to a hand organ and monkey,"
continued Ben. "I told him how much money I wanted to spend, and he said
he'd fix me up a show that would make everybody delighted, and I told
him to go ahead. The show blew in to-night, and ran up their tents down
near the corral."

"How many have you got in it?"

"I've got a balloon ascension for the afternoon, a giant and a midget, a
magician, an Egyptian fortune teller, a trick mule, a Circassian beauty,
and a strong man." Ben looked around proudly, and the boys burst into
peals of laughter.

"Have you scraped the mold off of them yet?" asked Kit.

"How's that?" asked Ben haughtily.

"Have you pulled the burs off the chestnuts?"

"See here, what do you mean? Are you casting aspersions on my show?"

"Not exactly, but I think you've been stung by some old stranded side
show that was taking the tie route back home. Circassian beaut! Ho-ho,
likewise ha-ha! and some more."

"Ter say nothin' o' a Egyptian fortune teller from Popodunk, Ioway, an'
a wild man from ther Quaker village. Oh! give me ther smellin' salts.
I'm goin' ter hev ther histrikes," laughed Bud.

"Haf you not got a echukated vooly pig und a feller vot 'eats 'em
alife'?" asked Carl.

"That's right, Dutchy. It's a bum show what ain't got them," laughed
Bud.

The boys were laughing until the house rang with it, and Stella poked
her pretty head out of the door to ask to be told the joke. Bud
complied, with many humorous embellishments.

"Don't pay any attention to them, Ben," said Stella sympathetically,
"I'll take in the show from start to finish."

"Could friendship go any farther than that?" asked Kit pathetically.

"Oh, you fellows give me a pain," said Ben, rising and stalking off to
bed.

He was soon followed by the others, Ted and Kit remaining behind to
gather up the money and slip rubber bands around each of the packages of
currency.

"We ought to have a safe in the house, Ted," said Kit, looking over the
pile of money. "We often have large sums of money in the house, and some
time we might get robbed."

"There's not much danger of that, Kit," answered Ted. "There are not
many fellows who would have the nerve to come into this house. Too many
guns, and too many fellows who are not afraid to shoot them. I'm not
afraid."

"What was that?"

Kit was staring at the rear window.

"What?"

"I just looked up and thought I saw a face at the window."

"You're getting imaginative."

Just then the clo