As for the boy, he appeared perfectly at home; so much so that many said he was a born circus performer.
As a clown he caused the people to laugh heartily, and when he threw off his trunks and performed on the bars and rings he got more than a share of the applause.
As soon as the performance was over the circus packed up, and at half-past eleven began to move from Lendham to Middletown, seven miles distant.
Leo spent the night at the Middletown Hotel with Barton Reeve. The boy was now a protégé of the menagerie manager.
Before going to bed, Leo told Reeve much about his former life, and showed the manager the pictures of his folks.
Reeve became interested.
“I’ll tell you what I’ll do, Leo,” he said. “I’ll go to this Squire Dobb and get him to release you in a lawful way. Then you will have nothing to fear from Daniel Hawkins.”
“But supposing Hawkins won’t let the squire release me?”
“I don’t believe he has any claim on you that would hold good in a court of law. I’ll make the squire show his authority over you first.”
“I wish you could get Squire Dobb to make a settlement of my parents’ estate,” went on Leo earnestly.