Out with Gun and Camera Part 6

"Down that ringmaster! Give him his own lash!" came from a burly farmer. "We'll teach him to abuse a boy as is sick!"

This cry was taken up by several. Growing alarmed, the ringmaster took to his heals and disappeared in the direction of the dressing-tent, whence his young victim had already gone. Then the band struck up, and the manager of the show sent out the clowns to do an extra stunt to quiet the audience.

"I'm afraid that ringmaster will have it in for that boy," said Snap to his chums.

"Poor boy!" murmured the doctor's son. "He didn't look as if he was used to this hard life. I wish we could do something for him."

"Let us try to look into the dressing-room and see what is going on," suggested Snap.

The four boys watched their chance, and walking around the main tent, crawled under some slanting seats and then got close to the canvas that divided the main tent from that used by the performers in "making up."

"Grandy, you must know what became of the little rascal," they heard the ringmaster say. "He came in here."

"So he did, sir," was the answer of a canvasman. "But he didn't stay.

He just caught up some clothing and dusted."

"What! Ran away?"

"He dusted. I don't know where he went."

"Humph! He wouldn't dare to run away. If he tries that game I'll take his hide off when. I catch him."

"He couldn't run very far, Mr. Jones---he was too weak."

"Bah! He isn't sick. He wants to shirk his act, that's all. Just wait till I get hold of him---I'll teach him to get me into hot water with the audience!" fumed the ringmaster.

"Well; I don't know where he went," answered the canvasman, and resumed his work on the wall of the menagerie tent. Then the ringmaster walked to another part of the dressing-tent to put on his street clothing, for he did not dare appear in the ring again at that performance.

"I hope that boy did run away," said Snap as he and his friends turned back to look at the rest of the performance. "I don't see why such a nice looking lad should travel with such a crowd as this."

"Oh, I suppose some of the circus folks are good people," answered Whopper. "But not that ringmaster."

"He ought to be tarred and feathered, and I'd like to help do it,"

came from Giant.

"Wonder who the boy is?" asked Shep.

"He is down on the bills as Master Buzz, the Human Fly. Of course, Buzz isn't his real name."

"No. It is more likely to be Smith or Jones," answered Whopper. "I'd like to see him and have a talk with him."

"Perhaps we'll get a chance to-morrow. The circus is to stay two days, you know," said Snap.

"Maybe the boy is all alone," said Shep. "If he is it might be that he would like it first rate if we would help him."

The boys had lost interest in the show, and were not sorry when it came to an end. They were among the first out, and hurried directly toward Mrs. Carson's house. In doing this they had to cross the railroad track, and here a pa.s.sing freight train held them up.

The freight came to a halt, and backed to take on some empties.

Then it proceeded slowly on its way.

"Well, I never!" cried Snap suddenly as one of the empty cars came into view, under the rays of an electric light. "Look there!"

He pointed to the open doorway of a car. A figure stood there, wrapped in a coat several sizes too large for it---the figure of a slender boy with a whitish face,

"Was that that boy acrobat?" gasped Whopper as the freight train gathered headway and cleared the crossing.

"I think it was," answered Snap.

"So do I," put in the doctor's son.

"If it was, he is losing no time in getting out of town," was Giant's comment. "And I don't blame him."

"He had on a coat big enough for a man, and his trousers were rolled up around his feet," observed Snap. "Most likely he grabbed up the first suit he could find when he left the dressing-tent."

"If it really was the boy," said Whopper. "It looked like him, but we may be mistaken."

It did not take the four youths long to reach Mrs. Carson's home.

They went in softly, and each got a cookie and a drink of milk.

Then they went to bed and slept soundly until morning.

Promptly on time they presented themselves at Mr. Jally's studio, and found not only the photographer but also an a.s.sistant present.

"I am going to leave my a.s.sistant in charge," said Mr. Jally. "I'll go out with you, and we'll have a practical lesson in getting outdoor views."

Taking two cameras with them, the photographer and the boys started off, to be gone until noon. They walked across the city and along the river, and at the latter locality took half a dozen pictures, Mr. Jally instructing them all the while.

"Now I'll show you how a commonplace bit of scenery can be made to look quite romantic," said Mr. Jally presently. "Let us walk over to the railroad embankment. Such an embankment is not pretty in itself, but I think we can get quite a pretty view of it."

After many instructions they took a view of the embankment. Their walk had tired the photographer, who was rather stout, and he proposed that they rest. Near at hand was a section shed with some lumber piles, and there they took it easy.

During a lull in the conversation the boys noticed three men approaching. They were rather tough-looking characters, and at first the lads took them to be tramps. The men walked behind the lumber piles without noticing our friends.

"Some fellows that followed up the circus, I suppose," said Snap.

"Yes; the kind my aunt was afraid of," added the doctor's son.

"We can do it jest as well as not," they heard one of the men say.

"An' we got a right, too."

"Sure we got a right," said another of the trio in a heavy, rasp-like voice. "We'll show Ca.s.so what it means to do a feller out o' his lawful wages."

"Yes; but you look out you ain't caught," added the third man. "He's got all hands watching to spot us."

"We'll bust up his show, see if we don't," growled the first speaker.

"They must be the fellows who were discharged for drunkenness,"

whispered Snap.

"Yes; and they are laying plans to square up with the proprietor,"

added Whopper. "Wonder what they will do?"