The next morning neither
lad was particularly attractive to look at. However, bearing the
taunts of the show people good-naturedly, they started for the
cook tent just as they were in the habit of doing every day.
But Mr. Sparling had seen them as they passed his car on
their way.
"Now, I wonder what those boys have been up to?" he scowled,
watching their receding forms thoughtfully. "I'll find out."
And he did. He summoned the lads to his office in the tent soon
after breakfast.
"I expected you would send for us," grinned Phil, as he walked in
with Teddy.
"What about it? You are both sights!"
"Grease paint and powder will cover it up, I guess,
Mr. Sparling."
"I'll hear how it happened."
"I can't tell you much about it," said Phil. "We were on our way
to the car when a couple of men suddenly jumped out from a fence
corner and went at us hammer and tongs. That's when we got these
beauty spots. If we had seen the fellows coming we might not
have been hit at all."
"Wait a minute; where did this occur?" demanded the showman.
"Just outside the lot at Franklin. It was very dark there, and,
as you know, the sky was overcast."
"Did you know the men--had you ever seen them before?"
"I couldn't say as to that.
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