Page:On Our Selection.djvu/147

Rh "Well," he said, looking at Dad, "what about this circus?"

Dad chuckled.

"But what d' y' think?"

"Well" (Dad paused), "yes" (chuckled again)—"very well."

"A circus!" Sal put in—"a pretty circus yous'd have!'"

Dave fired up.

"You go and ride the red heifer, strad-legs, same as y' did yesterday," he snarled, "an' let all th' country see y'."

Sal blushed.

Then to Dad:

"I'm certain, with Paddy Maloney in it, we could do it right enough, and make it pay, too."

"Very well, then," said Dad, "very well. There's th' tarpaulin there, and plenty bales and old bags whenever you 're ready."

Dave was delighted, and he and Dad and Joe ran out to see where the tent could be pitched, and ran in again wetter than the dog.

One day a circus-tent went up in our yard. It attracted a lot of notice. Two of the Johnsons and old Anderson and