Daniel Hawkins had just come out to care for his horse. By sheer
accident he had glanced up at the window and beheld Leo in the act of
dropping out.
The young gymnast was as much surprised as was his tormentor. But he
knew enough to cling fast to the sill, and not to drop into Daniel
Hawkins' clutches.
"Goin' ter drop out, eh?" went on the old farmer.
"I rather think not," replied Leo, and popped into the room again.
At once Daniel Hawkins called his wife.
"Marthy! Marthy!"
"Wot, Daniel?"
"Leo's up in the house a-tryin' ter climb out o' the winder!"
"You don't say!"
"Run up an' catch him!"
"Why don't you go?"
"I want ter watch out here fer him! If I go up he'll drop anyway."
"Drat the boy!" muttered Mrs. Hawkins, and she went for her old-time
weapon, the broom.
Armed with this, she ascended the stairs. She entered the side bedroom,
to which her husband had pointed, only to find it empty.
"He ain't here!" she cried from the window.
"He's somewhere? Root him out!" shouted Daniel Hawkins.
So Mrs. Hawkins ran around from room to room.
But she did not find Leo, for the simple reason that the young gymnast
had, by running through two rooms, reached the stairs and gone down to
the front door.
He opened this and ran outside just as Daniel Hawkins appeared around
the corner of the porch, whip in hand.
"Stop, Leo!"
"Not to-day!" retorted the boy.
And away he went, Daniel Hawkins lumbering after him.
The farmer was no match for the young gymnast. Soon Leo was out of his
sight, and he returned to the farmhouse to talk the matter over with his
spouse.
"I'll fix him yet, see ef I don't!" he said to Martha.
Soon his bony nag was hitched up to a buckboard, and away went the
farmer in pursuit of the lad, who was doing his best to get away.
"I'll teach him a lesson he won't forget in a hurry when I collar him,"
thought the miserly man savagely.
On went the boy until nearly half the distance to Lendham, the next
town, was covered. Wishing to throw the farmer off the scent, Leo did
not head for the circus grounds.
As it was a hot day he was soon pretty well winded and he dropped into a
walk.
On looking back he was chagrined to see the buckboard approaching.
"He means to catch me, after all!" he thought.
The young gymnast hardly knew what to do.
It was useless to think of going on, for his pursuer would sooner or
later overtake him.
On both sides of the road were open fields, offering no place where he
might conceal himself.
Suddenly an idea struck him.
He was approaching the inclosed grounds of the County Agricultural
Society.
The county fair was in progress and thousands of people were in and
about the inclosure.
Could he not lose himself in the crowd?
He resolved to make the attempt.
But he had not the price of admission, even though it was but
twenty-five cents.
Yet this did not stop the youth.
"Necessity knows no law," and just as Daniel Hawkins drove up within a
hundred feet of him he ran in among the carriages at the gateway and
entered the grounds before the gatekeeper could stop him.
"Hi, boy, stop! Where is your ticket?"
The policeman near the gatekeeper made a dash after Leo.
But the boy was not to be collared.
He sprang into the midst of a crowd, and that ended the chase so far as
the guardian of the law went.
Leo did not remain near the gates, but following the crowd, he walked to
one of the main buildings and then to the large field beyond.
Here was a small racecourse, and local horsemen were running races for
small purses and side bets.
At once something in the center of the racetrack attracted Leo's
attention.
It was a very large balloon, swaying gracefully to and fro in the light
breeze that was blowing.
The boy was interested on the instant, as he had not seen a balloon
since he was a small boy.
"Father once went up in one of those things," he mused, as he moved
forward. "I would like to try it once myself."
Around the balloon were half a dozen men, preparing for the ascension,
to take place half an hour later.
Professor Williams, the aeronaut, had not yet put in appearance.
The balloon was about filled with hot air and the men were merely
keeping the air warm until the professor should arrive.
As Leo stood by watching the arrangements an outsider came up.
"Too bad!" he said.
"What's too bad?"
"The professor can't get here to-day."
"Why not?"
"He has been taken sick and is at the hotel in New Haven."
"That will be a big disappointment to this crowd."
"I admit it, but it can't be helped."
The boy listened to the conversation with interest.
He pushed his way to where the man in charge of the balloon stood.
"I'll go up in the balloon for you, if you'll pay me," he said.
"You!" the man looked at him in astonishment.
"Yes."
"It won't do, my lad. The crowd want somebody who will make a parachute
jump, and all that."
"I'll make the parachute jump if you'll give me a few instructions."
The man laughed.
"You're a daring youngster, to say the least," he remarked. "Why, you
might break your neck."
"No, I wouldn't," returned Leo confidently.
"Well, I'm much obliged, but I can't use your services."
"Let me get in the basket and see how it feels, will you?" asked the
boy, after a pause.
"Well, seeing as you are so anxious, I'll oblige you," laughed the man.
The basket rested on the ground, directly to one side of the fire, with
which the air in the swaying monster was kept hot.
Hardly had the man given permission than Leo entered the wicker
inclosure.
It was about six feet in diameter and filled with bags of sand for
ballast.
To one side of the basket was attached a parachute. This the balloonist
used in making his daring jumps from the clouds.
As Leo sat in the basket the crowd gathered around him.
"Hullo, Leo Dunbar! what are you doing in that basket?" asked Ben
Barkley, one of the rich boys of Hopsville.
"Going to make an ascension," returned Leo jokingly.
"Bet you ten dollars you are not," laughed Ben.
"All right; I'll take you up. But you must loan me the money, Ben."
"How is it old Hawkins gave you a day off?" went on Ben. "Thought he was
too mean to give anybody a holiday."
"So he is, Ben. I took a day off and I'm going to take more."
"Phew! What do you mean? Have you and the old man parted company?"
"We have."
"It is a wonder he would let you go--he got so much work out of you."
"He didn't let me go. I ran away."
Ben Barkley's eyes opened widely.
"You don't mean it!"
"I do! I'm tired of being his slave."
"I don't blame you a bit for leaving," was Ben's decided reply. "I know
what a hard-hearted man he is."
"I'm going to carve my own way to fortune."
"What are you going to do?"
Leo was about to answer when Ben was pushed to one side and the portly
form of Daniel Hawkins appeared.
"Ha! ha! So I have found you at last, you scamp!" he cried in a rage. "A
pretty run you have given me! And made me pay out twenty-five cents,
too, to come in the fair after you!"
Leo was taken completely aback. He had not dreamed that the farmer would
follow him into the grounds.
"I'll skin you!" stormed the man, seeing the boy did not immediately
answer him.
"Not much you won't," put in Ben Barkley.
"What have you to do with this?" howled Daniel, turning to the rich boy.
"You have no right to abuse Leo," responded Ben.
"This is none of your business!"
"Hold him a minute, Ben!" suddenly shouted Leo. "Hold him!"
As the boy spoke he drew from his pocket a clasp-knife.
Quickly he opened the largest blade.
Slash! slash! slash!
He was cutting the ropes which held the balloon.
"Here! What are you doing!" screamed the man in charge.
"I'm going to escape a tyrant!" responded Leo, as he cut the last rope.
For an instant the balloon continued to sway from side to side.
Daniel Hawkins fought off Ben Barkley and leaped forward.
Too late!
Up shot the balloon, dragging the basket after it.
In less time than it takes to tell it, Leo Dunbar was five hundred feet
up in the air!