"That"s all the thanks I git for risking my life."
"Shet up," Lin almost yelled, "ye"ll not tell one word of this to Mr.
Hatfield."
"Stan" up "Al-f-u-r-d" an" look this helgrimite in the face an" shame the devil. Didn"t he push ye in the creek?"
"No, ma"am," falteringly. "I went in myself."
Charley began to look triumphant.
"Did he pull you out?"
"No, ma"am, Morg Gaskill pulled us both out."
Lin fairly hissed: "I knowed ye was lyin"."
Thus encouraged, Alfred graphically related the adventures of the day, not omitting any of the details save the dangling of his limbs out of the milk wagon.
Charley was taken aback and thereafter his credibility was destroyed in so far as the mother and Lin were concerned. He pouted and endeavored to deny portions of the younger boy"s recital but was met with such positive a.s.sertions from Alfred that he retired entirely discomfited.
Lin"s only comment was: "Durn ye; I"d be afeard to put my head in a circus, much less a church." Lin looked upon one with as much reverence as the other.
The boys missed the afternoon performance but were there early for the night show. At the opening note of the hand organ in the side-show Cousin Charley and Alfred were inside. The orator had eloquently described the curiosities pictured on the long line of banners in front of the side-show. But the most alluring object had not been mentioned, namely, a long show case filled with jewelry, symbolic numbers, bank notes of all denominations. A dice box on top of the gla.s.s-covered case was the means by which the yokels were a.s.sured they could extract the jewelry, bank notes, etc.
The father had given Charley ample funds to cover admission fees to all shows and a liberal allowance for refreshments. Alfred was very much interested in the big snake and the lady whom the lecturer introduced as a snake charmer.
The lecturer announced that the performance was over, but another would be given in fifteen minutes. All those wishing to remain for the next performance were privileged to do so. Those congregated around the show case whereon the dice rattled were the only ones to remain.
Alfred heard the man behind the case saying: "Try your luck again, young man. You were within one number of the capital prize. You can"t win it every time. Try again."
Charley did try again and again. He did not win the capital prize but in lieu of $4 he had two bra.s.s rings, a pair of bra.s.s cuff b.u.t.tons and a lead pencil with a sharpener on the end of it.
The shades of night were falling. The lights in the big tent could be seen over the side wall. Hundreds of candles on a pyramid-shaped candelabra made of boards. Think of it, ye modern Ringlings, candles the only lights!
The band playing, Alfred imagined the show going on: the horses going around. All the glories and beauties he had been antic.i.p.ating for weeks would be lost to him. He implored Cousin Charley to hurry up and purchase their tickets.
Hundreds were buying tickets. The big red wagon was open, the ticket seller handling the pasteboards with lightning-like rapidity. It was Ben Lusbie. He was the lightning ticket seller of the circus world. Such was his dexterity that Forepaugh afterwards lithographed him as an attraction.
Alfred"s urgent appeals to "hurry and get our tickets" were lost upon Cousin Charley. He was seemingly dazed. The man at the big door shouted: "Everybody hold their own ticket; all must have tickets."
The hustle and confusion made Alfred still more impatient. He gave the older boy"s arm a rough jerk as he urged him to get their tickets.
Cousin Charley seemed to wake up and the awful truth was revealed--Cousin Charley had been robbed. Alfred must stand right there until he took the jewelry back to the side show and recovered his money.
Alfred stood right there. Hundreds pa.s.sed him, laughing and crowding into the big show. The longer Alfred waited the more miserable he became. Despair came over him. He waited, Cousin Charley did not come.
The crowd thinned out; deeper and deeper Alfred"s heart sank within him.
Anger began to take the place of disappointment. He would beat Cousin Charley black and blue with the first thing he could lay his hands on.
He would expose all he had been concealing in a hundred mean things Charley had been guilty of.
The band played louder in the big tent. The feeling that he was missing all came back to him stronger than ever, bringing the hot tears to his eyes. They rolled down his cheeks until it seemed they would dampen the earth at his feet.
Alfred saw a large man pushing his way to the ticket wagon. It was Doctor Bob Playford, the biggest whole-souled friend any boy ever had.
When the circus came, it was the custom of Bob Playford to wait until the crowd got in, then, collecting all the boys on the lot who could not command the price of admission, make a contract with the door-keeper and put them all in the show.
There are scores of men now, boys then, whose prayers have gone up that kind hearted Bob Playford found it as easy to enter the gates above as he made it for them to enter that heaven to a boy below--the circus.
Alfred knew full well that Doctor Playford would buy him a ticket but his pride would not permit him to ask this.
Accompanying the Doctor were Willie Playford, his son, and Bob Kennedy, his nephew. The boys, recognizing Alfred, asked if he were going in the show. Endeavoring to swallow a big lump in his throat, his voice choked as he answered: "No."
"Were you there this afternoon?"
Again Alfred answered: "No."
No longer able to restrain himself he told of Charley"s folly. The Doctor, approaching, Alfred"s story was repeated, as it progressed, Alfred"s sobbing and crying increased.
The Doctor, giving him a sympathetic look and a rough shake, said: "Now stop crying, stop crying, you dam little fool. When the circus comes to town you always come to me and I"ll see that you get in."
The big Doctor, Alfred and the boys were seated long before the performance began, Alfred forgetting Cousin Charley, the raft, the garments he had dangled out of the milk wagon; in fact all the trials and tribulations of life were as fleeting dreams. Happiness lingered within his whole being. The sights and wonders, the clowns were all flitting before him. The evening was one of bewilderment and enchantment to the boy.
The old clown was his especial delight. He fairly shouted at his quips and antics. When the mules were brought in and $5 offered to the boy or man who could ride one of them, Alfred was tempted to make the trial. He felt certain he could do better than those who were being cast off like babies by the agile animals.
The show over, they started with the crowd toward the door. A whistle sounded, the walls of the tent fell as if by magic. The Doctor and the boys stood a long time watching the tents lowered.
As they pa.s.sed up the narrow pa.s.sage leading from the show lot to the street, Cousin Charley met them, his appearance evidencing his shame and disappointment. The Doctor began chiding him.
Charley, in his illuminating way, explained that he went into the side show, and the man coaxed him to shake the dice. He shook and came within one every time he shook of winning the capital prize. He left the game, was induced to go back and shake again and the first dash out of the box he won the capital prize. They refused to give it to him, grabbed the money he had in his hand and put him out of the tent. He had been up on the hill to see Squire Wilkinson to swear out a warrant for their arrest but the Squire was at prayer-meeting. (They always have prayer meeting when the circus comes to town). He ran back to find the man who took his money.
"If I"d found him, I"d licked him or he"d licked me," concluded Charley.
The big Doctor playfully straightened out his powerful arm, pushing Charley backwards. Gazing at him in a humorously contemptuous manner as he said:
"Look here, my boy, you lie. You were gambling? No one but a country Jake would try to beat that game. I lost two dollars on that eight dice case myself. Now let me give you a little advice: "Don"t bet on another man"s game unless you have money at home, for you are sure to lose all you have with you.""
Alfred and Cousin Charley wended their way home Alfred endeavored to express his sympathy in detailing the wondrous sights he had witnessed in the circus. Alfred was sorry for Cousin Charley and while his intentions were commendable his descriptions of the circus only added to the disappointment and chagrin of the elder boy.
That night Alfred dreamed of heaven in his happiness. He dreamed that heaven was one big circus, with angels in pink tights and clowns capering on the golden streets. Peanuts and candy were heaped in piles invitingly, free to all. He dreamed of a big, blue-eyed man who stood at the Golden Gates and pa.s.sed all the boys in free and when they did not come of their own accord he beckoned to them. He seemed to enjoy the happiness of the boys more than the boys themselves.
Next morning at breakfast the wonders of the circus were gone over again. Alfred did not breathe a word as to Cousin Charley"s loss of the money at the gaming table.
Since the night of the circus Alfred had busied himself preparing to give his first show. The costumes and a place to give the exhibition seemed to worry him more than the entertainment he was to offer.
Lin was his a.s.sistant. It might be more proper to state that Lin was the prime mover, and the director of the proposed exhibition, although Lin kept her activity concealed from the other members of the family. She explained her partic.i.p.ation in the coming show thusly:
"Well, it"s better fer a body to keep yer yungins to hum even ef it does clutter up the house to hev their fun. Alfurd"s mos" crazy "bout bein" a circus clown an" ye"d die laffin" to see the little cuss cuttin" didoes.
I"d rather see him doin" it than hev him trapesin" the streets like Bill"s Charley."
Lin never lost an opportunity to cast a reflection on Charley.