It served, however, to stir Phil to renewed activity.Grabbing all the stones he could gather in one sweep of his hands he started on a run toward Red Larry, letting one drive with every jump.They showered around the desperate man like a rain of hail.
All at once Larry uttered a yell of pain and anger.One of Phil's missiles had landed in the pit of the fellow's stomach.Larry doubled up like a jacknife, and, dropping suddenly, rolled rapidly toward the foot of the slope.
Phil, still clinging to his weapons, ran as fast as his slender legs would carry him in pursuit of his man.
"I hit him!I hit him!" he yelled.
In a moment he came up with Larry, but the lad prudently stopped a rod from his adversary to make sure that the fellow was not playing him a trick.One glance sufficed to tell Phil that the man had really been hit.
"I hope he isn't much hurt, but I'm not going to take any chances."Phil jerked off his coat and began ripping it up, regardless of the fact that it was his best.With the strands thus secured, he approached his prisoner cautiously, then suddenly jumped on him.
Larry was not able to give more than momentary resistance.Inside of three minutes Phil had the fellow's hands tied securely behind his back.Gathering the stones about him in case of need, the lad sat down and wiped the perspiration from his brow.
"I guess that about puts an end to your tricks, my fine fellow," announced Phil.
The train had been finally stopped, and a force of men now dashed back along the tracks.They had been in time to view the last half of the battle of the stones, and when Red went down they set up a loud triumphant yell.In a few minutes they had reached the scene and had taken the prisoner in tow.
The train was at the top of the grade waiting, so the show people and their captive were obliged to walk fully a mile to reach it.Mr.Sparling, attracted by the uproar, had rushed from his private car.He now met the party a little way down the tracks.
"I got him!" cried Phil, when he saw the owner approaching.
Red was carried to the next stop on the circus train.He was not much hurt and had fully recovered before noon of that day, much to Phil's relief, for he felt very badly that he had been obliged to resort to stone throwing.The lad would have preferred to use his fists.But, as the result of the capture, Red Larry was put where he would bother circus trains no more for some years.He was sentenced to a long term in prison.
The Great Sparling Shows moved on, playing in a few more towns, and, one beautiful morning drew up at the city by the Golden Gate.There the circus remained for a week, when the show closed for the season.But the lads were a long way from home, toward which they now lookedlongingly.
Mr.Sparling invited them to return with him in his private car which was to cross the continent attached to regular passenger trains, the show proper following at its leisure.
This invitation both boys accepted gladly, and during the trip there were many long discussions between the three as to the future of the Circus Boys.They had worked hard during the season and had won new laurels on the tanbark.But they had not yet reached the pinnacle of their success in the canvas-covered arena, though each had saved, as the result of his season's work, nearly twelve hundred dollars.
Phil and Teddy will be heard from again in a following volume entitled: "THE CIRCUS BOYS IN DIXIE LAND; Or, Winning the Plaudits of the Sunny South." Here they are destined to meet with some of the pleasantest as well as the most thrilling experiences of their circus career, in which both have many opportunities to show their grit and resourcefulness.
