The Circus Boys Across The Continent | Page 4

brought from the post office. "You couldn't guess if you tried."
"No. Never was a good guesser. That letter from Mr. Sparling?" he questioned, as his eyes caught the familiar red and gold heading used by the owner of the show.
"Yes."
"What's he want?"
"You know I wrote to him asking that we be allowed to skip the rehearsals before the show starts out, so that we could stay here and take our school examinations?"
Teddy nodded.
"I'd rather join the show," he grumbled.
"Never did see anything about school to go crazy over."
"You'll thank me someday for keeping you at it," said Phil. "See how well you have done this winter with your school work. I'm proud of you. Why, Teddy, there are lots of the boys a long way behind you. They can't say circus boys don't know anything just because they perform in a circus ring."
"H-m-m-m!" mused Teddy. "You haven't told me yet where we are going this summer. What's the route?"
"Mr. Sparling says that, as we are going to continue our last year's acts this season, there will be no necessity for rehearsals."
The announcement did not appear to have filled Teddy Tucker with joy.
"We do the flying rings again, then?"
"Yes. And we shall be able to give a performance that will surprise Mr. Sparling. Our winter's practicing has done a lot for us, as has our winter at school."
"Oh, I don't know."
"You probably will ride the educated mule again, while I expect to ride the elephant Emperor in the grand entry, as I did before. I'll be glad to get under the big top again, with the noise and the people, the music of the band and all that. Won't you, Teddy?" questioned Phil, his eyes glowing at the picture he had drawn.
Teddy heaved a deep sigh.
"Quit it!"
"Why?"
" 'Cause you make me think I'm there now."
Phil laughed softly.
"I can see myself riding the educated mule this very minute, kicking up the dust of the ring, making everybody get out of the way, and--"
"And falling off," laughed Phil. "You certainly are the most finished artist in the show when it comes to getting into trouble."
"Yes; I seem to keep things going," grinned the lad.
"But I haven't told you all that Mr. Sparling says in the letter."
"What else does he say?"
"That the show is to start from its winter quarters, just outside of Germantown, Pennsylvania, on April twenty-second--"
"Let's see; just two weeks from today," nodded Teddy.
"Yes."
"I wish it was today."
"He says we are to report on the twenty-first, as the show leaves early in the evening."
"Where do we show first?"
"Atlantic City. Then we take in the Jersey Coast towns--"
"Do we go to New York?"
"New York? Oh, no! The show isn't big enough for New York quite yet, even if it is a railroad show now. We've got to grow some before that. Mighty few shows are large enough to warrant taking them into the big city."
"How do you know?"
"All the show people say that."
"Pshaw! I'd sure make a hit in New York with the mule."
"Time enough for that later. You and I will yet perform in Madison Square Garden. Just put that down on your route card, Teddy Tucker."
"Humph! If we don't break our necks before that! Where did you say we were--"
"After leaving New Jersey, we are to play through New York State, taking in the big as well as the small towns, and from Buffalo heading straight west. Mr. Sparling writes that we are going across the continent."
"What?"
"Says he's going to make the Sparling Shows known from the Atlantic to the Pacific--"
"Across the continent!" exclaimed Teddy unbelievingly. "No; you're fooling."
"Yes; clear to the Pacific Coast. We're going to San Francisco, too. What do you think of that, Teddy?"
"Great! Wow! Whoop!" howled the boy, hurling his remaining Indian Club far up among the rafters of the gymnasium, whence it came clattering down, both lads laughing gleefully.
"We're going to see the country this time, and we shan't have to sleep out in an open canvas wagon, either."
"Where shall we sleep?"
"Probably in a car."
"It won't be half so much fun," objected Teddy.
"I imagine the life will be different. Perhaps we shall not have so much fun, but we'll have the satisfaction of knowing that we are part of a real show. It will mean a lot to us to be with an organization like that. It will give us a better standing in the profession, and possibly by another season we may be able to get with one of the really big ones. Next spring, if we have good luck, we shall have finished with our school here. If they'll have us, we'll try to join out with one of them. In the meantime we must work hard, Teddy, so we shall be in fine shape when we join out two weeks from today. Come