“You never would, it’s only a picture!  That, now, is something like,” and Ben, who had pricked up his ears at the word “circus,” laid his finger on a smaller cut of a man hanging by the back of his neck with a child in each hand, two men suspended from his feet, and the third swinging forward to alight on his head.

“I’m going,” said Sam, with calm decision, for this superb array of unknown pleasures fired his soul and made him forget his weight.

“How will you fix it?” asked Ben, fingering the bill with a nervous thrill all through his wiry limbs, just as he used to feel it when his father caught him up to dash into the ring.

“Foot it with Billy.  It’s only four miles, and we’ve got lots of time, so we can take it easy.  Mother wont care, if I send word by Cy,” answered Sam, producing half a dollar, as if such magnificent sums were no strangers to his pocket.

“Come on, Brown; you’ll be a first-rate fellow to show us round, as you know all the dodges,” said Billy, anxious to get his money’s worth.

“Well, I don’t know,” began Ben, longing to go, but afraid Mrs. Moss would say “No!” if he asked leave.

“He’s afraid,” sneered the red-faced boy, who felt bitterly toward all mankind at that instant, because he knew there was no hope of his going.

“Say that again, and I’ll knock your head off,” and Ben faced round with a gesture which caused the other to skip out of reach precipitately.

“Hasn’t got any money, more likely,” observed a shabby youth, whose pockets never had anything in them but a pair of dirty hands.

Ben calmly produced a dollar bill and waved it defiantly before this doubter, observing with dignity: 

“I’ve got money enough to treat the whole crowd, if I choose to, which I don’t.”

“Then come along and have a jolly time with Sam and me.  We can buy some dinner and get a ride home, as like as not,” said the amiable Billy, with a slap on the shoulder, and a cordial grin which made it impossible for Ben to resist.

“What are you stopping for?” demanded Sam, ready to be off, that they might “take it easy.”

“Don’t know what to do with Sancho.  He’ll get lost or stolen if I take him, and it’s too far to carry him home if you are in a hurry,” began Ben, persuading himself that this was the true reason for his delay.

“Let Cy take him back.  He’ll do it for a cent; wont you, Cy?” proposed Billy, smoothing away all objections, for he liked Ben, and saw that he wanted to go.

“No, I wont; I don’t like him.  He winks at me, and growls when I touch him,” muttered naughty Cy, remembering how much reason poor Sanch had to distrust his tormentor.

“There’s Bab; she’ll do it.  Come here, sissy; Ben wants you,” called Sam, beckoning to a small figure just perching on the fence.

Down it jumped and came fluttering up, much elated at being summoned by the captain of the sacred nine.