mal regained
his feet.

The struggle was strenuous but brief, and Jim found himself rejoicing
that none of the old tricks had failed him, and that the wicked little
brute was realizing that he had at length been mastered.

When the bronco was thoroughly subjected, Jim rode quietly up to where
the boss stood with the two other men.

"Want me to pick up a handkerchief for you, or any other of the old
stunts, now?" he asked. "Don't want to tire this old plug too much for
the show."

The boss chuckled.

"Get down and talk business with me, young feller," he said. "You won't
ride Jazz in the ring to-night; he's the rottenest, most treacherous
little wretch with the outfit, and I only put you on him to call your
bluff. Want to join the show? We had to leave our rough-rider back in
the last town with a broken leg."

Jim shook his head.

"Only for to-night," he replied. "My sister and I are beating it South."

"Well, I'll give you five dollars----"

"No, you won't," Jim smiled. "I'll work for you to-night for just
twenty-five cents."

"Say, you ain't bughouse, are you?" The boss stared again.

"The fourth part of a dollar, two bits!" Jim replied doggedly. Then his
gaze wandered as though casually over to the cook tent, and he added:
"However, if you could suggest anything to two hungry people, and
something else for a little girl who has never seen a circus, Mr.
Trimble-and-Wells, and who is waiting for me in the road----"

The boss roared.

"D--d if I don't think you're dippy, but you certainly can ride like
h--l!" he exclaimed. "I'll take you up on that; go get the kid and bring
her in to supper, and I'll see that she gets a reserved seat for the
show. Holy smoke! A feller that can stick on Jazz, and wants to work for
a quarter!"

Thus it was that when the clown came tumbling into the ring to the
blaring of the band that night, a girl with the green bow all askew upon
her hat and her violet-blue eyes a shade darker and snapping with
excitement was perched on one of the front row planks which served as
seats, clutching a bag of peanuts and waiting in an ecstasy for the
wonders about to be unfolded.

The ride in the pedler's van, the hours of currant-picking, and the hot,
hilly, eight-mile trudge were forgotten, and she felt like pinching
herself to see if she would wake up all of a sudden to find herself once
more back in the attic at the Hess farm.

The beautiful lady with the fluffy skirts rode round th