l addition to his
party at the cost merely of some scraps and a shelter, when a shelter
was available and not required for any other purpose.

The boy on his part jumped at the man's offer, for was he not starving?
Besides, he was overjoyed at the prospect of the freedom and the outdoor
life held out to him by the proposal that he should become part and
parcel of the constantly-moving caravan. And what a fine way of escape
from his persecutors! So there and then the dwarf was enrolled as a
regular member of the Satellite Circus Company. His real name--plain
Jimmy Green--was scornfully cast aside. Mr. Harris voted it slow and
commonplace. After a good deal of thought and much indecision, he
substituted the more catchy one of Bambo as being both novel and
appropriate to the profession--Bambo, the musical dwarf; though why he
was dubbed musical was always a puzzle to the poor little man, because
nobody had ever known him to sing a note in his life. Sing! why, with
his hoarse, croaky voice he could no more make music than a frog in a
marsh. The absurdity of it amused him at first every time he saw his
name flaring in big red and yellow letters from placards and hoardings.
Bambo was all right; he rather liked the change. And Bambo he had
remained ever since, until, like Darby and Joan, the dwarf had almost
forgotten his claim to any other name.

From year to year he stayed on with Joe and Moll. Other members of the
company came and went, but still the dwarf remained--now cuffed and
kicked, when he did not by his grotesque antics and claptrap tricks
bring in as many pence as his patrons believed he might; again let alone
when he had been lucky, and they were in a good humour with themselves
and all the world. He acted as bear-leader and buffoon, villain and
hero, alternately in public; while in private he was cook, drudge,
messman, and menagerie manager for the rest of the party, for animals of
some sort invariably formed part of the attractions of the troupe. Now
it was a performing poodle, picked up somewhere in Mr. Harris's own
ingenious way of finding things which had never been lost; again it was
a cage of white mice; at another time a wonderful parrot, with always a
monkey, and generally a bear. Bambo had a great way with these
creatures, and often succeeded in teaching them tricks when Joe had
failed. His methods were few and simple, based chiefly upon kindness and
perseverance; whereas Joe's one idea of imparting ins