"On us?" cried Carl in wonder.

"Yes. You see I am from Raymondsville, the next town. My name is Walter Raymond, and my father owns about half the place. My brothers and sisters are going to give a lawn party this afternoon, and I promised to see if I couldn't get some of the members of your company over to liven things up."

"I would like to appear for you, first rate," said Carl quickly, thinking he saw a chance to make a few dollars.

"So will I appear," added Leo.

"How much will you charge for an entertainment lasting say an hour?"

Carl looked at Leo. They did not wish to ask too much, and at the same time wanted to make all they could.

"Two city performers generally get twenty dollars," said Leo; "but we might go a bit cheaper."

"I wouldn't mind giving twelve dollars," replied Walter Raymond. "If you can come for that, I'll drive you over as soon as you can get ready."

A bargain was struck, and then the two performers returned to the vicinity of the theater. Nothing could be learned of Nathan Wampole, and an hour later they left for Raymondsville.

They found Walter Raymond very kind. He treated them to a liberal dinner, and aided them to get their stage things into proper shape.

"It's lucky we got our stuff from the theater," said Leo. "We may pick up quite a little money by giving private performances throughout this district."

"That twelve dollars will help us to get our baggage from Mrs. Gerston,"

said Carl.

The Raymond homestead was surrounded by beautifully laid out grounds, and directly after the noonday hour the guests began to arrive, to the number of a dozen or more. Carl and Leo had been given a dressing-room in the mansion, and here they prepared for their acts.

Leo was the first to perform, and at the conclusion of his initial act he was loudly applauded.

Then Carl appeared, followed by one of the house servants, who brought his paraphernalia.

"Isn't he handsome!" whispered several of the girls.

Carl began to juggle with several b.a.l.l.s and a hoop. He threw the b.a.l.l.s through the hoop and around it. Then he brought forth several daggers and juggled them in one hand, while he kept the b.a.l.l.s going with the other. The hoop he balanced on a stick set on the end of his nose, and placed a ball on top of all.

This was a remarkable feat, requiring great delicacy of touch and a keen eye. The boys and girls watched him breathlessly, and then began to clap their hands.

"Wonderful! wonderful!"

"I never saw anything to equal that!"

"It's as good as a performance in a circus or a theater!"

The juggling continued, Carl getting down on one knee and also on his back, without making a miss of anything that was in motion.

At the very height of the act came a loud cry from the house.

"Help! help!"

"Look out for Jack Darrow's dog!"

"The brute is mad!"

The cry was taken up on all sides. The boys and girls looked around in terror.

And well they might, for a few seconds later an ugly-looking bulldog with glaring eyes and mouth dripping with white foam leaped into their very midst.

For an instant he stared at the spectators-the next he turned toward Carl, and with a loud snarl leaped straight for the young performer's throat.

CHAPTER XVII.-CARL SHOWS HIS BRAVERY.

"A mad dog!"

"He is going to bite the young juggler!"

Shriek after shriek arose on the air and several of the boys and girls fled from the scene.

It was truly a thrilling moment, and a youth with less nerve than Carl Ross would have been paralyzed with terror.

But in knocking around during the past few years of his life the boy juggler and magician had more than once been thrown into a position of peril, and he realized that to lose his nerve would perhaps cost him his life.

As the mad beast leaped for his throat Carl dodged to one side and caught the animal by the left hind leg.

He whirled the body in the air and flung it with great force against a neighboring tree.

The shock was such that for the moment the enraged beast was stunned. It lay panting upon the gra.s.s, its gla.s.sy eyes rolling frightfully.

"Get into the house, all of you!" cried Leo, and picked up a wee bit of a girl that was standing near. She was too young to realize her peril, and gazed at him in wonder.

The crowd started pellmell, with Leo and his burden in the rear.

Scarcely had Leo moved when the dog recovered and stood up. He had his eyes on Carl, and leaped once more for him.

Carl ran to where he had been performing. The four daggers he had used were still on the ground and he picked them up.

Swish! One of the daggers flew through the air with lightning-like rapidity. It struck the brute in the forehead, inflicting a telling injury.

"He has knifed the dog!"

"That was a clever throw!"

Seriously wounded, the bulldog, with the tenacity of his race, still showed fight. He crouched down, then made another leap for our hero.

As he did this his breast became exposed, and launching forth a second dagger the young magician struck him fairly between the ribs. The shining blade sank deep into the flesh, and with a snarl and a yelp the mad bulldog rolled over-dead.