It must be admitted that Mr. Tarbox was interested, in spite of himself, in the successive features of the entertainment. I do not propose to describe them in detail. I advance to one in which one of our characters takes part.
"Gentlemen and ladies," said the manager, "I will now introduce to your notice Robert Rudd, the champion bareback rider of his age in the world."
A horse was led into the ring, and Robert, dressed in tights and a showy costume, bounded into the ring also.
The horse was started. He ran along by the side of it; then, laying his hand upon the animal, vaulted upon his back. After riding round the ring once or twice he rose to his feet and maintained his position with perfect ease while the horse, stimulated by the crack of the whip, galloped round the course.
"I declare, that beats all!" said Spriggins, who had never attended a circus before.
"That's the boy that was with the giant," said Tarbox.
"Well, he's a smart rider. I never saw the beat of him."
Mr. Spriggins was destined to be still more astonished. Hoops were brought and placed at regular intervals, covered with paper, and the boy rider jumped through each in succession, landing again on the horse's back.
"Did you ever see anything like it before, Mr. Tarbox?" asked the constable.