in small towns and cities. This boy, Ben Hall, has been in
our show ever since he was a baby. His father and mother were both
circus people, but they died last year, and Ben, who had learned to do
many tricks, and who knew something about animals, was such a bright
chap that I kept him with us. I was going to make a circus performer of
him."

"And I wanted very much to be one--a clown," said Ben. "But the head
clown was so mean to me, and whipped me so much, that I made up my mind
to run away, and I did."

"I don't know that I blame you," said Mr. Hooper. "I never knew that you
had such a hard time. I supposed you ran away just for fun, and I tried
to find you. I asked about you in all the places where we stopped, but
no one had seen you."

"I have been here ever since I left your show," explained Ben. "I like
it here, but I like the circus better. How did you find me?"

"Well, our circus is showing in a town about three miles from here,"
said Mr. Hooper. "Over there, in that town, I heard about a little
circus some boys and girls were getting up here, and--"

"Bunny and I got up the circus first," said Sue, "and then the big boys
made one, but we acted in it."

"I see!" laughed Mr. Hooper. "Well, I heard about your circus over here,
so I came to ask if any of you had seen Ben. I walked into the tent, and
there I saw him doing the jump and somersaults he used to do in our
tent. I knew him right away, but before I could speak to him he ran
away.

"I ran after him, hoping I could tell him how much we wanted him back,
but I could not catch up to him. So I went back to my circus, and made
up my mind I'd come back here again to-day. I'm glad I did, for now I've
found you, Ben."

Ben told Mr. Hooper, just as he had told Bunny and Sue, about sleeping
all night out in the field, under a pile of hay, and then of creeping
back to sleep in the tent.

"Well, do you want to come back with me, or stay here on the farm?"
asked Mr. Hooper. "I'll promise that you'll be well treated, Ben, and
the head clown, who was so mean to you, isn't with us any more. You
won't be whipped again, and you'll have a chance to become a head clown
yourself."

"Then I'll come back with you," said the circus boy. "I'm very much
obliged to you, for all you've done for me," he said to Grandpa Brown
and Grandma Brown, "and I hope you won't be mad at me if I go away."

"Not if you think it best to go," said grandpa. "You have been a good
boy whi