The circus stayed three weeks in Edinburgh, then went to Falkirk. Adam and Haki rehearsed constantly with Sonda, besides doing their short turn at the end of each programme. They were building up a longer act.
Bill introduced the ‘Merry Widow Waltz’ into their tunes. Facing each other, Haki and Sonda were taught to rise on their hind legs and pirouette. This was no new thing to Sonda who had been doing it in her own act for some time. Haki had to learn it. Adam taught Haki to rise on his hind legs by holding sugar high in the air at the end of a pair of tongs! Adam twirled the tongs about and Haki twisted too. By and by Haki recognized the upward gesture and the tune and rose automatically on his hind legs. He watched Sonda do her act. After that he imitated her. Soon Adam had only to lift and twirl his whip when the tune was played, to show what he wanted. The training was not done all at once. It took many weeks of patient tuition.
Haki taught Sonda a trick of his own invention. It had always been Haki’s habit to push his nose into Adam’s pocket to get the last lump of sugar out of the bottom. He would even seize the lining of the pocket between his teeth and pull it out to make sure the pocket was empty. Sonda watched Haki extract the last sugar cube several times. She thought she might as well take a turn at it herself. She edged round to Adam’s other side and dipped her trunk under the flap of his pocket. Out came the last piece of sugar from that pocket too, and with it the lining!
“Well, look at that!” Bill cired. “Leave those animals alone and there’s no knowing what mischief they’ll teach each other! We must put that in the act too, Adam, so always be sure you have a last lump of sugar in the other pocket for Sonda.”
Day by day, practice by practice, the whole act was built up.
In what little spare time he had, Adam got to know most of the circus company. Most of them were friendly people who made him welcome. There were the Vivaldis, Paulo, Marco and Maria, the Italian aerialists. They swung from their trapezes like monkeys and went flashing through the air with all the grace of tropical birds. They were cheerful, happy folk in spite of the tremendous risks they took in the dome of the Big Top. Paulo used to play the guitar on the steps of their wagon in the evening and Marco and Maria sang Italian songs together.
There were two clowns, Auguste and Joey. Auguste was always the smart alec in the ring, taking a rise out of Joey. Joey was the pathetic one who nearly always did everything wrong, but in the end always got his own back on Auguste. Out of the Big Top, with the grease paint cleaned off, they were two handsome lads, brothers and friends.
There was Leo the lion tamer. In the ring he held the lions in check by the power of his eye. Out of the ring he was a quiet, gentle person, noted for good turns.
All these people came along to Jake’s living-wagon for a cup of cocoa after the last performance. It was a brief, friendly gathering in which Adam was accepted as one of themselves. The Baxters never came near Jake’s wagon, though. Usually they retired to their own quarters. The Baxters trained the chimpanzees and the two ponies that drew the cart with the monkeys driving it.
“I’ll grant the Baxters are clever with the chimps,” Jake Bradley said. “But it’s just as well they don’t work with the lions.”
“I don’t like that chimp Cora,” Ella remarked. “She’s a sly one. She treats the other animals badly. It’s my belief Willie Baxter encourages her.”
Not long afterwards Adam went along to groom Haki ready for his performance. As he neared the stable he heard Haki whinnying with fear and clattering his feet. When Adam dashed into the stable there was Cora sitting astride Haki’s back and pulling at his black mane. Haki was half mad with terror, rearing and plunging as he tried to throw her off his back.
“Get down!” Adam shouted at the monkey.
A head appeared over the top of the partition. “Go on, Cora! Pinch him!” Willie Baxter encouraged her.
Cora needed little incitement. She pinched Haki’s neck hard. He squealed with fear. He had no means of fighting back at the strange creature which tormented him. Adam had, though. He gave Cora a quick whack on her ribs and snatched her from Haki’s back. She chattered with rage and tried to claw him. Adam flung her through the entrance to the stall and she fell in a heap in the passageway.
Willie Baxter came rushing round, his fists raised.
“How dare you strike my monkey!” he yelled, livid with temper.
“Next time she touches my pony I’ll take a whip to her,” Adam retorted savagely.
Cora was chattering on the ground, more angry than hurt.
“Take her away. You know she shouldn’t be here at all.”
“Are you telling me what I ought to do, Scottie?”
“Yes. Take that monkey to her cage!”
“Look, Scottie, I’ve had enough of your cheek coming here and sucking up to the Boss. He let you lead the Parade and I ought to have done that with the chimps. I ought to have had charge of that pony. I’ll make you wish you’d never joined the circus!”
Adam was not prepared for Willie Baxter’s rush. He had no time even to put his hands up to defend himself. Baxter landed a blow on Adam’s chest which sent him staggering backwards. His very teeth jarred in his head as he fell.
“Want any more, Scottie?” Willie Baxter sneered.
Adam rose to his feet, breathing hard. When Baxter saw the black anger in Adam’s face, he stepped backwards. He took a sudden run at Adam and lifted his foot to kick him. Adam was ready for him this time. He caught Baxter by the ankle and toppled him to the ground. Adam snatched a pitchfork used to fork hay into the mangers. When Baxter sat up Adam was standing in a menacing attitude.
“Get up!” Adam shouted at him. “Get up and fasten that monkey to the pole or I’ll let you have it!”
Baxter thought he meant business. He jumped to his feet and seized the light chain that was dangling from Cora’s collar. He hitched it round the post and secured it.
“Right! We don’t want any interruption, do we?” Adam said grimly. “Out into the passage now!”
The two boys faced each other in the wide, tented passage. Adam flung the pitchfork down among the hay.
“Now we’ll fight fair! Put your fists up, Baxter!” he yelled.
They flew at each other, Baxter hurled himself on Adam, battering at his ribs.
Adam had done some boxing at school and he had taken part in bouts with the trawlermen at their club. He knew at once that he must keep Baxter at the length of his arm. Baxter was much heavier than he was. If he got to in-fighting Adam might get the worst of it. Adam fought him off, nipped under Baxter’s fists and danced away from him. Baxter went after him savagely.
Adam stepped aside and landed a shrewd blow on the side of Baxter’s head. Once again he danced lightly backwards. If Baxter had weight, Adam had speed. Again Baxter rushed at him but Adam caught him a jab in the ribs which brought him up short. Baxter began to eye Adam more warily. If only he could get close to Adam he would give him a hiding. Adam had no intention of letting Willie Baxter get in close. He darted this way and that. The blows that Willie Baxter did manage to land glanced off Adam and did little harm. Willie’s breath came faster. He was not in good condition. If only he could grab hold of Adam and hold his arms to his sides. Then he might bring him to the ground. He pretended to hold back for breath but Adam did not rush in. He knew if Willie once got the hold of him there would be dirty fighting and he could expect no mercy.
Baxter stood hunched, glowering. “Come on, Scottie! Are you afraid?” he panted.
Adam laughed. “You come to me, Baxter! Have you got no breath for any more fight?” He dropped his hands slightly.
Baxter rushed at Adam, thinking he was off his guard. Adam’s fist shot out, a straight right to Baxter’s nose and a short quick jab to his midriff with his left. Baxter reeled backwards. Adam followed up the attack with blows to the ribs and the chin. Baxter managed to land a blow on Adam’s eye, but Adam was tough stuff. He shook his head, then hammered at his breathless adversary. Exhausted, all the fight beaten out of him, Baxter wobbled and sank to his knees.
Adam stood over him. “Want any more, Baxter?”
Willie could only shake his head. He knew when he was beaten.
“Then listen to me,” Adam said. “If ever you let your chimp touch my pony again, you’ll get what’s coming to you. You keep out of Haki’s stable!”
Willie Baxter lurched to his feet. “You wait, Scottie! I’ll be even with you for this!”
At that moment Jake came along the passage with Bill. Unbeknown to both boys they had watched the last part of the fight from the stalls of the liberty horses. Bill was for rushing in and stopping it, but Jake held him back. It was better that Adam should fight his own way at the circus. When it was plain that Willie had got the worst of it, Jake strode down the passage.
“What’s going on here?” he shouted. “Have you lads taken leave of your senses? You know the Boss doesn’t allow fighting.”
Just then he almost tripped over the chain that held Cora, who was cowering behind the bale of hay.
“What’s that chimp doing here?” he demanded. “What do you mean by bringing your monkey into the stable, Baxter? You know that’s against all the rules.”
Baxter looked at him sullenly.
“Why were you fighting, anyway?”
Both boys were silent; Baxter because he dare not tell that he had set the chimpanzee on to Haki; Adam from a code of conduct that would not let him be a tell-tale.
“Now, listen to me,” Jake said sternly. “You’d better go and get cleaned up. If this comes to the Boss’s ears he’ll make short work of both of you. He’s not over pleased with you and your ways as it is, Willie Baxter. A bonnie sight you look to go into the ring tonight! Take yourself off, and Cora too! If you bring her into the stables again, I’ll tell the Boss myself.”
Baxter unhitched Cora and shambled away.
Jake turned to Adam. “And you go see to that eye, Adam! It’ll be all the colours of the rainbow by the time tonight’s performance begins!”
“Please, I want to look at Haki first,” Adam begged.
“Just two minutes, then!”
The colt was still trembling slightly. Adam stroked him and talked quietly to him. “It’s all right now, Haki! It will never happen again.” The colt nuzzled Adam and began to settle down.
When Adam reached the living-wagon, Ella Bradley was waiting for him with a piece of raw steak.
“Come here, Adam!” she said with pretended wrath. “It’s come to something when I’ve got to sacrifice today’s dinner to put on your black eye because you’ve been fighting! Well, did you beat him?”
“Aye!” Adam grinned as he held the steak to his eye.
“If you hadn’t you’d have heard something from me,” she said.
“If Adam’s got a black eye, Willie Baxter’s certainly no picture,” Jake chuckled. “He’ll keep out of everyone’s way for a bit.”
That night Willie did not lead in the chimpanzees. His brother had to stand in for him.
“What’s up with Willie?” Mr Wiggins demanded.
“Had a bit of an accident. Got his face marked. He’ll be all right tomorrow,” Alec Baxter told him.
As Adam and Haki passed the chimpanzees in the Grand Parade, Cora chattered angrily and Haki shied slightly away from her and fell out of step.
“Steady, Haki!” Adam said over his shoulder. “It’s all right.”
Haki resumed his jaunty march behind Adam. Sonda had noted the chattering chimpanzee and Haki’s nervous movement. She was quick to connect the two. She twitched her trunk in Cora’s direction and trumpeted so fiercely that she almost drowned Adam’s piping. Mr Wiggins cracked his whip and the Parade went on.
When the show was over Mr Wiggins sent for Jake.
“What’s going on in this circus? Nobody ever tells me anything,” he stormed. “But I’m neither blind nor daft. One lad can’t appear because his face is messed up and another lad has a swollen eye. A chimp practically swears at a lad and his pony shies, then Sonda gets mad. It all adds up to something. Now, what is it?”
“I reckon there was a bit of a fight between Willie Baxter and Adam Cromarty and Baxter didn’t get the better of it,” Jake said cautiously.
“There’s only one thing would rouse Adam’s temper and that’s trouble over his pony,” the Boss remarked shrewdly. “How did Cora come into it? Haki didn’t shy at her for nothing. Has Baxter had the chimp in the stables? Now, if he’s let Cora frighten the horses, I’ll not stand for it. Willie Baxter goes!”
Jake put a hand on his arm. “Hold it, Boss! Willie Baxter’s had a lesson from Adam Cromarty that he’ll not forget. You’d be as well to let it go at that.”
“Well – maybe you’re right, Jake. The chimps are a good turn; though it’s a pity Willie has got this jealous grievance against Adam.”
“Willie thinks Adam has ousted him from his proper place in the circus.”
“He’s wrong there. You can tell both lads from me, though, that if there’s any more fighting I’ll dock their pay for a week.”
“I’ll do that, Boss,” Jake promised. “I think it might not be a bad idea to stable Haki somewhere else. While he’s stabled alongside Willie Baxter’s ponies, there’s always the chance of the two boys getting cross with each other.”
“Where are you going to put him, then?”
“We’ve plenty boards and canvas. I think we could fix it next to the elephant’s shelter.”
“That’s a good idea, Jake. You think Sonda will watch over Haki?”
“She’s terrible fond of him, sir. She wouldn’t stand for any monkeying about with the pony.”
“I get you! When you say monkeying about, you mean monkeying about. All right! Go ahead! You can fix it with Bill and Adam.”
The very next day Haki was moved next door to Sonda, greatly to her delight. Sonda could just look over the wooden planking between their stalls. Haki, too, seemed to find comfort in Sonda’s companionship.
Willie Baxter watched these changes with disgust. “I’ve not done with you yet, Scottie!” he muttered to himself.
The circus moved on to Dunfermline and Perth. In Perth it was set out on a piece of flat land near the River Tay. People flocked in to see it and the Big Top was crowded every night. Haki and Sonda, “The Big and the Little,” were tremendous favourites with the audience.
The last night of their stay in Perth, Adam stabled Haki as usual next door to Sonda. Bill tethered Sonda by a leg chain to an iron stake buried in the ground.
“Mind you, Adam, if Sonda took it into her head to uproot that stake, she could do it easily,” Bill told Adam. “She could pull up a tree if she wanted.”
“What keeps her there, then?” Adam asked.
“Habit, I suppose. When she was a baby elephant she couldn’t have pulled up the stake then, so she’s got used to it. She knows it’s a sign she must stay where she is. She’s an obedient beast. Not much chance of her straying away, though, while she’s got Haki next door. Better than a nannie to him, she is!”
Adam put out clean water for Haki and saw he had plenty of straw bedding. “Goodnight, Haki! I’ll be back in the morning.” Haki nuzzled him with affection.
Adam was careful to see that the wood and canvas door to Haki’s stable was properly secured by its bolt. Jake was always very insistent about making the animals secure, so Adam also tied two ends of rope which fastened the door to a pole.
“Goodnight, Sonda!” Adam called softly as he passed Sonda’s stable. Sonda replied with a friendly grunt.
That night a shadow crept up to Haki’s stable and untied the rope and shot back the bolt. A moment later there was the sound of blows from a whip! Haki neighed in terror, clattered his hooves and bolted from his stable. In a moment he had disappeared in the darkness.
“That’s your hash settled!” the lad with the whip muttered. “By morning you’ll be miles away!”
Sonda was roused from sleep by Haki’s frightened neighing. She poked her head outside her shelter in time to see Haki gallop away terrified from the shadowy person holding the whip. Her quick intelligence connected the lad with the whip with Haki’s cry of pain. She lashed out with her trunk and snatched the whip, then dealt the man a stinging blow with it. He yelled with fear and ran for all he was worth towards the living-wagons and tents.
Sonda lunged forwards to pursue him. She was brought up short by the chain on her leg. She remembered Haki. Where was he? She must find Haki! Sonda gave a terrific tug to her chain and stake. She pulled her hardest and the stake came out of the ground. She was free! She dashed over the meadow after Haki, dragging her chain and stake behind her, trumpeting wildly.
Sonda crashed through a low fence that Haki had leaped. She thundered across a garden, over a wall and on to the high road. She ran along the high road till she came to a lane. Again she trumpeted. Even in his headlong flight, Haki heard her and slackened his speed a little. He gave his answering neigh. Sonda plunged down the lane after him.
Haki could smell the heather on the hills. The heather meant home and safety for him. There was even a dim memory of Hecla. Between him and the hills lay the wide stretch of the fast-flowing river. Haki plunged down towards it.
Up at the circus camp Bill had been roused by Sonda’s frantic trumpeting. He hitched on his trousers and ran to her shelter. It was empty! He looked in the next stable. Haki had vanished too! Bill paused only long enough to snatch up his long iron hook and a length of rope. He dashed to Jake’s living-wagon and hammered on the door.
“Get up, Jake! Haki’s gone and Sonda too! We’ve got to find them!”
Adam heard Bill’s knocking and his shout. In a second he was into trousers and pullover and had joined Bill and Jake. Haki was in danger!
“Which way did they go?” Jake demanded.
“Towards the road.”
Jake snatched up his big hand torch. “Come on!” he said. They set off at a run.
Jake flashed his torch along the grass of the meadow. There were marks of Sonda’s feet in the soft ground. They followed them as fast as they could in the dark till they reached the broken fence.
“Sonda’s certainly been here!” Bill said grimly.
A man leaned out of the bedroom window of the cottage.
“Lost something?” he asked when he saw their torch.
“Aye, an elephant!”
“It crossed my garden and made off down the road towards the river.”
“Come on, lads!” Bill cried.
“Hey! What about compensation for my fence and plants?” the man cried after them.
“See you in the morning about that! Got to catch the elephant now!” Bill shouted back.
At last they came on Sonda and Haki standing by the river brink. Sonda was standing between Haki and the water. Every movement Haki made towards the river, Sonda thwarted him by her great body.
“Sonda’s keeping him from the river,” Bill cried. “Why should Haki want to go into the water?”
Adam knew, “He’d want to cross the river to get to the hills. He could smell the heather. Any Shetland pony would take to the hills.”
“He might have been drowned,” Jake said sternly.
Adam reached Haki and put his arms around him. The little pony trembled and nuzzled against him, nickering and whinnying.
“He’s been frightened!” Adam declared.
Sonda seemed satisfied now Adam was looking after Haki. She submitted to being secured with the rope.
“How on earth did they get out?” Jake asked as they began to lead the animals back to the circus. “Did you fasten up Haki’s stable all right last night, Adam?”
“Yes, I’m sure I did,” Adam replied positively.
“I was up there taking a look at Sonda after Adam went to his tent,” Bill said. “Haki’s stable was fastened up all right then. Seeing Sonda can’t untie knots, someone must have been there afterwards.”
“Looks like it,” Jake agreed. “Someone must have let Haki loose and Sonda went after him. We all know how daft Sonda is about Haki.”
They reached the stables again. Suddenly Sonda lifted something out of her path and tossed it away from her in anger.
“What’s that?” Bill asked sharply.
Jake picked it up. It was a whip!
“This looks like the cause of the trouble,” he said.
“Did someone use that on Haki?” Adam gasped, his face dark with anger. “Whose whip is it?”
Jake examined it by his torch. “It’s a stockwhip out of the stores,” he announced. “It could have been used by anyone in the circus. Most of us have them.”
“I’ll find out who—” Adam began angrily.
Jake shook his head. “You’ve no proof, lad. You’ve got to have proof before you can accuse anyone. Sonda didn’t let the culprit off scot-free. A pity she can’t speak! We’ll all of us keep our eyes skinned. Truth has a strange way of coming out. Meanwhile, you can trust Sonda to look after Haki.”