The performers were hungry, and readily accepted the invitation. While they were eating Walter Raymond sat close by.
"I wouldn"t mind knowing how to do some tricks," he said. "It must be lots of fun."
"Not so much when one performs for a living," returned Carl. "To do tricks for your friends is amusing."
"Can you show me some simple ones?" Walter pleaded.
Carl smiled.
"Let me have a cent," he said, and after it was produced he took a knife and cut a little nick in one edge, turning the shaving of metal outward.
"Now this cent will stick on any door you place it," he said, and ill.u.s.trated by sticking it up with the metal shaving clinging to the woodwork. "Any boy can do this with ease."
"That"s a nice trick."
After this Carl explained a number of other simple tricks with coins and cards, and then he and Leo departed with a cheer from the young people as they walked away.
"Well, what"s to do now?" questioned Leo as they hurried on.
"I move we get our baggage from Mrs. Gerston. I need some of my clothing, especially if we are to give garden exhibitions."
"That"s true. All right; Mrs. Gerston"s it is."
The walk back to town did not take long. At first the boarding-house mistress frowned on them, but when they explained that they intended to settle up her expression changed.
It was too late to go anywhere that night, so a bargain was struck whereby she agreed to let them remain and have breakfast for one dollar more, or eleven dollars in all.
"That leaves us with just a dollar capital," laughed Leo. "Not much, but a good deal better than nothing. The question is, what shall we do to-morrow?"
"We had better try to work our way from town to town," replied Carl.
"Perhaps we"ll be fortunate enough to give exhibitions on the way. Even if we can"t strike garden parties, we can show at country hotels and take up a collection. It"s not a nice way to do, but it"s better than begging."
The next morning found the pair up bright and early. Their baggage-two satchels belonging to each, for their trunks had been lost-were soon strapped up, and after breakfast they set out to shake the dust of the town from their feet.
Hardly had the last house in the place been pa.s.sed than Leo noticed that they were being followed by a burly fellow, who carried in his hand an ugly-looking rawhide whip.
The fellow soon caught up to them.
"Stop there, do yer hear?" he called out.
"What do you want?" asked Carl, coming to a halt.
"I want ter talk to yer. Ain"t you the chap as killed the dog over ter Raymond"s place?"
"I am."
"I thought so. Do yer know I was the owner of that dog, an" that he was a valuable beast?"
"If he was valuable, it"s too bad. He was mad and had to be killed," put in Leo.
"He wasn"t mad-he only had a fit. He gits "em often. I want yer to pony up twenty-five dollars fer him. If yer don"t I"ll fix ye, see?"
"I"ll not pay a cent," cried Carl. "He was mad and we can easily prove it."
"No sech thing, boy! Are yer goin" ter pay?"
"No."
"Then take that!"
The fellow raised the rawhide whip and brought it down with a whir over Carl"s head.
Had the rawhide descended as intended the young magician would have been seriously injured.
But Carl was not to be caught unawares.
He leaped aside, and before the man could raise the whip again, Leo wrenched it from his grasp.
"Give me that whip or I"ll fix yer, as sure as my name is Jack Darrow!"
fumed the fellow.
"Stand back!" ordered the young gymnast. "You have no right to attack my friend."
"I"ll show ye!" yelled Jack Darrow, and leaped upon Carl.
The young magician was on guard, and in a twinkle he put out his foot and sent the fellow on his back.
"Now leave me alone or I"ll shoot you," he said sternly, and walked away. Leo threw the whip over a fence and followed.
Darrow got up and stood still. He shook his fist after them, then disappeared in search of his whip.
The next village was four miles distant, and when they reached the place, Carl, who had lamed his foot on a stone, was glad enough to sit down. He entered a tavern and took a seat by a corner table.
"I"ll be with you in a few minutes," said Leo. "I want to see what the prospects are here."
"All right, I"ll wait," replied the young magician, and taking up a paper that lay handy he glanced it over.
Presently a man came in and dropped in a chair opposite to him. Carl glanced over the paper and saw it was Nathan Wampole.
CHAPTER XIX.-WAMPOLE"S NEW SCHEME.
"Some ale," said Wampole to the waiter, and it was quickly brought and set before him.
"What"s your order?" asked the waiter of Carl.