“It’s kite ’licious,” she said, jumping up and down.  “I aren’t fwightened,” she continued; “that aren’t me.”

The next moment she was lifted on to the back of Greased Lightning.  In all probability the horse which bore that title had never carried such a feather-weight as little Diana before.  Uncle Ben began to lead him round and round the circus.  Diana sat perfectly upright; she did not attempt even to clutch a hair of his mane.  Uncle Ben praised her.

“You are a plucky little missy,” he said.  “Why, you’ll do fine.  Now, do you think you can stand on the horse?”

“Course,” replied Diana.  “What’s foots for, you silly man, if not to stand?  You is silly, Uncle Ben.”

“I never!” said Uncle Ben, bursting out laughing.  “Well, missy, if I am silly, you has got a lot of sauce.  ’What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.’”

“That sounds howid vulgar, and I don’t underland,” answered Diana, in a dignified tone.  “I’ll stand on my two foots if you’ll hold G’eased Lightning k’ite still.”

“Woe! stay quiet this minute,” said the man to the horse.  The pretty creature instantly obeyed, and little Diana, nothing loath, scrambled on to her small feet.  The horse moved gently forward, and the little child managed to keep her balance.  She went the entire round of the circus two or three times in this position, and then Uncle Ben, saying that she was a very fine little creature, and would answer his purposes to a nicety, lifted her down in the height of good humor.

“Take care of her,” he said, bringing her back to Aunt Sarah; “there’s a fortune in her, little mite that she is.  She need not do any more to-day.  Why, I’ll have her trained in no time when we get down to the west of England.  She’ll do her work beautiful, and will take the house by storm.  Now then, master, it’s your turn.  We must have a pair of you, you know—­a boy and a girl.  It’s the very thing to draw crowds in the west.”

But alas!  Orion, notwithstanding his brave name, was made of very different stuff from his sister.  He felt fear, where Diana, in all truth, did not know the meaning of the word.  He shivered visibly when he was lifted on to Greased Lightning’s back.  Diana called out to him in an encouraging and cheery voice.

“Don’t forget you is a giant,” she said.  “Think, of yous sword and yous belt.  Now then, gee up! pretty horse; I only wishes I was widing you.”

“Come, young master, don’t clutch the mane so hard,” said Holt.  “Hands off, I say!  Greased Lightning won’t stand that kind of treatment.”

But the more the manager spoke the tighter did Orion grasp the black mane of the chestnut horse.  Greased Lightning began to paw the ground and to show many signs of discomfort; whereupon Orion uttered a piercing cry and began slipping backwards, towards the tail of the beast.

“Come,” said the man; “get back to your seat this minute.  I have a whip in my hand, and it can sting; come, young sir!”