A TREACHEROUS ACT
For several weeks after this the circus traveled about from city to
city, sometimes taking in large towns, and gradually working through
the middle west, spending considerable time in Ohio and Indiana. Jack
was beginning to like the life more and more, in spite of the hard
work, for, though there was plenty of fun connected with it, there was
also no lack of hardships.
He continued to improve in his act and had received another raise of
salary, now getting eighteen dollars a week, which was as much as some
of the other clowns earned.
Jack was careful with his money, and, at Sam’s suggestion, left most of
it with the treasurer of the show. For there were many temptations to
spend money when on the road, and Jack had more than once declined to
gamble or spend his cash for drinks or cigars.
“I never saw such a tight-wad as you are,” said Ted Chester one day,
when he had invited Jack to enter a card game with him. “Why don’t you
loosen up a bit?”
“I don’t care to waste my money gambling,” replied Jack. “I’ve got a
better use for it. Why don’t you play with some of the other fellows?”
“Because they’re sports, and they’ve spent all their money until next
salary day.”
The truth was, though, that few of the circus folk liked to play with
Ted, who had a reputation of cheating when he got the chance. He and
Mitz were generally together, seeking to get some one interested in a
card game, and it was whispered that they acted as partners in fleecing
the unwary ones who played with them.
But Jack had been warned by his friend, Sam Kyle, to have nothing to
do with any card games, and not to drink or smoke. He would probably
not have done so anyhow, as the boy had the advantage of excellent home
training; but temptation is sometimes very strong, and Sam did not want
to see his protégé get into bad habits.
“There’s nothing in this sporting life--drinking, smoking, and
gambling,” said Sam. “I’ve done my share of it, and I know what I’m
talking about. It’s fun for a while, but you have to pay a dear price
for it.
“I used to squander my money that way, but an old man gave me some good
advice in time, and I quit. Now I’m saving up for the time when I get
too old to amuse folks any longer.”
“And I’m saving up to try and find my folks,” said Jack.
“Haven’t you had any word from them?”
“Not a word since I ran away. I don’t suppose I could have received
any, traveling about as we do. Sometimes I wish I had stayed with the
professor. He was real mean to me, and would have had me arrested. But
even then I might have heard some word from my father or mother. Now
I’m not likely to unless I can get to China, or unless I go back to the
professor.”
“I’d advise you to do the last,” said Sam. “It’s a long way to China,
and I doubt if you could do much, or find out much, after you got
there. Go back to the professor.”
“But he’ll have me arrested. I don’t want to be locked up for something
I didn’t do.”
“I don’t blame you for that. But wait a while. There’s no need to go
back right away. Finish out the season with us, if you like. I know the
old man would hate to lose you now.”
“I want to stay, too,” said Jack. “I’m getting to like the life very
much.”
“Well, then, stick it out till fall. Then write to the professor,
asking for news of your folks. He’ll give you some, if he has it, even
though he wants to arrest you. But perhaps by then he’ll get over his
anger, or maybe he’ll find, in the meanwhile, that you didn’t steal the
cup. Anyway, you can write to him, and promise to return, if he will
not have you locked up, until you have a chance to prove that you’re
innocent. That’s what I’d do.”
“I guess I will,” decided Jack. “I’ll write to him when it’s about time
for the circus to close up.”
“That won’t be for a couple of months yet,” said Sam. “Maybe you’d
better write now.”
“No, if I do, very likely he’d find out where I was and have me locked
up. I’ll wait a while.”
But if Jack had only written then he would have saved himself much
anguish of heart, and not a little physical suffering. But he did not
know, not being able to look into the future.
One day, after he had finished his performance in the ring, Jack went
to the property man.
“I wish I could have my platform made a little higher,” he said.
“What for?”
“Well, there isn’t much chance for the air to get under the umbrella
when I jump off now. If I made a higher leap I could work the wings
a little better, for I’d be in the air longer. Can you raise the
platform?”
“I guess so. How much?”
“About ten feet.”
“But that will make it nearly forty feet for you to jump. Won’t that be
rather dangerous?”
“I guess not. You see, the umbrella is a big one, and once it gets a
lot of air under it, I’m held up, and I’ll come down slowly. Besides,
it will make a better act. I can make it look more as if I was really
flying.”
“All right, I’ll do it. Did you ask Mr. Paine?”
“Yes; and he said it would be all right. He likes the idea.”
“Mr. Waddleton will have to get some new adjectives to put on the
bills about you,” remarked the property man, with a laugh. “He thinks
you’re quite an attraction. You’ve got Ted and some of the other clowns
jealous. They’re at me all the while to get them up something so they
can make a hit.”
“Well, there’s nothing to stop them,” declared Jack. “I don’t care how
many queer stunts they do.”
“Me either; only I’m not going to think ’em out for ’em and then make
’em. I told ’em I’d make ’em if they’d tell me what they wanted, but
they haven’t got brains enough to do that. They make me tired!” and the
property man went on with his work of patching up a big sea serpent
that one of the clowns used in an act. “I’ll make that platform higher
for you to-morrow,” he said to Jack; “only you want to be careful how
you jump off from such a height.”
“I will,” said the young clown, and then he went into the tent to rest
until the evening performance, for he was rather tired, as he had
responded to several encores that afternoon.
The platform, made ten feet higher, was ready for him the next day,
when they opened in a good-sized city in Indiana. He got his flying
machine in readiness, and it was carted out by a couple of the ring
hands, for since Jack had made such a success he was given more
attention by the manager, who detailed two men to help the lad, since
the apparatus was now quite bulky to move about, though it was very
light. Jack had made one or two changes in it, and had rigged up some
United States flags on the top of the umbrella, the emblems being
suddenly displayed by the pulling of a string as he began to sail
downward.
“Now, Jack,” said Sam Kyle, as the clowns ran out of the dressing-tent,
in response to the trumpet signal, “let’s see how your improvement
works. I expect you’ll sail all about the tent now.”
“Hardly; but I can give a better exhibition, I think.”
He climbed up to the top of the slender platform. Then, after his usual
song and dance, he prepared to take his place on the seat of the flying
machine. First, however, as was his custom, he carefully examined the
umbrella, for it was on this he relied to save him from the effects of
his high jump, the big Japanese affair acting as does a parachute when
a man leaps from a balloon.
Something about some of the ribs attracted the boy’s attention. He
looked more carefully. To his horror, he saw that nearly all of
them had been cut through so that when he jumped the umbrella would
collapse, and let him fall to the ground with such a suddenness that he
would be seriously hurt, if not killed. For a moment the terror of his
discovery of the treacherous act deprived him of the ability to move or
speak.
“Some one did this so I’d get hurt,” he whispered. “I wonder who it
could have been?”
Yet he at once thought of Ted Chester and his crony, the ringmaster.
“What shall I do?” thought Jack. “I can’t go on with the act with this
umbrella.”
He stood on the platform, undecided what to do. The crowds, which had
heard of his act, were impatiently calling for him to leap.
“What’s the matter?” asked Mr. Paine, running to the foot of the
platform. He had seen from the other side of the ring that something
was wrong.
“My umbrella ribs have been cut,” replied Jack. “I can’t jump with it
this way.”
“Great Scott!” exclaimed the manager. “That’s a mean trick! I’ll look
into this. But wait. Haven’t you a spare umbrella somewhere?”
“Yes, several of them.”
“All right. Come down. I’ll send for Delafield to help you rig up
another one. In the meantime I’ll send Sam Kyle over here to jolly
the crowd along until you’re ready. He’ll say you have to fix up your
airship, because one built by the German government tried to destroy it
last night. And say nothing about the umbrella until you hear from me.
Quick, now, get down.”
Thus did the quick-witted manager save the situation. Jack descended,
and soon, with Mr. Delafield’s aid, he was attaching another umbrella
to the airship. Several had been supplied, in case one might be
damaged, and so little time was lost, though the two flags could not be
attached.
Meanwhile Sam Kyle mounted to the platform, and was keeping the crowd
in roars of laughter by his antics. As soon as Jack was ready he came
down, and our hero took his accustomed place.
Once more he carefully examined the umbrella before venturing on his
flight. This caution had been impressed on him by Sam, and some of his
other friends. None of the performers who had to do their acts high in
the air, they said, would go on a trapeze, bar or rope without first
testing it. For, not only were accidents likely to occur, but often
vindictive rivals would cut a rope partly through, with the hope of
maiming their more successful fellows.
But this new umbrella was strong, and Jack made ready for his leap. It
was with more fear than he had known since he had perfected his act
that he got astride the swaying seat, and, holding to the umbrella
handle, launched himself from the platform, his feet working the big
wings as fast as they would flap.
To his delight, his new plan worked to perfection. The air, having
more of a chance to get under the umbrella, buoyed him up considerably
better, and he sailed gracefully to the ground, the flight taking
several seconds longer. The chief drawback to it formerly had been that
it was over too quick. Now this objection had been removed.
Then Jack pulled the cord which fired the shot, and the ship seemed
to fly apart, the umbrella closing down and the bag collapsing. There
was hearty applause for the young clown, but through it all Jack was
wondering at the motive of those who had so nearly caused a serious
accident.