nd they were soon dreaming of gilded cars
and moldy coaches, run-away boys and dinner-pails, dancing dogs and
twirling tea-cups.

CHAPTER V.

BEN GETS A PLACE.

When Ben awoke next morning, he looked about him for a moment half
bewildered, because there was neither a canvas tent, a barn roof, nor
the blue sky above him, but a neat white ceiling, where several flies
buzzed sociably together, while from without came, not the tramping of
horses, the twitter of swallows, or the chirp of early birds, but the
comfortable cackle of hens and the sound of two little voices chanting
the multiplication table.

Sancho sat at the open window watching the old cat wash her face, and
trying to imitate her with his great ruffled paw, so awkwardly that Ben
laughed, and Sanch, to hide his confusion at being caught, made one
bound from chair to bed and licked his master's face so energetically
that the boy dived under the bedclothes to escape from the rough tongue.

A rap on the floor from below made both jump up, and in ten minutes a
shiny-faced lad and a lively dog went racing down-stairs--one to say,
"Good-morning, ma'am," the other to wag his tail faster than ever tail
wagged before, for ham frizzled on the stove, and Sancho was fond of it.

"Did you rest well?" asked Mrs. Moss, nodding at him, fork in hand.

"Guess I did! Never saw such a bed. I'm used to hay and a horse-blanket,
and lately nothing but sky for a cover and grass for my feather bed,"
laughed Ben, grateful for present comforts and making light of past
hardships.

"Clean, sweet corn-husks aint bad for young bones, even if they haven't
got more flesh on them than yours have," answered Mrs. Moss, giving the
smooth head a motherly stroke as she went by.

"Fat aint allowed in our profession, ma'am. The thinner the better for
tight-ropes and tumblin'; likewise bareback-ridin' and spry jugglin'.
Muscle's the thing, and there you are."

Ben stretched out a wiry little arm with a clenched fist at the end of
it, as if he were a young Hercules ready to play ball with the stove if
she gave him leave. Glad to see him in such good spirits, she pointed to
the well outside, saying pleasantly:

"Well, then, just try your muscle by bringing in some fresh water."

Ben caught up a pail and ran off, ready to be useful; but while he
waited for the bucket to fill down among the mossy stones, he looked
about him, well pleased with all he saw,--the small brown house with a