d?"

"That you had paid all your bills," called out Dick.

This brought forth another laugh at Frozzler's expense, in which even
some of the circus hands joined.

"Say, those boys are sharp," said the clown who had been discharged. "I
shouldn't care to run up against them."

"Three of them are the Rover boys," answered a man sitting near.
"Nobody can get the best of them."

"I dreamed a whale came along and swallowed me," went on Frozzler.

"Hullo, I knew you were a Jonah!" sang out Tom. And once more the crowd
roared.

"In the whale I met my old schoolmate, Billy Black," continued the
clown.

"That was a black moment for poor Billy," was Sam's comment.

"Did you give Billy a whaling?" asked Tom.

"Did dat whale git a stummick ache from swallerin' yo'?" came loudly
from Aleck. "I t'ink any whale would, 'less his insides was
copper-lined."

Aleck said this so gravely that it brought forth a roar which did not
subside for a full minute. Poor Frozzler could do nothing, and to save
himself made half a dozen tumbles. Then he started to run from the
ring, but tripped over one of the ropes and pitched headlong on his
nose.

"Hullo, there a tumble extra!" sang out Tom. "Thank you; nothing like
giving us good measure!"

"I'd like to wax that boy good!" growled Giles Frozzler, as he shot
into the dressing tent. "Those youngsters spoiled my act completely."
And then he hurried to a pail of water to bathe his nose.

The next act was fairly good and put the crowd in good humor once more.
But that to follow was so bad that many began to hiss. Then came a race
which was as tame as it could possibly be, and many began to leave.

"This is the worst circus yet," said one man. "If anybody comes
to-night he'll be sold."

"I'm going to let all my friends know what a flat thing it is," said
another. "It isn't worth ten cents, much less a quarter."

The circus was to wind up with the riding of a trick mule,--the animal
being brought out by the clown.

As it happened the regular clown and the mule were friends, but the
mule hated Frozzler, for the circus owner had on more than one occasion
mistreated the animal.

"Be careful of that mule," said one of the hostlers, as he turned the
trick animal over to Giles Frozzler. "He's ugly this afternoon."

"Oh, I know how to manage him," growled Frozzler. "Come on here, you
imp!" and he hit the mule in the side.

Instantly the mule made a bolt for the ring with Frozzler runni