No clown ever took the fancy of a crowd as Billy Whiskers did now. He bowed and bowed in every direction in recognition, as it seemed, of the great applause that greeted his own efforts and those of his troupe to please the audience. If any of the monkeys tried to take a rest Billy was down on him in a minute, sending him aloft or making him go on with his hair-raising riding. Old Blue Nose, who was completely winded, fairly begged and plead for a breathing spell, but his leader wouldn’t hear to it but made him mount his white Arabian and go on with his trick work.
For fully ten minutes, while the others were performing, Billy did not give any exhibition of his own high jumping.
“I’ll save that to the last,” he thought. His whole time and attention were occupied in keeping the others going and in acknowledging the plaudits of the audience. Finally he jumped over the back of one of the ponies, then over that of one of the smaller horses.
“I must try the big black stallion,” said Billy. “If I succeed, we will clear out for we do not want to run this business into the ground. My, that will be the whale of a jump! I never saw such a big horse in my life. It won’t do for me to fall down now. These ungrateful monkeys would depose me, the Treat family would feel disgraced, and that snooping Terrence Bull Pup would be tickled to death. Here goes!”
Just as he said that, the great black stallion came galloping by.
“He will never make it,” shouted the excited and breathless crowd, for it was plain to be seen what Billy was planning to do.
He jumped high and true, but the spectators were right for he did not succeed in going over but lighted fair and square right on the big black’s back instead.
Nobody but Billy ever knew that he had failed of his purpose. It looked as though it had been his intention right along to be borne out of the ring in this proud fashion. Even his band of monkeys thought so.
The big horse dashed once around the ring with triumphant Billy on his back bowing his acknowledgements on all sides, and then down the alley where the performers made their regular exit.
The monkeys, seeing their leader departing, without waiting to be called, followed in quick pursuit.