Page:Dapples of the Circus (1943).pdf/141

 ing. But this isn't any rain. Why, I once knew a rain so bad that the fish all ran up under a bridge to keep dry."

"Get out with your fish story," grinned the driver. "Don't you know any more than to be cracking your chestnuts here in the rain? But that is a good one—fish keeping dry in a brook under a bridge. Ha, ha, ha!"

Thus the clown went from wagon to wagon, from one bedraggled crew to another, taking sunshine with him, and sunshine was what they all needed.

Almost before they knew it, the men themselves were cracking jokes about the rain, and laughter had taken the place of imprecations. It was also surprising how much faster the wagons moved under the stimulus of laughter than they did when they were cursed. Everything took on a different aspect, and Freckles saw they would get clear after all.

"Going pretty good, sonny," said Big Bill, clapping Freckles on the back.