We shall not stop to follow them to the boat, but move on to another place where more lively things were happening, things that were going to cause the Banded Seven no end of excitement before they were through. For out in the middle of the Hudson in a leaky tub is by no means as safe a situation as in bed at Camp McPherson, as the plebes were soon to learn. They had their night’s fun before them.
Smithers’ World Renowned Circus (!) was the cause of all the trouble. Smithers, it seemed, was just then engaged in getting out of Highland Falls; it was rather late at night, in fact Sunday morning, but a circus is a thing that has to keep moving. It was scheduled for a place way up the State on Monday, and so every one was hard at work.
There was a long railroad train drawn up at the station a short way from the circus grounds. The big tents were all aboard and likewise the most of Mr. Smithers’ World Renowned (!) performers; the “Magnificent Menagerie” was being moved when the trouble began.
The wonderful trick elephant was safely shut up in his corner of one car, and likewise Smasher, the fierce untamed bronco ridden by no man—except “Jeremiah Powers, son of the Honorable ’Scrap’ Powers, o’ Hurricane County, Texas.” The single degenerate specimen of a laughing hyena, too hungry and disgruntled to laugh at anything, had also joined the family party. Last of all was the solitary and stray specimen of a buffalo, making up the quartette which composed that much-advertised menagerie.
One would not have thought that buffalo had in him the capacity for causing any trouble; he was a very lean old buffalo—in fact, everything about Smithers’ circus was lean. Even the living skeleton used to complain of hunger. This buffalo bull was old and ragged, reminding one of a moth-eaten rug; and he had a very mild and subdued look about his eyes. Nobody thought him capable of a rebellious action, for he used to trot around the ring daily for the edification of the country people and occasionally he submitted to a yoke and helped the wild elephant get some one of the circus wagons out of a muddy place in the road.
Animals are wily, however; perhaps this beast had just been acting to get a reputation for harmlessness, so that when he did come to rebel he might be sure of success. For to put the whole matter into a nutshell, that buffalo ran away that night.
He took matters into his own hands during the course of the move to the train. They wheeled his cage to the box car and put the door up close and then prodded him to make him move. He moved, but he did not go into the car; instead he poked his shoulders in between the car and the cage and pushed. Before the sleepy circus hands could realize what had happened, he was standing in the middle of the street, waving his tail with much friskiness and gusto.
Of course there was excitement. Smithers came up hot and panting, and after having first sworn at the beast, got an armful of hay and tried to steal a march on him. The beast waited just long enough to show his scorn for such artifices, and then, with a bellow of defiance, wheeled clumsily about and started on a trot up the track.
There was more excitement then. Of course Smithers had to shout and likewise the other circus men, and ditto the loungers in the neighborhood. That woke up the town; and when a country town wakes up at night there is no telling when the thing will stop. Some people solace themselves by shouting murder under such circumstances; others prefer fire; but however that may be, there are sure to be bells ringing, and everybody peering out of their windows to find out if by any chance they had been murdered without knowing it. Anyhow, that was the way it happened in Highland Falls.
Smithers leaped upon a horse and started to lead in the chase; it was a cloudy night, but the moon came out on occasions and just then Smithers could very plainly see the much-accused buffalo trotting serenely, head up, along the railroad track. Behind the proprietor were the rest of the circus performers, professors and madams, and likewise all the freaks except the fat lady. Behind them was a nondescript mass of townspeople, farmers and small boys, all out to see the fun and all shouting so as to assure themselves they were having it.