



Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
http://www.pgdp.net.


[Illustration: _LEO'S FIRST APPEARANCE_]



                          LEO THE CIRCUS BOY;

                                   or

                   LIFE UNDER THE GREAT WHITE CANVAS

                       BY CAPTAIN RALPH BONEHILL,

         Author of "The Young Oarsmen of Lakeview," "The Rival
                Bicyclists," "Gun and Sled," etc., etc.



                                CHICAGO:
                         _M. A. Donohue_ & Co.




                           _Copyright_, 1897.
                                  _BY_
                          _W. L. Allison_ Co.






CONTENTS


  - CHAPTER I.--A ROW AND ITS RESULT.

  - CHAPTER II.--CAPTURING A RUNAWAY LION.

  - CHAPTER III.--LEO LEAVES THE FARM.

  - CHAPTER IV.--LEO JOINS THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH.

  - CHAPTER V.--A LEAP OF GREAT PERIL.

  - CHAPTER VI.--LEO ASSERTS HIS RIGHTS.

  - CHAPTER VII.--LEO GAINS HIS LIBERTY.

  - CHAPTER VIII.--AMONG THE CLOUDS IN A THUNDERSTORM.

  - CHAPTER IX.--THE MAD ELEPHANT.

  - CHAPTER X.--CAPTURING THE ELEPHANT.

  - CHAPTER XI.--A CRIMINAL COMPACT.

  - CHAPTER XII.--THE STOLEN CIRCUS TICKETS.

  - CHAPTER XIII.--LEO MAKES A CHANGE.

  - CHAPTER XIV.--LEO MAKES A NEW FRIEND.

  - CHAPTER XV.--AN ACT NOT ON THE BILLS.

  - CHAPTER XVI.--AN UNPLEASANT POSITION.

  - CHAPTER XVII.--CARL SHOWS HIS BRAVERY.

  - CHAPTER XVIII.--A WONDERFUL TRICK EXPLAINED.

  - CHAPTER XIX.--WAMPOLE'S NEW SCHEME.

  - CHAPTER XX.--ANOTHER STOP ON THE ROAD.

  - CHAPTER XXI.--AN UNEXPECTED BATH.

  - CHAPTER XXII.--WAMPOLE SHOWS HIS HAND.

  - CHAPTER XXIII.--THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH ONCE MORE.

  - CHAPTER XXIV.--IN THE CIRCUS RING AGAIN.

  - CHAPTER XXV.--ANOTHER BALLOON TRIP.

  - CHAPTER XXVI.--ADVENTURES AMID THE FLAMES.

  - CHAPTER XXVII.--ESCAPE FROM THE BURNING FOREST.

  - CHAPTER XXVIII.--THE RIVAL BALLOONISTS.

  - CHAPTER XXIX.--PORLER'S MOVE.

  - CHAPTER XXX.--MART KEENE'S STORY.

  - CHAPTER XXXI.--A FALL FROM THE CLOUDS.

  - CHAPTER XXXII.--MART A PRISONER.

  - CHAPTER XXXIII.--LEO TO THE RESCUE.

  - CHAPTER XXXIV.--THE END OF PORLER.

  - CHAPTER XXXV.--A COWARDLY ATTACK.

  - CHAPTER XXXVI.--ON THE ELEVATED TRACKS.

  - CHAPTER XXXVII.--THE CAPTURE OF GRISWOLD.

  - CHAPTER XXXVIII.--GOOD-BY TO THE CIRCUS BOY.



                           Leo the Circus Boy





CHAPTER I.--A ROW AND ITS RESULT.


"Land sakes alive, Daniel, look at that boy!"

"Where is he, Marthy?"

"Up there on the old apple tree a-hangin' down by his toes! My gracious,
does he wanter kill himself?"

"Thet's wot he does, Marthy," grumbled old Daniel Hawkins. "He'll do it,
jest so ez we kin pay his funeral expenses. Never seen sech a boy before
in my born days!"

"Go after him with the horsewhip, Daniel. Oh! goodness gracious, look at
thet now!"

And the woman, or, rather, Tartar, Mrs. Martha Hawkins, held up her
hands in terror as the boy on the apple tree suddenly gave a swing,
released his feet, and, with a graceful turn forward, landed on his feet
on the ground.

"Wot do yer mean by sech actions, yer young good-fer-nothin'?" cried
Daniel Hawkins, rushing forward, his face full of sudden rage. "Do yer
want ter break yer wuthless neck?"

"Not much, I don't," replied the boy, with a little smile creeping over
his sunburned, handsome face. "I'm afraid if I did that I would never
get over it, Mr. Hawkins."

"Don't try ter joke me, Leo Dunbar, or I'll