Leo the Circus Boy: or, Life under the great white canvas. Stratemeyer Edward

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ be a clown, if you got funny, but what do you know about gymnastics?”

      “Quite a bit, sir, if I do say it myself. I have liked the exercise all my life, and it seems to me I was cut out for that sort of life.”

      Leo’s earnestness kept Barton Reeve from smiling

      He had often had boys and even men come to him full of silly notions about joining the circus.

      He saw that Leo was a level-headed youth, and he noted, too, that the boy’s body was finely formed and well developed.

      “See here, what do you think of this?” suddenly cried Leo.

      Running forward, he turned several handsprings and ended with a clear air somersault.

      “That’s all right.” In fact, it was first-rate.

      “If I had the apparatus I would like to show you what I can do on the bar and with the rings,” went on Leo.

      “You can do that at the grounds. Come on.”

      Barton Reeve rode off, with Leo behind him on the horse.

      Daniel Hawkins tried to call the boy back, but all to no purpose.

      “Has he any claim on you, Leo?” asked the man.

      “Not a bit of a claim. He treated me like a dog, and now I’m going to leave him whether I get in with the circus or not.”

      CHAPTER IV. – LEO JOINS THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

      On the way to the circus grounds Leo told Reeve much about himself.

      He was seventeen years old, and for years had had a nice home with his parents, and it was during this time that he had taken a thorough course of gymnastics.

      His father had been a retired officer of the United States army, and was supposed to be well to do at the time of his death.

      But Leo had never gotten a cent out of the estate, and since becoming an orphan had known nothing but hard work.

      The boy was satisfied that Squire Dobb was keeping him out of his money, but he had no proofs to use in bringing a case against the rascally lawyer.

      Life on the farm he could not endure, and it was only the hope of getting some money out of Daniel Hawkins which had kept him so long at the drudgery there.

      Now he was satisfied there was no money to be had, and he intended to leave at the first chance.

      By the time Leo’s story was told the party had arrived at the circus grounds.

      It was afternoon, and already the great white tents were up, covering an entire block in the southern end of the town.

      The cage was properly placed in the menagerie department, and then Barton Reeve led the way between numerous empty wagons to the rear of a large affair used as a ticket office.

      This was not yet open, but a knock on the door brought a quick response.

      Two men were in the wagon, the treasurer, Mr. Giles, and Adam Lambert, the traveling manager of the show.

      “Here is a young man who would like to see you, Mr. Lambert,” said Barton Reeve, and he introduced Leo.

      “What is it?” asked the manager shortly. “My time is valuable.”

      “He would like a job in the ring.”

      And then Reeve told about what Leo had done and what the boy’s aspirations were.

      Ordinarily the manager would not have listened to such an application, having hundreds of such made to him every week.

      But he liked Leo’s looks, and besides, a boy who could capture a lion was certainly worth talking to.

      “Don’t you know it’s a hard life, my boy?” he said.

      “I’ll warrant it is no harder than life on the Hawkins’ farm, sir.”

      “It’s not as rosy as it looks from a seat outside of the oval.”

      “I know that. But I am willing to put up with the roughness just for the chance to make something of myself,” returned Leo.

      Adam Lambert thought for a moment.

      “Come with me into the ring,” he said.

      Leo followed him gladly.

      The rings, two in number, were empty, and so were the hundreds of seats, making the tent look vast and gloomy.

      “Now show me what you can do.”

      “Yes, sir.”

      Off came Leo’s coat vest, and shoes. Then followed a number of handsprings, forward, backward, and sideways, and somersaults and curious attitudes.

      “Can I use that bar up there?”

      “Certainly, but there is no rope to get to it.”

      “Never mind, sir.”

      As he spoke Leo ran to the centerpole, and up this he went like a flash.

      Then he gave a sudden leap and sat down on the bar several yards off.

      “By Jove, there is something in that boy!” murmured Adam Lambert to Reeve. “He has just daring enough to succeed.”

      “So I would say, Mr. Lambert. Hullo! Look there!”

      Leo was turning rapidly on the bar.

      He went through a dozen gymnastic movements, and then slid down the center pole.

      “That will do,” shouted the manager. “I’ll give you a trial. You can place yourself under Dick Pomeroy, the head tumbler and bar man. Mr. Reeve, take him to Dick.”

      Adam Lambert had scarcely spoken when a tall, finely-built fellow rushed into the ring from one of the dressing-rooms.

      “Mr. Lambert!”

      “Well, Dick.”

      “Broxton is intoxicated again!”

      “Indeed! Didn’t you warn him as I told you?”

      “Yes, but it did no good. He is so intoxicated he can’t stand.”

      “Then he can’t do his brother clown act with Snipper?”

      “No, sir, we’ll have to cut it out.”

      “Too bad, with Nash on the sick list, too.”

      “See here,” put in Barton Reeve. “This boy wanted to do clown as well as acrobatics.”

      “Is that so, Dunbar?”

      “Yes, sir, if I can help you out I’ll do my best.”

      “It’s short notice,” mused Adam Lambert.

      “Snipper СКАЧАТЬ