THE CIRCUS BOY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 35, 30 August 1890, Page 18

THE CIRCUS BOY.

OH, leave that stupid owl behind us. He will never be any good.’ The sneaker was a tall, thin, cross-looking man. He stood at Q the entrance to a tent, and was adQ AL dressing a rather pretty but / \ M J ( (lightened sort of woman, who was tying a bandage round a little boy’s A i nß ide the tent. f jfl ‘ Please, mum,’ whispered the Um lad, on hearing the man's unkind words, 4 do make Mr Tanley take -A Jw ,ne * him P ,n really getting - well fast, and indeed I’ll manage to stick on the horse next time; 1 will indeed.’ Mr and Mrs Tanley were the owners of a circus. At least it belonged to Mr Tanley, and his wife belonged to him, so it came to the same thing, he always told her. They had no children of their own, and one day, seeing an advertisement in a newspaper, 4 Wanted, some kind person to adopt a bright little noy of five. Will be entirely given up,' they thought they would take him, and train him for their eiicus. So they answered the advertisement, ami took possession of 4 Fiddle.’ How he came to have such a name no one seemed to know, but Mr Tanley said it would do as well as any other, so he was always called 4 Fiddle.’ Nli Tanley at once began to teach him all kinds of tricks. But though little Fiddle soon learned to stand on his head, ami twist his body into all sorts of shapes, he did not at all

like his riding lessons. For Mr Tanley did not take into consideration the fact that Fiddle had never before been on horseback ; but thinking to teach him to hold on quickly, put him at once on Snipe—a very fast trotter, and barebacked. Snipe at once set off, and quickly broke into a canter. Off new Fiddle as if he had been shot from a gun, coming with some force against the woodwork at the edge of the tan, which is always spread on the ground to prevent serious consequences from a fall. Fiddle did not at once get up, and the sagacious horse carefully jumped over him as he Jay on the ground. ‘ You little stupid,’ said Mr Tanley, roughly, ‘ why didn’t you stick on ?’ ‘ I—l couldn’t; he went so f—fast,’ sobbed Fiddle. ‘ Well, jump on now, and hold him well with your knees.’ ‘ Flease, sir,’ said one of the men, 1 1 think the little chap would manage better on the pony.’ ‘ Stuff', hold your tongue,’ said Mi Tanley, who really knew very little about the proper training of circus-riders, he having only learnt gymnastic exercises himself. Fiddle was a plucky little fellow, and tried again, only to be pitched oft the moment the horse went fast. ‘ He’ll frighten that lad and spoil him altogether,’ said Bill, the man who had ventured to remonstrate with his master. At this moment Mr Tanley was called away, and Bill said, kindly, ‘ Here, boy, I’ll show you a thing or two.’ And for a good hour he gave Fiddle a riding-lesson, and contrived to suggest the next day to Mr Tanley that as Fiddle was rather a trouble to teach, he, Bill, should be bothered with him instead of Mr Tanley. So it was agreed, and Fiddle got on splendidly. He learnt

to run across the circus, and jump on Snipe when he was going at a fast trot, though he did not accomplish this difficult feat until he had been in training for four years. He was so small that it was a very high jump for him, though Snipe was not much bigger than a good-sized pony. One day Mr Tanley bought a new horse. Bill told Fiddle that he was on no account to have anything to do with this animal, as it was much too fresh and too high for him. Unfortunately, Mr Tanley overheard this remark, and at once said : ‘ How dare you tell that boy not to do anything ’ He is my property, and he shall mount Presto (the new horse) any time I choose.' In a few days Mr Tanley told Fiddle to come and try his luck with Presto. Fiddle dared not disobey, and rather reluctantly followed his master. He did not at all like the new horse, and somehow he fancied the horse did not like him ; perhaps some cruel boy had once teazed it, and the sensible creature disliked all boys in consequence. Then Presto was set in motion, and Fiddle ran alongside the animal, putting his hand fora moment on its back, then darted across the tan to spring on as Presto passed. Twice he baulked, and his master laid the lash of his long whip none too gently about his legs. The third time he made a good spring, almost landing on Presto's back, when that animal made a sudden and unexpected plunge to one side, throwing Fiddle off, and breaking his ankle. Mr Tanley declared it was entirely the boy’s fault, and grumbled exceedingly at having to pay a doctor’s bill. Mrs Tanley was tolerably kind to Fiddle, especially when her husband was not by, ami she begged him to take Fiddle with them when they moved to another town. But Mr Tanley absolutely refused, ami had it not been for the kindness of the wife of the hotel-keeper, who said she would nurse him until he was well enough to work for her, poor Fiddle must have starved. He grew rapidly strong, ami one day was able to repay her goodness.

Mrs Jett, the landlady, had a sweet little girl of four, a general favourite with all who came near the hotel, which was quite a country one. The little girl was playing about, and finding somequeer-looking bottles on a table inone of the rooms, she tasted the contents of the nearest. The room was supposed to be safely locked, for a gentlemen was making some experiments in it with various chemicals. But there had been a large picnic party in the neighbourhood, and he, absorbed in his work, had completely forgotten that he had promised to join the party until a friend rushed in and almost carried the student oft by main force. In their hurry the room was not fastened up as usual, so that little Nellie, wandering round in search of fresh amusement, delightedly entered what had hitherto been forbidden ground. The little girl felt uncomfortable immediately, and walked to the door, where she met her mother coming in search of her. Mrs Jett was instantly alarmed when she saw the stains on the little one’s pinafore, and carried her down to the bar. ‘ Quick,’ she cried ; ‘ some one run for a doctor, or for Mr Yates. Nellie has been taking some of his poison.’ ‘ Poor child !’ said the group of loungers, ‘ she does look bad.’ And then they suggested various remedies whilst reminding the nearly distracted mother that every available horse had been engaged for the picnic. Fiddle was standing by, crying with sympathy, when some one said, ‘ There's Vixen.’ ‘No good,’ said a chorus of voices. ‘She is far too wild, no one could ride her.’ ‘ I can ride her bare-backed,’ cried Fiddle ; ‘ let me go.’ The men laughed. ‘ You’re a plucky little youngster, and pretty cheeky to think of such a thing. But you couldn’t do it, lad,’ said a man called Sam. ‘ Save my child ! Save my little Nellie !’ moaned the mother. The men turned away, and stood on one side. They could not bear to watch the little one’s agony, nor the mother’s anguish. ‘ I can ride Vixen,’ said Fiddle, determinately. ‘ Sam, help me to catch her. ’ ‘She’s in the yard,’ said Sam. ‘She was driven up with the other horses.’ A r ixen was led round to the front of the hotel, and Fiddle was, with great difficulty, put on her back. ‘Stand clear !’ shouted Sam, and he struck the mare a good blow with a thick stick. Vixen started offlike the wind.

The men watched F'iddle until he disappeared from their sight, where the road turned sharply to the right. ‘ Do you think he can keep on ?’ asked one of the men. ‘ Yes, I almost believe he can. You see he was a circus rider once,’ said Sam. ‘ Was he ?’ and the men gathered round Sam to learn the history of the boy, whose very existence up till now ha<l been a matter of indifference to them. ‘ Has he really gone ?’ cried the poor mother. ‘ Oh, Heaven send he may be in time !’ The picnic party were going very leisurely, for it was exceedingly warm. ‘ Hullo !’ cried one of the gentleman ; ‘ look - out, everybody, here’s a run-away horse. ’ But Fiddle succeeded in pulling in the splendid mare as he reached the party. ‘ Please tell me quick,’ he gasped, ‘ is the doctor here ?’ ‘ Yes, Fiddle, here is the doctor,’ said a pleasant, middle-aged man. ‘ Who wants me ?’ ‘ Oh, be quick, sir !’ cried Fiddle. ‘ Mrs Jett’s little

girl is dying of poison. She got it in that gentleman's room,' he added, pointing to Mr Yates, who had been so careless in leaving his door unlocked. ‘ln my i oom !’ he cried. ‘ Come, doctor, let’s be off as fast as we can ride. If we are only in time we can save the poor little thing. I know what she has probably taken.’ Without a word the doctor had turned his horse round, and in a moment he and Mr Yates and Fiddle were galloping along the road as if they were riding a race. Vixen evidently thought they were, and though she was a little tired with her long rapid run, easily distanced the other horses, arriving first at the hotel. ‘They’re coming,' said Fiddle, and he dropped off the mare in a dead faint. The two gentlemen devoted themselves to poor little Nellie, and told Mrs Jett that they had only just arrived in time to save her little girl’s life. ‘ If it had not been for that plucky little fellow,’ they said, ‘ she must have died. But where is he ?’ There was a knock at the door. ‘ Please, sir,’said the chambermaid to the doctor, ‘ will you come and see Fiddle 1 He’s so queer.’ ‘ Sunstroke,’ said the doctor as he looked at him. ‘ Did he go without a hat ?’ ‘lt blew off,’ she said. ‘ One of the men saw him lose it, but he wouldn’t stop for it.’ ‘Poor little lad,’said the doctor. ‘I hope he has not given his life for Nellie.’ But by careful nursing Fiddle got over his illness. Everyone made a great fuss about the little hero, and all the ladies near kept him well supplied with soups, and jellies, and fruit, all of wnich he insisted on sharing with little Nellie. When he was quite well the doctor, who had taken a great fancy to him, took him into his own house, gave him a good education, and finally sent him to study medicine at the Dunedin University, after which he went to London, ami

became a clever doctor.

Jack Frost.