Part 5 (2/2)

But before Dead-Shot d.i.c.k could do any of his shooting tricks, the two donkey-men had run to the band and begun a loud argument with them.

'Why play so fast? You know we can't do our tricks at top speed. Are you trying to mess up our turn?'

The band leader shouted something back. It must have been rude, because one of the donkey-men shook his fist and began to run towards the band.

A loud voice crashed in on the argument, and made everyone jump. It was Mr Tapper, old Grandad, giving his orders in an enormous voice.

'ENOUGH! You, Pat, and you, Jim, get out of the ring. I give the orders, not you. ENOUGH, I SAY!'

The two donkey-men glared at him, but did not dare to say a word more. They stalked out of the ring, taking the donkey-skin with them.

Dead-Shot d.i.c.k looked very ordinary, dressed in a rather untidy flannel suit. 'He's not going to go all through his act,' said Jeremy. 'You'll see him another night, when the show's on for the public - he shoots at all kinds of things - even a sixpenny bit dangling on a long string from the roof - and never misses! He's got a smas.h.i.+ng rig-out too - sequins sewn all over his trousers and jersey - and his little horse is a wonder - goes round and round the ring and never turns a hair when Dead-Shot d.i.c.k fires his gun! Look - there he is, peeping in to see if d.i.c.k's coming back to him.'

A small white horse was looking anxiously at the ring, its eyes fixed on Dead-Shot d.i.c.k. It pawed the ground as if to say, 'Buck up! I'm waiting for you! Am I to come on or not?'

'All right, d.i.c.k - you can go off now,' shouted Grandad. 'I hear your horse has hurt a foot - give him a good rest tonight. We'll want him on tomorrow.'

'Right, sir!' said Dead-Shot d.i.c.k. He saluted smartly, and ran off to his little horse.

'What's next, Jeremy?' asked George, who was enjoying everything very much.

'Don't know. Let's see - there's the acrobats - but the trapeze-swings aren't put up yet, so they won't come on tonight. And there's the Boneless Man - look, there he is. Good old Boney! I like him. He's free with his money, he is, not like some of the other folk!'

The Boneless Man looked very peculiar. He was remarkably thin, and remarkably tall. He walked in, looking quite extraordinary. 'He can't be boneless!' said d.i.c.k. 'He couldn't walk if he was!'

But the Boneless Man soon began to seem absolutely boneless. His legs gave way at the knees, and his ankles turned over so that he sank down to the ground, unable to walk. He could bend his arms all kinds of different ways, and turned his head almost completely round on his neck. He did a few peculiar things with his apparently boneless body, and finally wriggled along the ground exactly like a snake!

'He'll be dressed in a sort of snake-skin when he does his act properly,' said Jeremy. 'Queer, isn't he?'

'How on earth does he do it?' wondered Julian, amazed. 'He bends his arms and legs all the wrong ways! Mine would break if I did that!'

'Oh, it's easy for him!' said Jeremy. 'It's just that he's completely double-jointed - he can bend his arms both ways, and his legs both ways, and make them seem so loose that it looks as if he really is boneless. He's a nice chap. You'd like him.'

Anne felt a bit doubtful. What queer people made up a circus! It was a world of its own. She jumped suddenly as there came the sound of a trumpet blowing loudly.

'That's for supper,' said Jeremy gleefully. 'Come on - let's go to old Grandma and her pot! Buck up, all of you!'

Chapter Ten

ROUND THE CAMPFIRE

Jeremy led the way out of the circus-ring. It had been well-lighted, and the night seemed very dark outside the ring. They went over the field to where a large fire was burning, cleverly set about with stones. An enormous cooking-pot was hung over it, and a very, very nice smell came to their noses as they went near.

Old Grandma was there, of course, and she began stirring the pot when she saw them. 'You've been a long time in the ring,' she grumbled to Grandad. 'Anything gone wrong?'

'No,' said Grandad, and sniffed the air. 'I'm hungry. That smells good. Jeremy, help your Grandma.'

'Yes, Grandad,' said Jeremy, and took a pile of plates to the old lady, who at once began ladling out pieces of meat and potatoes and vegetables from the steaming pot. Old Grandad turned to Julian.

'Well - did you like our little rehearsal?' he asked.

'Oh yes!' said Julian. 'I'm only sorry you didn't rehea.r.s.e all the turns. I badly wanted to see the acrobats and the clowns. Are they here? I can't see them.'

'Oh yes - there's one clown over there - look - with Madelon, who had the horses,' said Grandad.

The children looked - and were very disappointed. 'Is he a clown?' said d.i.c.k, disbelievingly. 'He doesn't look a bit funny. He looks miserable.'

'That's Monty all right,' said Grandad. 'He always looks like that out of the ring. He'll make you double up with laughter when the circus is on, he's a born clown - but a lot of clowns are like Monty when they're not performing - not much to say for themselves, and looking miserable. Winks is a bit livelier - that's him, pulling Madelon's hair. He'll get a smacked face in a minute, he's a real tease. There - I knew he'd get a clip on the ear!'

Winks went howling over to the children, boo-hooing most realistically. 'She smacked me!' he said. 'And she's got such p-p-p-pretty hair!'

The children couldn't help laughing. Mischief ran to the clown, jumped up on his shoulder and chattered comforting monkey-words into his ear. Charlie the Chimp let himself out of his cage, and came to put his great paw into Winks's hand. They both thought that Winks really was hurt.

'That's enough, Winks,' said Grandad. 'You'll have the horses comforting you next! You do that in the ring tomorrow when we open, and you'll bring the house down. Sit down, and have your supper.'

'Mr Tapper,' said Julian. 'There's one member of your circus we didn't see at the rehearsal - and that's Mr Wooh, the Wonder Magician. Why wasn't he there?'

'Oh, he never rehea.r.s.es,' said Mr Tapper. 'He keeps himself to himself, does Mr Wooh. He may come and join us for supper, and he may not. As we're opening the circus tomorrow night, maybe he'll turn up tonight. I'm a bit scared of him, to tell you the truth.'

'But he's not a real wizard, is he?' asked Tinker.

'Well, when I talk to Mr Wooh I feel as if he is,' said Mr Tapper. 'There isn't a thing he doesn't know about figures, there isn't a thing he can't do with them. Ask him to multiply any number by any other number, running into dozens of figures, and he'll tell you in a second. He shouldn't be in a circus. He should be an inventor of some sort - an inventor whose invention needs pages and pages of figures. He'd be happy then.'

'He sounds a bit like my father,' said Tinker. 'He's an inventor, you know, and sometimes when I creep into his study I see papers FULL of millions of tiny figures and plans and diagrams with tiny figures all over them too.'

'Very interesting,' said Grandad. 'Your father and Mr Wooh ought to meet. They would probably talk figures all day long! My word - what's that you're handing round, young lady?'

'Some of the food we brought,' said Anne. 'Have a sausage or two, Mr Tapper - and a roll - and a tomato.'

'Well, thanks,' said Mr Tapper, pleased. 'Very kind of you. Nice to have met you all. You might be able to teach Jeremy a few manners!'

'Grandad - here's Mr Wooh!' said Jeremy, suddenly, and got up. Everyone turned round. So this was Mr Wooh the Wonder Magician. Well, he certainly looked the part.

He stood there, with a half-smile on his face, tall, commanding and handsome. His hair was thick, and black as soot, his eyes gleamed in the fire-light, half hidden by great eye-brows, and he wore a thin, pointed beard. He had a curiously deep voice, and spoke like a foreigner.

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