"Did you?" asked Jerry, and he smiled up at the man, unafraid, with a sort of fellow feeling.
"I sure did," the man smiled down at Jerry. "I got to see my first circus through carrying water for the elephants."
At this moment Sam returned with four other boys, all older than either Jerry or Chris.
"I never saw boys so shy of a circus before, Mr. Burrows," he said. "They've melted away as though the circus were a plague. But I guess we can get along with these."
"All right, Sam," replied Mr. Burrows, "but I want you to pump the water and let the boys do the carrying. These two boys," and he put a hand on Jerry's head and one on Chris's shoulder, "have never seen a circus. They'll help carry water and be sure that they get a matinee ticket apiece."
"All right, sir," replied Sam. "Come on, boys."
"Let these two carry a pail between them," continued Mr. Burrows, "I don't want them breaking their backs."
Jerry felt an unusual warmth go surging through him. He was going to carry water for the elephants and get a ticket to the circus, after all! He was gladder than ever that he had bought the cough medicine for Kathleen with the black half-dollar. He looked up at Mr. Burrows, and it was such a look as a friendless dog might give to a man who had just petted it and given it something to eat.
"Thank you, mister, for lettin' me carry water for the el'funts," said Jerry.
"That's all right," replied the man. "Here, there's a dime for peanuts. Have a good time."