"Had anyone but you told me that I should have laughed.I know I can depend upon what you say.Tell me more about it?""As I have already said, I was leaning on the rail and dropped off into a doze.How long I had been in that position I do not know.I could not have been there many minutes, or I should have gone so soundly asleep that I would have fallen over to the deck, you know.""Yes, yes."
"All at once I felt myself being lifted.At first, as I remember it, the sensation was as if the deck were dropping from under me.As I recalled the incident afterwards, I realized that I had been lifted.You know all that occurred after that.""Was there more than one who threw you overboard?""I am unable to say.I did not even see one," said Phil with a half- smile."I felt myself being lifted--that's all.The next minute I was in the river, with the 'Marie' pounding away downstream at a lively clip.""Dastardly! Dastardly!" growled the showman."I shall send for a detective to meet us in Memphis tomorrow.This thing has gone far enough.""I think I agree with you, sir," was Phil's half-humorous answer."But I had been in hopes of solving this mystery myself.""Yes, and you came near losing your life as the result.No, sir! This thing must be cleared up at once.I shall wire to St.Louis now, and we will have a man with us sometime tomorrow.Say nothing to anyone of my plan.The detective will join the show in some capacity or other,and have regular duties to perform.You will know him, but no one else will except myself.I think the Roman races are about due under the big top now.Suppose you go in and change your clothes, joining me at my table after you come out.We will talk these matters over at length this evening.When the officer reaches here I shall expect you to tell him freely all that you know as well as what you suspect.Keep nothing from him.Run along, Phil.I want to think this matter over by myself for a few minutes."As Phil entered the big top the Roman races were just coming on.The chariot drivers, with their prancing steeds, had entered the arena.
Phil paused to wait until the fast and furious races were over.The leading woman chariot driver was trying out a new three-horse team; that is, two of the horses were new to the work, the third, being an old hand.The new animals were spirited, and after the first round of the arena, Phil saw that they were nervous.
"I am afraid she is going to have trouble with that pair," muttered Phil with a shake of his head."If she can keep them up to the mark, they will outrun anything in the show today."The new team fairly tore around the arena.They won the first races easily, then lined up in the center to await the finals which were to follow a few minutes later.
The ringmaster's whistle trilled for the successful drivers to swing out into the concourse.They were driving furiously, almost before the echoes of the whistle had died away.
Making the turn at the lower end of the track in safety, the two teams in the race squared away down the home stretch.All at once Phil saw that something was wrong.The leading chariot was swaying dizzily, and the driver was trying with all her strength to pull the plunging animals down.
Suddenly the wheel on the inner side slipped from its axle and went rolling off into the center of the arena.The axle dropped to the turf, caught, then turned the chariot bottom side up.
The woman driver was hurled off into the center in the wake of the careening wheel, landing on her head and shoulders beside the centerplatform.
The team did not stop, however.It started directly across the arena, in a diagonal course.
"She is hurt!" cried Phil."Somebody will be killed unless that wild team is stopped!"Giving no thought to the danger to himself, Phil Forrest darted across the arena and leaped for the bridles of the plunging, frightened animals.
