girl. It's the very thing to draw crowds in
the west."

But alas! Orion, notwithstanding his brave name, was made of very
different stuff from his sister. He felt fear, where Diana, in all
truth, did not know the meaning of the word. He shivered visibly when
he was lifted on to Greased Lightning's back. Diana called out to him
in an encouraging and cheery voice.

"Don't forget you is a giant," she said. "Think, of yous sword and
yous belt. Now then, gee up! pretty horse; I only wishes I was widing
you."

"Come, young master, don't clutch the mane so hard," said Holt. "Hands
off, I say! Greased Lightning won't stand that kind of treatment."

But the more the manager spoke the tighter did Orion grasp the black
mane of the chestnut horse. Greased Lightning began to paw the ground
and to show many signs of discomfort; whereupon Orion uttered a
piercing cry and began slipping backwards, towards the tail of the
beast.

"Come," said the man; "get back to your seat this minute. I have a
whip in my hand, and it can sting; come, young sir!"

"Don't you dare to stwike my bwother!" said Diana, running across the
arena.

Some girls, who had just come in, and several men, all burst out
laughing.

"You had best come back, miss; you had best not anger him," said a
fair-haired girl, stretching out her hand to the little child as she
spoke.

"Anger him?" said Diana. "I doesn't know what you mean. Does you think
I are going to let Orion be hurted? Listen to me, man. You had best
let Orion jump off this morning, 'cos he's tired. I'll talk to him all
about widing to-morrow. Let him get down now, p'ease, big man."

"Not until he has been twice round the circus," said Uncle Ben. "You
stand aside, missy, or Greased Lightning may tread on you."

But Diana was not to be so easily restrained. She now flew up to Uncle
Ben and tried to pull his big whip from his hand.

"You don't dare to stwike my bwother!" she repeated, her eyes
flashing. Her determined attitude, the fearlessness of her whole
little nature induced Uncle Ben to yield to her for the nonce. This he
did more, particularly as he saw that the little boy was really
incapable of keeping his seat another moment.

"Well, then, look here, little miss," he said; "you has behaved very
well indeed yourself, and so I'll let the little chap off this
morning. Now you know, sir, it is 'cos of your sister, for she's a
plucky 'un; so you may go back to my wife. Here, Sarah; take th