Obediently Bess climbed up. She felt sick with fear and only her affection and loyalty for Nancy gave her the courage to carry on.
Bess rode well and Kroon seemed to be impressed. But presently he called, “Now let’s see what stunts you can do.”
Bess’s heart thumped wildly. What should she do?
“Oh, please, not in these clothes,” Bess stammered. “I—that is—could you come back in an hour, Mr. Kroon?”
“An hour!” the ringmaster yelled. “You want an hour to change your clothes? That’s nonsense. I’ll give you exactly half—well, forty-five minutes,” he said.
“Oh, thank you,” Bess said, sliding from the horse.
Kroon looked at Rancoco. “I want every one of you back here in exactly forty-five minutes. I’ll be here to watch the act. If I don’t like it, out you go. This time I won’t change my mind!”
As he stalked off, there was silence. The equestrians were too worried to talk, and Nancy realized how much depended on her. As the girl emerged from behind the seats, Bess ran to Nancy and begged her not to take part in the bareback riders’ act.
“You’re just going to get yourself into trouble,” Bess insisted. “And it isn’t worth the risk.”
“I couldn’t let these people down now,” Nancy replied. “And thanks a million for helping me. By the way,” she said, taking off the charm bracelet, “will you give this to Hannah?”
“Glad to,” Bess replied.
“Bess, did you find my dad?” Nancy asked.
“No and yes.”
Bess reported that George had contacted Nancy’s Aunt Eloise Drew in New York City. Aunt Eloise was expecting her brother at any moment and would have him telephone George’s home as soon as he arrived. Bess had dashed to the circus to tell Nancy.
“Oh, I do hope Dad won’t object to my appearing in the circus!” Nancy said.
“Well, I just hope he does,” Bess declared.
“Is George at home now?” Nancy asked.
“Yes.”
As Bess continued to tell her friend how worried she was, Nancy suddenly laughed.
“You know what’s worrying me the most at this moment?” she asked. “How I’m going to fool Kroon into thinking I’m Bess Marvin!”
Erika, who overheard the remark, smiled. “It won’t be any trouble at all,” she said. “Our make-up artist can fix that. And you must have a blond rinse,” she went on, looking at Bess, “and a short haircut. Then with some rouge on your cheeks—you’ll fool Mr. Kroon all right!”
“Let’s get started,” Nancy urged.
The three girls went off together, and within half an hour Nancy’s appearance was considerably changed.
“You could pass for Bess’s thinner sister at a short distance,” Erika told her, adding that Kroon probably would not notice the slight difference in proportions.
As the girls left the make-up artist’s tent, they almost bumped into George Fayne. She stared at Nancy as if she had seen a ghost.
“What’s been going on?” she exclaimed.
Quickly George was brought up to date on the news, then Nancy asked, “Did my father telephone?”
George said he had. She grinned and said that Mr. Drew would be very happy to let Nancy pinch-hit in the circus act. His daughter breathed a sigh of relief, and George added:
“What’s more, your aunt is flying up with him from New York to see the evening performance.”
Nancy was pleased! She would do her very best—that is, if she could pass Kroon’s inspection. So much depended on her now. She must not fail!
CHAPTER XI
A Ruse Works
It suddenly occurred to Nancy that she had told Hannah Gruen she would be home at six o’clock and it was now six thirty. Since Bess had not gone there yet with the bracelet, and told her of Nancy’s plans, the housekeeper would be worried. Nancy decided to call her at once.
“I’ll invite her to the evening performance,” Nancy thought, her eyes dancing. “But I’ll keep my part in it as a surprise!”
The housekeeper answered the telephone.
“Hello, Hannah,” Nancy said. “I’m still at the circus. I hope you haven’t been worrying about me.”
Mrs. Gruen said indeed she had been. A very important message had come for Nancy an hour before.