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I-IAPIPY DARES.
8
be Jealous of you; Don’: you mind 'em.
Say nothing," but If they try to gauge ye,
in me Jeremiah, I'll sxnas '27:!"
e canvaaman brought his dst down
- with great emphasis.
g “I thank you, Illram," he said.
you are my friend. Where you go, I shall
go. In all alone in the world. You
cannot know What it is worth to me to have
a friend like you." ,
lrani Bell could not speak, but he
caught Teddy in n bear-like hug. From
that hour they were inseparable friends. -
Teddy did his wonderful act that night
before an immense audience. As it Wu
his first appearance in public be was 3 bit
nervous, but he quickly recovered ‘from
this.
And the boy tumbler was now right in
his elemen
Teddy’s
rrnllzation.
He had met most of the circus company,
and fraternized readily with them.
u as he stood in the ring waiting for
his turn there flashed upon the scene 8.
beautiful milk-white horse. Upon his back,
balancing and pirouetting, was a slender
young girl.
She was petite, and had a. ilower-like
face. She dashed a glance at Teddy as
she went flying around the ring, and his
heart stood still. I
lie was young to be attracted by fem-
inine eharms, but this young ‘bareback
rider held him spellbound.
e madly around the ring, and
leaped through dying rings, turned light
somersaults, and did many other wonder-
ful feats. The tent shook with applause.
Just then into the ring flashed another
horse, a beautiful black. On his back stood
a oung man with a perfect form, but a
dark, forbidding face. ,
“Who is the girl rider?" asked Teddy in
an undertone of Dalzell. .
“Don't you know her? She is the daugh-
ter of the circus proprietor. Her name is
Tina Murray. Ah, she is a. darling. She
is the apple of the old man's eye. The
young fz.,Low now riding with her is the
Wonderful aerial rider, Jack Harley."
Teddy could not keep his cyes fronrthe
pair. They rode amid thundcrs of applause.
'I‘heir riding was the grace of form and
fpoetry of motion. ' ,
But just as they were at the height of the
act a thrilling thing occurred. ' >
From the animal tent there came wild
shrleks of fright.’ A panic spread through
the tent. Women fainted, and frantic men.
fought their way to the higher seats.
The riugmaster and the ring men ded
like sheep for the dressing-room. Teddy
,‘ alone stood on the edge of the ring. 4,
The two horses, side by side, "still gal-
Ioped around the ring as they had been
trained to do. Tina yet pirouetted on the
back of one of them. e was an ex-
pression of fear upon her lovely face, but
she still kept on.‘
And then Teddy saw the cause of all the
'r
it ‘‘You’ll find all the other performers will
I
fond aspirations had met with
panic.
His blood froze with horror. Straight
for the ring came bounding n uge leo-
pard. The animal had escaped from the
menagerie. ' , ' .
K jaws and madrlened attitude were
. frightful to behold. Its blazing eyes seemed
fixed upon Tina on the horse. Over the
ropes it leaped, and sprang alter the horse
' 4 upon which she was. .
An awful scream of horror went up from
the spectators. The two horses, true to
their training, did not cease flying about
the ring; but it was plain they were ter-
ribly frightened, for, they kicked furiously
at every other leap. -
Teddy saw all this like one in a dream.
He saw that Tina. was doing the right and
only possible thing in remaining on her
horse. ‘ . -
rli she had sprung down and<tried to
make the dressing-room the leopard would
surely have overtaken her.
All happened in the flash of a few sce-
onds: but In that brief period of time Ted-
dy did :1 lot of thinking.
Jack Iiarley had escaped to the dress.
ing-room, leaving Tina to her own re-
sources. To Teddy this was the most cow-
ardly of acts. In that flash of time the
boy tumbler made up his mind what to do
and acted. '
WW1 055 lean he crossed the ring almost
in the leopards path. and reached the
back of Harley’: horse. Tinzre horse was
half the ring ahead.
Almost in the some instant the leopard
shot forward and alighted upon the hips
of Tina's horse. One second more and the
youns girl would surely have been lost.
For her horse tripped and went down,.
Tina would have gone alsopand horse
yard and fair rider been all in a. mix-up.’
It was hardly likely she would have es.
caped with horylife. '
But that instants pause‘, as the leopard
allglrted on Tina's horse, brought Teddy
alongside. He threw out one arm, caught
' the little circus rider around the walst,Y
and swept on. She was saved, ’
' “Don't be bashful, my little man
CHAPTER III.
our son rams.
Teddy had grasped the reins as he
alighted cu Harley's horse. lie relned the
horse close enough to permit him to grasp
Tina‘: swaying form just in time.
The headway was so great that they
swept once more around the ring; but the
horse and leopard had gone crashing
through the ropes, and the course was
clear. . ‘
Teddy relned his horse out of the ring
and swept into the dressing-room. Then
be lowered Tina lightly to the ground and
leaped down himself.
She was hardly flustered by the swift
though thrllilng experience; but Teddy had
saved her ‘fc.
She stood 'there one moment looking
straight at him.
"You-who are you?" she asked. “You
are not Mr. llarley. He left me!" -
"No." replied Teddy. “I am one of the
; but I happened to see your peril
umb
jus‘ in time.’ 7 , H
“You saved my life," she cried. earnestly.
She then stopped, and a flush of crimson
mantlcd her face. Her eyes had met Ted-
dy's and in that glance was something
utiiher ever forgot. . .
But the others now rushed in and sur-
rounded them. Mr. lvlurray himself had
seen the whole thing. nnd now rushed in
like :1 wild man. ,
He caught Tina up in his arms, and
cricd wildly: - ‘ ‘f
“Thzuik heaven! My darling was saved.
I thought you gone forever.". -'
Then he eat her down and turned.
"Where's that boy?" he cried. "Where is
that young tumbler? By the powers, I'll
show him that,I know how to appreciate
what he has done for me. He is the brav-
est boy I ever saw, and Jack Harley is the
biggest coward.” ,
Harley stood by with lowering visage,
and he heard this; but Teddy was gone.
lie had returned to the ring, Where the
canvasmen had killed the leopard.‘ The
scarewas over, and nobody was hurt, only
Tina's horse was ruined.
The show went on, - - ‘
Teddy was jailed on in a tumbling
specialty. The show wound up success-
fully in spite of the leopardjncidcnt.
, After it was over, Teddy was leaving the
tent in his civilian attire, when Hiram Bell
ran up and embraced him,
"Boy, boy!" he cried, with honest tears-
In his eyes, “do you know what you have
done? Jim lilurray never will forget you
for that. It was the pluclriest thing I ever
life."
saw in my
.. ,2] W...
c . 5 rd Teddy, rrrodz>stly,"‘I h:v.:l
the best opportunity, It nus all quite easy
0 do." '
6
' “Was it? Well, don’t tell me that. Now,
boy, you've made yourself, all right. You've
got a strong and true friend." ’
“I am glad of that," declared Teddy. “I
want ell I can get.”
But Teddy was in 9. happy frame of mind.
After the show that night he received word
to ‘report at Mr. Murray's room at the hotel.
Teddy went thither with some misgivings.
Ivie entered modestly Ji Murray and
Alonzo, or “Lon" Murray, were seated at a
table. I ‘
"Here he is!" cried Jim Murray, heartily.
. Come up
here and sit down. Do you know that you
ave done me the greatest favor to-day
that I could ask of any one? You saved
my Tina's life. Yes, you did it, and I can
tell you I inn interested in you. You can
ask any favor of me you wish, and it shall
be granted.”
"I thank you very kindly."
“but there is nothing I desire.
A long and pleasant conversation fol-
lowed. The result‘ was that Teddy do
parted in a very happy frame of-mind.
“I do not offer you recompense in man-
.cy," said the circus man; “for that would
not pay the debt. but you may consider
yourself henceforth as my own son. I shall
see that you are always provided for.“
“I thank you," replied Teddy, with spirit,
“but I could not accept of such an
offer.” '
“What!” exclaimed both men, in sur-
“You' refuse it?”
. I am going to build my own for-
tune,” said Teddy. “What I have done for
you, Mr. Murray, has given me greater
pleasure than you. I am already more than
rewarded in being conscious of having done
my duty."
be two man were silent a moment. Then
Murray cleared his throat.
oy," he said, “you show uncommon
principle for one of your age, but we yield
you our utmost res .ect. If you adhere to
those ideas you will win.”
“I thank you," said Teddy, simply. The
next day the announcement was made that
t s show would nuke 9. long jump.
“We're off for Texas, boy!" cried Iliram
BelL “We'll be under warmpskics while
the people up here are shivering."
"That is 11112,". cried Terry. ‘"1 am sure
said Teddy,
'1'
Jim
we will enjoy that." V
‘ilirani and Josh, and took a berth In the
other (ar. .
"No,” he declaredfbeforn he left them,
,f'.:.she<l on the scene.
Then followed a period of excitement and
hard work.
Putting a big show aboard the cars is
no small matter. And Murray Bros. were
about the busiest men in the country just
then
There was a special train for the show
people. The Murray: had their own pri-
vate car, and Tina and her maid had a
prlvntc room in this. i
Next to this was the sleeping-car of the
high-clash performers. Beyond were the
us :1 by the eunvasmen audothcr at-
The l'l'.Ver class of clzlployeos made banks
in the rars with the horses. or in the rogu-
lar CHIJUL, car of the train.
. lilfl occupied a berth In the car
with the canvrsmen. Iiiranr Bell and .7o:h
Green.
But now he received an invitation to oc-
cupy a. berth in the iirst-class car with the
high-salaried performers.
"A right, my a); go ahead,” said
Hiram. "It's what belongs to ya; but don't
forget yer old friends."
As it was Mr. Murray':: order, Teddy was
obliged to accede. o h bade adieu to
“you need have no fear, illram. -i shall
spend half my time with you."
Soon the train was under way.’ That rai‘.
road journey was long rememhored by Ted-
dy.
He quickly became friends with many in
the troupe. But others seemed to regard
him with a chilly manner. Teddy remem-
bered what Hiram had said:
,"They‘ll all be jealous of ye, lad.
needn't look far friends there."
And ibis was true. The other perform-
ers were intensely jealous of Teddy and his
success. One especially was his avowed ch-
0
Yo
my.
This was Jack Harley, the companion of
Tina in the bareback act.
Harley had been unpopular since that
day, and a. report badresulied him that
Murray was going to depose him and put
Teddy Small in his place.
Ilarlcy ground his teeth. and his black
yes flushed with jealous rage.
“You but no little whlppersuappcr like
that is going to do the joily act by me."
he declared, “He has got his eye on Tina,
that's what. ‘He'll find out that he is mod-
dling, that's what.” H
Now, it happened that’ IIiram’l3eli board
He took occasion to warn Tcddy.
“Look out for that Iiarle5;.’f he s’-'id.“‘IIu‘
is an enemy 0f'yu.r'.-, ’nd he is capable
of'any dirty work." “W 4‘ " “
“Thank youl" said Teddy, quietly; "but
I am not in the least bit afraid of hint!
I’ll not put myself in his nay. than ,3."
Th train sped on southward. The l‘.lis-
sls ppi was crossed, and soon the great
plains of ’l‘e:v:as were being truvc d.
The trip thus far had been smooth and
successful; but one dark night Teddy was
awakened In a rude manner. -
lie was buried from his berth in the
sleeping-car. There was a grinding crash,
and the air was hlled with screams of agony
and despair. Teddy was conscious that Z!
terrible thing had happened.
this. '
CIIAPTER IV.
‘ nr.
‘rurrrxa AN’ 2.
For .1 moment the young circus star in
the darkness and amidst the crashing
sounds believed his last hour was at hand.
Of course the (rain had met with a mishap.
But quickly Teddy found that beyond a
f .
vrrcrk. lie could hear groans nnd cries all
about him.
no knew that there must be many in-
jured nnrl in need ,of help. So he was
spurred to action. ‘ .
As soon as he could get out of his
cramped position he crawled through A bro-
ken window of the car
All was darkness. but for all this he
could faintly see what had happened.
Somvtlring had caused this car to leave
the rails, and it had broken the coupling
and parted from the rest of the train, go-
ing over an embankment. ‘ ,
All the other cars had kept the rails. The
rear part of the train was at a. standstill.
The locomotive and forward cars had run
ahead some distance, but the engine had
stopped and was now sounding distress sig-
n
a :.
Teddy was the first out of the wrecked
n
ra
-1
The train hands and circus men now
riled out from the rear cars, and came to
the relief of those imprisoned.‘ Lanterns
Teddy took an active part in the rescue.
For an hour they worked, and the car had
to be cut to pieces to release some of those
inside.
Ilut finally all were got out safely. I
was then found that no one had been killed,
which was, indeed, fortunate.
Mr. Murray now gave up bls own car
for the reception of the injurrti. Signals
were set, and word telegraphed for assist-
a . .,
nee.
A wrecktng train quickly arrived and
cleared the track.
Then the train ran on to the next sta-
tion, and was sidetracked. Mr. Murray de-
cldcd to wait here at least a day, until the
lnjurcd peaple could have medical at-
tendance. ‘
some of then) would necessarily have to
be left behind, to join the show at a. later
ate.
When everything was made thlpshapa
bout the lraln the circus hands tool: a
ramble into the town.
it was called Pcrryvlile
It did not diifer much
Texas town. Tedd thought of seek-
ln; Iliram and 2 in company with him
take a. look about the place.
But just then Tina Murray.
‘from the typical
with her
maid, all-.,htc-J from her car, It happened
tha lack llarlrzy, dressed like a dude, was ‘
" .. along in that direction.
utly be started toward hm‘.
ms dark"
iace lit up.
It looked to be his opportunity. Teddy
but had no thought of the sequel.
was look rig at him.
er handkerchief.
Tc-ddyi" she cried. “I
53
as
Q.
:7
she dd
0 here,
see you."
W: L to
To y instantly turned and strode toward
her. No subaitern could have answered
the command of superior omccr with
greater pzoznptn
llut llarley had already‘ rear-hr-d the side
of Miss Tina.
The bareback rider, who was an ac-
knowlcdgcd courtler, boned gracefully be-
fore her. ',
,, “Ah, Miss Murray," he said. "This is
my opportunity. Shall I not escort you to
the town
Tina . Ll no heed to ihr: 1'c.'r.arl;S. In-
deed, It srcmod as if she did not hear him.
But her sparkling eyes wer astened upon
Teddy, who came awkwardly up, hat in
and. l - a
“You rude foil , ' she cried, vlvacionsly,
“why do you not come t
mole?
you for the saying of my life.
you dare deny i:. You have neglected rue!"
Teddy's late S scarlet. ills heart beat
like a trip-hammcr.
“I-I am sorry," he starmurrrr-d. “I apol-
ogize. I do not like to be intrusive."
5'
..‘.‘That could-not be,”-she declare-.d,'with'T"-T
spirit. “Now, I want you to walk with me.
Be: pardon! is that ,vou1.1t‘Ir,,lh.-icy?"
Her manner toward Iiariey was icy. The i
l rider's face was white and drawn rm - -“
bareba-
with I and he glared at Teddy savagely.
“I offer you my services as an escort to
the town," he s
"I am rcaliy
rry." she said, shooting
but I have accepted ).Ir.
. Srrall?" "mm llarley, uiih cutting
emphasis. "Oh, you mean I fcllow hr-r !
I'v.ill not criticize your ta e. Miss Ti
“No,” said‘ Tina, blithely. "It . n't
be p:oper, you know. Good-hy, Mr. II:u'-
ley! You don't think there is any danger
of meeting :1 leopard on the way to town,
do you.‘ Well, I have a good protector.“
With a stately bow she turned and
wall;e.l away with Teddy. The maid fol-
lowed at a sedate distance. r >
An larley! The acknowledged lady-
lrlllcr! The polite dude: lie was the pic-
ture of bitter, :.avage hazrcd. lie could
only gnnslr his teeth and glare. '
Teddy walked like one on air. In fact,
‘he had only a vague recollection of that
hour with Tina. lie knew that they walked.
to town and back, and the conversation
was unilagglng and most delightful.
When he finally bade her adieu at the
car stop she said in her own wltrblng way:
“I uevc.‘ had so good a time in my llle,
Teddy Small. I think you are just splen-
' So there! Now, you shall come into
the car and see me often. Promise!"
"I promise," said Teddy, mcekly; “but I
will say In reply that your pleasure cannot
have been so great.as mine."
When Teddy returned to the other and
of the train he saw lllram Bell and Josh
Green sitting on a pile of railroad ties.
They were smoking serenely.,
As Teddy approached he saw them ex-
change glances and wink. The Young at>
robot suspected the reason and blushed.
“Oh. ya needn‘t git red.” said Josh. "Yo
needn‘t be ashamed of it."
“Of what?" asked Teddy, weakly. '
"Oh, that won't do! We saw the Mini
thing, didn't we. I-Iirami"
“I should say we did!" chuckled the big
canvasnzan; “and the boy that the gals like
is nllns all right, you bet!”
“You’ve got the best of me," said Teddy.
with a feeble smile.
“No: It’s the other way,” said Illram.
“You've got the best of us by many years;
but if either of us had your chance--well,
we wouldn't miss it. eh, Josh'."'.
“Well. I reckon! It did do me good to
see that Harley turned down. He
bragged that he had a cinch on little Tina.
and he pretends to be a regular lady-killer,
He got what he deserved." ,
And the two rough men laughed heartily,
"l
‘y.
i
la
