The sight of gilded cages with wild animals behind the iron bars, of three huge elephants swaying their unwieldy bodies and trunks, of flags and bunting and numerous other things apparently inseparable from circus life made the frowning lines on Victor’s face entirely disappear.
“Well, I’ll see the show anyway,” he murmured. “Gee, won’t it be a regular lark!”
Going from cage to cage he kicked up the sawdust in pure delight. Spudger’s collection of zoological specimens contained a lion, two tigers, a jaguar, three pumas, a brown bear and two coyotes. Occasionally a sullen roar or an angry snarl seemed to indicate that several members of the animal kingdom were in a very uncomfortable state of mind.
The tent was rapidly filling up, but Victor, having a reserved seat coupon, did not hurry.
“Hello, Buster!”
He turned quickly, to gaze into the grinning face of “Mister” Joe Rodgers.
Joe looked a bit more respectable than he had during the morning hours, but not enough so to make the lawyer’s son feel any great desire to continue his acquaintance.
“Well?” he said, coldly.
“Say, kid, where did you drop from?” Then, without waiting for a response, he added, “Ain’t that big jumbo a corker—ain’t he though? Whiffin had orter be pleased. Say, that there feller knows every word in the lingo, don’t he?”
To be addressed in such a way by a mere water-carrier, especially before so many people, made Victor feel highly disgusted. With a curt nod, he turned away, and just on the instant Joe bawled out loudly: