THE YOUNG ACROBAT
OF THE
Great North American Circus
BY
HORATIO ALGER, Jr.
AUTHOR OF "THE ERIE TRAIN BOY," "RAGGED DICK,"
"TATTERED TOM," ETC.
NEW YORK
HURST AND COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
THE YOUNG ACROBAT
CHAPTER I.
KIT WATSON.
There was great excitement in Smyrna, especially among the boys.Barlow's Great American Circus in its triumphal progress from State toState was close at hand, and immense yellow posters announcing itsarrival were liberally displayed on fences and barns, while smallerbills were put up in the post office, the hotel, and the principalstores, and distributed from house to house.
It was the largest circus that had ever visited Smyrna. At least a dozenelephants marched with ponderous steps in its preliminary procession,while clowns, acrobats, giants, dwarfs, fat women, cannibals, and hairysavages from Thibet and Madagascar, were among the strange wonders whichwere to be seen at each performance for the small sum of fifty cents,children half price.
For weeks the young people had been looking forward to the advent ofthis marvelous aggregation of curiosities, and the country papers fromfarther east had given glowing accounts of the great show, which wasemphatically pronounced greater and more gor[Pg 4]geous than in any previousyear. But it may be as well to reproduce, in part, the description givenin the posters:
BARLOW'S GREAT NORTH AMERICAN CIRCUS.
Now in its triumphal march across the continent, will
give two grand performances,
AT SMYRNA
On the afternoon and evening of May 18th.
Never in all its history has this
Unparalleled show embraced a greater variety of attractions,
or included a larger number of world famous
Acrobats, Clowns, Bare back Riders, Rope walkers, Trapeze
Artists, and Star Performers,
In addition to a colossal menagerie, comprising
Elephants, Tigers, Lions, Leopards,
and other wild animals in great variety.
All this and far more, including a hundred
DARING ACTS,
Can be seen for the trifling sum of Fifty cents;
Children half price.
Come One! Come All!
Two boys paused to read this notice, pasted with illustrative picturesof elephants and circus performers on the high board fence nearStoddard's grocery store. They were Dan Clark and Christopher Watson,called Kit for short.
"Shall you go to the circus, Dan?" asked Kit.
"I would like to, but you know, Kit, I have no money to spare."
"Don't let that interfere," said Kit, kindly. "Here is half a dollar.That will take you in."
"You're a tip-top fellow, Kit. But I don't think I ought to take it. Idon't know when I shall be able to return it."
"Who asked you to return it? I meant it as a gift."
"You're a true friend, Kit," said Dan, earnestly.[Pg 5] "I don't know as Iought to take it, but I will anyhow. You know I only get my board and adollar a week from Farmer Clifford, and that I give to my mother."
"I wish you had a better place, Dan."
"So do I; but perhaps it is as well as I can do at my age. All boys arenot born to good luck as you are."
"Am I born to good luck? I don't know."
"Isn't your uncle Stephen the richest man in Smyrna?"
"I suppose he is; but that doesn't make me rich."
"Isn't he your guardian?"
"Yes; but it doesn't fo