nets were spread. Mending was necessary; she mentioned it, and
set herself swinging again, crossing her feet.

"You think you could drop from there into a tank of water?" I asked.

"How deep?"

"Say four feet."

She nodded, swinging tranquilly.

"Have you any fear at all, Jacqueline?"

"No."

"You would try whatever I asked you to try?"

"If I thought I could," she replied, naively.

"But that is not it. I am to be your master. You must have absolute
confidence in me and obey orders instantly."

"Like a soldier?"

"Exactly."

"Bien."

"Then hang by your hands!"

Quick as a flash she hung above me.

"You trust me, Jacqueline?"

"Yes."

"Then drop!"

Down she flashed like a falling meteor. I caught her with that quick
trick known to all acrobats, which left her standing on my knee.

"Jump!"

She sprang lightly to the heap of nets, lost her balance, stumbled,
and sat down very suddenly. Then she threw back her head and laughed;
peal on peal of deliciously childish laughter rang through the ancient
net-shed, until, overhead, the passing gulls echoed her mirth with
querulous mewing, and the sea-hawk, towering to the zenith, wheeled
and squealed.

XIII

FRIENDS

At seven o'clock that morning the men in the circus camp awoke,
worried, fatigued, vaguely resentful, unusually profane. Horan was
openly mutinous, and announced his instant departure.

By eight o'clock a miraculous change had taken place; the camp was
alive with scurrying people, galvanized into hopeful activity by my
possibly unwarranted optimism and a few judiciously veiled threats.

Clothed with temporary authority by Byram, I took the bit between my
teeth and ordered the instant erection of the main tents, the
construction of the ring, barriers, and benches, and the immediate
renovating of the portable tank in which poor little Miss Claridge had
met her doom.

I detailed Kelly Eyre to Quimperle with orders for ten thousand
crimson hand-bills; I sent McCadger, with Dawley, the bass-drummer,
and Irwin, the cornettist, to plaster our posters from Pont Aven to
Belle Isle, and I gave them three days to get back, and promised them
a hundred dollars apiece if they succeeded in sticking our bills on
the fortifications of Lorient and Quimper, with or without
permission.

I sent Grigg and three exempt Bretons to beat up the country from
Gestel and Rosporden to Pontivy, clear across to Quiberon, and as far
east as St. Gildas