Leo smiled. He had heard that Porler was a very conceited man who had been in the business for a dozen years or more.
Once he had wanted to become Professor Ricardo"s partner, but the professor refused to go into the deal.
This made Porler angry with the professor and also with the circus folks.
When Leo arrived at the circus lot he found that the two balloons had been located side by side.
Porler was to exhibit at one o"clock, while Leo usually went up an hour later.
The young gymnast cautioned Larry to be on guard, so that no harm should come to his outfit, and he likewise cautioned his men to keep away from Porler"s inclosure and thus avoid trouble.
The backs of the two tents used by Leo and Porler were almost together, and while Leo was in his own, looking over his things, he heard quarreling in the tent beyond.
"Oh, don"t ask me to do that, Mr. Porler!" pleaded a boyish voice.
"Anything but that!"
"You must do it, Mart Keene!" responded the gruff voice of the balloonist.
"I can"t-really I can"t!" pleaded the boyish voice again.
"You can do it and you will. My reputation is at stake and you must go up with me and do the fairy act."
"I will fall and break my neck!"
"No, you won"t-not unless you get too confoundedly nervous, which you haven"t any right to do."
"Let me do my own act," pleaded Mart Keene, for such was the boy"s name.
"No, you"ll do as I want you to. We must show up at our best."
The boy began to cry.
He was a street waif from New Orleans. Porler had picked him up in the French quarter one day and adopted him. He had promised him a good living and some money, but he got neither. He had often abused him, and at times made him do acts in connection with his exhibitions which imperiled Mart"s limbs and life. He did not care what became of the boy, as long as he made money.
Porler flew into a rage when Mart started to cry.
"Shut up!" he cried in a low tone that was full of pa.s.sion. "Do you want the crowd outside to hear your sniveling?"
"I will stop when you promise not to make me do the fairy act," sobbed Mart.
"You"ll do that act, I say, and that ends it!" howled Porler.
He looked around the tent, and, espying a whip lying near a trunk, picked it up.
"Do you see this?" he demanded.
"Oh, don"t whip me, please!"
"Promise to do as I wish you to or I"ll break this whip over your bare back, you rascal!"
"No, no!"
Mart tried to shrink back from the man, but he sprang forward and clutched him by the arm.
Yet the upraised whip never descended.
The back canvas of the tent was pushed up and Leo appeared.
He caught the whip and twisted it from Porler"s hand.
"You coward, let that poor boy alone!" he cried.
Porler was thunderstruck. He had not dreamed of being interrupted. His face grew dark as he whirled around and faced the young gymnast.
"What right have you to come in here?" he hissed.
"The right any one has to save a defenseless boy from a brute!" retorted Leo. "I want you to leave him alone."
"He is my ward."
"I don"t care if he is. You evidently treat him worse than you would a dog."
"He won"t do as I order him to."
"You want him to risk his neck in the fairy act, an act that can"t be accomplished except by long and careful training. It isn"t right."
"You are jealous and afraid we are going to outdo you," sneered Porler.
Leo"s face flushed.
"I am not," he said calmly. "I wish to stick up for the lad, that is all. Leave him alone and I won"t bother you."
"Supposing I don"t choose to leave him alone?"
"Then I"ll make you, and not only that, I"ll go outside and let the crowd know just how matters stand-that you want to force him to do an act that he can"t do, and which may cause him to lose his life."
Hardly had Leo uttered the words than, with a muttered imprecation, Porler sprang upon him and bore him to the ground.
CHAPTER XXIX.-PORLER"S MOVE.
Porler was angry enough to give Leo a good beating.
He struck at the boy as he sent him down to the ground, but the young gymnast avoided the blow.
Then Leo let out, and Porler received a blow on the nose.