“Oh! nothing much,” answered the disturber of the peace, “only I think I can see through a mill-stone when there’s a hole in it. I was thinking about Peleg’s asking to come with us. That letter business may have only been a blind. The real cause you can hear, if you listen right now.”
“Why, it’s a band playing, as you live!” ejaculated Tubby.
“To be sure,” laughed Ralph. “I forgot that this was the night the circus was billed to strike Wyoming. It’s located on a vacant lot we have to pass going toward the centre of the town. Come along, let’s stand around for a bit and see the sights. I always like to watch the shouters get busy, and see the crowd of country yahoos gathering around. We’ve got a whole hour yet before the concert begins, boys.”
What wideawake boy could ever resist the alluring attraction of a circus band, with the added pleasure of listening to the various glib-tongued orators who so loudly describe the wonders to be seen in the side shows? Even Rob was perfectly willing to move along and join the crowd surging in front of the round-top that occupied the big vacant lot.
Many lights abounded, strange sounds came from beyond the canvas walls, and everything combined to throw an air of romantic interest about the one-night stand of the Great Aggregation that had honored Wyoming with its presence.
So the five boys stood and listened and laughed while the loud-voiced fakirs on the platforms bellowed their invitations to “step in and see the seven wonders of the world,” as shown in their side shows; while the busy ticket-taker in the circus wagon continued to sell pasteboard admissions to the big event, and people gradually sifted into the round-top for the evening performance.
“There’s Peleg!” announced Sim, later on. “What did I tell you, fellows?”
Sure enough, Peleg was to be seen standing there, with a look of intense interest on his face, as though greatly amused by all this glitter and talk. The woman in spangles who handled an enormous snake so fearlessly had the crowd gaping with awe; the pigmies from the heart of Africa who sang such a quaint song and exhibited their war trophies excited great interest; and the giant and dwarf appearing side by side on another platform caused quite a stampede in that direction when they pretended to engage in a boxing match.
No wonder then that Peleg could not resist stopping on his way, and staring at those wonderful sights. It would be hard, indeed, to find any boy capable of passing by on the other side of the street, no matter what his errand, without halting for at least a few minutes’ survey and treat.
“But you notice that he isn’t showing any signs of going inside, don’t you?” Tubby was saying, turning to Sim. “Perhaps Peleg did have some other sort of errand in town, just as he said. Stopping on his way doesn’t signify anything, for we’re doing the same thing.”