"
"Perhaps I fell in," answered the lad with a faint smile.
"Perhaps. But you have not said so. I want you to tell me how
you did get in."
"I think I was thrown in, Mr. Sparling," answered the
Circus Boy quickly.
"Thrown in!" exclaimed the showman, leaping to his feet, his face
working convulsively in his effort to control his emotions.
"Phil Forrest, do you mean that?"
"I do."
Mr. Sparling sat down helplessly.
"Is it possible?"
"I am sure of it, sir."
"Had anyone but you told me that I should have laughed. I know
I can depend upon what you say. Tell me more about it?"
"As I have already said, I was leaning on the rail and dropped
off into a doze. How long I had been in that position I do
not know. I could not have been there many minutes, or I
should have gone so soundly asleep that I would have fallen
over to the deck, you know."
"Yes, yes."
"All at once I felt myself being lifted. At first, as I remember
it, the sensation was as if the deck were dropping from under me.
As I recalled the incident afterwards, I realized that I had
been lifted.
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