"I am afraid we have not heard the last of Diaz, Teddy," confided Philto his companion. "You see what your moment of thoughtlessness hasbrought upon us, don't you?""You didn't have to mix in the row. I could have handled him.""I am forced to admit that you are right. I sought to avoid trouble andI was the direct cause of a lot of it. There goes the first call. Hurry up!"The Circus Boys had, indeed, made an enemy. It was noticed,however, that Manuel, the assistant of Diaz, had taken no part in the row.
The young man had calmly proceeded with his making up withoutappearing to take the slightest interest in the affair. Whether or not hisapparent indifference was merely assumed was not known.
The two boys were not performing on the flying rings this season.
They had retained all their other acts, however, though the star act was theflying trapeze, in which Phil Forrest was now one of the leadingperformers.
Teddy rode his donkey, January, took part in the ground tumbling,acted as shadow again for the clown Shivers, besides making himselfgenerally useful in some of the other acts.
As for Phil's bareback riding, he occupied the center ring in this act, ashe had done the season before. He had come to be perhaps the mostuseful man with the Sparling show.
"I advise you to look out for that fellow. He is a dangerouscustomer," warned Miaco under his breath, as Phil sat down on his horseduring a rest in the performance.
The Circus Boy nodded his understanding, but appeared littledisturbed at Miaco's warning. Like the seasoned circus man that he was,he had learned to take things as they came, making the best of everysituation when he came face to face with it.
Diaz and his assistant were entering the ring as Phil left it. Theybegan throwing their hats, winning great applause, for their act was aclever one of its kind. At about the same time, Teddy Tucker and Januarycame on, the Circus Boy howling, January braying and bucking, beatingthe air with his heels, for he had been taught some entirely new tricksduring the winter.
The ringmaster held up his hand for silence.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you, January. AsJanuary is the first month of the year, so is this January first in the donkeyworld. You will observe how docile and kind he appears. Yet, ladiesand gentlemen, the management of this show will give a hundred dollarsto any person who can stick on his back for a full minute--only sixtyseconds, ladies and gentlemen. Do you know of any easier or fasterway to make money? Six thousand dollars an hour if you stay that long.
Who will be the first to earn the money?"It was the first time the announcement had been made from the ring.
Mr. Sparling had given his consent, even though he had not seen the act.
He had, however, observed Teddy engaged in a tussle with the beast thatafternoon, and could readily understand that what Teddy told him aboutJanuary's contrariness was not overdrawn.
A colored man came down from the audience, and, throwing off hiscoat, announced his intention of riding the mule.
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