"I want to go through the mill in the ring.I want to learn to doeverything that almost anyone can do there." The showman laughed.
"Then you would be able to do what few men ever have succeeded in doing.You would be a wonder.I'm not saying that you are not that already, in your way.But you would be a wonder among showmen.""I can do quite a lot of things now."
"I know you can.And you will.What do you say?""It's funny, but since you told me of the accident to your bareback man, I was going to ask you something.""What?"
"Rather, I was going to suggest--"
"Well, out with it!"
"I was going to suggest that you let me fill in his place until he is able to work again.It would save you the expense of getting a new performer on, and would hold the job for the present man.""You, a bareback rider?" Phil nodded.
"But you can't ride!"
"But I can," smiled the lad."I've been at it almost ever since we started the season.I've been working every day.""Alone?"
"No.Mrs.Robinson has been teaching me.Of course, I am not much of a rider, but I can manage to stick on somehow."The manager was regarding him thoughtfully.
"As I have intimated strongly before this, you beat anything I ever have seen in all my circus experience.You say you can ride bareback?""Yes."
"I should like to see what you can do.Mind you, I'm not saying I'll let you try it in public.Just curious, you know, to see what you have been doing.""Now--will you see me ride now?" Mr.Sparling nodded.
"Then I'll run back and get ready.I'll be out in a few minutes," laughed the boy, as, with sparkling eyes and flushed face, he dashed back to the dressing tent to convey the good news to Little Dimples.
"I knew it," she cried enthusiastically."I knew you would be a rival soon.Now I've got to look out or I shall be out of a job in no time.Hurry up and get your working clothes on.I'll have the gray out by the time you are ready."Twenty minutes later Phil Forrest presented himself in the ring, with Little Dimples following, leading the old gray ring horse.
"Come up to ring No.2," directed the owner."They haven't leveled No.1 down yet.How's this? Don't you use the back pad to ride on?" questioned Mr.Sparling in a surprised tone.
"No, sir.I haven't used the pad at all yet.""Very well; I'm ready to see you fall off."Phil sprang lightly to the back of the ring horse while Dimples, who had brought a ringmaster's whip with her, cracked the whip and called shrilly to her horse.The old gray fell into its accustomed easy gallop, Phil sitting lightly on the animal's hip, moving up and down with the easy grace of a finished rider.
After they had swept twice around the ring, the boy sprang to his feet, facing ahead, and holding his short crop in both hands, leaning slightly toward the center of the ring, treading on fairy feet from one end of the broad back to the other.
Next he varied his performance by standing on one foot, holding the other up by one hand, doing the same graceful step that he had on both feet a moment before.
Now he tried the same feats riding backwards, a most difficult performance for any save a rider of long experience.
Mrs.Robinson became so absorbed in his riding that she forgot to urge the gray along or to crack the whip.The result was that the old horse stopped suddenly.
Phil went right on.He was in a fair way to break his neck, as he was plunging toward the turf head first.
"Ball!" she cried, meaning to double oneself up into as near an approach to a round ball as was possible.
But Phil already had begun to do this very thing.And he did another remarkable feat at the same time.He turned his body in the air so that he faced to the front, and the next instant landed lightly on his feet outside the ring.
