Part 25 (1/2)

”Oh, yes, you do.”

”You mean with regard to Diaz?”

”That's what I mean. Have you had any trouble?”

”We had a slight disagreement,” admitted the lad.

”Tell me about it.”

”Wait! There goes the music.”

The ringmaster's whip cracked its warning and the gray horse started at a slow gallop. Phil was up beside his companion with agility and grace. The first round or two they stood poised on the horse, while Phil related briefly what had taken place between himself and Diaz.

”Come, aren't you two going to get to work?” demanded the ringmaster.

”You attend to your own work. We'll look out for ours,”

snapped Dimples.

”Yes, and if you think you can do better just come up and try,”

added Phil, with a good-natured laugh. ”Up, Dimples!”

He threw her lightly to his shoulders, on which the woman stood poised, making as graceful and pretty a picture as had ever been seen in a circus ring. Fragile as she was, it seemed as if Phil were all too slender to support her weight.

The act brought a whirlwind of applause.

”You look out for him, Phil. I--”

”Jump, Dimples!”

The ring horse had suddenly stumbled, its nose plowing up the sawdust in a cloud.

Phil, with rare presence of mind, lifted the feet from his shoulders and hurled the girl far from him.

”Land on your feet!” he shouted, then Phil plunged off, head first.

CHAPTER XIII

A NARROW ESCAPE

Thanks to Phil's presence of mind, Dimples had landed lightly on her feet well outside the ring curbing. Had the lad held to her ankles even a second too long the result must have been serious, if not fatal, for Dimples would have been hurled to the ground head first.

As it was, Phil gave her a lift, enabling her to double and ”ball,” a circus term meaning to curl one's feet up under the body, then straighten them as needed to give the body balance either in turning a somersault or in falling.

In doing so, however, Phil had had no thought for his own safety.

He plunged forward over the head of the ring horse, striking the ground on his head and face.

The force of his fall had been broken somewhat by his quickly throwing out his hands in front of him and relaxing the muscles of his body. Circus performers soon learn how to fall--how to make the best of every situation with which they are confronted.

Despite this, his fall had been a severe and dangerous one.