climbing up on them, he was able to step to the rope.

"Oh, how thin and slender and shaky it is!" cried Brighteyes. "You never
can walk across that, Buddy!"

"Yes, I think I can," he answered. "But I must get a pole to balance
myself with," so he got off the boxes and ran to the woodpile, got a
piece of an old broom handle, and ran back to the rope again. He stepped
one foot out on it, to try it, and it seemed quite strong, though it
wabbled a bit from side to side, like a duck's tail.

"Oh! are you really going to walk on it?" cried Brighteyes in delight.

"I really am," answered her brother.

"Then you ought to have an audience to applaud you and clap when you do
it," she went on. "Wait, and I'll run and get Johnnie and Billie
Bushytail and Sammie and Susie Littletail, and--"

"No, don't!" cried Buddy, quickly. "Better wait until I walk across a
few times, first, so as to sort of practise. Then I'll do the trick
before folks."

So he got up on the rope, standing up on his hind legs, and balancing
the pole with his front paws and he steadied himself for a moment and
then took a step. My! but that rope wiggled, though, from side to side,
almost like a hammock, only, of course, not as safe as a hammock. But
Buddy kept bravely on, and took another step--and land sakes laddy-da!
if that rope didn't wiggle more than ever.

"Oh, take care! You'll fall!" cried Brighteyes, and she screamed.

"Oh, Brighteyes, don't do that, please!" begged Buddy. "You make me
nervous, and then I can't walk the tight rope."

So Brighteyes, whose real name was Matilda, you know, kept real still
and quiet, just like a little mouse when it wants a bit of cheese, and
Buddy took another step out on the tight rope.

He held his balancing pole by the middle, and he went slowly and
cautiously, and he was actually walking that slender rope!

But he kept looking down and wondering whether he would fall or not, and
he got to thinking about the feather pillows, and wondering if they were
thick enough and soft enough, so that he wouldn't get hurt if he should
fall, when all at once, quicker than you can wheel the baby carriage
down hill, when he was right in the middle, Buddy's foot slipped, and
down he went, right a straddle across the tight rope, and the pole fell
with a bang!

[Illustration]

And Brighteyes screamed, for she couldn't help it, but Buddy didn't dare
call out. No, all he could do was to cling there with his teeth and his
p