FOR several weeks after this the circus traveled about from city to city, sometimes taking in large towns, and gradually working through the middle west, spending considerable time in Ohio and Indiana. Jack was beginning to like the life more and more, in spite of the hard work, for, though there was plenty of fun connected with it, there was also no lack of hardships.
He continued to improve in his act and had received another raise of salary, now getting eighteen dollars a week, which was as much as some of the other clowns earned.
Jack was careful with his money, and, at Sam’s suggestion, left most of it with the treasurer of the show. For there were many temptations to spend money when on the road, and Jack had more than once declined to gamble or spend his cash for drinks or cigars.
“I never saw such a tight-wad as you are,” said Ted Chester one day, when he had invited Jack to enter a card game with him. “Why don’t you loosen up a bit?”
“I don’t care to waste my money gambling,” replied Jack. “I’ve got a better use for it. Why don’t you play with some of the other fellows?”
“Because they’re sports, and they’ve spent all their money until next salary day.”
The truth was, though, that few of the circus folk liked to play with Ted, who had a reputation of cheating when he got the chance. He and Mitz were generally together, seeking to get some one interested in a card game, and it was whispered that they acted as partners in fleecing the unwary ones who played with them.
But Jack had been warned by his friend, Sam Kyle, to have nothing to do with any card games, and not to drink or smoke. He would probably not have done so anyhow, as the boy had the advantage of excellent home training; but temptation is sometimes very strong, and Sam did not want to see his protégé get into bad habits.
“There’s nothing in this sporting life—drinking, smoking, and gambling,” said Sam. “I’ve done my share of it, and I know what I’m talking about. It’s fun for a while, but you have to pay a dear price for it.
“I used to squander my money that way, but an old man gave me some good advice in time, and I quit. Now I’m saving up for the time when I get too old to amuse folks any longer.”
“And I’m saving up to try and find my folks,” said Jack.
“Haven’t you had any word from them?”
“Not a word since I ran away. I don’t suppose I could have received any, traveling about as we do. Sometimes I wish I had stayed with the professor. He was real mean to me, and would have had me arrested. But even then I might have heard some word from my father or mother. Now I’m not likely to unless I can get to China, or unless I go back to the professor.”
“I’d advise you to do the last,” said Sam. “It’s a long way to China, and I doubt if you could do much, or find out much, after you got there. Go back to the professor.”
“But he’ll have me arrested. I don’t want to be locked up for something I didn’t do.”
“I don’t blame you for that. But wait a while. There’s no need to go back right away. Finish out the season with us, if you like. I know the old man would hate to lose you now.”
“I want to stay, too,” said Jack. “I’m getting to like the life very much.”
“Well, then, stick it out till fall. Then write to the professor, asking for news of your folks. He’ll give you some, if he has it, even though he wants to arrest you. But perhaps by then he’ll get over his anger, or maybe he’ll find, in the meanwhile, that you didn’t steal the cup. Anyway, you can write to him, and promise to return, if he will not have you locked up, until you have a chance to prove that you’re innocent. That’s what I’d do.”
“I guess I will,” decided Jack. “I’ll write to him when it’s about time for the circus to close up.”
“That won’t be for a couple of months yet,” said Sam. “Maybe you’d better write now.”
“No, if I do, very likely he’d find out where I was and have me locked up. I’ll wait a while.”
But if Jack had only written then he would have saved himself much anguish of heart, and not a little physical suffering. But he did not know, not being able to look into the future.
One day, after he had finished his performance in the ring, Jack went to the property man.
“I wish I could have my platform made a little higher,” he said.
“What for?”
“Well, there isn’t much chance for the air to get under the umbrella when I jump off now. If I made a higher leap I could work the wings a little better, for I’d be in the air longer. Can you raise the platform?”
“I guess so. How much?”
“About ten feet.”
“But that will make it nearly forty feet for you to jump. Won’t that be rather dangerous?”
“I guess not. You see, the umbrella is a big one, and once it gets a lot of air under it, I’m held up, and I’ll come down slowly. Besides, it will make a better act. I can make it look more as if I was really flying.”
“All right, I’ll do it. Did you ask Mr. Paine?”
“Yes; and he said it would be all right. He likes the idea.”
“Mr. Waddleton will have to get some new adjectives to put on the bills about you,” remarked the property man, with a laugh. “He thinks you’re quite an attraction. You’ve got Ted and some of the other clowns jealous. They’re at me all the while to get them up something so they can make a hit.”
“Well, there’s nothing to stop them,” declared Jack. “I don’t care how many queer stunts they do.”
“Me either; only I’m not going to think ’em out for ’em and then make ’em. I told ’em I’d make ’em if they’d tell me what they wanted, but they haven’t got brains enough to do that. They make me tired!” and the property man went on with his work of patching up a big sea serpent that one of the clowns used in an act. “I’ll make that platform higher for you to-morrow,” he said to Jack; “only you want to be careful how you jump off from such a height.”
“I will,” said the young clown, and then he went into the tent to rest until the evening performance, for he was rather tired, as he had responded to several encores that afternoon.
The platform, made ten feet higher, was ready for him the next day, when they opened in a good-sized city in Indiana. He got his flying machine in readiness, and it was carted out by a couple of the ring hands, for since Jack had made such a success he was given more attention by the manager, who detailed two men to help the lad, since the apparatus was now quite bulky to move about, though it was very light. Jack had made one or two changes in it, and had rigged up some United States flags on the top of the umbrella, the emblems being suddenly displayed by the pulling of a string as he began to sail downward.
“Now, Jack,” said Sam Kyle, as the clowns ran out of the dressing-tent, in response to the trumpet signal, “let’s see how your improvement works. I expect you’ll sail all about the tent now.”
“Hardly; but I can give a better exhibition, I think.”
He climbed up to the top of the slender platform. Then, after his usual song and dance, he prepared to take his place on the seat of the flying machine. First, however, as was his custom, he carefully examined the umbrella, for it was on this he relied to save him from the effects of his high jump, the big Japanese affair acting as does a parachute when a man leaps from a balloon.
Something about some of the ribs attracted the boy’s attention. He looked more carefully. To his horror, he saw that nearly all of them had been cut through so that when he jumped the umbrella would collapse, and let him fall to the ground with such a suddenness that he would be seriously hurt, if not killed. For a moment the terror of his discovery of the treacherous act deprived him of the ability to move or speak.
“Some one did this so I’d get hurt,” he whispered. “I wonder who it could have been?”
Yet he at once thought of Ted Chester and his crony, the ringmaster.
“What shall I do?” thought Jack. “I can’t go on with the act with this umbrella.”
He stood on the platform, undecided what to do. The crowds, which had heard of his act, were impatiently calling for him to leap.
“What’s the matter?” asked Mr. Paine, running to the foot of the platform. He had seen from the other side of the ring that something was wrong.
“My umbrella ribs have been cut,” replied Jack. “I can’t jump with it this way.”
“Great Scott!” exclaimed the manager. “That’s a mean trick! I’ll look into this. But wait. Haven’t you a spare umbrella somewhere?”
“Yes, several of them.”
“All right. Come down. I’ll send for Delafield to help you rig up another one. In the meantime I’ll send Sam Kyle over here to jolly the crowd along until you’re ready. He’ll say you have to fix up your airship, because one built by the German government tried to destroy it last night. And say nothing about the umbrella until you hear from me. Quick, now, get down.”
Thus did the quick-witted manager save the situation. Jack descended, and soon, with Mr. Delafield’s aid, he was attaching another umbrella to the airship. Several had been supplied, in case one might be damaged, and so little time was lost, though the two flags could not be attached.
Meanwhile Sam Kyle mounted to the platform, and was keeping the crowd in roars of laughter by his antics. As soon as Jack was ready he came down, and our hero took his accustomed place.
Once more he carefully examined the umbrella before venturing on his flight. This caution had been impressed on him by Sam, and some of his other friends. None of the performers who had to do their acts high in the air, they said, would go on a trapeze, bar or rope without first testing it. For, not only were accidents likely to occur, but often vindictive rivals would cut a rope partly through, with the hope of maiming their more successful fellows.
But this new umbrella was strong, and Jack made ready for his leap. It was with more fear than he had known since he had perfected his act that he got astride the swaying seat, and, holding to the umbrella handle, launched himself from the platform, his feet working the big wings as fast as they would flap.
To his delight, his new plan worked to perfection. The air, having more of a chance to get under the umbrella, buoyed him up considerably better, and he sailed gracefully to the ground, the flight taking several seconds longer. The chief drawback to it formerly had been that it was over too quick. Now this objection had been removed.
Then Jack pulled the cord which fired the shot, and the ship seemed to fly apart, the umbrella closing down and the bag collapsing. There was hearty applause for the young clown, but through it all Jack was wondering at the motive of those who had so nearly caused a serious accident.