the circus boys on the flying rings(飞指环上的马戏团男孩)-第5部分
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circus with you； and maybe if I can earn some money tonight I'll treat you
to red lemonade and peanuts。〃 〃Hooray！〃 shouted Teddy； tossing his hat
high in the air。
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The Circus Boys on the Flying Rings
CHAPTER IV
THE CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN
The Sparling Combined Shows came rumbling into Edmeston at about
three o'clock the next morning。 But； early as was the hour； two boys sat
on the Widow Cahill's door…yard fence watching the wagons go by。 The
circus was one of the few road shows that are now traveling through the
country； as distinguished from the great modern organizations that travel
by rail with from one to half a dozen massive trains。 The Sparling people
drove from town to town。 They carried twenty…five wagons； besides a
band wagon； a wild…west coach and a calliope。 〃Phil！ Phil！ Look！〃
exclaimed Teddy； clutching at his companion's coat sleeve； as two hulking；
swaying figures appeared out of the shadows of the early morning。
〃Where？〃 〃There。〃 〃Elephants！ There's two of them。〃 〃Ain't that great？
I didn't suppose they'd have any elephants。 Wonder if there's any lions and
tigers in those big wagons。〃 〃Of course there are。 Didn't you see pictures
of them on the bills； Teddy？〃 〃I don't know。 Dan Marts； the postmaster；
says you can't set any store by the pictures。 He says maybe they've got
the things you see in the pictures； and maybe they haven't。 There's a
camel！ Look at it！ How'd you like to ride on that hump all day？〃
questioned Teddy gleefully。 〃Shouldn't like it at all。〃 〃I read in my
geography that they ride on them all the time on theonon Sarah's
Desert。〃 〃Oh； you mean the Sahara Desertthat's what you mean；〃
laughed Phil。 〃Well； maybe。〃 〃I should rather ride an elephant。 See； it's
just like a rocking chair。 I could almost go to sleep watching them move
along。〃 〃I couldn't；〃 declared Teddy。 〃I couldn't any more go to sleep
when a circus is going by than I could fly without wings。〃 〃See； there
comes a herd of ponies。 Look how small they are。 Not much bigger than
St。 Bernard dogs。 They could walk right under the elephants and not
touch them。〃 〃Where do they all sleep？〃 wondered Teddy。 〃Who； the
ponies？〃 〃No； of course not。 The people。〃 〃I don't know unless they
sleep in the cages with the animals；〃 laughed Phil。 〃Some of the folks
appear to be sleeping on the horses。〃 〃I'd be willing to go without sleep if I
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could be a showman；〃 mused Teddy。 〃Wouldn't you？〃 〃Sure；〃 agreed
Phil。 〃Hello！ There come some more wagons。 Come on！ We'll run
down to meet them。〃 〃No； Let's go over to the grounds where the circus is
coming off。 They'll be putting up the tents first thing we know。〃 〃That's so；
and I want to be around。 You going to work any； Teddy？〃 〃Not I。 I'm
going to see the show； but you don't catch me carrying pails of water for
the elephants for a ticket of admission that don't admit you to anything
except a stand…up。 I can stand up cheaper than that。〃 Both boys slipped
from the fence； and； setting off at a jog trot； began rapidly overhauling and
passing the slow…moving wagons with their tired horses and more tired
drivers。 By the time Teddy and Phil reached the circus grounds several
wagons were already there。 Shouts sprang up from all parts of the field；
while half a dozen men began measuring off the ground in the dim
morning light； locating the best places in which to pitch the tents。 Here
and there they would drive in a stake； on one of which they tied a piece of
newspaper。 〃Wonder what that's for；〃 thought Phil aloud。 〃Hey； what's the
paper tied on the peg for？〃 shouted Teddy to a passing showman。 〃That's
the front door； sonny。〃 〃Funniest looking front door I ever saw；〃 grunted
Teddy。 〃He means that's the place where the people enter and leave their
tickets。〃 〃Oh； yes。 That's what they call the 'Main Entrance；'〃 nodded
Teddy。 〃I've seen it； but I don't usually go in that way。〃 With the early
dawn figures began emerging from several of the wagons。 They were a
sleepy looking lot； and for a time stood about in various attitudes； yawning；
stretching their arms and rubbing their eyes。 〃Hey； boy； what town is
this？〃 questioned a red…haired youth； dragging himself toward the two lads。
〃Edmeston。〃 〃Oh； yes。 I remember； I was here once before。〃 〃With a
show？〃 asked Teddy。 〃Yes； with a Kickapoo Indian medicine man。 And
he was bad medicine。 Say； where can I wash my countenance？〃 〃Come on；
I'll show you；〃 exclaimed Teddy and Phil in the same breath。 They led the
way to the opposite side of the field； where there was a stream of water。
While the circus boy was making his morning toilet the lads watched him
in admiring silence。 〃What do you do？〃 ventured Phil。 〃I perform on the
rings。〃 〃Up in the air？〃 〃Uh…huh。〃 〃Ever fall off？〃 〃I get my bumps；〃
grinned the red…haired boy。 〃My name is Rodney Palmer。 What's your
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names？〃 They told him。 〃We're going to be circus men； too；〃 Teddy
informed him； but the announcement did not seem to stir a deep interest in
the circus boy。 He had heard other boys say the same thing。 〃Is it very
hard work？〃 〃Worst ever。〃 〃When do you sleep？〃 〃When we ain't awake。〃
〃And you perform on the flying rings？〃 Rodney nodded his head
indifferently。 〃I should think you'd burn the tent up with that head of red
hair；〃 grinned Teddy。 Instead of getting angry at the boy's thrust； Rodney
glanced at Teddy with a half questioning look in his eyes； then burst out
laughing。 〃You're a cheerful idiot； aren't you？〃 he twinkled。 〃I'll tell you
why I don't。 Confidentially； you know？〃 〃Sure。〃 〃I wear a wig when I'm
performing。 Mebby if it wasn't for that I might set something on fire。 I
must get over on the lot now。〃 〃You're in a lot already；〃 Teddy informed
him。 〃We call the place where we pitch the tents 'the lot。' The cook tent
must be up by this time； and I'm half starved。 The performance was so
late yesterday afternoon that they had the cook tent down before I got my
supper。 Will you come along？〃 They did。 〃Do you think there is anything
I could do to earn a ticket to the show today？〃 asked Phil。 〃Yes； there's
most always something for a boy to do。〃 〃Whom do I ask about it？〃 〃Go
see the boss canvasman。 I'll point him out to you as we go along。〃
〃Thank you。 You want to see him； too； Teddy？〃 〃No； I don't have to。〃
〃That's him over there。 He's a grouch； but just don't let him bluff you。
Yes； the cook tent's about ready。 I'll sneak in and hook something before
breakfast； then mebby I'll come back and talk with you。〃 〃We'll look for
you in the show this afternoon；〃 said Phil。 〃All right； if I see you I'll swing
my hand to you；〃 Rodney replied； starting for the cook tent； where the
meals were served to the show people。 〃Now； I'm going to see that boss
canvasman；〃 announced Phil。 〃See； they are laying the pieces of the tents
flat on the ground。 I suppose they fasten them all together when they get
them placed； then raise them up on the poles。〃 〃I guess so。 I don't care
much so long as I don't have to do it。〃 〃Teddy Tucker； actually you are the
laziest boy I ever knew。 Why don't you brace up？〃 〃Don't I have just as
good a time and better； than you do？〃 〃Guess you do。〃 〃Don't I get just as
much to eat？〃 〃I presume so；〃 admitted Phil。 〃Don't I see all the shows that
come to town； and go to all the picnics？〃 〃Yes。〃 〃Then； what's the use of
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being any more'n lazy？〃 Teddy's logic was too much for his companion；
and Phil laughed heartily。 〃Look； the elephant is butting one of the
wagons；〃 cried Teddy。 〃No； they are using the elephant to push the cage
around in place。 I wonder what's in it；〃 said Phil。 A roar that fairly made
the ground shake answered Phil's question。 The cage in question held a
lion； and a big； ugly one if his voice was any indication。 The great
elephant； when the cage was being placed； would； at a signal from its
keeper； place its ponderous head against one side of the cage and push；
while a driver would steer the wagon by taking hold of the end of the
tongue。 It was a novel sight for the two boys； and they watche
