illage. And now you'll have to behave yourself. They wouldn't let you
into the show."

Then the Green family turned their backs on him.

"They needn't think they can keep me here," Spot growled. "I didn't run
all the way from the farm to the village to be tied to a wagon wheel."

Johnnie Green and his father and mother hadn't been gone a quarter of an
hour when Spot succeeded in slipping his collar over his head. Then he
dashed out of the yard and ran to the circus grounds as fast as he could
go.

Spot mingled with the crowds of people that were pouring into the big
tent. He worked his way in and out among the throng, all but tripping
many of the pleasure seekers.

Though he looked everywhere, he couldn't find the Green family. They had
already passed through the entrance and were enjoying the sights inside
the canvas.

At last Spot met a man--a circus man--who was very friendly. It was
pleasant to get a kind word from somebody, after so many people had told
him to "get out," and had given him a shove.

This kindly person called Spot into a low tent and patted him. He gave
Spot a bit of meat and even thought to offer him a drink of water.

"This is a fine pointer," the man remarked to a friend of his who was
with him. "He hasn't any collar; so he must be anybody's dog. And he
might as well be mine."

Spot wagged his tail. He didn't quite understand what his new
acquaintance was saying. But it seemed to be something nice.

And then Spot decided, suddenly, that he had stayed in that tent long
enough. For the pleasant man found a piece of rope and tried to tie it
about Spot's neck.

"I've been tied up once to-day; and once is enough," Spot growled.
Slipping out of the man's grasp, Spot ran out of doors.

Both men followed him. For a few minutes they chased him. One of them
tripped over a guy rope and sprawled on the ground. And to escape the
other Spot dodged under a canvas wall where it lifted slightly at the
bottom.

He found himself in a huge tent where hundreds of people sat all around
on tiers of seats. Men and horses were capering about in the center of
the place. And somewhere a band was playing.

He was under the big top.

XXIII

SPOT SEES THE SHOW

Old dog Spot was bewildered. When he crawled under the canvas he had not
dreamed that he was entering the main tent of the circus. He saw so many
strange sights that he didn't know whether to bark or to crawl away and
hide somewhere. Yet a