Circus animals often scent a change, perhaps more quickly than do thepeople about them.
Performers and others, whose duties did not keep them on the lot, werehurrying to get to the dock where the circus boats were waiting, and whereMr. Sparling was attending to the loading.
Phil and Teddy were in no less haste. Quickly getting their trunkspacked, they started off for the river. The moon had come out after thestorm and the air was fresh and fragrant, though underfoot the evidencesof the storm were still present.
"Did I hurt you much when I fell on you tonight, Teddy?""Hurt me?""Yes?""You knocked the breath out of me. But don't let a little thing likethat worry you. I thought the tent had fallen on me, or at least a centerpole. Lucky I was there, wasn't it?""It was.""You might have received a bump that you wouldn't have gotten overright away.""I might have done so.""I saved your life, didn't I?""Perhaps you did. I had only a few feet to drop, you know. I wasready to drop on all fours lightly when you happened to get in the way--""When I happened to get in the way?""Yes. Didn't you?""Well, I like that," growled Teddy indignantly. "Here I run in andsave your life, willing to sacrifice my own for you and you say when I'happened to get in the way.'"Phil laughed heartily.
"Of course, I appreciate your wonderful self-sacrifice. It was verykind of you to get in the way and let me fall on you. Nothing like havinga soft place to fall, is there, old chap?"Teddy uttered an unintelligible growl.
"That's right; insult me. I'm only a clown and--and a life-saver--""And one of the best fellows a chap could have for his friend, eh?
was only joking, Teddy.""I accept your apology. My hand on it," answered Teddycondescendingly. "Next time you can fall on the ground or any oldplace. I don't care. I shan't try to catch you." "If I remembercorrectly, you could not very well help yourself in this instance. You didnot catch me. I caught you--caught you unawares. There is Mr.
Sparling and there are the boats. Don't they look fine, all lighted upinside, their signal lights burning on the outside?""They look wet to me."Thin wisps of smoke were curling lazily from the funnels of the threeboats, for the stokers had not yet started to get up steam. Some hourswould elapse before the fleet would be ready to begin its journey down thebig river.
"There goes the 'Little Nemo,'" cried Teddy.
The smaller of the three steamboats moved slowly out into the stream,and there came to anchor to await the other boats. The "Fat Marie" wasalready alongside the long dock, but she now moved up a little further tomake room for her companion boat, the "River Queen," which latter Philhad nicknamed the "Yellow Peril.""Let's see, where do we stow our belongings, Phil?""On the 'Fat Marie.'""If that name don't sink her, nothing will," said Teddy, with a broadgrin. "I hope the boat floats better than Fat Marie did when she fell in thecreek last season. If not, we're lost. Let's go on board and find outwhere we are going to live.""After we speak to Mr. Sparling. Is there anything we can do to helpyou, Mr. Sparling?" asked Phil, stepping up to the owner of the show, who,hatless, coatless, his hair looking as if it had not been combed in days, wasgiving orders in sharp, short sentences, answering questions and shoutingdirections almost in the same breath.
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