CHAPTER XXV.—ANOTHER BALLOON TRIP.
In the middle of the ring the circus men usually built a large tank, in which several celebrated swimmers and divers used to give a special performance.
This was something new in the circus line, and it made a hit with the audience.
One morning one of the swimmers, a lad named Delbier, was trying a new act.
This was to turn in the air in a peculiar way and land in the water on his side, with his body tied up in a knot.
It was a very difficult feat, and Leo watched Delbier with interest.
“That’s dangerous,” he said.
“I know it, but orders are for something new, and it’s the only thing I can think of,” was the reply.
Leo was practicing on the rings close at hand, and for some minutes all went along well.
Then Delbier did the new trick. Down he went into the tank, but failed to come up.
Leo waited for nearly half a minute, and then growing alarmed, dropped from the rings and hurried to the edge of the tank.
In the clear water he beheld Delbier at the bottom.
The fellow had disjointed himself in some way and could not straighten out.
He was in great danger of drowning.
Without hesitation Leo leaped into the tank, intending to raise the doubled-up body.
He made an alarming discovery.
Delbier had a cramp, and his right hand and left foot were tightly twisted about a corner brace in the bottom of the water-box.
In vain Leo tugged to free the diver. He could not break that deathlike hold.
In less than half a minute Leo was out of breath.
It looked as if he must arise to the surface and leave poor Delbier to his fate.
But then he clinched his teeth.
“I’ll save him,” he thought grimly.
Catching the brace in both hands, he planted his feet against the side of the tank.
Then he strained and tugged for dear life.
At first the brace, which was screwed on, would not budge.
But finally it parted with a snap which sounded unusually loud in the water.
Delbier still clung to it, and so Leo brought both brace and drowning man to the surface together.
By this time a crowd of helpers and performers had gathered.
“What’s the matter?”
“Hello! Delbier has a cramp!”
“See how he holds to the brace!”
“Leo Dunbar saved him. He tore the brace loose!”
Meanwhile a doctor was sent for. He quickly came, and after an hour’s hard work succeeded in bringing Delbier around all right.
Leo’s wonderful nerve was much commented upon.
“He’s a plucky chap,” said Pomeroy, the head of the tumblers, and all agreed with him.
Delbier was very thankful to our hero for what he had done for him, and from that day he was added to Leo’s growing list of friends.
About this time the “Greatest Show on Earth” was joined by a balloonist named Professor Ricardo, and his assistant, Larry Greson. The professor gave ascensions in the afternoon, previous to the circus performance, and thereby attracted large crowds.
Professor Ricardo was a jovial sort of fellow and he and Leo were soon on good terms.
“How would you like to go up some day with me, Dunbar?” he asked one afternoon.
“First-rate.”
“It’s a peculiar sensation when you go up for the first time.”
The young gymnast smiled.
“It wouldn’t be my first trip,” he said. “I went up once before—in a big hurry.”
And he told of his adventure while trying to escape from Daniel Hawkins.
About a week after this Leo went up with the professor, taking the place of the assistant. He rather enjoyed the trip and was not at all afraid.
“I’m used to swinging around in the air, you know,” he explained.
The circus was going still further west, and one day it struck a town around which the forest fires were raging rather extensively. On this same day Larry Greson came to the manager of the show and said that Professor Ricardo was sick and could not give his customary exhibition.
“That’s too bad,” replied Adam Lambert. “It has been advertised, and I hate to disappoint the crowds.”
Leo heard about the trouble and presently he volunteered to go up with Greson.
“I’ll do a turn or two on the bar and the country folks won’t know the difference,” he said.
And so it was arranged that the young gymnast should go up.
“But be mighty careful, Leo,” cautioned Barton Reeve. “We can’t afford to lose you.”
At the appointed time Leo was on hand, the big balloon was inflated, and up the monster went, with Greson in the tiny basket and Leo clinging to a bar beneath.
The wind was blowing rather strongly, and as they shot up it increased in velocity. Before Leo had time to make a dozen turns on the bar the balloon had left the circus grounds far behind and was sailing rapidly over the outskirts of the town.
Far ahead could be seen the burning forests.
It being useless to remain on the bar, Leo hastily clambered into the basket.
“We had better come down,” he cried.
“We can’t come down fast enough,” gasped Greson.
“What do you mean, Greson?”
“We are sailing along too fast. We’ll land right in the center of the fire.”
“Then what is best to do?”
“Sail over it and land on the other side of the woods.”
“Can we do that?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Then go ahead,” returned Leo, much relieved. “Put some more alcohol on your sponge,” he added, referring to the sponge which was blazing beneath the balloon opening to keep the air hot.
Leo kept a sharp lookout ahead while Greson tended to the lighted sponge.
They kept well up in the air.
It was not long before the burning forest could be seen plainly.
“Gosh! but we don’t want to get down in that!” cried Greson, with a shudder. “We would never come out alive!”
“Look to your sponge!” called out the young gymnast sharply.
A puff of wind had blown the flame in an opposite direction.
Greson turned to comply, but at that moment the wind took a piece of the lighted sponge from the holder and carried it upward.
It caught on the balloon. There was a puff of smoke and a tiny flame.
The balloon was on fire!
White with terror, Greson sank down on the floor of the basket, too overcome to think or act.
Leo’s heart leaped into his throat.
They were speeding with terrible swiftness directly toward the forest of fire.