Leo the Circus Boy Part 47

Griswold had disappeared, but he resolved to follow the man's trail, if the thing could be done.

"Ought to have one of our Indians along," he thought. There were sixteen of the redmen traveling with the "Greatest Show on Earth."

But the path through the brush was plain enough. It led to the road which Leo had originally pursued when coming out for a walk.

When our hero reached the road he saw an old farmer driving along.

Evidently the old man was just coming from town.

"Hold on, sir, I want to talk to you!" cried Leo.

"What's the matter?" asked the farmer, surveying our hero's torn and muddy clothing in curiosity.

"Did you meet a man on his way to town-a man with a queer walk?"

"I did."

"Take me to that man and I'll give you a five dollar bill."

The old farmer was greatly astonished.

"Who be you?" he questioned cautiously.

Leo told him.

The farmer at once agreed to run down Hank Griswold, if it could be done.

Leo jumped into the wagon and off they went.

The chase, however, was a useless one. Griswold had taken to a side road and could not be found.

"But I'll catch him some day," said Leo to Carl, "and then I'll make him tell why he attacked me."

"Perhaps he was hired to do it," ventured the young magician.

"That is what I think," returned Leo, with a grave shake of his head.

Carl was doing very well. He had several new tricks, some of which he thought would please the children. One was called "Milk or Water," and was brought out the day after Leo had the adventure just described.

"I will now show you how easy it is to change water into milk," said the young magician as he mounted the platform in the circus ring. "Will some one kindly hand me a gla.s.s of water? I have the milk here," and he took up a small pitcher and pa.s.sed it around for inspection.

The gla.s.s of water was brought and he placed it on the table and covered it with a handkerchief. Then he tapped the gla.s.s and also the pitcher.

Removing the handkerchief, he held up the gla.s.s. Sure enough, there was the white milk, as plain as day. Taking up the pitcher, Carl turned it upside down to show it was empty.

"Now we'll change them back," he said. Another tap, and lo! the gla.s.s was full of water and the milk was in the pitcher again.

A burst of applause followed.

This trick was simplicity itself. The pitcher really had milk in it, and the gla.s.s was full of water all the time.

When Carl covered the gla.s.s with a handkerchief he slipped into the water a bit of white cardboard, which standing upright made the water look like milk.

While the audience were inspecting the gla.s.s as he held it up he pressed over the top of the pitcher, inside, a circular card which exactly fitted the opening. This enabled him to turn the pitcher over for a second without spilling any milk.

To turn the milk in the gla.s.s to water again, he had but to remove the card. The card in the pitcher was also removed as the receptacle was handed around for inspection after the trick was done.

CHAPTER x.x.xVI.-ON THE ELEVATED TRACKS.

Ten days later the circus reached the great lakes and settled in Chicago for a week.

On the following day Leo was strolling down State Street when, happening to glance up, he saw Hank Griswold coming from a building with a large letter in his hand.

As quick as a flash he made after the man.

Leo was almost up to Griswold when the latter saw him coming and started up the street on a run.

Coming to a side street, he turned up that thoroughfare and continued on his way for a dozen blocks or more.

Leo tried to keep him in sight, but was unsuccessful, and after a search lasting half an hour he mounted to the elevated road, to take a train to Jackson Park.

As he went up he did not imagine that Hank Griswold was watching him.

There was a crowd at the station, and this kept increasing, as the train was late.

Leo stood close to the edge of the platform. Just in front and below him were the glistening tracks.

With a rumble the train came in sight.

When it was but a few yards away the young gymnast felt a sudden shove from behind.

He lost his balance and fell from the platform directly in front of the oncoming locomotive.

To the onlookers it seemed that the boy must surely be killed.

He rolled fairly and squarely upon the railroad tracks, and the oncoming locomotive was barely a dozen feet from him.

The engineer, who was preparing to stop, jerked the lever to come to an instantaneous halt, but it was of no avail.

On and on rolled the heavy engine, with its long train of cars.

"The boy will be killed!"

"Oh! oh! Isn't that awful!"

Many turned away, unable to endure the awful sight.