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A Dangerous Performance






 

NANCY had to get back her costume! It was the only one of its kind in the circus and she needed the fancy riding habit for the evening performance!

«Oh, where did Hitch go?» she fumed, looking in every direction.

None of the circus people were in sight at the moment. With nothing but a hunch to follow, Nancy chose a direction which led to the nearest exit from the circus grounds. But she reached it without discovering her quarry.

Retracing her steps, Nancy started for another exit. As she ran, the young bareback rider began to wonder what she would do if the costume were not found.

«If I have to wear another one, Kroon will be sure to single me out,» Nancy thought, worried. «That will end my riding with the Vascon troupe.»

Seeing a workman taking down one of the small tents, Nancy hastened over to him and asked if he had seen a man running from the supply tent.

«No, miss,» he replied. «You looking for someone?»

Quickly Nancy told him that she was looking for a man named Hitch.

«Oh, I know him. He used to be connected with the circus.»

«He took my costume and I need it,» Nancy explained quickly. «Please help me find Hitch and hold him for the police.»

«I'll do my best, miss,» the workman promised, hurrying away to help in the search.

Nancy decided to appeal to Dan Webster and went to his office. The horse trainer was thunderstruck when she told him of the groom's latest bit of deviltry, and blamed himself.

«I thought we searched every part of these grounds for Hitch,» he said, «and all guards at the entrances were warned not to let him in or out.»

«I know you did your best,» Nancy said. «Right now, I must get my costume back. If Hitch has left the circus grounds and taken it with him, I don't know what I'll do.»

Dan Webster picked up his telephone. He called the ticket office and every other person stationed on the outside of the grounds. The last guard to whom he phoned said:

«Hey, wait a minute! I see something.»

A moment later the man reported that he had the missing costume.

«It was in a box under one of the booths. I noticed a man put a package down there, but didn't know he was Hitch.»

At the time the guard had not given the incident a second thought, and did not know where Hitch had gone.

«I'm sure he didn't leave the grounds, though,» the guard reported.

«Then he must be in hiding here!» Nancy thought fearfully.

Dan asked the guard to bring the costume at once to his office. While they were waiting for it, he warned Nancy to be wary every minute until the groom was caught.

«Don't be alone for even a minute,» he advised her.

When the costume arrived, Nancy found to her relief that it was intact.

Hitch had evidently grabbed up a large box from the supply tent and put the costume and accessories into it so that he would not be spotted with them.

«Oh, thanks so much,» Nancy said to Dan, and hurried off to join Erika to dress for the performance.

«My goodness, where have you been?» her roommate asked. «It's only fifteen minutes to parade time!»

Nancy told her roommate what had happened. Erika was aghast. «I hope that awful man left the circus grounds,» she said as she helped Nancy into her costume. Then the two girls raced to the make-up artist's tent.

«Don't worry. I'll be ready for the riding act before the parade is over,» Nancy assured Erika.

«But you have to be in the parade. Didn't you know that?» her roommate exclaimed.

«Why, no.» Nancy was worried. «Will I have to pass Kroon's inspection?»

Nancy experienced a great sense of relief when Erika said that the ringmaster never bothered to view the parades. The girls had just received their last fluffs of face powder when the warning gong sounded. They hurried off and swung onto the backs of their mounts. The band struck up, and a moment later the parade started.

Nancy had never been more excited and nervous in her life. Not only was it thrilling to be riding with the circus people, but a fear lurked in her mind that Hitch, still at large, might be hiding close by, ready to harm her or one of the other riders.

As Nancy came opposite the box where her father and Aunt Eloise were seated, she noticed to her delight that Hannah, Bess, George, and Ned were there also. They waved to her, but Nancy did not dare acknowledge the greeting. Kroon or one of his spies might be watching.

Finally the parade was over and the clown act began. As soon as they had finished their performance, Ringmaster Kroon entered the ring to announce the equestrian act.

«Ladies and gentlemen,» he began, «you are about to witness some of the world's finest bareback riders. The Vascon family will perform the most daring stunts you have ever witnessed.»

Nancy, overhearing the announcement in the wings, smiled. Not only was she not a Vascon or related to any of the others, but not one of them was related to another! She wondered if the audience would think of them all as brothers and sisters.

The group of horses trotted in and took their places in the ring. The performance started, the mares cantering about rhythmically to the music. Singly, and together, the riders did their stunts.

In Box AA Mr. Drew and his friends gripped the arms of their chairs, their eyes riveted on Nancy. They could scarcely believe that she was actually a bareback rider in Sims' Circus!

«Oh, she's wonderful!» Bess exclaimed.

«Sh-h!» her cousin George warned her.

Nancy outdid herself. She made no mistakes and her performance was the best she had ever given. When Rancoco jumped up behind her on the mare and they cantered around the ring, he whispered enthusiastically:

«Superb, Miss Drew, superb!»

Pleased, Nancy smiled. The show went on without interruption. But just as one of the men riders began his solo number, there was a wild scream in the audience.

Turning, the equestrians saw a hard-thrown baseball whizzing from one of the exits directly at them!

The warning cry saved them from injury. Like lightning, each performer pulled his horse to the tanbark and lay down himself. The speeding ball sailed over their heads and landed beyond the ring.

The audience was divided in its reaction. Some were stunned. But many people thought it was part of the act and clapped loudly.

Their attitude helped to steady the nerves of the performers whose knees were shaking. They recovered themselves instantly and the performance went on.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nancy could see a commotion in the exit. Men were running after someone. Without being told, she was sure that the ball-throwing incident had been another of Hitch's unwarranted acts of malicious mischief.

As soon as she and Erika reached their dressing room, Nancy announced that she was changing to street clothes.

«Where are you going?» her roommate asked.

«I'm not sure,» Nancy said, «but first, I'm going to the box where my father is.»

Erika warned her that she must be back for the finale because Kroon was always on hand for the closing pageant. Though he did not particularly notice the faces of each individual performer, he never failed to take a count of the number. If anyone were missing, his wrath was aroused.

«Please don't let anything go wrong that might endanger our troupe,» she begged.

«I won't,» Nancy promised. «Just how much time will there be before the final number?»

Erika glanced at the clock. «Two and a half hours.»

«I'll be back in time,» said Nancy, and left the dressing room.

She asked Dan Webster whether the ball thrower had been captured and was told that he had escaped.

«It probably was Hitch,» the horse trainer said ruefully. «He's still at large.»

Waiting until the ringmaster was busy making an announcement, Nancy made her way to Box AA. Mr. Drew and the others greeted her with open arms and whispered that she had been a sensation.

Nancy slid into an empty seat beside Ned. She whispered that she would like him to accompany her on a little sleuthing expedition.

«Of course,» Ned replied. «Where to?»

«Roberto's stables,» she said, and told him about the missing stableman. «Hitch's clothes are still at the place. He may be hiding there.»

Nancy whispered to her father that she and Ned would be gone for a short time and not to worry about them. She borrowed Mr. Drew's ticket so that she might re-enter the circus grounds without any questions being asked.

She and Ned set off. He had brought his car and it took only a few minutes to reach the riding academy.

«This place is as dark as a tomb,» Ned remarked, «and just about as cheerful.»

«I'm hoping to see a ghost,» Nancy remarked.

She did not mean to be facetious, but Ned laughed softly. «The ghost,» she continued, «probably will be wearing a stableman's uniform.»

She asked Ned to park a short distance away from the stable so that they might approach without being seen or heard. The couple were halfway to the rear entrance when Nancy suddenly grabbed her escort's arm.

«Listen!» she said. «Did you hear a door squeak?»

«Yes, I did. Maybe it was only the wind.»

The next moment, they heard hoofbeats and frightened whinnies. Nancy became tense.

«That sounds like Belgian Star!» she said excitedly. «Ned, I'm afraid someone is trying to steal her!»

 


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