"I'd like to invite all the boys of our class to come to the show on passes.Do you suppose Mr.Sparling would let me?""I am afraid you had better not ask him," laughed Phil."If you were running a store do you think you would ask the crowd to come over and help themselves to whatever they wanted?""Well, no-o." "I thought not."
"But this is different."
"Not so much so.It would be giving away seats that could be sold and that probably will be sold.No; I guess the boys had better pay for their seats."Teddy looked disappointed.
"Don't you think it is worth fifty cents to see us perform?" queried Phil.
Teddy grinned broadly.The idea appealed to him in a new light."That's so.I guess it's worth more than fifty cents, at that.I guess Idon't care if they do have to pay, but I want them to come to the show.What do you suppose I've been working two years for, if it wasn't to show off before the fellows? Haven't you?""No."
"What then?"
"Why, what do you think?"
"I don't think.It's too hot to think this morning.""All right.Wait till someday when the weather is cooler; then think the matter over," laughed Phil, hurrying on toward where breakfast was waiting for them in the cook tent.
The lads were performing the same acts in which they had appeared the previous season; that is, doing the flying rings as a team, while Phil was a bareback rider and Teddy a tumbler.Something had happened to thebucking mule that Teddy had ridden for two seasons, and the manager had reluctantly been forced to take this act from his bill.
"I'm thinking of getting another mule for you, if we can pick up such a thing," said Mr.Sparling at breakfast that morning.
Teddy's eyes twinkled.He had in mind a surprise for the manager, but was not quite ready to tell of his surprise yet.All during the winter the lad had been working with a donkey that he had picked up near Edmeston.His training of the animal had been absolutely in secret, so that none of his school fellows, save Phil, knew anything about it.
"All right," answered Teddy carelessly."Wait till we get to Edmeston and see what we can pick up there."Mr.Sparling bent a shrewd, inquiring glance on the impassive face of the Circus Boy.If he suspected Teddy had something in mind that he was not giving voice to, Mr.Sparling did not mention it.By this time he knew both boys well enough to form a pretty clear idea when there was anything of a secret nature in the wind.
"We'll never get another mule like Jumbo," he sighed."Hope not," answered Teddy shortly.
"Why not?"
" 'Cause, I don't want to break my neck this season, at least not till after we've passed Edmeston and the fellows have seen perform.""So that's it, is it?"
"It is.I'm going to show myself tomorrow, and I don't care who knows it.""If I remember correctly you already have shown yourself pretty thoroughly all the way across the continent.""And helped fill the big top at the same time," added Teddy, with a shrewd twinkle in his eyes.
Mr.Sparling laughed outright.
"I guess you have a sharp tongue this morning." "I don't mean to have.""It's all right.I accept your apology.What's this you say about the fellows--whom do you mean?""He means our class at the high school," Phil informed the showman.
"Oh, yes.How many are there in the class?" "Let me see--how many are there, Teddy?""Thirty or forty, not counting the fat boy who's the anchor in the tug of war team.If you count him there are five more.""I presume they'll all be wanting to come to the show?" questioned Mr.Sparling.
"Any fellow who doesn't come is no friend of mine.""That's the way to talk.Always have the interest of the show in mind, and you'll get along," smiled the owner.
"We-e-l-l," drawled the lad."I wasn't just thinking about the interest of the show.I was thinking more about what a figure I'd be cutting before the boys."Mr.Sparling laughed heartily.
"You are honest at any rate, Master Teddy.That's one thing I like about you.When you tell me a thing I do not have to go about asking others to make sure that you have told me the truth.""Why shouldn't I?I'm not afraid of you."
"No; that's the worst of it.I should like to see something you really are afraid of.""I know what he is afraid of," smiled Phil maliciously."What?" demanded Mr.Sparling.
"He is afraid of the woman snake charmer under the black top.He's more afraid of her than he is of the snakes themselves.Why, you couldn't get him to shake hands with her if you were to offer him an extra year's salary.There she is over there now, Teddy."Teddy cast an apprehensive glance at the freak table, where the freaks and side show performers were laughing and chatting happily, the Lady Snake Charmer sandwiched in between the Metal-faced Man and Jo-Jo the Dog-faced Wonder.
"I've been thinking of an idea, Mr.Sparling," said Teddy by way of changing the subject.
Phil glanced at him apprehensively, for Teddy's ideas were frequently attended by consequences of an unpleasant nature.
"Along the usual line young man?"
"Well, no."
"What is your idea?"
"I've been thinking that I should like to sign up as a dwarf for the rest of the season and sit on the concert platform in the menagerie tent.It wouldn't interfere with my other performance," said Teddy in apparent seriousness.
Mr.Sparling leaned back, laughing heartily."Why, you are not a dwarf.""No-o-o.But I might be." "How tall are you?""A little more than five feet," answered the lad with a touch of pride in his tone.
"You are almost a man.Why, Teddy, you are a full twenty inches taller than the tallest dwarf in the show."Teddy nodded.
"Don't you see you could not possibly be a`dwarf?" "Oh, yes, I could.All the more reason why I could." "What kind of a dwarf would you be, may I ask?""I could be the tallest dwarf on earth, couldn't I?" asked Teddy, gazing at his employer innocently.
Everyone at the table broke out into a merry peal of laughter, while Teddy Tucker eyed them sadly for a moment; then he too added his laughter to theirs.
"If you were not already getting a pretty big salary for a kid, I'd raise your salary for that," exploded Mr.Sparling.
"You can forget I'm getting so much, if you want to," suggested Teddy humorously.
