“I have been given authority to maintain order, and if I hear any further objections from one who came to see this show on a complimentary ticket, I will forcibly expel him from the premises.”
The threatening tones and the scowl on the Ring Master’s face caused a great chorus of laughter from the audience, and from those performers who knew that Uncle Ben and his dear friend Mr. Richards were trying to get the best of each other in the fun-argument.
But the blare of horns coming from back of the canvas curtain interrupted any further attacks, so the Ring Master retired to attend to the order of march.
A drum-major led the band. He was dressed in a high bearskin hat with gold tassels draped in front of it. His blue uniform was also elaborately trimmed with tinsel and gold ornaments that reminded everyone of Christmas Tree trimmings. In fact that is just what they were!
The Brass Band followed and blew its instruments so lustily that no attention was paid to time or notes. Noise, and plenty of it, was what every member was eager to accomplish.
After the band, the freaks and wild animals followed, but the Numidian lion had thrown back its head-piece and the boy’s hot face peeping out looked very strange as it surmounted the shaggy lion rug.
After the side-show members came the regular circus performers—bareback riders, acrobats, pugilists, etcetera.
Every Little Citizen in camp wished to be in the Grand Parade and everyone had some odd bit of decoration to distinguish his or her connection with so illustrious a company.
Some of the little girls had gathered great quantities of daisies and buttercups and other wild flowers, and had sewed them all over their camp dresses. Many of the little boys, too small to take part in the acting, were costumed in foliage-covered clothes or in fancy paper suits.
The parade over, the troupe sought refuge back of the canvas curtain to await the call of each performer. The selected “pieces” of the Brass Band now took their seats in front of the canvas and showed the audience what a volume of sound six members of the band could send forth.