“Yes,” said Tinkle, “I did. Well, Tamba, I’m glad to see you again. But what brings you so far from the circus, and why are you hiding here?”
“That,” said Tamba, “is a long story. I’ll tell it to you!”
But, all of a sudden, one of the cows at the far end of the stable mooed out:
“Quick, Tamba! Here comes the man to milk us! Hide in the straw so he won’t see you!”
CHAPTER VII
TAMBA AND SQUINTY
Tamba did not need to be told twice what to do. As soon as he heard the kind words of the cow the tame tiger ran softly on his padded feet and snuggled down again in the straw. And the man came in, milked the cows, and went out with the foaming pails without knowing anything about the circus tiger hiding in the lower part of the barn. He thought the tiger had gone away.
“Now it’s all right—he’s gone and you may come out,” said the cow to Tamba, and the tiger, shaking the straw from his striped black and yellow fur, walked out to talk some more to Tinkle, the trick pony.
“You were going to tell us how it was you left the circus, Tamba,” said Tinkle. “Make a good, long story of it. I like stories.”