Bunny did not think this likely, for if Bunker had done anything of the sort he would have told Bunny and would have wanted Bunny to see him perform on the swinging trapeze.
“I guess maybe it was put up before we came here,” said Bunny.
But later, on asking his father about it, Bunny learned that the trapeze had been put in place by a hired man who used to work for Mr. Brown. It was some years before and the trapeze had been forgotten.
It was in a space back of a pile of hay, and not easily seen unless one climbed in the far end of the mow, as Charlie had done. The boys clustered around the swinging ropes to the ends of which a cross piece of wood was fastened, making the trapeze bar.
“Let me try a swing on it,” begged Bunny. The other boys were moving away to give him “first whack,” for it was in Bunny’s barn, when Charlie cried:
“Better let George swing on it first. He’s heaviest and if it holds him it will hold any of us.”
“I’m not afraid!” boasted George.
“Better pull some hay under it so if the ropes break you won’t get hurt,” suggested Bunny. “My father wouldn’t like it if any of you boys got hurt in our barn.”
“I guess we wouldn’t like it ourselves if we got hurt!” laughed George.
He could just reach the trapeze bar by jumping up with outstretched hands, and, once having hold of it, he boldly swung to and fro. The ropes did not break and George did not fall, somewhat to the disappointment of the other lads, who rather hoped something like this would happen.