“Do your best now, Wildwood,” whispered Marco, who with the clown and the manager had followed into the main tent.

Andy was on his mettle.  He made a run, took a leap and landed on the platform on the horse’s back just as he had done a hundred times back at Fairview.

“Very good,” nodded the ringmaster, as Andy rode around the ring, posing, several times.

“Try the spring plank next,” suggested the manager.

The single and double somersault were Andy’s specialty.  The apparatus was superb.  He was not quite perfect, but old Benares patted him on the shoulder after several efforts, with the words: 

“Fine—­vary fine.”

Andy did some creditable twisting on the trapeze, the manager and the ringmaster conversing together, meantime.

“Report to me in the morning,” said the latter to Andy at last.

Marco followed the manager as he left the tent.  He came back with a pleased expression of face.

“It’s all right, lad,” he reported.  “You’re in the ring group as a sub.  He tried to chisel me down, but I insisted on fair pay, and it’s ten dollars a week for you.”

Andy was delighted.  That amount seemed a small fortune to him.  No danger now of not being able to pay back to Graham the borrowed five dollars and his other Fairview debts.

Benares took him in hand after the others had left.  He gave him a great many training suggestions.  He led him into the regular practicing tent and showed him “the mecanique.”  This was a device with a wooden arm from which hung an elastic rope.  Harnessed in this, a performer could attempt all kinds of contortions without scoring a fall.

Benares also showed Andy how to make effective standing somersaults by “the tuck trick,” This was to grasp both legs tightly half-way between the knees and ankles, pressing them close together.  At the same time the acrobat was to put the muscles of the shoulders and back in full play.  The combined muscular force acted like a balance-weight of a wheel, and enabled that neat, finished somersault which always brought down the house.

“You ought to try the slack wire, too, when you get a chance,” advised Benares.  “We’ll try you on the high trapeze in the triple act, some time.  Glad you’re in the profession, Wildwood, and we’ll all give you a lift when we can.”

Andy felt that he had found some of the best friends in the world, and was a full-fledged acrobat at last as he left the circus tent.

CHAPTER XXII

AMONG THE CAGES

“Hi!  Hello—­stop, stop.”

“Oh, it’s you, Luke Belding?”

Andy, passing through the circus grounds, turned at an eager hail.  The owner of the chicken that walked backwards came running after him.  He caught Andy’s arm and smiled genially into his face.

“Well,” spoke Andy, surveying Luke in a pleased way.  “You look prosperous.”