at
me. He could have stood on the horse's back if he had had a mind. He
has disobeyed me and he shall be punished. You take 'im and lock 'im
up in the black cage."

The black cage was a terrible place, in which some of the fiercer
animals were put from time to time to train them. It really consisted
of a huge box without windows, but with one or two small ventilating
shafts in the door. On rare occasions, when thoroughly enraged, the
manager had been known to lock a refractory member of the troupe up
there; but such a punishment had never been given to a child before.

"Oh, no, Ben Holt! You can't mean that," said Susan. "Why, it'll
frighten him awful, and it do smell so bad of the last leopard."

But for this answer the poor girl only got a crack of the whip round
her ankles.

What might have really happened at the end is not known; but suddenly
at this juncture the swing door was flung open and little Diana
marched in. She held her head well back, and trotted boldly into the
center of the arena.

"Dear, dear, what's all this fuss?" she cried out in her frank, hearty
voice. "Uncle Ben, is anybody a-vexing of you?"

"Yes, my dear; that little brother of yours. You jest tell him to do
his duty."

"Oh, Diana, Diana! he's killing me!" sobbed little Orion. He struggled
out of Susan's arms, flew to his sister, flung the whole weight of his
little body against her, and gave way to a fresh agony of howling and
weeping.

Diana's black eyes flashed.

"You stay k'iet. Orion; 'member you is a giant," she said, speaking in
a whisper to the boy. "I's here, and I'll look after you. You stay
k'iet. Now, Uncle Ben, what's all this?"

"Only that silly boy won't ride Greased Lightning. He won't even stand
on the 'orse, let alone leap through the rings and the balloons."

"Is that all?" said Diana, her eyes gleaming. "But I can do all that;
I can do all that beautiful. _Dear_ G'eased Lightning!" She unclasped
Orion's arms from her neck and trotted across the stage. She ran up to
the great chestnut and began to stroke its nose. The creature licked
her little hand and looked affectionately down at her small figure.

"Uncle Ben," she said suddenly, "I isn't going to have Orion punished;
you isn't to do it; give him to me. You can't do anything with a
little sild like that if you fwighten him. Give him to me, Uncle Ben;
I'll manage him."

"But what are you but a little child yourself?" said Uncle Ben.

"Yes, but I is made d