shouted Andy with glowing cheeks, posing for a
forward dash.

He made a quick, superb bound and landed lightly on the horse's back.

Old Dobbin shied restively. Ned, at his nose, quieted him with a word.

Andy, the centre of an admiring group, tested the impromptu platform. He
accepted a short riding whip handed up to him by Alf Warren with a truly
professional flourish. Andy stood easy and erect, one hand on his hip.
All that seemed lacking was the sawdust ring and a tinselled garb.

"Ready," announced Andy.

All of the group except Ned Wilfer started down the road in the wake of
Alf Warren. The latter carried the hoop in one hand, some matches in
the other.

The mob rounded the highway, purposely selected because it curved, and
disappeared from view.

"Everything all right, Andy?" inquired Ned, strutting about with quite a
ringmaster-like air.

"Yes, if the horse will go any."

"Oh, he'll get up full speed, once started," assured Ned.

It was fully five minutes before an expected signal reached them. From
far around the bend in the road there suddenly echoed vivid shouts and
whistlings.

"Start him up," ordered Andy.

Ned led the horse a few rods and got him to running. Then, dropping to
the rear, he kept pace with the animal, slapping one flank and urging
him up to greater speed.

He fell behind, but kept on running, as Andy, guiding the horse by the
long bridle reins, occasionally gave him a stimulating touch of the
light whip he carried.

Five hundred feet covered, old Dobbin seemed to enjoy the novelty of the
occasion, and kept up a very fair gait.

Rounding the curve in the road and looking a quarter-of-a-mile ahead,
Andy could see his schoolmates gathered around a tree stump surmounted
by Alf Warren, holding the hoop aloft.

Just here, too, for the space of a mere minute Andy could view the
schoolhouse through a break in the timber.

A swift side glance showed the big scholar, Graham, lounging in the
doorway.

Just approaching him from the direction of the village was the old
schoolmaster, Mr. Darrow.

"He has been up to see Aunt Lavinia, that's the reason of the double
recess," thought Andy, his heart sinking a trifle. Then, flinging care
to the winds for the occasion, he uttered a ringing:

"Hoop-la!"

Andy felt that he must do justice to the expectations of his young
friends.

He swung outward on one foot in true circus ring fashion. He swayed back
at the end of the bridles. He