"Oh, no; nothing of any consequence," jeered Teddy."I was struck by lightning, that's all.""What!"
"Hit by balls of fire--and the big hen laid an egg." "See here, what are you driving at--""And crushed, utterly crushed by my best friend, Phil Forrest.Now, what do you think of that?""Teddy, please hitch your tongue to the roof of your mouth for a moment.Now, Phil, tell me what happened.I get so dizzy when Teddy is talking that I almost imagine I am going to be seasick.""Pshaw!" growled Teddy."We did have a little trouble." "Tell me about it.""The storm came up while the aerial acts were on.We all shortened our acts at the direction of the ringmaster, and it was well we did so.We had not all gotten down when a bolt of lightning struck the main center pole.""You don't say!Here, men, stow those canvas wagons forward!
You must learn to trim the boat, giving her an even loadall over!Did the bolt do any damage?""Slivered the pole." "Wreck it?"
"Yes.Not worth carrying off the lot." "What else?""Some excitement--" "Panic?"
"No, but I think there would have been had it not been for my friend, Teddy Tucker.He amused the audience while things were happening up above.""Good for you, Teddy Tucker," said the showman, slapping the Circus Boy on the back.
"Ouch!" howled Teddy.
"I was congratulating you, that's all," laughed Mr.Sparling.
"If it is all the same to you, please use a club when you congratulate me.I won't feel it so much."Phil next went on to relate how Teddy had, by his quickness, made fast the rope and probably saved the top from falling in on them, and how he, Phil, had fallen on the boy and knocked him out.
Mr.Sparling surveyed the flushed face of Teddy approvingly.
"Thank you, Teddy," he said."I'll give you a day off to go fishing, sometime, for that.""I don't want to go fishing."
"Then you are the first showman I ever knew who did not.They are simply crazy over fishing.You'll see every one of them hanging over the rails in the early morning trying to catch fish.""I won't.You'll see me asleep about that time, if you look in the right place," answered Teddy very promptly.
"Teddy deserves your praise, Mr.Sparling.""He does, and he has it.I will show my appreciation more fully when I get all this rush out of the way.The loss of the center pole doesn't amount to much, but the rest does.""And the hen laid an egg," reiterated Teddy.
"Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you.The big ostrich hen laid an egg this evening.""Is it possible?"
"Yes; Teddy found it in the hay behind the concert platform." The showman's eyes twinkled.
"What were you doing back there?"
"Looking for a place to take a catnap between acts." Mr.Sparling laughed heartily.
"There's only one Teddy in the whole wide world!" "I hope not," added the boy quickly.
"Where is the egg--what did you do with it?" "Got it in my bag here, want to see it?"He handed the egg to Mr.Sparling who turned it over, glancing at it curiously.
"Look out!You'll drop it!"
"And what are you going to do with it, may I ask?" "Eat it.""What, eat up my property?" "Eggs belongs to the finder, and--""You mean eggs _belong_ to the finder," corrected Phil.
