gladly loan him to you, boys," he told them.

"Oh! never fear but we'll be able to get there before sun-down,"
laughingly declared Fred, while Bristles ran around in front, and held
the measure of oats close to the nose of the horse, starting him to
snorting wildly, and taking a step forward in the effort to obtain the
feed, kept so tantalizingly just beyond his reach.

Bristles continued backing away, and always keeping just so far in front,
so that the horse was impelled to move along quite briskly. If he lagged
at any time the measure was moved closer, and once Bristles even let him
thrust his nose into it.

On the wagon the boys had a very merry time of it, singing, and laughing
at the actions of the poor old horse.

"Please don't excite him too much, Bristles," begged Sid, "for he's
likely to strain so he'll smash this beautiful harness all to flinders."

So they kept up the work, Bristles and Colon between them dancing on
ahead, and tempting the animal between the shafts to renewed exertions.
With that measure of oats held within smelling distance of his nose he
kept plodding steadily along, and mile after mile was placed in their
rear.

Once they halted, and watered old Dominick at a wayside spring, besides
letting him have a delightful five-minute communion with the oat crop.
Then the forward movement was begun, again, and the boy who held the
measure of oats continued to dance just ahead of the deluded Dominick.

It was about two o'clock on that Saturday afternoon when a great
commotion broke out in the outskirts of Riverport. Boys and girls
flocked to the spot, and loud cheers rent the air. Indeed, plenty of
people actually made sure that the circus must have arrived ahead of
time, and as this was an event in which every citizen was supposed to be
interested, since he would be compelled to take his youngsters to the
show, plenty of men were in the throng that gathered.

Dogs barked, chickens set up a cackling and crowing, and there was a
perfect Bedlam of sounds along the main street. Down this came that
wonderful vehicle with sundry creaks and dismal groanings, as though
threatening to break down at any minute. Ahead strode a boy in running
costume, tempting the tired old horse to walk along by holding a peck
measure under his nose, and occasionally just letting him snap up a few
of the oats.

Three other fellows sat in the wagon some of them trying to keep warm by
covering themselves with gun