The Circus Boys On The Flying Rings | Page 3

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This Etext was prepared for Project Gutenberg by Greg Berckes

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
THE LURE OF THE CIRCUS II PHIL HEARS HIS DISMISSAL III
MAKING HIS START IN THE WORLD IV THE CIRCUS COMES
TO TOWN V WHEN THE BANDS PLAYED VI PROVING HIS
METTLE VII MAKING FRIENDS WITH THE ELEPHANTS VIII IN
THE SAWDUST ARENA IX GETTING HIS FIRST CALL X PHIL
GETS A SURPRISE XI THE FIRST NIGHT WITH THE SHOW XII
A THRILLING RESCUE XIII THE DAWNING OF A NEW DAY
XIV AN UNEXPECTED HIT XV A STROKE OF GOOD FORTUNE
XVI HIS FIRST SETBACK XVII LEFT BEHIND XVIII A
STARTLING DISCOVERY XIX TEDDY DISTINGUISHES
HIMSELF XX THE RETURN TO THE SAWDUST LIFE XXI AN
ELEPHANT IN JAIL XXII EMPEROR ANSWERS THE SIGNAL
XXIII THE MYSTERY SOLVED XXIV CONCLUSION

The Circus Boys on the Flying Rings

CHAPTER I

THE LURE OF THE CIRCUS
"I say, Phil, I can do that."
"Do what, Teddy?"
"A cartwheel in the air like that fellow is doing in the picture on the
billboard there."
"Oh, pshaw! You only think you can. Besides, that's not a cartwheel;
that's a double somersault. It's a real stunt, let me tell you. Why, I can
do a cartwheel myself. But up in the air like that--well, I don't know. I
guess not. I'd be willing to try it, though, if I had something below to
catch me," added the lad, critically surveying the figures on the poster
before them.
"How'd you like to be a circus man, Phil?"
Phil's dark eyes glowed with a new light, his slender figure
straightening until the lad appeared fully half a head taller.
"More than anything else in the world," he breathed. "Would you?"
"Going to be," nodded Teddy decisively, as if the matter were already
settled.
"Oh, you are, eh?"
"Uh-huh!"
"When?"
"I don't know. Someday--someday when I get old enough, maybe."
Phil Forrest surveyed his companion with a half critical smile on his
face.
"What are you going to do--be a trapeze performer or what?"

"Well," reflected the lad wisely, "maybe I shall be an 'Or What.' I'm not
sure. Sometimes I think I