so easily managed. After much
thought, however, he settled the monkey question by tying Mr. Stubbs's
brother to the end pole, with a rope long enough to allow him to climb
nearly to the top, but short enough to keep him at a safe distance from
the canvas.

By the time this was done, Ben arrived with the first instalment of
curiosities. His crowing hen he had under his arm, and Mrs. Simpson's
three-legged cat and four kittens he brought in a basket.

"Joe's got a cage 'most built for the hen, an' I'll fix one for the cat
this afternoon," he said, as he seated himself on the basket, and held
the hen in his lap.

"You can't fix it if you've got to hold her," said Toby, as he brought
from the barn a bushel-basket, which was converted into a coop by
turning it bottom side up, and putting the hen underneath it.

Ben was about to make a search of the barn for the purpose of finding
some materials with which to build the cat's cage, when a great noise
was heard outside, and the two partners left the tent hurriedly.

"It's Bob an' his calf," said Ben, who had got out first, and then he
started towards the newcomers at full speed.

It was Bob and his calf; but the animal should have been mentioned
first, for it seemed very much as if he were bringing his master,
instead of being brought by him. In order to carry his cage of mice and
lead the calf at the same time, Bob had tied the rope that held this
representative of a grizzly bear around his waist, and had taken the
cage under his arm. This plan had worked well enough until just as they
were entering the field that led to the tent, when Bob tripped and fell,
scaring the calf so that he started at full speed for the barn, of
course dragging the unfortunate Bob with him.

Sometimes on his face, sometimes on his back, screaming for help
whenever his mouth was uppermost, and clinging firmly to the cage of
mice, Bob was dragged almost to the door of the tent, where the
frightened animal was finally secured.

"Well, I've got him here, an' I hain't lost a single mouse," said Bob,
as he counted his treasures before even scraping the dirt from his face.

Ben and Toby led the calf into the tent after some difficulty, owing to
the attempts of Mr. Stubbs's brother to frighten him, and then they did
their best to separate the dirt from their partner.

In this good work they had but partially succeeded, when Reddy arrived
with a large package of brown paper, and his cat without a