Leo the Circus Boy; or, Life under the great white canvas

Having said so much, Hank Griswold made a complete confession, only holding back the fact that he and Nathan Dobb had come together through his trying to rob the squire's house.

The crowd continued to shout. They wondered what it all meant, and some asked the men who had had the balloon in charge, but those individuals had no time to explain.

"I met a gentleman who was at Mr. Raymond's yesterday, and he has hired us to perform at his house this evening from eight o'clock to nine. He is going to pay us the same amount...

He put the egg down on the smooth table. Sure enough, it stood up as nicely as one would please. Then he took the egg up, and, making several passes, handed it to the man.

Daniel Hawkins had just come out to care for his horse. By sheer accident he had glanced up at the window and beheld Leo in the act of dropping out.

"We have offered no reward, but we are willing to pay for the capture," replied the leader of the circus men. "But if you caught the lion how is it you were up in the house when...

He was seventeen years old, and for years had had a nice home with his parents, and it was during this time that he had taken a thorough course of gymnastics.

"He always got along well enough before you came, Dunbar. I won't have this continual quarreling around the show. It sets a bad example for the others." The manager pulled at hi...

In vain Jack Darrow protested against the proceedings. He was lifted into the carriage without ceremony, and the horses' heads were turned back along the road to where a bridge...

The man had been anxious to put his plot against Leo into operation at once, but Providence willed otherwise. Griswold was taken down with rheumatism and for several months coul...

After this adventure the river was soon crossed, and an hour later Leo and Carl found themselves installed at another hotel but a short distance from the mansion at which they w...

Leo found that the specialty company numbered fifteen people. The performers were, for the most part, of very ordinary ability. There were several song and dance men, a number o...

He and Griswold, with whom he had struck up an acquaintanceship by accident, sat in the little cabin of the steam tug which was flying down Lake Michigan at her utmost speed.

The countryman, whose name was Adam Slocum, was much pleased over what Leo had done, and insisted on shaking hands. He invited Leo to call on him when the circus came to the nex...

He wandered around to the museum, or side show, and while looking at the gigantic pictures displayed, was rather taken aback to see Daniel Hawkins and his wife standing not two...

But in knocking around during the past few years of his life the boy juggler and magician had more than once been thrown into a position of peril, and he realized that to lose h...

About this time the "Greatest Show on Earth" was joined by a balloonist named Professor Ricardo, and his assistant, Larry Greson. The professor gave ascensions in the afternoon,...

It was very simple. When the curtains were closed Leo came forward and concealed himself under the table. He had a powerful magnet, and wherever he pushed the magnet under the t...

When Carl received the marked bullet back from Walter Raymond he substituted in its stead a similar-looking one made of amalgam of tinfoil and quicksilver. This bullet was ramme...

Then the end of the elephant's trunk came up angrily. He intended to catch hold of the young gymnast and hurl him to the earth, there to trample on him.

They were unable to utter a word, and, to tell the truth, they both felt as if judgment was about to fall on them for ill-treating Leo, and that the ends of their miserable live...

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.

Fortunately the night was warm, and coming to a deserted mill on the outskirts of the town, they determined to remain there and rest. They found some old sacks, and on these mad...

The performance had been going on for half an hour. Leo had done some very clever acts and been well received, and now it was time for Carl to make his bow.

The matter was talked over, and that afternoon Mart joined the "Greatest Show on Earth" on trial. He was to assist Leo in the balloon, Larry Greson having now to spend much of h...

They had dropped into the very center of a little lake in the midst of the forest. Down they went, with the burning balloon settling over them. Both knew enough to leap from the...

The entire canvas above him was in flames, and in a very short while the ropes which supported the bar upon which he had been performing would be burned through.

"Thet's wot he does, Marthy," grumbled old Daniel Hawkins. "He'll do it, jest so ez we kin pay his funeral expenses. Never seen sech a boy before in my born days!"

"I thought you would be my friend, you seemed so generous. And I wanted a small loan, so that I might get away from Mr. Porler. I never want to see that man again."

The young gymnast cautioned Larry to be on guard, so that no harm should come to his outfit, and he likewise cautioned his men to keep away from Porler's inclosure and thus avoi...

"We owe you something for what you have done for the show," went on the manager. "You did what the detectives failed to do, and I feel I ought to pay you a reward."

While the explosive was being examined, Broxton sneaked off, and it was well for him that he did so, for otherwise the crowd would have pounced upon him and given him the greate...

He was astonished to learn at the hotel at which the party was stopping that nothing had been seen of the lad since the balloon had left the exhibition grounds.

"You must let me have fifty dollars on account. I'll have to hang around the circus for awhile and lay my plans. It's no fool of a job to do as you wish."

"Made me work like a horse to pay for it," finished the boy. "You have got more out of me than I ever cost you, ten times over, so there!"

There was news for both. Professor Ricardo was much better, and on the week following was to return to work. This would put Leo back among the acrobats again, and for this the y...

The boy was to leave the balloon with him on the parachute, and then, when within fifty feet of the ground, fly away by himself on an immense pair of white wings filled with gas.

"Here is a stream that flows from the lake," said Leo. "It must lead to some river or larger lake. We will follow it for a few miles and see where it brings us."