“No, of course not. The people.”
“I don’t know unless they sleep in the cages with the animals,” laughed Phil. “Some of the folks appear to be sleeping on the horses.”
“I’d be willing to go without sleep if I could be a showman,” mused Teddy. “Wouldn’t you?”
“Sure,” agreed Phil. “Hello! There come some more wagons. Come on! We’ll run down to meet them.”
“No; Let’s go over to the grounds where the circus is coming off. They’ll be putting up the tents first thing we know.”
“That’s so, and I want to be around. You going to work any, Teddy?”
“Not I. I’m going to see the show, but you don’t catch me carrying pails of water for the elephants for a ticket of admission that don’t admit you to anything except a stand-up. I can stand up cheaper than that.”
Both boys slipped from the fence, and, setting off at a jog trot, began rapidly overhauling and passing the slow-moving wagons with their tired horses and more tired drivers.
By the time Teddy and Phil reached the circus grounds several wagons were already there. Shouts sprang up from all parts of the field, while half a dozen men began measuring off the ground in the dim morning light, locating the best places in which to pitch the tents. Here and there they would drive in a stake, on one of which they tied a piece of newspaper.
“Wonder what that’s for,” thought Phil aloud.