"I don't think they'll come back," said the first man who had spoken.
"If they did the police would arrest them on sight. They'll go to
the next town and lay for the circus there."

By this time the boys had worked their way up to the ticket wagon.
Each purchased a ticket of admission, and a moment later all passed
on to the inside of the main tent.

CHAPTER IV

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE CIRCUS

The lads had not seen a circus for two years, consequently the show
had much of the air of novelty about it for them. They spent half
an hour in the menagerie tent, inspecting the wild animals, and
then took seats in the main tent, as close to the rings as they
could get. Casso's United Railroad Shows was quite an affair, and
the performance was given in two rings at a time, as well as upon
a trapeze in the air between the tent poles.

First there was the usual procession of horses and riders, elephants
and camels, ponies and carts and racing chariots, and then came the
acts, all of more or less thrilling interest. There were six
clowns, and they kept the audience in a roar of laughter.

"Say, this is an all-right show," remarked Giant, after witnessing
some particularly thrilling bareback riding. "I wouldn't try to do
that trick on horseback for a thousand dollars."

"Here come the acrobats," said Snap as four bespangled performers ran
into the rings and bowed and kissed their hands. Then the acrobats
climbed up to two bars and did various "turns," all more or less
hazardous.

"Here comes a boy!" cried Shep, as another performer stepped into one
of the rings and bowed.

"Just look how thin and pale he is," whispered the doctor's son, who
sat not far away from the youthful acrobat.

"Looks as if he had had a spell of sickness," added Giant.

The youthful acrobat did look as if he had been sick and was not yet
entirely over it. He walked slowly over to one of the ropes and
grasped it in his thin, white hands.

"I---I can't go up, Mr. Jones," the chums heard him whisper to the
ringmaster.

"Yes, you can---and will, or I'll cut you with the whip!" was the
ringmaster's harsh answer, and he cracked his lash loudly.

"I---I'm not well enough yet---my head is dizzy," pleaded the young
acrobat.

"Up you go!" snarled the ringmaster, and cracked his whip in such a
fashion that the end of the lash took the young acrobat in the calf
of the leg, causing him to cry with pain.

"What an outrage!" whispered Snap