hout taking
any money.

Next came the Maloneys, and, as Paddy belonged to the circus, they also
walked in without paying, and secured front seats.

Then Jim Brown and Sam Holmes, and Walter Nutt, and Steve Burton, and
eight others strolled along. Dad owed all of them money for binding,
which they happened to remember. "In yous go," Dad said, and in the
lot went. The tent filled quickly, and the crowd awaited the opening
act.

Paddy Maloney came forward with his hair oiled and combed, and rang the
cow-bell.

Dave, bare-footed and bare-headed, in snow-white moles and red shirt,
entered standing majestically upon old Ned's back. He got a great
reception. But Ned was tired and refused to canter. He jogged lazily
round the ring. Dave shouted at him and rocked about. He was very
unsteady. Paddy Maloney flogged Ned with the leg-rope. But Ned had
been flogged often before. He got slower and slower. Suddenly, he
stood and cocked his tail, and to prevent himself falling, Dave jumped
off. Then the audience yelled while Dave dragged Ned into the
dressing-room and punched him on the nose.

Paddy Maloney made a speech. He said: "Well, the next item on the
programme'll knock y' bandy. Keep quiet, you fellows, now, an' y'll
see somethin'."

They saw Joe. He stepped backwards into the ring, pulling at a string.
There was something on the string. "Come on!" Joe said, tugging. The
"something" would n't come. "Chuck 'im in!" Joe called out. Then the
pet kangaroo was heaved in through the doorway, and fell on its head
and raised the dust. A great many ugly dogs rushed for it savagely.
The kangaroo jumped up and bounded round the ring. The dogs pursued
him noisily. "GERROUT!" Joe shouted, and the crowd stood up and became
very enthusiastic. The dogs caught the kangaroo, and were dragging him
to earth when Dad rushed in and kicked them in twos to the top of the
tent. Then, while Johnson expostulated with Dad for laming his brindle
slut, the kangaroo dived through a hole in the tent and rushed into the
house and into the bedroom, and sprang on the bed among a lot of babies
and women's hats.

When the commotion subsided Paddy Maloney rang the cow-bell again, and
Dave and "Podgy," the pet sheep, rode out on Nugget. Podgy sat with
hind-legs astride the horse and his head leaning back against Dave's
chest. Dave (standing up) bent over him with a pair of shears in his
hand. He was to shear Podgy as the horse c