“I guess she’ll say you led me into mischief,” and the sharp child nodded as if she defied him to deny the truth of that.

“You’ll catch it when you get home, Ben, so you’d better have a good time while you can,” advised Sam, thinking Bab great fun, since none of the blame of her pranks would fall on him.

“What would you have done if you hadn’t found us?” asked Billy, forgetting his impatience in his admiration for this plucky young lady.

“I’d have gone on and seen the circus, and then I’d have gone home again and told Betty all about it,” was the prompt answer.

“But you haven’t any money.”

“Oh, I’d ask somebody to pay for me.  I’m so little, it wouldn’t be much.”

“Nobody would do it, so you’d have to stay outside, you see.”

“No, I wouldn’t.  I thought of that and planned how I’d fix it if I didn’t find Ben.  I’d make Sanch do his tricks and get a quarter that way, so now,” answered Bab, undaunted by any obstacle.

“I do believe she would!  You are a smart child, Bab, and if I had enough I’d take you in myself,” said Billy, heartily; for, having sisters of his own, he kept a soft place in his heart for girls, especially enterprising ones.

“I’ll take care of her.  It was very naughty to come, Bab, but so long as you did, you needn’t worry about anything.  I’ll see to you, and you shall have a real good time,” said Ben, accepting his responsibilities without a murmur, and bound to do the handsome thing by his persistent friend.

“I thought you would,” and Bab folded her arms as if she had nothing further to do but enjoy herself.

“Are you hungry?” asked Billy, fishing out several fragments of gingerbread.

“Starving!” and Bab ate them with such a relish that Sam added a small contribution, and Ben caught some water for her in his hand where the little spring bubbled up beside a stone.

“Now, you go and wash your face and spat down your hair, and put your hat on straight, and then we’ll go,” commanded Ben, giving Sanch a roll on the grass to clean him.

Bab scrubbed her face till it shone, and pulling down her apron to wipe it, scattered a load of treasures collected in her walk.  Some of the dead flowers, bits of moss and green twigs fell near Ben, and one attracted his attention,—­a spray of broad, smooth leaves, with a bunch of whitish berries on it.

“Where did you get that?” he asked, poking it with his foot.

“In a swampy place, coming along.  Sanch saw something down there, and I went with him ’cause I thought may be it was a musk-rat and you’d like one if we could get him.”

“Was it?” asked the boys all at once and with intense interest.

“No, only a snake, and I don’t care for snakes.  I picked some of that, it was so green and pretty.  Thorny likes queer leaves and berries, you know,” answered Bab, “spatting” down her rough locks.