maybe a whole
ha'poth of milk for us, Pat, to-day. When I'm a fitter you shall have
a good meaty bone every day of your life!"

Pat looked up, as if he quite understood, and on some old stone steps
in one of the quieter streets they were soon sharing rations, with
appetites that a duke might have envied.

"Here, boy, hold my horse for a couple of minutes, will you? Don't let
go; he doesn't like this pandemonium any better than I do."

In a moment Dick was on his feet and ready for business, and for the
second time that day he gripped a bit of strap, with the resolve to
hold on at all costs.

Only _this_ horse was a beautiful chestnut, with a coat like satin, and
harness that must have cost more than carrier Brown's whole turn-out.

The gentleman went into the post-office opposite, but the noise of the
fair evidently upset the spirited horse, and he was very restless and
impatiently pawed the ground and tossed his head.

"What a lot of stamps he must be getting!" thought Dick, when five
minutes had gone by and there was still no sign of the rider's return.
A party of children, blowing penny trumpets, clattered past and the
horse gave a spring that taxed Dick's wrists to the utmost.

He was too busy and anxious to think about Pat, so he did not see or
hear the girl in the orange scarf steal up to him and offer a dainty
piece of meat, as he sat patiently waiting behind. Alas! for dogs'
nature, the temptation was too great! He followed the decoy for a few
yards and was then allowed to seize the bait. In a moment a black
shawl was flung over the silky head, and the dog was snatched up and
carried round the corner and across the Market Place.

Pat struggled and snapped and barked in vain, and the girl hurried
through the town to a back lane where a number of caravans were drawn
up out of the way. At one of these the showman in the velveteen coat
was standing, and he instantly opened an inner compartment and, giving
Pat a sharp blow, thrust him inside and turned the key.

"Good for you, Meg!" he cried with a chuckle. "That dog 'll be worth
money to the show, by the time I've trained him. 'The Wonderful Black
and Tan Performer,' &c. We'll keep him shut up till we're far from
here, and if any questions is asked it's our dog, and that boy's a
thief that have stole him from our 'appy 'ome."

"All right, dad, that's a good idea. We'll go back to the Square now.
They won't be likely to come and look here."

Th