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

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      He had taken a strong liking to Leo and wished to get the boy a place.

      “Well, fix it up, Dick, the best you can,” said the manager. “I must go back and see about those stolen tickets.”

      And off went the manager, followed a minute later by Barton Reeve, leaving Leo alone with Dick Pomeroy, who had charge of the clowns and tumblers connected with the “Greatest Show on Earth.”

      Pomeroy at once led Leo around to a dressing-room. In a corner sat Jack Snipper, a clown and gymnast, his face drawn down.

      “Here’s a man to take Broxton’s place,” explained Pomeroy.

      “Why, he’s a boy!” exclaimed Snipper.

      “Never mind, you must drill him in the best you can.”

      “Can he do anything on the bar?”

      “I reckon so.”

      “I don’t like this drilling in new fellows every couple of weeks,” growled Snipper, who was not a man of cheerful disposition.

      As a matter of fact, he was what is commonly called a crank, and very jealous of his reputation.

      He told Leo where he could obtain a pair of tights and a clown’s outfit, and made up the boy’s face for him.

      Then he gave Leo a long lesson.

      The two were to do a clown act, and then, while on the bars, throw off their clown dresses, and go in for a brothers’ gymnastic act.

      Leo worked hard, and by the time the circus commenced he was ready to go on, although it must be admitted he was extremely nervous.

      The grand entrée was the first thing on the programme. It included the rulers of all nations, savage tribes, elephants, camels, chariots, and a hundred and one other things impossible to mention.

      “Come on now!” suddenly said Snipper, and then he and Leo ran out into the ring and fell down and bounced up as if they were a couple of rubber balls.

      “Ho! ho! look at those two clowns!” shouted the crowd.

      The tumble over, the clowns chased each other around the ring, knocked each other down, and did a dozen other funny things.

      While the two clowns were cutting their capers a young lady bareback rider rode into the ring.

      Her name was Natalie Sparks, but she was known on the bills as Natalie the Fire Queen.

      Her great act was to dive through numerous hoops of fire while on horseback.

      As she began to perform, Leo commenced to climb the centerpole of the tent, doing so in a way that nearly choked the crowd with laughter.

      “See him twisting like a monkey!”

      “He ain’t a clown at all! See, he is throwing off his clown dress!”

      “Now he is dressed in tights!”

      It was true. Leo was in full gymnastic costume and was swinging gracefully from the high bar.

      As Leo began to do his best on the bar, Natalie the Fire Queen started to leap through rings of fire held up by several ringmen.

      The performances of the young gymnast and the Fire Queen were in full swing when a cry of horror arose.

      In some unaccountable manner the fire from the hoops had communicated to the tarred ropes running up by the centerpole to the roof.

      The great canvas had taken fire in several places.

      Before Leo could realize what had happened a cloud of smoke seemed to envelop him.

      The fire had reached the ropes supporting the very bar upon which he was performing!

      His escape in that direction was cut off, and the distance to the ring below was fully half a hundred feet!

      CHAPTER V. – A LEAP OF GREAT PERIL

      Leo fully understood his great peril.

      The entire canvas above him was in flames, and in a very short while the ropes which supported the bar upon which he had been performing would be burned through.

      And then? Leo hardly dared to think of the consequences. The sawdust ring below seemed a terrible distance away.

      A leap to it would mean broken limbs, perhaps death.

      A panic arose among the audience.

      “He can’t escape!”

      “He must fall or jump!”

      A rope and a net were sent for, but long before they arrived Leo had made a move to save himself.

      The smoke rolled around him a second time.

      It was fearfully thick, and made him close his mouth and eyes for fear of being either blinded or suffocated.

      As the smoke swept back in another direction there was a snap above.

      One of the ropes which held the bar had parted!

      The end of the bar hung down, and below it the end of the burned rope.

      As quick as a flash Leo slid down to the very end of the rope.

      Thus suspended he began to swing himself back and forth.

      Soon he gave an extra swing, just as the smoke again came down.

      Like a curving ball he passed through the cloud, past the centerpole, and on to the rings, on the other side of the tent.

      He caught hold of one of the rings and hung fast.

      Then after a pause in which to catch his breath he let himself down to the ground.

      A deafening cheer arose.

      Leo had actually saved himself from death, for as he touched the sawdust the heavy ash bar high above fell with a crash, just missing those who came on with the net.

      “He’s safe!”

      The ushers and others now ran around asking the vast audience to leave the tent as quietly as possible.

      But every one was afraid of the falling of the huge centerpole, and all made a great rush for the openings.

      In this stampede many women and children were knocked down, and it was a wonder that some of them were not killed.

      The fire brigade of the circus went to work as speedily as possible. The nearest hydrant of water was some distance away, but soon a hose was attached and a stream poured on the burning canvas.

      In less than half an hour the excitement was over. Without delay the canvasmen went to work to repair the damage done.

      A good many people grumbled at not having seen a full performance. To these were given tickets of admission to the evening performance.

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