ss the canal
from the tented field where the circus was pitched. The dirty brown
canvas of the large and small tents showed that the circus had already
had a long season. Everything was tarnished and tawdry about the show at
this time of year. Even the ornate band wagon was shabby and the
vociferous calliope seemed to have the croup whenever it was played.

But people had come from far and near to see the show. Its wonders were
as fresh to the children as though the entertainment had just left
winter quarters, all spic and span.

From the deck of the _Nancy Hanks_ there looked to be hundreds and
hundreds of people wandering about the fields where the tents were
erected.

"Oh, come on, Pap, le's hurry!" exclaimed Louise Quigg, gaspingly. "Oh,
my! Everybody'll see everything all up before we get there!"

The mules were driven aboard over the gangplank and stabled in the
forward end of the house. The cabin door was locked and Beauty set on
guard. Without the first idea that they were leaving any other human
beings upon the barge when they left it, Louise and her father walked
toward the drawbridge on the edge of town, over which they had to pass
to reach the showgrounds.

Louise had hurriedly cooked supper on the other side of the partition
from the coop where the mules were stabled. The fire was not entirely
out when she had locked the door. Her desire to reach the showgrounds
early made the child careless for once in her cramped life.

The mules, quarreling over their supper, became more than usually
active. One mule bit the other, who promptly switched around, striving
to land both his heels upon his mate's ribs.

Instead, the kicking mule burst in the partition between the stable and
the living room, or cabin, of the _Nancy Hanks_. The flying planks
knocked over the stove and the live coals were spread abroad upon the
floor.

This began to smoke at once. Little flames soon began to lick along the
cracks between the deck planks. The mules brayed and became more uneasy.
They did not like the smell of the smoke; much less did they like the
vicinity of the flames which grew rapidly longer and hotter.

As for Beauty, the hound, her idea of watching the premises was to curl
down on an old coat of Quigg's on deck and sleep as soundly as though no
peril at all threatened the old canalboat and anybody who might be
aboard of it.

CHAPTER XV

THE PURSUIT

Neale O'Neil did not return to Mr. Con Murphy's wit