Part 14 (1/2)
”To-morrow, if all goes right, I am going to take a train for Hopsville and see Squire Dobb,” said Barton Reeve to Leo.
”I hope you have luck,” replied the boy. ”If he is keeping any of my property back from me I want to know it.”
The day in Harmony Falls opened very warm. A haze hung over the mountains to the westward.
”We'll have a storm by night,” said Natalie Sparks to Leo.
The two were now warm friends.
”That will make it bad for the ticket-wagon,” laughed the young gymnast.
”Oh, I hate a storm during a performance,” went on the girl, ”especially if it thunders and lightens.”
”Well, that's what it's going to do.”
”How do you know?”
”Oh, didn't I live on a farm?”
”That's so!” Natalie laughed merrily. ”You don't look much like a farm hand now.”
”Thanks for the compliment,” and Leo blushed.
During the afternoon it grew hotter and hotter. Under the big tents it was suffocating.
”Dandy weather for lemonade,” said the owner of the main drinking stand, but he was about the only person who appreciated the sudden rise in the thermometer.
At seven o'clock the circus tents were again crowded, and amid the general excitement but few noticed the flashes of lightning over in the west. The low rumblings of thunder they attributed to the lions in the cages.
At last the grand _entree_ was over, and then the performance settled down to the various specialties.
Then, as Leo and Snipper came on, a louder peal of thunder attracted every one's attention.
To quiet fears the band struck up. Of course Leo and Snipper could not talk against the music, and so they tumbled around instead, Leo casting himself into the most awkward of shapes.
The rain began to fall, but as the canvases were waterproof this did no great harm.
Then the wind freshened up, and every one realized that a big storm was at hand.
Leo had just thrown off his clown's dress and mounted up to a pair of rings when a fearful crack of thunder caused every one to leap up in terror.
The lightning had struck a pole in the menagerie tent!
Down came the heavy stick, straight across the backs of three of the largest elephants.
[Ill.u.s.tration: _THE ELEPHANT MADE FOR THE CROWD_]