QUIT that,” shouted Billy, as he pulled and jerked, trying to break away from the grip that held him fast.
“No, you don’t,” said old Blue Nose. “I’ve got you now and I say to you again, either you get us out of here or in you come if I have to pull you to pieces.”
“Give me time to think a minute,” replied Billy, supposing that someone would come to his rescue when it was seen what a tight box he was in.
But the crowd only laughed, not perceiving how serious the situation really was and regarding it a great joke that the sly old monkey had succeeded in capturing so neatly the now famous goat. It happened that none of the keepers were near at the time or they would have known by past experience that Billy Whiskers was now in great danger of his life.
“I’ll give you just one minute to make up your mind whether or not you care to accept my terms,” now replied Billy’s terrible captor. “If you free us from our prison, we will make you our leader and follow you wherever you go,” went on the monkey.
“I don’t want to be your leader, dear Colonel Mandrill. I am not fitted for so distinguished an honor.”
It was all that Billy could do to make this polite speech. His voice, in spite of his best effort to control it, shook as though he were having a chill.
“You waste good time in talking such nonsense. In half a minute more you will begin to come between the bars of this cage. By the time you are all in, you’ll look as flat as a pancake for the space is narrow, but I am strong.” With that heartless remark he gave Billy’s head a jerk that seemed as though it would break his neck.
Billy Whiskers took a look at the monkey, saw that the thin gaunt arm which held him was all muscle, as strong as steel. In a flash it came to him why the old Coon who lived in the big chestnut at home held the whole monkey tribe in such dread.
“My only chance,” thought Billy, “is to break away from him, even if I lose all my whiskers in doing it.”
With that, he began to pull back with all his might, throwing his head up and down, right and left. The strain on his long beard was more painful than having teeth pulled out, but there was no help for it. He squirmed and wiggled and twisted. It all did no good. The strong hand and arm that held him never relaxed. The long, white, luxuriant beard, once Billy’s pride and joy but now his greatest enemy, did not give way.
“QUIT THAT!” SHOUTED BILLY.
He felt that his head was being pulled nearer and nearer the fatal bars. Now his nose touched the iron, and his fore feet were no longer on the ground. Billy closed his eyes, throwing his head up once more, not in the hope of breaking loose—he had given that up—but in utter despair. It saved him. In some way, Billy could never afterward explain how, one of his horns caught under the pin with which the door was fastened and as he raised his head for the last time this pin was dislodged and fell to the ground.
Billy’s captor was braced against the door at the time, the better to drag him in, so that when the fastening gave way the door flew open in a hurry and out popped the blue-nosed Mandrill, followed closely by all the other monkeys.
Billy now tried, of course, to get away for he had quite enough of the monkey tribe by this time, but they wouldn’t have it that way. In two seconds they were all around him. Billy Whiskers had set them free and it was plain to be seen that he was the one of all others to tie to now.
As soon as the monkeys came piling out of their cage, the people who were looking on scattered right and left. They made a great commotion but nobody paid much attention. This clearing of the space gave just the opportunity that was wanted to organize and make a few plans. It took far less time than it does to tell it. In a minute the decision had been reached to give the performance of the afternoon, and so they moved, in a compact body with Billy Whiskers in the center, toward the great ring, everybody getting quickly out of their way without being asked.
At the sudden and unexpected appearance of Billy Whiskers and the monkeys in the midst of the great amphitheatre, packed with people, a great shout went up. Such a welcome was never given the most skilled performer or even to the most popular clown.
The reception tendered to the newcomers by the performers and clown who were busy at the time of their coming with their different parts was in marked contrast to that of the audience.
They were apparently frightened out of their wits and every one of them took to his heels, leaving the ring in the possession of the strangest group that, up to that time, had ever been seen at any circus, though it became a common sight afterward for the fashion of a new departure in circus performing was now being thus strangely set.
Without pausing, the monkeys took up the work of entertaining the people. It was found afterward, on inquiry, that they had learned their parts by being able to watch the acting day after day from their cage.
Some of them mounted the trapeze and gave an exhibition of daring climbing, swinging, jumping, tight rope walking such as had never before been seen. Others leaped upon the horses which were in the ring on their arrival, and dashed around helter skelter, jumping through rings, leaping from one horse to another while going at breakneck speed.
The audience, of course, at a sight so novel and comical went nearly mad with delight. It was an occasion never forgotten by those present, the beginning of a boom for the whole show that made its owners rich men, for from that day the crowds which came were bigger than ever before. It was not long before it was necessary to introduce three big rings in order that the vast audiences might be accommodated.
Billy Whiskers certainly had no idea what the result would be when he, as he afterward expressed it, let loose that box of monkeys. Even when they forced him to go into the ring, calling him their leader, his only thought was to find some way to shake the whole caboodle of them and make his escape.
But he no sooner perceived the shouts of the people, the hand clapping, the waving hats and handkerchiefs, saw Mr. and Mrs. Treat with Tom, Dick and Harry on the third row of seats not far from the main entrance, and last, but not least to his delight, Terrence Bull Pup peering enviously at him, his eyes fairly green with jealousy, from a humble position under one of the front seats to which he had evidently sneaked entirely unnoticed, than he recognized his opportunity to make himself famous and resolved to make the most of it.
The old love of excitement, adventure and mischief burned in his heart once more as it had not done for a long, long time. He forgot his rage at old Blue Nose Mandrill who was now dashing around the ring in a most harum-scarum fashion on the beautiful white Arabian steed which had been deserted by his regular rider on the first appearance of Billy Whiskers and his troupe, forgot how cruelly the old sinner had pulled his beard and threatened to make him as flat as a pancake by yanking him through the close set bars of his cage. He thought only of the fact that by strange chance he was the acknowledged leader of these bold acrobats who were taking a great audience by storm.
“Whatever may come of it,” said Billy, talking to himself of course, “now is my chance and I’ll improve it. These monkeys know what they are doing and if they want me to be their leader, I will. It won’t do to be too easy with them. They have undertaken to amuse this great audience which seems pleased with their efforts and it’s my part to keep them at it and up to the mark. No shirking now.”
Whereupon our Billy stepped proudly into the center of the ring. A little while before he had felt tired and was beginning to look bedraggled, especially after his trying experience with Colonel Mandrill, but there were no signs of anything of the sort now. The Treat boys thought that they had never seen him look so handsome. Terrence Bull Pup wished as he had never wished anything before in his life that he had not written that snubbing letter to so famous a personage.
“Just think,” he growled, “I might be sharing his glory with him if I had had more sense and decency.”
No clown ever took the fancy of a crowd as Billy Whiskers did now. He bowed and bowed in every direction in recognition, as it seemed, of the great applause that greeted his own efforts and those of his troupe to please the audience. If any of the monkeys tried to take a rest Billy was down on him in a minute, sending him aloft or making him go on with his hair-raising riding. Old Blue Nose, who was completely winded, fairly begged and plead for a breathing spell, but his leader wouldn’t hear to it but made him mount his white Arabian and go on with his trick work.
For fully ten minutes, while the others were performing, Billy did not give any exhibition of his own high jumping.
“I’ll save that to the last,” he thought. His whole time and attention were occupied in keeping the others going and in acknowledging the plaudits of the audience. Finally he jumped over the back of one of the ponies, then over that of one of the smaller horses.
“I must try the big black stallion,” said Billy. “If I succeed, we will clear out for we do not want to run this business into the ground. My, that will be the whale of a jump! I never saw such a big horse in my life. It won’t do for me to fall down now. These ungrateful monkeys would depose me, the Treat family would feel disgraced, and that snooping Terrence Bull Pup would be tickled to death. Here goes!”
Just as he said that, the great black stallion came galloping by.
“He will never make it,” shouted the excited and breathless crowd, for it was plain to be seen what Billy was planning to do.
He jumped high and true, but the spectators were right for he did not succeed in going over but lighted fair and square right on the big black’s back instead.
Nobody but Billy ever knew that he had failed of his purpose. It looked as though it had been his intention right along to be borne out of the ring in this proud fashion. Even his band of monkeys thought so.
The big horse dashed once around the ring with triumphant Billy on his back bowing his acknowledgements on all sides, and then down the alley where the performers made their regular exit.
The monkeys, seeing their leader departing, without waiting to be called, followed in quick pursuit.
What happened then will have to be reserved for our next chapter.
