at every false note.

Almost every one in that pasture, save possibly the performers
themselves, was astonished at the din made by these two small boys; and
Mr. Stubbs's brother, who had hung himself up on a tree by his tail,
dropped to his feet in the greatest alarm, adding his chatter of fear to
the general confusion.

But the two performers were not to be daunted by anything that could
occur; in fact, Joe felt rather proud that his howling was so savage as
to frighten the monkey, and he increased his efforts until his face was
as red as a nicely boiled beet.

For fully five minutes the overture was continued; then the band stopped
and looked around with an air of triumph, while Joe uttered two or three
more howls by way of effect, and to show that he could have kept it up
longer had it been necessary.

"There! what do you think of that?" asked Reddy, in delight. "You
couldn't get much more noise if you had a whole band, could you?"

"It's a good deal of noise," said Toby, not feeling quite at liberty to
express exactly his views regarding the music; "but what was it Leander
was playin'?"

"I played two tunes," replied Leander, proudly. "I can play 'Yankee
Doodle' with the whole of one hand; but I think it sounds better to play
that with my thumb and two fingers, an' 'Old Dog Tray' with the other
two fingers. You see, I can give 'em both tunes at once that way."

The monkey went back to the tree as soon as the noise had subsided; but,
from the way he looked over his shoulder now and then, one could fancy
he was getting ready to run at the first sign that it was to commence
again.

"Didn't that sound like a whole cageful of hyenas?" asked Joe, as he
wiped the perspiration from his face, and came towards his partners. "I
can keep that up about as long as Leander can play, only it's awful hard
work."

Toby had no doubt as to the truth of that statement; but before he could
make any reply, Bob said:

"Now, this is where Ben comes in. He starts the show, an' he ends it,
an' I sing right after he gets through turnin' hand-springs this first
time. Now, Leander, you start the music jest as soon as Ben comes, an'
keep it up till he gets through."

Ben was prepared for his portion of the work. His trousers were belted
tightly around his waist by a very narrow leather belt, with an
enormously large buckle, and his shirt-sleeves were rolled up as high as
he could get them, in order to give full play to his arms.