nto the big tent, with its rows of seats around the elevated stage and
sawdust ring the people walked. They were still laughing at the funny
sights they had seen, the lion, made from a parlor rug, with a boy
inside it. And they were talking about Bunny's brave act, in stopping
the pole of the tent from falling down.

"You and Sue go and get ready for what you are to do," whispered Bunker
Blue to the two children. "I'll tell you when it's your turn to come out
on the stage."

"All right," answered Bunny. "Come on, Sue. Now's the time for our
secret."

He and Sue went into a little dressing room that had been made
especially for them. It was a part of the big tent, curtained off with
blankets.

In this little room Bunny and Sue, earlier in the day, had taken the
things they needed to do their "trick." You will soon learn what it was
they had kept secret so long.

It took some little time for all the people to take their places in the
"preserved" seats, as Sue called them. Daddy Brown and his wife, and
grandpa and grandma were given places well down in front, where they
could see all that went on.

"The first act!" cried Ben Hall, "will be some fancy riding on a horse,
by Ted Kennedy! Come on, Ted!" he called.

"Oh, Ben's dressed up like a real clown!" called Bunny to Sue, as they
looked out between their blanket curtains, and saw what was going on.
Ben had made himself a clown suit out of some calico. With a pointed cap
on his head, and his face all streaked with red and white chalk, he
looked just like a real clown in a real circus. Ben and some of the
others had "dressed up," while the people were taking their seats in the
big tent.

"Oh, look, Bunny!" cried Sue. "It's a real horse Ted is riding!"

And so it was. When Ben called for the first act, in came Ted riding on
the back of one of his father's farm horses. Ted wore an old bathing
suit, on which he had sewed some pieces of colored rags, and some small
sleigh bells, that jingled when he danced about on the back of the
horse. For the horse was such a slow one, with such a broad back, that
there was no danger of Ted's falling off.

Around and around the sawdust ring rode Ted. Now he would stand on his
hands, and again on his feet. Then he would sit down and ride backwards.
Finally, when the horse was going a little faster Ted jumped off, jumped
on again, and then turned a somersault in the air.

[Illustration: OUT CAME BUNNY, THE SCARECROW BOY, AND SUE,