“I am looking for a friend of mine”
Page [148]
But Jack, still vigorously shaking his head, passed into the tent. He knew the professor, nor any other outsider, would not be allowed to enter there.
“My, that was a close call!” exclaimed the youth to himself, as he applied a little more paint where it had been rubbed off as he brushed against a tent flap. “I’ll put it on good and thick,” he decided. “I can’t take any chances. He’ll be in the audience watching for me, sure.”
He used more paint than he ever had before, and succeeded in securing a very comical effect, which added to his queer appearance.
His nervousness and fear did not prevent him from giving a good performance, and, as he went to the different parts of the ring, doing his turn with the airship, he looked anxiously among the throng to see if he could observe the professor. But it was impossible to pick out any particular individual in that big audience, and Jack felt safe, at least for the time being.
After the performance, instead of removing his costume and washing off the paint, he remained attired as he was in his clown outfit. His friends tried to find out why he kept it on all day, but he did not tell them.
“He’s getting crazy, that’s what’s the matter with him,” said Ted Chester, with a sneer. “He’s so stuck on his act that he thinks all the people are looking at him.”
“That’s usually the way you are,” commented Sam Kyle. “You can’t throw any stones, Ted.”
“Aw, who’s talking to you?” demanded Ted, in surly tones.