Part 26 (2/2)

”Stop hiht have been heard in every part of the big top, though the people did not knohat the command meant

For the moment the circus attendants did not understand either

They had not noticed Phil riding away in the wrong direction

”Stop hi on and started on a run for Phil, who brought his whip down on the flanks of the ring horse again and again, driving the aniht at the attendant The result was that the felloas bowled over in a twinkling The horse cleared the man at a bound

At this the audience roared They saw that soh they did not understand what it all meant

Half a dozendown the concourse as fast as he could go, roaring out his commands at the top of his powerful voice

”Get a horse and follow him!” he shouted ”Run back and send one of theaith h the exit, bowling over twodown a group of boys ere standing just outside trying to get a gliained the outer air he heard the hoof beats of a running horse bearing down on hi top

The Circus Boy knehat that meant They were after him already

CHAPTER XV

OUTWITTING THE PURSUERS

”Oh, if only I had a faster horse!” Forrest breathed ”I aet away fro the aniet the aniait that he had been following for many years

This was scarcely faster than a on partially loaded, just ahead of hiht of it a sudden idea occurred to hion the lad slipped off and, giving the horse a sharp bloith the whip over one hip, Phil ducked under the wagon

The ring horse galloped on a few rods and then stopped

”I guess it's ti away froht sure, if I do not hurry”

The lot was in an uproar Men were running this way and that, and above the din could be heard the voice of the owner, roaring out orders

Phil, being still in his pink tights, was a conspicuous figure

He knew that if a ray from a torch should chance to rest on hi in a crouching position the boy et far enough away so that he could straighten up and make better ti a board fence, dropped on the other side and lay down to await develop All at once he discovered half a dozen ht of him or not, he did not know He did know that it was ti up, he fairly flew over the ground

The ht of him, as he realized when one of them uttered a yell But Phil was a faster runner than any of the this way and that, and finally doubling on his tracks in a wide circle, he succeeded in outwitting the to do now?” he asked hio into the town, or they will nab e and then I shall be worse off Now I aot ht as well not have anything so far as keeping warht was cool and a heavy dew falling