"You needn't. You needn't. It won't do you any good. What is it you were going to ask me?"
"I was going to ask you if I might go in the leaping act."
"The leaping act?"
"Yes, sir. The one where the fellows jump over the elephants and—"
"Ho, ho, ho! What do you think of that, Phil? What do you—"
"I can do it. You needn't laugh. I've done it every day for three weeks. I can jump over four elephants and maybe five, now. I can—"
"Yes, I have seen him do it, Mr. Sparling," vouched Phil. "He is going to make a very fine leaper."
The showman removed his broad sombrero, wiped the perspiration from his brow, glancing from one to the other of the Circus Boys.
"May I?"
"Yes, yes. Go ahead. Do anything you want to. I'm only the hired man around here anyhow," snapped the showman, jamming his hat down over his head and striding away, followed by the merry laughter of Little Dimples.