salute your new playfellow."

The bear growled, stirred, and with a lazy stretch of his big body
slowly rose upon his hind legs and approached his master; while the
monkey climbed, chattering and jabbering, to the roof of the caravan.

Darby and the dwarf had followed close at Joe's heel; and when the boy
saw the huge beast, with sparkling eyes and slavering mouth, tower right
above his little sister and heard her screams of terror, he felt, just
for a moment, sick with fear.

"You brute!" exclaimed the dwarf, in his thin, hoarse voice, as he
reached up his long arms and firmly gripped Bruno by the leather collar
which was round his neck. But whether he addressed the man or the beast
was not quite clear, and certainly Joe Harris did not care to inquire.

Joan had flung herself in her panic on Darby's shoulder, with her small,
wet face buried in the bosom of his old velveteen blouse. The awful
faint feeling passed from him at the touch of those clinging arms around
his neck, and with indignant eyes and flushed cheeks he turned and faced
the great, ugly bully, who only laughed, as if enjoying the sight of
their distress.

"How dare you frighten my sister so?" he demanded haughtily. "Why did
you bring us here if you only wanted to be rude to us? You are cruel,
and a coward as well; for my father says that only cowards would try to
frighten children or helpless things. Wait until I go home," said the
little fellow boldly, forgetting in his excitement that he had
deliberately left home for altogether, "and I shall tell him about you.
Then you'll be punished as you deserve," he added loftily.

But as Darby uttered this threat a wave of memory swept over him with an
overwhelming rush. Father! what could _he_ do to help or deliver them,
away in Africa, or maybe lying dead somewhere? Joe and Moll might
ill-treat them as they chose before father should be able to interfere.
And mother! Father in Africa or killed, mother in heaven! and with one
bitter, thrilling cry the boy's brave spirit gave way, and he sank
unconscious at Joe Harris's feet.

Mr. Harris gave expression to his amusement in a whistle.

"That's capital!" he cried; "the best piece o' actin' I've seed this
many's the day! Eh, Bambo, what do you think o' _that_ for an amatoor?
Why, it 'ud bring down the house, I declare!"

But Bambo did not answer, not by so much as a single glance. He was
crouching on the grass beside the boy.

Then Joe shoved the sobbing