"Bad, very bad. I might say that it comes pretty near being a hopeless wreck. Still it may be patched up."
"I am sure of it. I know a blown-down tent is not half as hopeless as it looks. I saw the Robinson shows with a blown-down tent once."
"I have been thinking the matter over, Phil."
"Yes."
"We have only a few days more to go before the close of the season, and it seems to me that the best plan would be to close right here and go in. What do you think?"
"I think," answered Phil Forrest slowly, "that I should turn all hands loose and fix that tent up so the show will be able to make the next stand and give a performance by tomorrow night at latest. It can be done. If the tent is too badly torn to set up a six pole show, make it a four pole show, or use the menagerie tent for the circus performance. I should never have it said that the Sparling Combined Shows were put out of business by a gale of wind."
Mr. Sparling halted.
"Phil, there is an old saying to the effect that you can't 'teach an old dog new tricks.' It's not true. You have taught me a new trick. The Sparling shows shall go on to the close of the season. We'll make the next town, somehow, and we'll give them a show the like of which they never before have seen."
"If they had been here tonight they would have seen one such as they never saw before," grinned Teddy.
"Yes."