"How dared you come after us, miss?" demanded Sam, as she looked calmly about her, and took a seat before she was asked.
"Sanch would come after Ben; I couldn't make him go home, so I had to hold on till he was safe here, else he'd be lost, and then Ben would feel bad."
The cleverness of that excuse tickled the boys immensely; and Sam tried again, while Ben was getting the dog down and sitting on him.
"Now you expect to go to the circus, I suppose."
"Course I do. Ben said he didn't mind paying, if I could get there without bothering him, and I have; and I'll go home alone. I ain't afraid. Sanch will take care of me, if you won't," answered Bab, stoutly.
"What do you suppose your mother will say to you?" asked Ben, feeling much reproached by her last words.
"I guess she'll say you led me into mischief; and the sharp child nodded, as if she defied him to deny the truth of that.
"You'll catch it when you get home, Ben; so you'd better have a good time while you can," advised Sam, thinking Bab great fun, since none of the blame of her pranks would fall on him. "What would you have done if you hadn't found us?" asked Billy, forgetting his impatience in his admiration for this plucky young lady.
"I'd have gone on and seen the circus, and then I'd have gone home again and told Betty all about it," was the prompt answer.
"But you haven't any money."