"Fellow with the red hair.I heard them call him Larry as I passed, or I might not have noticed him particularly.His hair is redder than Rod Palmer's.I should think it would set him on fire.""It certainly would seem so."
"Mister Larry has got something coming to him good and proper, and he's going to get it, you take my word for that."Phil laughed good naturedly.
"Please, now, Teddy, forget it.Don't go and get into any more mix- ups.You'll be sending yourself back home first thing you know.Then it will be a difficult matter to get into any other show if you are sent away from this one in disgrace.""Don't you worry about me.I'll take care of myself.I always do, don't I?""I'm afraid I can't agree to that," laughed Phil."I should say that quite the contrary is the case."Teddy fell suddenly silent as they walked on in the bright morning light, drinking in the balmy air in long-drawn breaths.Entering the paddock they turned sharply to the left and pushed their way through the canvas curtains into the dressing tent.
"Hurrah for the Circus Boys," shouted someone."Hello Samson, areyou the strong-armed man that held the tent up by your feet?""Strong-footed man, you mean," suggested another."A strong-armed man uses his arms not his feet.""Come over here and show yourself," shouted another voice.
Phil walked over and stood smilingly before them.Nothing seemed to disturb his persistent good nature.
"Huh, not so much! I guess they stretched that yarn," grunted a new performer.
"I guess not," interposed Mr.Miaco."I happened to see that stunt pulled off myself.It was the biggest thing I ever saw a man--let alone a boy--get away with." Then Mr.Miaco went over the scene with great detail, while Phil stole away to his own corner, where he busied himself bending over his trunk to hide his blushes.
But Teddy felt no such emotion.Almost as soon as he entered the dressing tent he began searching about for something.This he soon found.It was a pail, but he appeared to be in a hurry.Picking up the pail he ran with it to the water barrel, that always stands in the dressing tent, filled the pail and skulked out as if he did not desire to attract attention.
Once outside the dressing tent Teddy ran at full speed across the paddock and out into the big top.A few men were working here putting up apparatus for the performers.They gave no heed to the boy with the pail of water.
Teddy ran his eye along the inside of the tent, nodded and went on to the middle section where he turned, climbing the steps to the upper row.
Arriving there he cautiously peered out over the top of the side wall.What he saw evidently was not to his liking, for once more he picked up the pail of water and ran lightly along the top seat toward the menagerie tent.
All at once he paused, put down his pail and peered out over the side wall again.Nodding with satisfaction he picked up the pail, lifted it to the top of the side wall, once more looked out measuring the distance well, then suddenly turned the pail bottom side up.
In his course through the big top Teddy had gathered up several handfuls of sawdust and dirt which he had stirred well into the water as heran, making a pasty mess of it.
It was this mixture that he had now poured out over the side wall.Teddy waited only an instant to observe the effect of the deluge that he had turned on.Then he fled down the rattling board seats.
Outside a sudden roar broke the stillness.No sooner had he reached the bottom of the seats than several men raised up the side wall and came tumbling in, yelling like Comanche Indians.Teddy cast one frightened look at them, then ran like all possessed.What he had seen was a red- haired man in the lead, dripping wet with hair and clothes plastered with mud and sawdust.Larry was after the lad in full cry.
