ON THE ROAD ONCE MORE
All was bustle and excitement.
Men were rushing here and there, shouting out hoarse commands.Elephants were trumpeting shrilly, horses neighing; while, from many a canvas-wrapped wagon savage beasts of the jungle were emitting roar upon roar, all voicing their angry protest at being removed from the winter quarters where they had been at rest for the past six months.
The Great Sparling Combined Shows were moving out for their long summer's journey.The long trains were being rapidly loaded when Phil Forrest and Teddy Tucker arrived on the scene late in the afternoon.
It was all new and strange to them, unused as they were to the ways of a railroad show.Their baggage had been sent on ahead of them, so they did not have that to bother with.Each carried a suitcase, however, and the boys were now trying to find someone in authority to ask where they should go and what they should do.
"Hello, Phil, old boy!" howled a familiar voice."Who's that?" demanded Teddy.
"Why, it's Rod Palmer, our working mate on the rings!" cried Phil, dropping his bag and darting across the tracks, where he had espied a shock of very red hair that he knew could belong only to Rodney Palmer.
Teddy strolled over with rather more dignity.
"Howdy?" he greeted just as Phil and the red-haired boy were wringing each other's hands."Anybody'd think you two were long lost brothers.""We are, aren't we, Rod?" glowed Phil.
"And we have been, ever since you boys showed me the brook where I could wash my face back in that tank town where you two lived.That was last summer.Seems like it was yesterday.""Yes, and we work together again, I hear? I'm glad of that.I guess you've been doing something this winter," decided Rodney, after a critical survey of the lads."You sure are both in fine condition.Quite a littlelighter than you were last season, aren't you, Phil?" "No; I weigh ten pounds more.""Then you must be mighty hard."
"Hard as a keg of nails, but I hope not quite so stiff," laughed Phil."What you been working at?""Rings, mostly.We've done some practicing on the trapeze.What did you do all winter?""Me? Oh, I joined a team that was playing vaudeville houses.I was the second man in a ring act.Made good money and saved most of it.Why didn't you join out for the vaudeville?""We spent our winter at school," answered Phil.