It was Whiteface, the clown, sitting on his heels right there in front
of him! That very surprising individual suddenly turned a handspring,
and without standing up, kicked his heels together straight up into the
air and then sat down in front of Jerry, leaned his head on his elbow
and smiled with twinkling eyes, without uttering a word.




CHAPTER IX

CLOWN OF CLOWNS


Jerry was so surprised that he almost forgot that he had been cheated
out of his ticket to the circus, and he stopped crying except for a long
shuddering sob every now and then, though the tears stood on his cheeks.

The clown looked at him long and steadily; finally he made a little
squeaky noise with his mouth, and then opened his lips as though
laughing, but did not utter a sound. His mouth seemed to keep broadening
in a hearty laugh until Jerry thought it would really touch his ears. It
was such a good-natured grin and his eyes twinkled so that Jerry smiled
ever so little.

At that little smile the clown's silent laugh suddenly disappeared and
with that funny little squeak in his mouth, which Jerry knew meant joy
in spite of its being nothing but a squeak, he jumped suddenly to his
feet and turned a series of handsprings around in a circle, kicking his