Some of them mounted the trapeze and gave an exhibition of daring climbing, swinging, jumping, tight rope walking such as had never before been seen. Others leaped upon the horses which were in the ring on their arrival, and dashed around helter skelter, jumping through rings, leaping from one horse to another while going at breakneck speed.
The audience, of course, at a sight so novel and comical went nearly mad with delight. It was an occasion never forgotten by those present, the beginning of a boom for the whole show that made its owners rich men, for from that day the crowds which came were bigger than ever before. It was not long before it was necessary to introduce three big rings in order that the vast audiences might be accommodated.
Billy Whiskers certainly had no idea what the result would be when he, as he afterward expressed it, let loose that box of monkeys. Even when they forced him to go into the ring, calling him their leader, his only thought was to find some way to shake the whole caboodle of them and make his escape.
But he no sooner perceived the shouts of the people, the hand clapping, the waving hats and handkerchiefs, saw Mr. and Mrs. Treat with Tom, Dick and Harry on the third row of seats not far from the main entrance, and last, but not least to his delight, Terrence Bull Pup peering enviously at him, his eyes fairly green with jealousy, from a humble position under one of the front seats to which he had evidently sneaked entirely unnoticed, than he recognized his opportunity to make himself famous and resolved to make the most of it.
The old love of excitement, adventure and mischief burned in his heart once more as it had not done for a long, long time. He forgot his rage at old Blue Nose Mandrill who was now dashing around the ring in a most harum-scarum fashion on the beautiful white Arabian steed which had been deserted by his regular rider on the first appearance of Billy Whiskers and his troupe, forgot how cruelly the old sinner had pulled his beard and threatened to make him as flat as a pancake by yanking him through the close set bars of his cage. He thought only of the fact that by strange chance he was the acknowledged leader of these bold acrobats who were taking a great audience by storm.
“Whatever may come of it,” said Billy, talking to himself of course, “now is my chance and I’ll improve it. These monkeys know what they are doing and if they want me to be their leader, I will. It won’t do to be too easy with them. They have undertaken to amuse this great audience which seems pleased with their efforts and it’s my part to keep them at it and up to the mark. No shirking now.”
Whereupon our Billy stepped proudly into the center of the ring. A little while before he had felt tired and was beginning to look bedraggled, especially after his trying experience with Colonel Mandrill, but there were no signs of anything of the sort now. The Treat boys thought that they had never seen him look so handsome. Terrence Bull Pup wished as he had never wished anything before in his life that he had not written that snubbing letter to so famous a personage.
“Just think,” he growled, “I might be sharing his glory with him if I had had more sense and decency.”