CHAPTER XXIII.—THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH ONCE MORE.
The performance at the mansion lasted longer than had been anticipated. Many visitors were present and the whole affair was voted a big success.
But, though Leo and Carl both tried, they failed to secure another engagement anywhere in the vicinity.
“Never mind, we can’t expect to earn twelve or twenty dollars every night,” said the young gymnast. “If we did that we would be millionaires in no time.”
When they arrived at the hotel at which they were to stop they found several gentlemen talking about eggs and how Columbus had stood one on end.
“Yes, but he cracked the shell,” said Carl. “I will agree to stand an egg on end without cracking the shell. Wait till I put my traps away.”
He disappeared upstairs, but soon returned.
“I’ll bet a dollar you can’t stand an egg up on end,” said one of the gentlemen, and produced an egg brought from the kitchen.
Carl took it and waved it over his head several times.
“You have to daze the chick inside,” he explained. “Now it will stand up all right.”
He put the egg down on the smooth table. Sure enough, it stood up as nicely as one would please. Then he took the egg up, and, making several passes, handed it to the man.
But the egg wouldn’t stand for the man, try as hard as he could.
“You’ve won the bet.”
“Keep your money; it was only a trick,” smiled Carl.
“And how was it done?”
“Ah, that’s one of our professional secrets,” laughed Carl. “Good-night,” and he and Leo retired.
“How was the trick done?” the reader asks. We will tell them. When Carl went out he procured another egg and put in one end a bit of quicksilver. This egg he substituted for the original egg when he waved the latter in the air. The egg with the quicksilver could, of course, be set on end with ease, for the quicksilver’s weight would balance the other end.
Leaving the town the next day, Leo and Carl struck out for a city five miles away, having heard that it was a good place in which to perform. There was no stage running to the city, so the pair walked the distance. When they reached the outskirts Leo suddenly stopped short and pointed to several billboards fastened to the side of a barn.
“What’s the matter?” asked Carl. “I don’t see anything but circus bills. And the circus won’t be here until the day after to-morrow.”
“It’s the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’—the circus I used to travel with,” said the young acrobat.
“Oh, that’s so. Well, we needn’t come in contact with the crowd, if you don’t care to do so,” said Carl.
For Leo had told his friend the whole story of the stolen circus tickets and Carl sympathized with him over the fact that he was under suspicion.
“If only I could get at the bottom of that affair.” murmured Leo as they walked along one of the city streets.
“Those ticket thieves are sure to be run down some day,” put in Carl, “and then your name will be cleared.”
“They can’t be run down any too quick for me.” answered Leo.
Since leaving the circus he had often thought of Barton Reeve, Natalie Sparks and his other friends. No communications had passed between them for the reason that none of those traveling with the circus knew where Leo was.
In Chalburgh, for such was the city’s name, Leo and Carl were lucky enough to strike an engagement with a fat men’s association. The association gave a picnic in a large grove, and the pair performed on one end of the dancing platform. This engagement brought in eight dollars more, and when they were paid off the head man of the committee asked if they intended to remain in the city long.
“That depends,” said Carl. “We’ll stay if we can find another opening.”
“I might be able to find you an engagement with another society,” said the fat man, who tipped the scales at three hundred and ten pounds. “I can let you know by to-morrow night, if you can wait that long.”
Leo and Carl consulted together, and agreed to remain in Chalburgh, and the fat man took down their hotel address.
So the time went by until the day came when the circus was to perform in the city. Long before daybreak the wagons arrived and also the canvas and ring men. Leo could not resist the temptation to take a walk down to the circus-grounds for a look at the familiar scene.
While he stood there somebody touched him on the shoulder. It was Barton Reeve.
“How are you, Leo,” said the menagerie manager heartily, as he held out his hand.
“I am pretty well, thank you,” replied the young gymnast.
“Where have you been all this time?”
“Knocking around on my own hook,” and Leo smiled faintly. He was glad to see Reeve still considered him a friend.
“I heard you had joined Wampole’s specialty company.”
“I did, but I had to get out,” answered the boy, and told of the theatrical manager’s doings and of how he was now giving private exhibitions with Carl.
“I wish you were back in our show,” said Barton Reeve. “All of us miss you.”
“Has Mr. Lambert discovered the ticket thieves yet?”
“No, but he’s got his eyes on several fellows who are following us around.”
“Is Snipper still with you?”
“Yes. But nobody likes him. Natalie Sparks thinks Snipper may be in with the ticket thieves—that’s between you and me, of course,” added Barton Reeve quickly.
“I have the same kind of an idea, Mr. Reeve. But the thing is to prove it.”
“Of course. Until you can do that you had better remain silent.”
While conversing, the two had been skirting the circus grounds, and now they came to a halt near a lemonade stand. Leo looked up, to see Jack Snipper not over fifty feet away.
“There is Snipper now,” he exclaimed. “Who are those two men with him?”
Barton Reeve gave a look.
“I declare, they are two of the crowd that Lambert has under suspicion,” he ejaculated.
“The three are going somewhere,” said Leo quickly. “If you have the time to spare, let us follow them.”
Barton Reeve looked at Leo, and saw what was passing in the young gymnast’s mind.
“I have the whole morning on my hands and will go willingly,” he replied.
They set off side by side, taking care that Snipper should not notice them.
A half dozen blocks were covered, and the old gymnast and his two companions turned into a low-looking drinking resort.
Passing the place, Leo and Barton Reeve saw the men take a drink and then walk into a back room.
At once Leo led the way through a side yard belonging to the drinking resort.
Here was a window opening into the back room, and standing close to this the two could hear and see all that was going on.
The men were counting over several bags of money.
This finished, one of them brought out several bundles of unsold tickets.
“When can you get more for us, Snipper?” asked one of the circus swindlers.
“I don’t know. They have discovered this loss already,” replied the second-rate gymnast.
“Didn’t you put it off on the boy, as you said you would?”
“Certainly. But they think the boy is too good to steal,” growled Snipper.
Then one of the other men began to figure up profits and mentioned how the money was to be divided.
“Hurry up,” said Snipper. “I don’t want to stay away too long. It might excite suspicion.”
At this Barton Reeve motioned to Leo to walk a distance away.
“Run for a couple of policemen,” he whispered. “I’ll keep an eye on the crowd.”
The young gymnast needed no second bidding, but went off swiftly.
At the first corner he ran across a bluecoat and hurriedly related his story.
At once the policeman rapped for an assistant.
Then the three joined Barton Reeve.
Snipper and the swindlers were just preparing to leave the saloon.
The back window was wide open, and with a bound Barton Reeve leaped into the apartment.
Leo came close behind, and the policemen followed.
Jack Snipper turned as pale as death when he saw how he was trapped.
He started to sneak out through the drinking resort, but Leo caught him and threw him down on the sawdust floor.
Then a struggle took place between the swindlers and Barton Reeve and the policemen.
But at last the swindlers were overcome and handcuffed.
Snipper was also made a prisoner, and the whole crowd marched down to the police station.
The excitement was great at the circus when it was learned that Leo was innocent and Jack Snipper was guilty.
In her joy Natalie Sparks actually hugged Leo, while the boy blushed most furiously.
In due course of time Snipper and the swindlers were tried, and each was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.