“Step lively!” added another voice, and there came a crack like a pistol shot. At the same time Jack felt a stinging pain in his hip. He turned in time to see Otto Mitz, the ringmaster, swinging his vicious whip. The man did not have on his dress-suit, but was ordinarily attired.
Jack started with the sudden pain, and Ted Chester laughed heartily.
“That’s the way to wake him up,” he said.
“Don’t you do that again, Mitz!” exclaimed Sam Kyle, for he had seen the mean act.
“I guess I will if I like. I’m practicing.”
“Then you try it on yourself,” added Sam angrily.
“I’ll try it on you if I feel like it,” went on the ringmaster.
Sam, with a suddenness that took Mitz by surprise, rushed up to him, grabbed the whip from his hand and threw it to one side.
“I wouldn’t advise you to,” he said quietly. “Don’t you flick that lad again with your whip.” And then he turned and began to ascend the wagon.
There was an ominous silence about the clowns’ wagon, and more than one expected to see a fight between the ringmaster and Sam. But Mitz, with a deep flush on his face, walked over, picked up his whip, and disappeared into the dressing-tent.