“I’ll have you fired!” he exclaimed as he righted the auto and started off with it. “I’ll not work in a ring where there are such clumsy dolts as you. What’s the profession coming to when they take in green kids that don’t know anything about acting? But you won’t be with the show to-morrow, I’ll guarantee that!” “I didn’t mean to interfere with you,” said Jack. “It was an accident.” “Oh, I’ve heard that story before,” sneered Ted. “You wanted to spoil my act. You’re jealous of me because I get the most applause. So are the other clowns. I shouldn’t wonder but what some of ’em put you up to it. But I’ll get square with you and them, too.” “Nobody put me up to it. It was an accident,” insisted the young clown, but Ted, without answering, made his way to the dressing-tent. CHAPTER XV JACK HAS ENEMIES The circus performance was almost over. They were getting ready for the chariot and other races which would bring the program to an end. Jack went to the tent where he had made-up as a clown. He found scores of the men performers getting off their ring outfits and putting on their regular garments. The clowns were washing off the grease paint. “There he is now!” exclaimed a voice as Jack entered the tent. “There’s the fresh kid that spoiled my act. He did it on purpose, too. If I find out who put him up to it----” “Look here!” exclaimed Jack, who intended to maintain his rights. “You needn’t say that, for it isn’t so. I’ve told you it was an accident.” “Well, I say it wasn’t.” “What’s the row?” asked Sam Kyle, coming into the tent after a burst of applause had testified to his abilities as an entertainer. “What’s up, Ted? You seem angry, my child,” and he assumed a playful, theatrical air. “Cut that out!” replied Ted in a surly tone. “Ah, you are peevish, little one,” went on Sam, who was a great joker, outside as well as inside the ring. “Ted says the new kid spoiled his auto act,” remarked a clown whose specialty was to lead a little dog about the ring with a rope big enough to hold a battleship fastened on the beast’s neck. “That’s what he did,” spoke Ted. “He jumped right down on me with those paper hoops, and spoiled my act.” “It was an accident,” put in Jack hotly. “We’ll see what Mr. Paine thinks,” went on Ted wrathfully. “I’m going to report to him.” “You’ll report to me first,” declared Sam. “I’m in charge of this part of the show. Jack, let’s hear your story.” Without stopping to remove his clown dress, Jack told exactly what had happened, and how the thing had occurred so quickly that it had been. “Now it’s your turn,” said the head clown to Ted, and the latter made it appear that it was Jack’s fault. Some of the other performers, however, had seen what had taken place, and their version made it clear that it was an accident. “You can report to Mr. Paine if you want to,” said Sam, when he had declared that he believed our hero, “but that’s all the good it will do. Jack stays.”