canal, and people on the road stepped hastily
aside at the "Honk! Honk!" of the automobile horn.

Fortunately there were not many vehicles in the road, for most of the
farmers' wagons had already reached the grounds, and their mules and
horses were hitched beside the right of way. But there was quite a crowd
upon the tented field. This crowd had not, however, as Louise Quigg
feared "seen everything all up" before the canalboat girl and her father
reached the tents.

Louise wanted to see everything to be seen outside before paying over
their good money to get into the big show. So they wandered among the
tents for some time, without a thought of the old canalboat. Indeed,
they were out of sight of it when the mule kicked over the stove on the
_Nancy Hanks_ and that pirate craft (according to the first hopes of
Sammy Pinkney) caught fire.

Indeed, nobody on the circus grounds was looking canalward. Torches were
beginning to flare up here and there in the darkening field. There were
all kinds of sideshows and "penny pops"--lifting machines,
hammer-throws, a shooting gallery, a baseball alley with a grinning
black man dodging the ball at the end--"certainly should like to try to
hit that nigger," Pap declared--taffy booths, popcorn machines, soft
drink booths, and a dozen other interesting things.

Of course, Louise and her father could only look. They had no money to
spend on side issues--or sideshows. But they looked their fill. For once
Cap'n Bill appeared to be awake. He was as interested in what there was
to be seen as the child clinging to his hairy hand.

They went back of the big tent and there was one with the canvas raised
so that they could see the horses and ponies stabled within. Some of the
fattest and sleekest horses were being harnessed and trimmed for the
"grand entrance," and such a shaking of heads to hear the tiny bells
ring, and stamping of oiled hoofs as there was--all the airs of a vain
girl before her looking-glass!

Louise was stricken dumb before a pony, all patches of brown and cream
color, and with pink like a seashell inside its ears and on its muzzle.
The pony's mane was all "crinkly" and its bang was parted and braided
with blue ribbons.

"Oh, Pap!" gasped the little girl, breathlessly, "isn't he a _dear_? I
never did see so harnsome a pony."

A short, stout man, with a very red face and a long-lashed whip in his
hand who was standing by, heard the canalboat girl and smiled kindly
up