and laughed at the ungainly antics of the jumping elephant, but by dint
of the frequent repetition of the jumping he began to become
disappointed that Danny didn't jump higher. He grew tired of the
performance before Danny wearied of jumping the fence.

"It's my turn now!" Chris called, after Danny had jumped for the twelfth
time. "Come on, Celia Jane."

They dropped the fence and, as there was nothing for the green elephant
to jump unless he could clear the tight rope, two feet from the ground,
Danny perforce gave way to the dancing pony and the clown.

Chris was trying to crack an old whip which he and Danny had made by
braiding three strands of leather, with a "cracker" at the end, and
Celia Jane was dancing gracefully about the ring, her tail switching and
her mane blowing, when the unexpected voice of Darn Darner from the
alley brought the circus to a sudden halt.

"Hullo! What do you kids think you're doin'?" he asked, in the gruff
voice which he adopted when he wanted to be particularly disagreeable.

Jerry squirmed around on the barrel until he could see Darn. "We're
playin' circus," he answered with a feeble, placating smile, before the
others had recovered from their surprise.

"Yah! You call _that_ a circus? Chris can't even crack the whip."

"I can, too, sometimes," Chris disputed.

"I'll show you how to do it," Darn offered, clambering over the fence.