it out. I wonder if people ever think how
inconvenient it is not to have hands sometimes."

And poor old Billy commenced to cry softly to himself. It was a
good thing he did for he soon cried the cinder out and when his
eye stopped hurting, he got some of his spunk back again and
began to plan some way of getting out of his cage.

At twelve o'clock at night they reached the city and were driven
through the silent streets to a vacant lot where all the circus
bands were to meet. And here I will leave Billy until next
morning.

[Illustration]

_What Billy Did on Friday_

When Billy's little band of circus people joined the others they
found everything in order as they were the last company of the
six traveling bands to join the main one.

There was one huge tent with three rings in it where the
performances would be given; opening into this was another large
one where the animals were exhibited and branching out of this
were three others,--one where the horses and ponies were kept;
another used as the dressing room, and still another where the
circus people took their meals, while scattered around were ten
or a dozen side-shows.

The cage Billy was in had hardly been put in place when the sides
were taken off and he found himself in the large animal tent with
the cages arranged round the edge and his old friend the
elephant tethered just outside with the other elephants from the
different bands, and his elephant friend was talking to his chum,
the elephant he had told Billy about, that told such good
stories. Billy thought he must be telling one now for they were
both laughing, but you might have thought they were trumpeting
had you heard them.

Billy bleated to the elephant and he raised his head and looked
in all directions to see where Billy was but he could not see
him, until Billy told him where to look.

"Goodness gracious me! Is that you, Mr. Billy, shut up in that
cage? I never expected to see you in a place like that."

"Neither did I ever expect to find myself in one like this,"
Billy answered, "and what is more, I would rather be dead than
stay here. But I will get out yet, don't you fear."

"I bet you do, Mr. Whiskers, for you are a good one at getting
out of scrapes as well as getting into them. Let me introduce you
to my friend and chum, Prince Nan-ka-poo, as he is called on the
show bill."

After the introduction Billy's friend said: "Don't look so down
hearted. I will get the Prin