THE RETURNED LEOPARD
AND
SCOUT BLAKELEY
PRIDE OF TWO CONTINENTS!
HIS DARING AND DAUNTLESS CAPTOR.
I climbed up to the seat and sat by the driver. He had an awful fancy hat and kind of tinsel stuff all over him. He had a tassel on his hat and it kept blowing in my face. I didn’t know what they were waiting for, but pretty soon Jib Jab came out and he had a chain around his leg. He looked pretty fierce and savage. A keeper was holding the chain and Jib Jab pulled and jerked on it, so a lot of people who were standing around backed away. The wagons were all around in a circle so I could see him in his cage, and he winked at me while the keeper was fixing the chain to one of the bars.
Oh boy, but that was some parade! The streets were all full of people and the steam calliope made so much noise you’d think you were in a boiler factory. Oh, didn’t everybody stare at me! I guess my face was as red as the fancy wagons, but what did I care? On one of the streets I saw Harry Donnelle and the other fellows coming out of a candy store. They were all wiping their mouths with their handkerchiefs and Westy was rubbing his stomach with his hand, as if he had been eating something good. They just did that to jolly me, I bet. I should worry about them. Then they all began laughing at me, because I was trying to look fierce and bold. Maybe you think that’s easy.
Gee, I guess we went through every street in Kingston, with people staring at me all the while, and kids hooting, but I didn’t care. Anyway, I was proud to ride on that wagon.
Just when we were coming back into the circus grounds, I saw Harry Donnelle and the patrol and some other scouts waiting, so I climbed down, because I wanted to be with them. Mr. Costello came out and talked to us and said that I did fine. He said I was the idol of thronging multitudes—that’s just what he said. I was good and thirsty, I know that. Gee, didn’t Harry Donnelle laugh.
Mr. Costello said, “The boy scouts are an honor to this great and glorious country and I should like to take our intrepid young friend to Europe to appear before the high nobility.” Harry said that I was a modest kid and that he guessed one continent was about all I could carry in my pocket. He said that some day maybe I’d pick up Europe if I happened to be passing that way.