Sparling had seen them as they passed his car on
their way.
"Now, I wonder what those boys have been up to?" he scowled,
watching their receding forms thoughtfully. "I'll find out."
And he did. He summoned the lads to his office in the tent soon
after breakfast.
"I expected you would send for us," grinned Phil, as he walked in
with Teddy.
"What about it? You are both sights!"
"Grease paint and powder will cover it up, I guess,
Mr. Sparling."
"I'll hear how it happened."
"I can't tell you much about it," said Phil. "We were on our way
to the car when a couple of men suddenly jumped out from a fence
corner and went at us hammer and tongs. That's when we got these
beauty spots. If we had seen the fellows coming we might not
have been hit at all."
"Wait a minute; where did this occur?" demanded the showman.
"Just outside the lot at Franklin. It was very dark there, and,
as you know, the sky was overcast."
"Did you know the men--had you ever seen them before?"
"I couldn't say as to that."
"No, sir; we couldn't say," added Teddy, nodding.
Mr. Sparling turned a cold eye upon Tucker.
"I haven't asked for remarks from you, young man. When I do you
may answer."
Teddy subsided for the moment.
"But, had it been anyone you knew, you must have recognized
their voices."
"They didn't say a word. Just pitched into us savagely. I think
they might have done us serious injury had we not defended
ourselves pretty well."
"It occurs to me that you were rather roughly handled as it was,"
said the showman, with a suspicion of a grin on his face.
"Doctor fixed you up, I suppose?"
"Oh, no; it wasn't so bad as that."
"Have you any suspicion--do you think it was any of the
show people?" demanded Mr. Sparling, eyeing Phil penetratingly.
"I don't know. Here is a button I got from the coat of one of
the men. That may serve to identify him if he is one of our men.
I haven't had a chance to look around this morning."
The showman quickly stretched forth his hand for the button,
which he examined curiously.
"And here's a collar, too," chuckled Teddy.
"A collar? Where did you get that, young man?"
"Oh, I just yanked it off the other fellow. Guess it hasn't been
to the laundry this season."
Mr. Sparling leaned back and laughed heartily.
"Between you, you boys will be the ruination of me. You take my
mind off business so that I don't know what I'm about half of
the time. But I can't get along without you. I'll look into
this matter," he went on more gravely. "Tell the boss canvasman
to send Larry and Bad Eye to me."
"Yes, sir."
The lads delivered the message.
Mr. Sparling's eyes twinkled as these two worthies sneaked
into his tent, each with a hangdog expression on his face.
"Red" Larry had a black eye, while Bad Eye's nose appeared
to have listed to one side.
The showman glanced at Larry's coat, then at the button in his
own hand. He nodded understandingly. Bad Eye was collarless.
"Here's a button that I think you lost off your coat last night,
Larry," smiled Mr. Sparling sweetly. "And, Bad Eye, here's
your collar. Better send it to the washerwoman."
The men were speechless for the moment.
"Go to the boss, both of you, and get your time. Then I want you
to clear out of here."
"Wha--what--we ain't done nothing," protested Larry.
"And you had better not. If I see you about the circus lot again
this season, I'll have you both in the nearest jail quicker than
you can say 'scat!' Understand? Get out of here!"
The showman half rose from his chair, glaring angrily at them.
His good-nature had suddenly left him, and the canvasmen, knowing
what they might expect from the wrathful showman, stood not upon
the order of their going. They ran.
Larry had left some of his belongings behind a cage in the
menagerie tent, and he headed directly for that place to get it
out and foot it for the village before Mr. Sparling should
discover him on the grounds.
In going after his bundle Larry was obliged to pass the elephant
station, where the elephants were taking their morning baths,
throwing water over their backs from tubs that had been placed
before them. A pail full of water had been left near old
Emperor's tub by the keeper, because the tub would hold no more.
Emperor apparently had not observed it, nor did he seem to
see the red-headed canvasman striding his way. Mr. Kennedy,
the keeper, was at the far end of the line sweeping off the baby
elephant with a broom, while Phil and Teddy were sitting on a
pile of straw back of Emperor discussing their experience the
previous evening.
"There's Red," said Teddy, pointing.
"Yes, and he seems to be in a great hurry about something.
I'll bet Mr. Sparling has discharged him. I'm sorry. I hate
to see anybody lose his job, but I guess Red deserves it if
anybody does. He's one of the fellows that attacked us
last night. I haven't the least doubt about that."
"Yes, and he's got a button off his coat, too," added Teddy,
peering around Emperor. "What I want now is to see a fellow with
his collar torn off. I got a tent stake here by me that I'd like
to meet him with."
"You would do nothing of the sort, Teddy Tucker! Hello, what's
going on there?"
As Larry passed swiftly in front of Emperor, the old elephant's
trunk suddenly wrapped itself about the pail of water unobserved
by the discharged canvasman.
Emperor lifted the pail on high, quickly twisted it bottom side
up and jammed it down over the head of Larry. The latter went
down under the impact and before he could free himself from the
pail and get up, Emperor had performed the same service for him
with the tub of water.
Under the deluge Red Larry was yelling and choking, making
desperate efforts to get up. He struggled free in a moment,
and in his blind rage he hurled the empty pail full in Emperor's
face, following it with a blow over the animal's trunk with a
tent stake.
It was the elephant's turn to be angry now. He did not take into
consideration that it was he that was to blame for the assault.
Stretching out his trunk, he encircled the waist of the yelling
canvasman, and, raising him on high, dashed him to the ground
almost under his ponderous feet.
Phil had risen about the time the tub came down. At first he
laughed; but when the elephant caught his victim, the lad knew
that the situation was critical.
"Emperor! Down!" he shouted.
It was then that the elephant cast Red under his feet.
Phil darted forward just as a ponderous foot was raised to
trample the man to death. Without the least sense of fear the
lad ran in under Emperor, and, grabbing Larry by the heels,
dragged him quickly out.
The elephant was furious at the loss of his prey, and, raising
his trunk, trumpeted his disapproval, straining at his chains and
showing every sign of dangerous restlessness.
After getting Larry out of harm's way, Phil sprang fearlessly
toward his elephant friend.
"Quiet, Emperor, you naughty boy!" Forrest chided. "Don't you
know you might have killed him? I wouldn't want anything to do
with you if you had done a thing like that."
Gradually the great beast grew quiet and his sinuous trunk sought
out the Circus Boy's pockets in search of sweets, of which there
was a limited supply.
While this was going on Mr. Kennedy, the keeper, had hurried
up and dashed a pail of water into the face of the now
unconscious Larry. By this time Larry was well soaked down.
He could not have been more so had he fallen in a mill pond.
But the last bucketful brought him quickly to his senses.
"You--you'll pay for this," snarled Larry, shaking his fist at
Phil Forrest.
"Why, I didn't do anything, Larry," answered the lad
in amazement.
"You did. You set him on to me."
"That'll be about all from you, Mr. Red Head," warned Kennedy.
"The kid didn't do anything but save your life. I wouldn't
let a little thing like that trouble me if I were you.
You've been doing something to that bull, or he'd never have
used you like that. Why, Emperor is as gentle as a young kitten.
He wouldn't hurt a fly unless the fly happened to bite him
too hard. Phil, did you see that fellow do anything to him?"
Phil shook his head.
"Not now. He may have at some other time."
"That's it!"
Just then Mr. Sparling came charging down on the scene, having
heard of the row out at the front door.
Larry saw him coming. He decided not to argue the question any
further, but started on a run across the tent, followed by the
showman, who pursued him with long, angry strides. But Larry
ducked under the tent and got away before his pursuer could
reach him, while Phil and Teddy stood holding their sides
with laughter.