JACK’S BAD FALL
Behind the big brute came a score of the animal men, armed with clubs,
pitchforks, iron bars and elephant hooks. But Bill Henyon was not among
them. The elephant trainer--the master of Ajax--had given that big
brute his last command, for, as they ran, the men from the animal tent
told how the elephant had seized Henyon in his trunk, and dashed him to
the ground, maiming him so terribly that he was a cripple for life.
But now every man who could be spared from the circus grounds started
to race after the fleeing elephant. Canvasmen, drivers, trainers, even
the trapeze performers, joined in the hunt, and of course Jack, Sam,
and several of the other clowns were there.
“If he runs toward town he’ll do a lot of damage, and maybe kill two or
three people before his rage dies down,” said Sam.
“Can’t they catch him in time?” asked Jack.
“It’s a hard question. There, he’s heading for the creek. Maybe that’ll
cool him off.”
The circus tents had been pitched near a small stream, and toward this
the big brute was now headed, for, heavy as an elephant is, he can
outrun a man for a short distance, and sometimes beat him in a long
race.
Into the water plunged Ajax, filling his trunk with it and spraying it
all about. He took up his position in the middle of the stream, as if
to bid defiance to his pursuers.
“Go slow now,” cautioned Hank Servdon, who was the boss animal man.
“I’ll keep him engaged in front, while some of you sneak up behind and
shackle one leg with a long chain.”
It was a risky plan, but it worked. While Hank slowly approached Ajax
from in front, wading out into the creek, with his elephant hook
raised, ready to catch it in the sensitive trunk of the brute, other
men approached through the water at the rear, holding in readiness
heavy chains. Ajax concentrated all his attention on Hank, whom he
doubtless hoped to treat as he had served poor Henyon.
“Ajax! Attention! Up! Up!” suddenly cried Hank, giving the beast the
order to stand on his hind legs. Habit was too much for the brute,
enraged as he was. With a trumpet of protest, he rose slowly.
[Illustration: “To bid defiance to his pursuers”
_Page 188_]
“Now, men!” cried Hank, and in a trice two chains had been slipped
about the hind legs. Ajax was caught before he had gotten into town,
but there was sorrow among the circus folk when they heard how
grievously Bill Henyon was hurt. Ajax had caught him unawares, as the
elephant man stooped over to adjust one of the chains that the big
creature had pulled loose.
But the show must go on, no matter what happens to the employees or
performers, and when the news got around that one of the elephants in
the circus had nearly killed his keeper there was a bigger crowd than
usual at the night performance, every one anxious for a glimpse of Ajax.
The brute had quieted down somewhat, but there was an extra fence of
ropes about his enclosure in the animal tent, and he was so heavily
shackled with chains that it would have been a task even beyond his
terrible strength to get loose.
Every one in the circus was more or less nervous that night, and even
the veteran performers on the high wire and on the flying trapeze did
not feel so sure of themselves as usual.
Once, during a particularly long jump clear across the tent, when
one of the trapeze performers swings loose to catch in the hands of
another, there was a miscalculation, and the performer fell quite a
distance into the net. After that Mr. Paine called the act off.
“It’s too risky,” he said. “I’m afraid something’s going to happen
to-night.”
Perhaps all this got on Jack’s nerves, for, though he was usually clear
headed, he found himself feeling somewhat nervous as he climbed to the
top of his platform, ready for his first leap with the flying machine.
“Pshaw!” he exclaimed to himself. “What’s the matter with me, anyhow?
I’m thinking too much of poor Mr. Henyon. Well, here goes,” and he
launched himself down.
He landed safely, amid the laughter of the crowd at his queer act.
“I guess I’m all right,” he thought. His success made him more
confident, and he did the next two turns even better than the first.
Then came the last one.
“I’m tired to-night,” thought Jack. “I don’t feel just like myself.
Guess I must be getting homesick. Oh, but I would like to see dad and
mom again! I wish I was back in Westville, even if the professor would
have me arrested. Well, here goes for the last turn, and then I’m going
to bed and sleep.”
There was some delay in getting his platform over to the far side of
the tent, where he was to make his last jump, and it was almost time
for the final races when it was in position.
Jack climbed up, and his airship was hoisted up to him. He did his
customary song and dance, and then prepared to give his exhibition of
flying. Yet in spite of the confidence that had come back to him when
he found that he had done the trick three times successfully, he felt
his nervousness returning.
“I guess I’d better take a tonic,” he told himself. “Well, here goes.”
He leaped forward, grasping the handle of the big umbrella that
extended down through the distended bag. He expected to feel himself
buoyed up as usual by the big Japanese affair, but as his feet began to
work the pedals controlling the wings, and as he got ready to pull the
strings to fire the shot and display the flags and rooster, he realized
that something was wrong. The umbrella was not holding him up. In fact,
he was falling swiftly to the ground.
The crowd not understanding that something was wrong, began to laugh as
it always did, but there was terror in Jack’s heart.
Suddenly there was a ripping sound, and the big umbrella turned inside
out. Jack fell rapidly and heavily toward the earth, having no support
to break his terrific fall.
As he landed, his hand unconsciously pulled the strings and the shot
was fired, the flags fluttered out, and the rooster crowed. The crowd
yelled and applauded, but poor Jack felt a pain in his left leg as if
some one had run a red-hot iron into it. Then it seemed as if some one
had hit him on the head with a club. The lights, high up on the tent
poles, died away. All became black, and Jack knew nothing more.