of the energetic drummer, and with an
elevating strain of discordant music, Blewcome's Royal Menagerie
majestically entered the town.

It did the hearts good of Blewcome and his spouse to see the
street-doors flung open, and the gaping faces of the suburban
inhabitants; and from the ever-increasing number of dirty little boys
who brought up the rear of the cavalcade, Mrs Blewcome began reckoning
on an unprecedented harvest of good luck. And the trumpeters
trumpeted, and the drummer drummed; but as usual the latter had a long
way the best of it.

The morning was spent, as it always was on such occasions, in arranging
the caravans in the wonted horse-shoe shape. At the square end of the
horse-shoe, so to speak, stretched the imposing canvas screen, painted
in a most elaborate style, by the hand of some artist whose name
unhappily has not been preserved for the benefit of posterity. There
you might see the sheep-like lion, and the pig-like bear; leopards like
short-legged zebras, and monkeys most unpleasantly like human beings.
Indeed, ill-natured persons had been heard to declare one picture of a
very lean ancient ourang-outang bore a strong resemblance to Mr
Blewcome. But, then, some people see such strange likenesses!

And there were painted on the screen sundry other impossible animals,
intended to attract the outside spectators, and induce them to enter
and behold the wondrous originals within that magic circle of caravans.
And while all these preparations were being hurried on, the yellow
chariot and the band paraded the town at various periods of the day.

The first night at a new place was always a sort of refreshment to the
jaded show-people. They had not much novelty, in good truth. But on
these occasions they had the slight excitement of seeing new faces, and
speculating how their arrival would "draw" the populace.

Harry, of course, young as he was to the business of his present life,
quite naturally looked forward to the new places and new people.

At eight o'clock the band ascended the platform ranged in front of the
painted screen before alluded to, and set about making a great deal of
noise, and a goodly assemblage began to flock towards the show, and
carried quite away by the life-like pictorial representations of the
animals, first hesitated, then put their hands in their pockets,
hesitated again, and finally paid their sixpences and went in.

Mrs Blewcome was in high glee at the rapid way