Leo the Circus Boy Part 9

"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. .h.i.tched 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 hors.e.m.e.n 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.