, met in front
of Stoddard's store.

"I had hard work to get away," said Dan. "Let us go right over to the
circus grounds."

These were located about a third of a mile from the hotel, in a large
twenty-acre pasture. The lot, as it was called, was a scene of activity.
A band of canvas men were busily engaged in putting up the big tent.
Several elephants were standing round, and the cages of animals had
already been put in place inside the rising tent.

On a bench outside sat a curious group, comprising Achilles Henderson,
the great Scotch giant, who was set down on the bills as eight feet
three inches in height, and was really about seven feet and a half;
Major Conrad, the dwarf, who was about the size of an average child of
three years, and Madame Celestina Morella, the queen of fat women, who
was credited on the bills with a weight of five hundred and eighty seven
pounds. She was certainly massive, but probably fell short a hundred and
fifty pounds of these elephantine proportions.

Kit and Dan paused to look at this singular trio.

"I wonder how much pay they get?" said Dan, turning to Kit.

"I saw in some paper that the fat woman gets fifty dollars a week."

"That's pretty good pay for being fat, Kit."

"Would you be willing to be as fat for that money?"

"I think not," said Dan, "though it's a good deal more than I get now."

They were standing near the bench on which the three were seated.
Achilles, who looked good-natured, as most big men are, addressed the
boys.

"Well, boys, are you coming to see the show?"

"Yes," answered both.

"I used to like to myself when I was a boy. I didn't expect then I
should ever travel with one."

"Were you very large as a boy?" asked Dan, with curiosity.

"When I was twelve years old I was six feet high, and people generally
thought then that I was eighteen. I thought perhaps I shouldn't grow any
more, but I kept on. When I was sixteen I was seven feet tall, and by
twenty I had reached my present height."

"Are you eight feet three inches tall, Mr. Henderson?"

"Is that what the bills say?"

"Yes."

"Then it must be so," he said with a smile.

"How long have you been traveling with the circus?"

"Five years."

"How do you like it?"

"It's a good deal easier than working on a farm, especially in Vermont,
where I was born and bred."

"But they call you the Scotch giant."

"It sounds well, doesn't it? My father was born in Scotland, but my
mother was