At night he rode over
rough, muddy roads in the tableau wagon, stiff and sore from the
violent exercise of the day,--for he was training in earnest to become
a clown. He was learning the clown's songs, and singing with the
chorus in such pieces as "I'll never Kiss my Love again behind the
Kitchen Door," "Paddle your own Canoe," and others in Joey's
repertory.
Throughout the forlorn, disquieting days he stayed close to the
dressing-tent, always in dread of the moment when Blake or some other
minion of the law would clap him on the shoulder and end the agony of
suspense. Blake, as a matter of fact, more than once came near to
finding his quarry. Twice, at least, David was smuggled out of sight
just in time to avoid an encounter with his stubborn pursuer.
At last, after five days, Blake gave it up and turned back to
Virginia, hastened somewhat by the cleverly exploited newspaper
strategy of George Simms, the show's press agent. Simms managed it so
that a press dispatch came out of Richmond in which it was said on
excellent authority that the boy had been seen in the neighborhood of
his old home within the week, and that posses were now engaged in a
neighborhood hunt for him.
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